Download Power electronic converter technology

Power electronic
converter technology
SINTEF Energy Research has broad experience from development and
analysis of power electronic converters. This involves prototypes for research
purposes and application-specific converters for industry companies.
Newsletter from SINTEF Energy Research
We have been involved in development of complete or parts of converters in
the power range of 100 W to 5 MW. In adittion we have significant experience
from projects for the industry on analysis of complex power grids containing
power electronic converters.
Typical applications have been frequency converters for asynchronous motor drives and grid connected
front-end converters, but also converters for subsea applications (e.g. hyberbaric welding machines).
The group has expertise for managing the most important challenges in connection to converter design,
including understanding physics of switching devices, power circuit topologies, control engineering,
control electronics, driver design, and EMC problems.
Power electronics activities
SINTEF Energy Research is supporting power electronics industry with a range of activities concerning
development of new power supplies and converters in the power range 100 W to 5 MW:
• Basic studies of switching power transistors (IGBT, MOSFET, etc)
• Development of prototypes ready for production
• Simulations of power supplies and converters
SINTEF Energy Research is also assisting industry,
utilities and oil companies with problems related to
application of power electronics. This also includes
high power converter systems like HVDC:
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Evaluation and recommendations of installations containing converters
Evaluation of new converter applications in power systems
Operating problems and faults caused by converters and motors
Development of application specific converters
reactive power
fuel cell/electrolyser
energy storage
A newly developed Virtex 5 FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) for advanced real time control of power
electronic converters.
Know-how
Deliverables
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Analysis & Verifications studies:
• Fault and interaction analysis of
power systems containing converters
• Feasibility studies
• Component evaluation including
cables and lines
• Converter Topologies
• Converters in Power Systems
• Converter related EMC problems
Power Semiconductors
Power Circuit Topologies
Magnetic Components
Motor Drives
Numerical simulation
Cable modelling
Control Electronics
Control Engineering
Power Quality including EMC
Energy Storage
For interconnecting renewable energy sources to AC grids, power
electronic converters with advanced control systems are needed
Development of prototypes:
• Design support
• Complete units
Special products
• Subsea Equipment
• Electric Propulsion
What is a Power Electronic Converter?
A power electronic converter is a machine for converting and controlling electric energy (current, voltage, frequency). The converters apply one or
more switching power semiconductor, magnetic components, capacitors, control electronics and other essential supplementary components.
Newsletter 33-v1
Power electronic converters are found in a countless number of applications in a very wide range of power and circuit topologies. Small AC/DC and
DC/DC converters, 0 - 1 kW, are used for electronic supplies, battery chargers etc. Large three-phase AC converters of several MW are used for
HVDC-transmission or as frequency converters for variable speed motor drives (VSD).
Contact:
SINTEF Energiforskning AS (SINTEF Energy Research)
NO-7465 Trondheim, Norway Phone: + 47 73 59 72 00, www.sintef.no/energy
Senior Research Scientist Magnar Hernes,
Phone: + 47 73 59 42 23,
email: [email protected]