Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Thesis Format

Monograph

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy

Program

Electrical and Computer Engineering

Supervisor

Gerry Moschopoulos

Abstract

Power electronic converters are used extensively for electrical power conversion in applications such as renewable energy systems, utility applications, and electric vehicles. Such converters are needed as it is rare for a source voltage to fit the needs of a load or a set of loads for any particular application. They consist of active semiconductor switches and passive components that are combined in circuit structures (topologies) that are operated with a control strategy. The focus of this thesis is on AC-DC and DC-DC converters and their applications in AC-DC microgrids.

AC-DC converters are typically two-stage converters that consist of a front-end AC-DC converter followed by a DC-DC back-end converter. The AC-DC front-end converter converts AC voltage from an AC source such as the grid to a DC bus voltage that has been filtered by an intermediate DC bus capacitor; the DC-DC converter then converts this DC voltage into the desired output voltage. A less expensive alternative to this two-stage approach is to have just one converter perform AC-DC and DC-DC conversion.

This thesis examines isolated single-stage AC-DC converters and back-end DC-DC converters for two-stage converters that have a split DC bus, with either two capacitors in series across the bus to split the voltage or with two parallel current paths to split the bus current. These converters have fewer components or fewer light-load losses than converters with conventional topologies. Four new power converters with a split DC bus are proposed in this thesis: a reduced-switch three-phase AC-DC converter, two lower power DC-DC converters, and an AC-DC converter that can be used to simplify the architecture and control of AC-DC hybrid microgrids. The proposed converters increase efficiency and reduce the control complexity of hybrid microgrids.

The operation of each converter is explained, the steady-state characteristics and the dynamic model of each converter are determined by mathematical analysis, and a procedure that can be used for their power and control stages design is developed. Experimental and simulation results are used to confirm the feasibility of the converters and simplified AC-DC hybrid microgrid, and conclusions that resulted from the thesis work are stated.

Summary for Lay Audience

Power electronic converters are the electronic circuits that are used to process the electric power in applications such as renewable energy systems, utility applications, and electric vehicles. Such converters are used to interface different electricity generators and consumers. Since electricity is generated in two forms of AC and DC, there are four types of power electronic converters: AC-DC, AC-AC, DC-AC, and DC-DC. This thesis focuses on AC-DC and DC-DC converters.

Some of these converters are built by combining two converters so-called “front-end” and “back-end” converters to perform more complex power processing. Such a structure increases the overall system cost. More advanced structure for the converters are proposed in the literature to offer the same performance with only one converter that reduces the overall system cost, such converters are called “single-stage” converters.

This thesis investigates single-stage AC-DC converters and back-end DC-DC converters for two-stage converters that are using a new structure (split DC bus). These converters are less expensive and more efficient than conventional converters. Four new power converters are proposed in this thesis with the new structure.

The operation of each converter is explained; the mathematical model of the converters is derived. Experimental and simulation results are used to confirm the feasibility of the proposed converters in this thesis.

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