SmaMoMeMoDs · Smart Modulation Methods for Energy Efficient Operation and Health Monitoring of Future Motor Drives
Horizon 2020 — Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
- Duration
- 2017-08-01 → 2019-07-31
- EU contribution
- €195,455
- Participants
- 1
- Scheme
- MSCA-IF-EF-ST
Lines connect the coordinator with its partners.
Results in brief
Smart Modulation Methods for Energy Efficient Operation and Health Monitoring of Future Motor Drives
Rotating field electrical motor driven systems are one of the key assets in reducing carbon emissions, since they are widely used in electrical energy production and end-use. This research project advances fundamental science in the field and develops new smart modulation methods for power converters. The power converters are used in diverse sectors, ranging from industrial to residential applications. In the industrial sectors the converters are used to rotate pumps, fans, conveyors, compressors as well as in heavy working machines and machinery. In transportation they are used in EVs, hybrid vehicles, trains, and ships and also aircrafts are becoming more and more electric. The voltage source converter is the most used power electronics configuration to enable accurate speed and torque control for rotating field machines. A DC voltage is modulated to AC voltage waveform using a pulse-width-modulation (PWM) technique. The PWM creates high frequency harmonic content to the voltage that causes an additional loss component to electrical machine. Generally, the amount of the harmonic losses is significant ranging from 5% to 50% of the electrical machines losses depending on the operation point. The additional harmonic loss component is not yet fully understood and it has been a controversial topic. To model the losses of the electrical machines with PWM-supply is still too complicated to be treated on a microscopic level. In the future, the FEM software employing advanced models can predict the electrical machine losses more accurately, but these kinds of models are far away from practical implementations. In here, a new research method to study harmonic losses were developed. The proposed electrical harmonic power approach is a simple and effective way to study the energy-efficiency of all electric apparatuses that utilize PWM. The approach will provide us the accurate data base to achieve precise results which the research will use for the development of a novel and efficient modulation method.
Data: CORDIS, © European Union
Project objective
The goal of this Fellowship, entitled “Smart Modulation Methods for Energy Efficient Operation and Health Monitoring of Future Motor Drives” (SmaMoMeDs) is to train an outstanding researcher (Dr Lassi Aarniovuori) with a strong academic background through a research project focused on the innovative modulation algorithms for a new technology wide-bandgap gallium nitride (GaN) and silicon carbide (SiC) based inverter bridges (power switches) that will be used in future motor drives. These new switches allow the use of ultra-high switching frequencies in motor drives, creating opportunities to improve the performance, reliability and energy-efficiency of the motor drives systems. The proposed smart modulation methods are aimed 1) to identify the motor parameters for the control system, 2) to optimize the modulation method according to the operating conditions, 3) to detect any changes in the mechanical or electrical behavior of the motor parameters for health monitoring. The applicant Dr. Aarniovuori will be trained in the field of electrical power engineering, power electronics, motors, and drives. These are the key components in any modern industrial applications and they are a part of people’s everyday live in all welfare societies. The Fellow will get a unique training experience at the host – Aston University its industrial partner Jaguar Landrover (JLR)., its academic partners Newcastle University (UK) and Politecnic Torino (Italy).
Original text from CORDIS.
Participants
- ASTON UNIVERSITY · BirminghamCoordinatorUnited Kingdom
Links
Data: CORDIS, © European Union