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The Role and Influence of Sensors in Modern Energy Systems

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A special issue of Sensors (ISSN 1424-8220). This special issue belongs to the section "Physical Sensors".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 January 2024) | Viewed by 11252

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Federico Barrero

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Guest Editor

Department of Electronic Engineering, University of Seville, 41092 Seville, Spain
Interests: electric machines; electric drives; power electronics; sensor networks
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Manuel Ruiz Arahal

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Guest Editor

Department of Systems and Automatic Engineering, Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain
Interests: power converter control

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The rapid development of power converters and electronic devices, coupled with the damage to the Earth’s climate generated by fossil fuels, promote the concept of a “more electric world” (MEW). Our generation is facing an amazing shift in energy transition and industrial revolution catalyzed by the MEW concept, where the control and efficiency of modern energy-conversion systems are at the center of the scientific community. Although sensors are at the root of this change, few researchers have focused on their influence in the final performance of the entire conversion system. This call for papers promotes new research works that analyze the role and influence of sensors in the performance and control of modern energy-conversion systems.

As Sensors (ISSN 1424-8220) provides an advanced forum for the science and technology of sensors and their applications, this Special Issue can help future researchers to understand the influence of sensors in the performance and control of modern energy-conversion systems.

Prof. Dr. Federico Barrero
Dr. Manuel Ruiz Arahal
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sensors is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

sensors in power converters
sensors in electric drives
sensors in electric generators
influence of sensing in the performance of controllers and systems.

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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15 pages, 8867 KiB

Open AccessArticle

On-Site Calibration of an Electric Drive: A Case Study Using a Multiphase System

by David Soto-Marchena, Federico Barrero, Francisco Colodro, Manuel R. Arahal and Jose L. Mora

Sensors 2023, 23(17), 7317; https://doi.org/10.3390/s23177317 - 22 Aug 2023

Viewed by 760

Abstract

Modern electric machines are attracting great interest from the research community as a result of the increasing number of current applications, including electric vehicles and wind power generators, among others. Different machines, power converters, and control technologies are used, and the number of sensors is usually minimized to reduce the total cost of the system. Particularly interesting are the current and speed sensors, which are essential to the normal functioning of the entire system. This work analyzes different calibration techniques of these sensors, using as a case example a five-phase induction motor drive. Experimental results are included to show the influence of calibration techniques on the system analyzed. The obtained results can be extrapolated to any other similar system. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role and Influence of Sensors in Modern Energy Systems)

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28 pages, 2836 KiB

Open AccessArticle

IPDT Model-Based Ziegler–Nichols Tuning Generalized to Controllers with Higher-Order Derivatives

by Pavol Bistak, Mikulas Huba, Damir Vrancic and Stefan Chamraz

Sensors 2023, 23(8), 3787; https://doi.org/10.3390/s23083787 - 7 Apr 2023

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1809

Abstract

The paper extends the earlier work entitled “Making the PI and PID Controller Tuning Inspired by Ziegler and Nichols Precise and Reliable”, to higher-order controllers and a broader range of experiments. The original series PI and PID controllers, based on automatic reset calculated by filtered controller outputs, are now augmented by higher-order output derivatives. This increases the number of degrees of freedom that can be used to modify the resulting dynamics, accelerates transient responses, and increases robustness to unmodeled dynamics and uncertainties. The fourth order noise attenuation filter used in the original work allows for the addition of an acceleration feedback signal, thus resulting in a series PIDA controller or even a jerk feedback that leads to a PIDAJ series controller. Such a design can further use the original process and filter approximation of the step responses through the integral-plus-dead-time (IPDT) model, while allowing experimentation with disturbance and setpoint step responses of the series PI, PID, PIDA and PIDAJ controllers, and thus, evaluating the role of output derivatives and noise attenuation from a broader perspective. All controllers considered are tuned using the Multiple Real Dominant Pole (MRDP) method, which is complemented by a factorization of the controller transfer functions to achieve the smallest possible time constant for automatic reset. The smallest time constant is chosen to improve the constrained transient response of the considered controller types. The obtained excellent performance and robustness allow the proposed controllers to be applied to a wider range of systems with dominant first-order dynamics. The proposed design is illustrated on a real-time speed control of a stable direct-current (DC) motor, which is approximated (together with a noise attenuation filter) by an IPDT model. The transient responses obtained are nearly time-optimal, with control signal limitations active for most setpoint step responses. Four controllers with different degrees of derivative with generalized automatic reset were used for comparison. It was found that controllers with higher-order derivatives may significantly improve the disturbance performance and virtually eliminate overshoots in the setpoint step responses in constrained velocity control. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role and Influence of Sensors in Modern Energy Systems)

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17 pages, 2387 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Blockchain-Based Concept for Digital Transformation of Traceability Pyramid for Electrical Energy Measurement

by Kruno Miličević, Ivan Tolić, Davor Vinko and Goran Horvat

Sensors 2022, 22(23), 9292; https://doi.org/10.3390/s22239292 - 29 Nov 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1543

Abstract

Digital transformation of metrology is a holistic process that was started formally by the Joint Statement of Intent “On the digital transformation in the international scientific and quality infrastructure” signed by major metrology organisations in March 2022. With the digital transformation of metrology in motion, the questions of a seamless transition to digital representation while ensuring adherence to all the requirements of digital representation and maintaining a sustainable framework for future operations are just some of the challenges faced. To tackle these challenges, also within the concept of “more electrical world” (MEW), one technology is demonstrating high potential applicability as a possible candidate solution—blockchain technology, with its critical underlying properties (e.g., immutability, decentralisation, etc.) being fully compliant with the requirements of digital representation in metrology. Accordingly, this paper presents a blockchain-based concept for the digital transformation of the traceability pyramid for electrical energy measurement. The concept is developed in accordance with the goals of the Metroracle project. Based on the analyzed and presented state-of-the-art, the main contribution of the paper is the comprehensiveness of the concept, which encompasses the whole pyramid and describes all relevant processes and responsibilities of all stakeholders: measurement instrument (MI) owners, certificate issuers (National Accreditation Body (NAB), National laboratory (NL), Reference laboratory (RL)), MI manufacturers/developers, MI installers. The transformed pyramid is defined by Croatian metrology laws and regulations, but with smaller adjustments, it is applicable to other EU countries as well, and also to the traceability of other physical quantities, i.e., not to electrical energy only. Possible legal and technical issues are identified (amount of data, machine-readable standards and regulations, ensuring limited access, legal relevance of digital signature) and corresponding solutions presented, as well as further steps in our research and development within the Metroracle project. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role and Influence of Sensors in Modern Energy Systems)

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17 pages, 7963 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Power Management Unit for Solar Energy Harvester Assisted Batteryless Wireless Sensor Node

by Alberto Lopez-Gasso, Andoni Beriain, Hector Solar and Roc Berenguer

Sensors 2022, 22(20), 7908; https://doi.org/10.3390/s22207908 - 18 Oct 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1875

Abstract

This work describes an energy-efficient monolithic Power Management Unit (PMU) that includes a charge pump adapted to photovoltaic cells with the capability of charging a large supply capacitor and managing the stored energy efficiently to provide the required supply voltage and power to low energy consumption wireless sensor nodes such as RFID sensor tags. The proposed system starts-up self-sufficiently with a light source luminosity equal to or higher than 500 lux using only a 1.42 cm² solar cell and integrating an energy monitor that gives the ability to supply autonomous sensor nodes with discontinuous operation modes. The system occupies an area of 0.97 mm² with a standard 180 nm CMOS technology. The half-floating architecture avoids losses of charging the top/button plate of the stray capacitors in each clock cycle. Measurements’ results on a fabricated IC exhibit an efficiency above 60% delivering 13.14

μ

W over 1.8 V. The harvested energy is enough to reach the communication range of a standard UHF RFID sensor tag up to 21 m. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role and Influence of Sensors in Modern Energy Systems)

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Review

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22 pages, 3232 KiB

Open AccessReview

Advanced and Complex Energy Systems Monitoring and Control: A Review on Available Technologies and Their Application Criteria

by Alessandro Massaro and Giuseppe Starace

Sensors 2022, 22(13), 4929; https://doi.org/10.3390/s22134929 - 29 Jun 2022

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 4126

Abstract

Complex energy monitoring and control systems have been widely studied as the related topics include different approaches, advanced sensors, and technologies applied to a strongly varying amount of application fields. This paper is a systematic review of what has been done regarding energy metering system issues about (i) sensors, (ii) the choice of their technology and their characterization depending on the application fields, (iii) advanced measurement approaches and methodologies, and (iv) the setup of energy Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). The paper provides models about KPI estimation, by highlighting design criteria of complex energy networks. The proposed study is carried out to give useful elements to build models and to simulate in detail energy systems for performance prediction purposes. Some examples of energy complex KPIs based on the integration of the Artificial Intelligence (AI) concept and on basic KPIs or variables are provided in order to define innovative formulation criteria depending on the application field. The proposed examples highlight how modeling a complex KPI as a function of basic variables or KPIs is possible, by means of graph models of architectures. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role and Influence of Sensors in Modern Energy Systems)

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