Search Results (11)

Large-scale renewable energy plants, flexible AC (alternating current) and high voltage DC (direct current) transmission systems, and modern consumer devices utilize power electronics that tend to increase harmonic emissions. Furthermore, such emissions are nowadays known to exceed the traditional 2 kHz range typically considered for harmonic analysis. However, the accuracy of such harmonic measurements in medium and high voltage networks is questionable due to the lack of accuracy specifications for the respective instrument transformers that are being used in the measurement chain. Therefore, the motivation of this study is to review the existing techniques for measuring high-frequency voltage harmonics, i.e., those in the range 2–9 kHz, in medium-, high-, and extra high-voltage electricity networks, where most large-scale power electronic converters are being connected. Different transducer types are compared in terms of measurement accuracy. The reviewed literature indicates that some transducers can introduce errors due to their nonlinearities. The study also identifies the limitations of calibrating these transducers at frequencies above 2 kHz due to the unavailability of suitable sources capable of generating the required test waveforms. Furthermore, the study emphasizes the necessity for establishing accuracy limits for harmonic measurements above 2 kHz. Full article

In piezoelectric transducer applications, it is common to use a unipolar operation signal to avoid switching of the polarisation and the resulting nonlinearities of micro-electromechanical systems. However, semi-bipolar or bipolar operation signals have the advantages of less leakage current, lower power consumption and no additional need of a DC−DC converter for low AC driving voltages. This study investigates the potential of using piezoelectric layers with an imprint for stable bipolar operation on the basis of epitaxially grown lead zirconate titanate cantilevers with electrodes made of a metal and metal oxide stack. Due to the manufacturing process, the samples exhibit high crystallinity, rectangular shaped hysteresis and a high piezoelectric response. Furthermore, the piezoelectric layers have an imprint, indicating a strong built-in field, which shifts the polarisation versus electric field hysteresis. To obtain the stability of the imprint, laser doppler vibrometry and switching current measurements were performed at different temperatures, yielding a stable imprinted electric field of −1.83 MV/m up to at least 100 °C. The deflection of the cantilevers was measured with a constant AC driving voltage while varying the DC bias voltage to examine the influence of the imprint under operation, revealing that the same high deflection and low nonlinearities, quantified by the total harmonic distortion, can be maintained down to low bias voltages compared to unipolar operation. These findings demonstrate that a piezoelectric layer with a strong imprint makes it possible to operate with low DC or even zero DC bias, while still providing strong piezoelectric response and linear behaviour. Full article

This paper introduces an enhancement of the protection and operation of the Future Renewable Electric Energy Delivery and Management (FREEDM) system. It uses the solid-state transformers to connect the residential A.C. and D.C. microgrids to the distribution system and fault isolation devices for faulty line isolation. In this paper, a current differential protection scheme has been proposed to detect faults in the FREEDM-based microgrid network. This method is based on the current measurement at the two-line terminals using phasor measurement units to ensure data synchronization and minimize the measuring error. Also, a communication scheme that is based on the Internet of things technology and Wi-Fi is constructed for data monitoring and interlinking between the relays, transducers, and the fault isolation devices in the two-terminals lines. A hypothetical FREEDM system has been used for the verification and testing of the proposed method. Different fault types at different locations and fault resistances have been applied to prove the effectiveness of the proposed protection method in detecting the fault condition. The performance of the proposed method is investigated using the security, dependability, and accuracy indices. A prototype of the FREEDM system is designed, implemented, and tested using the Proteus software simulator and in the laboratory. The results prove the efficiency of the proposed protection method in detecting and isolating the fault conditions in a fast, reliable, and accurate manner. Moreover, the protection scheme achieved high accuracy for all faults, equal to 98.825%. Full article

Electrostatic vibration energy transducers have a relatively high output impedance (R_ET) and open-circuit voltage (V_IN), so that voltage-down conversion is required for sensor/RF ICs. Switched-capacitor converters are the best candidate to create small-form-factor technology and are a low-cost solution because of their capability to fully integrate into sensor/RF ICs. To design switched-capacitor voltage-down converters (SC-VDCs) with a minimum circuit area for electrostatic vibration energy transducers, two steps are required. The first step requires an optimum design of DC-DC SC-VDCs driven by high R_ET with a minimum circuit area, and the second step requires an optimum design of AC-DC SC-VDCs based on the first step, to minimize the converter circuit area. This paper discusses circuit analysis and design optimization aimed at the first step. Switching frequency, the number of stages and the capacitance per stage were determined as a function of R_ET, V_IN and the output voltage (Vo) and current (Io) to the load, to achieve a minimum circuit area. The relationship between Io and the power conversion efficiency was studied as well. The performance was validated by SPICE simulation in 250 nm BCD technology. An optimum design flow was proposed to design DC-DC SC-VDCs driven by high R_ET with a minimum circuit area under conditions where R_ET, V_IN, Vo and Io were given. The second design step remains as future work. Full article

Facing a lack of high accuracy current standards in the calibration of AC (Alternating Current) + DC (Direct Current) measurement devices that function to measure DC and AC simultaneously, a measurement method with high accuracy is proposed based on zero-flux self-oscillating fluxgate. An iron core and two windings are added onto the single-iron-core double-winding structure of the traditional self-oscillating fluxgate. The added iron core and its upper winding are used to weaken the influence of ripple on the sensor’s accuracy. The other one of the added windings is used for the feedback from the AC+DC magnetic potential, allowing the sensor to work in a zero-flux state and to measure AC+DC simultaneously. An AC+DC transducer prototype with an AC ranging from 0–500 A and DC 0–300 A is developed by selecting the core parameters and an optimized design of the circuit. The test results of the prototype show that the prototype can measure the AC and DC simultaneously, and the measurement accuracy reaches class 0.05 level in the nominal current range. This transducer can be used as a calibration standard of measurement devices for AC only, DC only, or AC and DC simultaneously. Compared with the AC+DC current transducer with the same accuracy level, the proposed transducer has fewer cores and simpler measuring circuit. Full article

The accuracy of current measurements can be increased by appropriate amplification of the signal to within the measurement range. Accurate current measurement is important for energy monitoring and in power converter control systems. Resistance and inductive current transducers are used to measure the major current in AC/DC power converters. The output value of the current transducer depends on the load motor, and changes across the whole measurement range. Modern current measurement circuits are equipped with operational amplifiers with constant or programmable gain. These circuits are not able to measure small input currents with high resolution. This article proposes a precise loop gain system that can be implemented with various algorithms. Computer analysis of various automatic gain control (AGC) systems proved the effectiveness of the Mamdani controller, which was implemented in an MCU (microprocessor). The proposed fuzzy controller continuously determines the value of the conversion factor. The system also enables high resolution measurements of the current emitted from small electric loads (≥1 A) when the electric motor is stationary. Full article

In recent years, research into the field of materials for flexible sensors and fabrication techniques directed towards wearable devices has helped to raise awareness of the need for new sensors with healthcare applicability. Our goal was to create a wearable flexible pressure sensor that could be integrated into a clinically approved blood pressure monitoring device. The sensor is built from a microfluidic channel encapsulated between two polymer layers, one layer being covered by metal transducers and the other being a flexible membrane containing the microfluidic channel, which also acts as a sealant for the structure. The applied external pressure deforms the channel, causing changes in resistance to the microfluidic layer. Electrical characterization has been performed in 5 different configurations, using alternating current (AC) and (DC) direct current measurements. The AC measurements for the fabricated pressure sensor resulted in impedance values at tens of hundreds of kOhm. Our sensor proved to have a high sensitivity for pressure values between 0 and 150 mm Hg, being subjected to repeatable external forces. The novelty presented in our work consists in the unique technological flow for the fabrication of the flexible wearable pressure sensor. The proposed miniaturized pressure sensor will ensure flexibility, low production cost and ease of use. It is made of very sensitive microfluidic elements and biocompatible materials and can be integrated into a wearable cuffless device for continuous blood pressure monitoring. Full article

This paper shows how clocked AC-DC charge pump circuits can be optimally designed to have the minimum circuit area for small form factor vibration energy harvesting. One can determine an optimum number of stages with simple equations and then determine the capacitance of each pump capacitor to have a target output current at a target output voltage. The equations were verified under a wide range of design parameters by comparing the output current with the simulated one. The output current of the circuit designed by the equations was in good agreement with the simulated result, to within 5% for 98% of the 1600 designs with different parameters. We also propose a design flow to help designers determine the initial design parameters of a clocked AC-DC charge pump circuit (i.e., the number of stages, capacitance per stage, and the total size of rectifying devices) under the condition that the saturation current of a unit of the rectifying device, clock frequency, amplitude of the voltage generated by the energy transducer, target output voltage, and target output current are given. SPICE simulation results validated theoretical results with an error of 3% in terms of the output current when a clocked AC-DC charge pump was designed to output current of 1 μA at 2.5 V from a vibration energy harvester with an AC voltage amplitude of 0.5 V. Full article

In the last decade, we observed a noticeable increase in direct-current systems (DC), particularly in solar power generation, grid storage systems, and electric mobility. Some of these systems may require high-voltage isolation and peak currents in excess of kA. The existing standard compact and lower cost current sensing solutions hardly ever achieve an overall measurement uncertainty below 1% mainly due to offsets and hysteresis; their typical bandwidth is about 250 kHz, and they may also be noisy. This article presents a new method of isolated DC and AC current measurement based on a single gapless core and the innovative Platiše Flux Sensor. After verification in a mixed-signal simulator, the method was implemented in a functional prototype of a DC current transducer (CT) and thoroughly tested in a reference setup. The performance tests showed a low offset and hysteresis, a bandwidth in the MHz range, low power consumption, and low noise operation. Furthermore, the low current transducer achieved a typical uncertainty of less than 0.2% and a linearity of less than 200 ppm, which indicates an overall superior performance compared to representative comparable CTs based on alternative technologies. In addition to the areas of application mentioned above, the new type of DC-CT can be used for general purpose metering, measurement instrumentation, and high power DC and AC systems. Full article

This paper presents the project proposal of a low-cost transducer with a Hall-effect sensor placed in a ferromagnetic core’s air gap, which enables the measurement of the distorted voltage instantaneous values without the feedback loop used for measurements in electrical machines. The presented transducer allows for electrical separation between the measured voltage and the voltage at the output. Moreover, the influences of frequency, additional resistance, and the reactance of the winding circuit on the voltage phase shift caused by winding inductance with ferrite core and amplitude are discussed. The result of simulating leakage inductance of measuring winding with ferrite core with an air gap is calculated using finite element analysis. Experimental investigations of the voltage phase shift angle and output voltage amplitude drop for the voltage transducers with an open feedback loop are carried out, taking into account the linear core magnetization characteristic. Full article

We propose improved contactless DC/AC current transducer for 3-phase current lines based on 8 integrated fluxgate sensors. Using proper processing we ideally achieve a complete suppression of external homogeneous fields, and field gradients up to the 4th order. The sensitivity to external currents (crosstalk) is improved 15-times compared to [1]. The usage of micro fluxgate sensors instead of magnetoresistive sensors improves the temperature stability: the sensitivity temperature coefficient was reduced from 0.3%/K to 50 ppm/K and offset drift was reduced from 50 mA/K to 1 mA/K. Full article