Performance enhancement in power electronics, converters, inverters, and wind generator systems

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The global market for computer power supplies, converters, inverters and renewable energy systems is multi billion dollars per year. It is desirable to operate these products at higher efficiency, with better dynamic performance. The proposed research is intended to achieve these goals. The current source drive (CSD) technology and inductorless gate drive technology have been successfully applied to reduce switching losses in MOSFETs, which are used in computer power supplies. This has resulted in high efficiency power supplies for servers and computers. The charge balance control (CBC) technology has been successfully applied to power supplies for improving dynamic performance. Investigation will be carried out to develop new CSD technology and inductorless technology to reduce the switching loss of IGBT (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor) devices in order to increase efficiency for converters, inverters, wind generator systems, and solar power inverters where IGBTs are extensively used. Investigation of CBC technology will be carried out to provide fast dynamic response for Boost and Buck-boost power supplies. This CBC technology will also be used in wind energy generator systems for fast dynamic response. Modern control techniques such as CBC, dynamically robust control and fuzzy logic control, will be implemented for the wind generator systems in order to achieve performance improvements. The research will benefit Canadian and international industries, enabling them to manufacture highly efficient and high quality power supplies, converters, inverters and renewable energy systems. Contacts with industries are underway and will be continued to commercialize some of the technologies developed. The proposed research program will contribute to the training of High Quality Personnel (HQP). Graduate students will gain valuable experience and research skills in the areas of power electronics, power supplies, modern control techniques and renewable energy systems, enabling them to contribute to Canadian industries.