Trishan Esram with adviser P. L. Chapman Alternating-current (ac) photovoltaic (PV) modules have the potential of bringing down the upfront unsubsidized costs of installed PV systems. Unlike regular PV modules, ac PV modules embody relatively smaller inverters, often called microinverters, to directly output ac power, which can be used by local loads and fed into […]
Distributed Generation
Andrew Bolman with adviser P. T. Krein Distributed generation research addresses technological, environmental and economic issues that power systems will face in the future. It integrates smaller generation sources throughout the main electrical grid that provide local facilities better electrical reliability and a higher quality of power. Small generators are placed close to the load […]
Multiresolution Simulation of PWM Dc-Dc Converters
Ali Davoudi with adviser P.L. Chapman Simulation of power converters includes the mixture of continuous and discrete events, where the presence of parasitic and switching transients introduces a wide range of time scales that span several orders of magnitude. Each switching event excites transients. This periodically introduces stiff equations, thus undermining the advantages of the […]
Grid Interactive Power Electronics
Grant Pitel with adviser P.T. Krein Bidirectional ac-dc switch mode rectifiers can act as regenerative loads that more efficiently test electromechanical machines, switch-mode power supplies, and batteries; recover braking energy in electric vehicles; and stabilize the power grid. The Grainger Center for Electric Machinery and Electromechanic’s modular inverter platform, developed at the University, has a […]
Optimized Control of Ocean Wave Energy Generators in Stochastic Wave Climates
Shaun McArthur, David Naviaux, Joe Mercer, Judy Cooper, and James Morley with advisers Ted Brekken and Annette von Jouanne, Oregon State University The project was to develop a small bench-top workstation for testing wave energy control algorithms. A power-processing unit converted 42 V of power to dc for the motor and generator. The motor provided […]
Solar Decathlon and the Illinois Team
Trishan Esram and Sairaj Dhople, with adviser P. L. Chapman Looking back at 2007 The Solar Decathlon is a competition organized by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy in partnership with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Twenty teams of college and university students are selected to design and build […]
Dc-dc converter built with GaN-based HEMT switching devices
Ph.D. student Chandler Seo with adviser K. Kim A dc-dc converter transfers energy between two dc circuits operating at different voltage and current levels. It is possible to change the output voltage and current level by varying the duty ratio (if the pulse has duration DT where T is the period and D is the […]
Simulation of Multiple Battery Electrochemistries in a Dynamic Electric Vehicle Simulator for Energy Efficiency Comparisons
Ryan Kroeze with adviser P. T. Krein A battery model capable of reproducing lithium-ion (Li-ion), nickel-metal hydride (NiMH), and lead-acid I-V characteristics (with minimal model alterations) has been designed and tested. The battery model was programmed into a Matlab/Simulink environment and used as a power source for plug-in hybrid electric vehicle and electric vehicle simulations. […]
Optimization of a Synchronous Reluctance Machine for Compressor Applications
Michelle Bash with adviser Steve Pekarek, Purdue University Single-phase induction motors are traditionally used to drive a reciprocating or scroll compressor in air conditioning systems used in residential applications. The motor is designed to minimize cost subject to a specified phase voltage, starting torque, and peak torque required at the desired compressor speed. In addition, […]
Motor Parameterization for Induction Motor Control
Andrew Friedl with adviser P. T. Krein Unique methods of induction machine control developed by Francisco di Silvestro at the University of Illinois in the early 1990s, such as his nonlinear flux-observer-based control, reduced-order model control, and input-output decoupling control, will soon be implemented in hardware in our laboratory. But first, we must have a […]