Practical photovoltaic simulator with a cross tackling control strategy based on the first-hand duty cycle processing

This paper proposes a methodological scheme for the photovoltaic (PV) simulator design. With the advantages of a digital controller system, linear interpolation is proposed for precise fitting with higher computational efficiency. A novel control strategy that directly tackles two different duty cycles is proposed and implemented to achieve a full-range operation including short circuit (SC) and open circuit (OC) conditions. Systematic design procedures for both hardware and algorithm are explained, and a prototype is built. Experimental results confirm an accurate steady state performance under different load conditions, including SC and OC. This low power apparatus can be adopted for PV education and research with a limited budget.

Adaptive control of hybrid battery energy storage systems under capacity fade

There is an increasing call for applications which use a mixture of batteries. These hybrid battery solutions may contain different battery types for example; using second life ex-transportation batteries in grid support applications or a combination of high power, low energy and low power, high energy batteries to meet multiple energy requirements or even the same battery types but under different states of health for example, being able to hot swap out a battery when it has failed in an application without changing all the batteries and ending up with batteries with different performances, capacities and impedances. These types of applications typically use multi-modular converters to allow hot swapping to take place without affecting the overall performance of the system. A key element of the control is how the different battery performance characteristics may be taken into account and the how the power is then shared among the different batteries in line with their performance. This paper proposes a control strategy which allows the power in the batteries to be effectively distributed even under capacity fade conditions using adaptive power sharing strategy. This strategy is then validated against a system of three different battery types connected to a multi-modular converter both with and without capacity fade mechanisms in place.

The effect of circuit parasitics on resonant switched capacitor converters

Switched Capacitor (SC) converters have been used for several years in low-power, power electronic energy conversion systems. However, because of their attractive features such as low-weight and high-density energy conversion and with the emergence of new circuit topologies and SiC switching devices, these circuits have recently been proposed for higher power applications. The resonant switched capacitor topology is a good candidate for high-power due to its very low-switching loss, but circuit parasitic inductance and resistance can have a significant effect on the resonant frequency of each cell. This paper discusses the influence of these parasitics on the performance of the converter and proposes a method by which these parasitics can be estimated. Simulation results and measurements from a hardware prototype are used to validate the technique.

DC-link voltage control strategy for reducing capacitance and total harmonic distortion in single-phase grid-connected photovoltaic inverters

High-volume capacitance is required to buffer the power difference between the input and output ports in single-phase grid-connected photovoltaic inverters, which become an obstacle to high system efficiency and long device lifetime. Furthermore, total harmonic distortion becomes serious when the system runs into low power level. In this study, a comprehensive analysis is introduced for two-stage topology with the consideration of active power, DC-link (DCL) voltage, ripple and capacitance. This study proposed a comprehensive DCL voltage control strategy to minimise the DCL capacitance while maintaining a normal system operation. Furthermore, the proposed control strategy is flexible to be integrated with the pulse-skipping control that significantly improves the power quality at light power conditions. Since the proposed control strategy needs to vary DCL voltage, an active protection scheme is also introduced to prevent any voltage violation across the DCL. The proposed control strategy is evaluated by both simulation and experiments, whose results confirm the system effectiveness.

Power electronic interfaces for low voltage residential networks

A proposal to increase the existing residential LV grid voltage from 230 V to 300 V has been made in order to increase existing network capacity. A power-electronic AC-AC converter is then used to provide 230 V at each property. The equipment can also provide power-quality improvements to the network and load. Several constraints such as temperature rise at the converter location lead to a converter design requiring very high efficiency. In this paper different AC/AC converter topologies are presented which compares the power quality benefits, size and efficiency of each converter. The design and the control technique of the most suitable topology are verified using simulation and preliminary experimentally results of prototype hardware are also included. © 2013 IEEE.

Review of low-temperature vapour power cycle engines with quasi-isothermal expansion

External combustion heat cycle engines convert thermal energy into useful work. Thermal energy resources include solar, geothermal, bioenergy, and waste heat. To harness these and maximize work output, there has been a renaissance of interest in the investigation of vapour power cycles for quasi-isothermal (near constant temperature) instead of adiabatic expansion. Quasi-isothermal expansion has the advantage of bringing the cycle efficiency closer to the ideal Carnot efficiency, but it requires heat to be transferred to the working fluid as it expands. This paper reviews various low-temperature vapour power cycle heat engines with quasi-isothermal expansion, including the methods employed to realize the heat transfer. The heat engines take the form of the Rankine cycle with continuous heat addition during the expansion process, or the Stirling cycle with a condensable vapour as working fluid. Compared to more standard Stirling engines using gas, the specific work output is higher. Cryogenic heat engines based on the Rankine cycle have also been enhanced with quasi-isothermal expansion. Liquid flooded expansion and expander surface heating are the two main heat transfer methods employed. Liquid flooded expansion has been applied mainly in rotary expanders, including scroll turbines; whereas surface heating has been applied mainly in reciprocating expanders. © 2014 Elsevier Ltd.

Exploration of a simple, low cost, micro gas turbine recuperator solution for a domestic combined heat and power unit

For micro gas turbines (MGT) of around 1 kW or less, a commercially suitable recuperator must be used to produce a thermal efficiency suitable for use in UK Domestic Combined Heat and Power (DCHP). This paper uses computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to investigate a recuperator design based on a helically coiled pipe-in-pipe heat exchanger which utilises industry standard stock materials and manufacturing techniques. A suitable mesh strategy was established by geometrically modelling separate boundary layer volumes to satisfy y + near wall conditions. A higher mesh density was then used to resolve the core flow. A coiled pipe-in-pipe recuperator solution for a 1 kW MGT DCHP unit was established within the volume envelope suitable for a domestic wall-hung boiler. Using a low MGT pressure ratio (necessitated by using a turbocharger oil cooled journal bearing platform) meant unit size was larger than anticipated. Raising MGT pressure ratio from 2.15 to 2.5 could significantly reduce recuperator volume. Dimensional reasoning confirmed the existence of optimum pipe diameter combinations for minimum pressure drop. Maximum heat exchanger effectiveness was achieved using an optimum or minimum pressure drop pipe combination with large pipe length as opposed to a large pressure drop pipe combination with shorter pipe length. © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.