PEMC Newsletter July 2018

Welcome to the PEMC Newsletter - a source of news and information about the Power Electronics,

Machines and Control Research Group in the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering,

University of Nottingham

In This Issue

• Faculty News

• Seminars and Events

• Conferences

• Papers

• Visitors

• Group Activities

• Contact Us

Faculty and University News

Follow the links to read more news from across the Faculty of Engineering

May 2018 - China announced as a test bed for supercapattery technology

May 2018 - Andy Long becomes Provost and Deputy Vice-Chancellor (DVC)

June 2018 - Fundraising to help electric car race at Silverstone

June 2018 - Lord Henley switches on UK beacon for community energy

July 2018 - Professor Sam Kingman appointed new Pro-Vice Chancellor for Engineering

Seminars and Events

PEMC Seminar Series

The PEMC Group holds regular seminars, providing researchers, students and visitors with an

opportunity to share their work.

10th April 2018 - a recent seminar was held in advance of PEMD 2018 and the following

presentations were given:

• Fatma Khera: New modulation scheme for bidirectional quasi z-source modular multilevel

converters

• Ahmed Fares: Optimising the structure of a cascaded modular battery system for enhancing

the performance of battery packs

• Linglin Chen: Model predictive control for Active-Bridge-Active-Clamp (ABAC) converter

PGR Showcase

Every year the Faculty of Engineering holds a Post Graduate Showcase, where PhD students from all

years give presentations or produce posters about their work. The Showcase highlights and rewards

the best research across the Faculty.

On 27th March The PEMC Group held an internal competition to choose the best presentations to

put forward to the Showcase. Huge thanks to everyone who took part and to the judges for choosing

the winners. The winners took part in the overall Faculty Showcase in May. Results from the internal

PEMC competition were:

Year 1 - PhD Madness, a quick-fire, one minute, one slide presentation

• Winner: Milos Lukic

• Runner-up: Blazej Czerniewski

Year 2 - Poster Display

• Winner: Shaohong Zhu

• Runner-up: Cheng Wang

Year 3 - 3 minute presentation about their thesis

• Winner: Davide Gottardo

• Runner-up: Benjamin Cheong

Marc Grenville-Cleave Memorial Lecture

Early in 2018, a second year Engineering student, Marc Grenville-Cleave, sadly died. In his memory,

the Department established the Marc Grenville-Cleave Memorial Lecture. The inaugural lecture took

place on 1st May and the presentation, “How to Program a Quantum Computer”, was given by

Robert Smith, a world-leading computer programmer, who had been a good friend and mentor to

Marc for a number of years. The lecture was attended by over 200 guests, including members of the

PEMC Research Group.

Presentations by Visitors

We welcome national and international visitors to the group. The following visitors recently gave

presentations to the PEMC Group about their research:

20th April 2018 - Dr Alecksey Anuchin, Moscow Power Engineering Institute. "Self-sensing control of

the homopolar synchronous motor traction drives"

Journal Papers and Prizes

The following journal papers co-authored by a PEMC Group Member have been recently accepted

for publication, or published online:

• Hanafy Mahmoud, Nicola Bianchi, Michele Degano, Mahir Al-Ani, and Chris Gerada,

"Eccentric Reluctance and Permanent Magnets Synchronous Machines Comparison", IEEE

IAS Transactions, 2018

• Jankovic, M., Costabeber, A., Watson, A., Clare, J.C., Aguglia, D., "MMC Front-End for

Klystron Modulators: an Augmented Modulation Scheme for Arm Balancing", IEEE

Transactions on Plasma Science, 2018

• Cristian Blanco , Pablo García , Ángel Navarro-Rodríguez , and Mark Sumner, "Predictive

frequency-based sequence estimator for control of grid-tied converters under highly

distorted conditions", IEEE Transactions on Industry Applications, 2018

• Giacomo Bacco, Nicola Bianchi, Hanafy Mahmoud, "A Nonlinear Analytical Model for the

Rapid Prediction of the Torque of Synchronous Reluctance Machines", IEEE Transaction on

Energy Conversion, 2018

• Li, C., Yang, T., Kulsangcharoen, P., Lo Calzo, G., Bozhko, S., Gerada, C., Wheeler, P. , "A

Modified Neutral-Point Balancing Space Vector Modulation Technique for Three-Level

Neutral Point Clamped Converters in High Speed Drives", IEEE Transactions on Industrial

Electronics, 2018

• Charmalee Jayamaha, Alessandro Costabeber, Arthur Williams, Mark Sumner, "An

Independently Controlled Energy Storage to Support Short Term Frequency Fluctuations In

Weak Electrical Grids", International Journal of Electrical Power and Energy Systems, 2018

• Vijayagopal, M., Silva, C., Empringham, L., de Lillo, L., "Direct Predictive Current-error Vector

Control for a direct Matrix Converter", IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics, 2018

• V. Madonna, P. Giangrande, and M. Galea., "Electrical Power Generation in Aircraft:

review,challenges and opportunities", IEEE Transactions on Transportation Electrification,

2018

• Rajaguru, P., Lu, H., Bailey, C., Castellazzi, A., Pathirana, V., Udugampola, N., Udrea, F.,

"Impact of underfill and other physical dimensions on Silicon Lateral IGBT package reliability

using computer model with discrete and continuous design variables", Microelectronics

Reliability, 2018

• Garcia, C.F., Silva, C.A., Rodriguez, J.R., Zanchetta, P., Odhano, S.A., "Modulated Model

Predictive Control with Optimized Overmodulation", IEEE Journal of Emerging and Selected

Topics in Power Electronics, 2018

• Rubino, S., Bojoi, R., Odhano, S.A., Zanchetta, P., "Model predictive direct flux vector control

of multi three-phase induction motor drives", IEEE Transactions on Industry Applications,

2018

• Chen Li; Tao Yang; Ponggorn Kulsangcharoen; Giovanni Lo Calzo; Serhiy Bozhko; Chris

Gerada; Patrick Wheeler, "A Modified Neutral-Point Balancing Space Vector Modulation

Technique for Three-Level Neutral Point Clamped Converters in High Speed Drives", IEEE

Transactions on Industrial Electronics, 2018

• Abu-Jalala, A.M., Cox, T., Gerada, C., Rashed, M., Hamiti, T., Brown, N., "Power Quality

Improvement of Synchronous Generators Using an Active Power Filter", IEEE Transactions on

Industry Applications, 2018

• Behzad Ahmadi, Farhad Barati, and Charif Karimi, "A Variable Current-Limit Control Scheme

for a Bi-directional Converter used in Ultracapacitor Applications", Electric Power

Components and Systems, 2018

• Yand, T., Bozhko, S.., Wheeler, P., Wang, S., Wu, S., "Generic functional modelling of multi-

pulse auto-transformer rectifier units for more-electric aircraft applications", Chinese Journal

of Aeronautics, 2018

• Yun Zhang, Jilong Shi, Chuanzhi Fu, Wei Zhang, Ping Wang, Jing Li and Mark Sumner, "An

Enhanced Hybrid Switching-Frequency Modulation Strategy for Fuel Cell Vehicle Three-Level

DC-DC Converters with Quasi-Z Source", Energies, 2018

• Alexander L. Julian; Giovanna Oriti; Chao Ji; Pericle Zanchetta, "Single Phase Energy

Management System Operating in Islanding Mode with Repetitive Control and Active

Damping", IEEE Transactions on Industry Applications, 2018

• Ahmed Al-Timimy, Paolo Giangrande, Michele Degano, Zeyuan, Xu, Michael Galea, Chris

Gerada, Giovanni Lo Calzo, He Zhang, Liqun Xia, "Design and Losses Analysis of a High Power

Density Machine for Flooded Pump Applications", IEEE Transactions on Industry

Applications, 2018

• Jingru Dai, Jianfeng Li, Pearl Agyakwa, Martin Corfield and Christopher Mark Johnson,

"Comparative Thermal and Structural Characterization of Sintered Nano-Silver and High-

Lead Solder Die Attachments during Power Cycling", IEEE Transactions on Device and

Materials Reliability, 2018

• Yan, H., Xu, Y., Cai, F., Zhang, H., Zhao, W., Gerada, C., "PWM-VSI Fault Diagnosis for PMSM

Drive Based on Fuzzy Logic Approach", IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics, 2018

• Emre Gurpinar; Alberto Castellazzi, "Tradeoff Study of Heat Sink and Output Filter Volume

in a GaN HEMT Based Single-Phase Inverter", IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics, 2018

• Valerio Salis; Nicolas Chiappinelli; Alessandro Costabeber; Pericle Zanchetta; Stefano

Bifaretti; Patrizio Tomei; Cristiano M. Verrelli, "Learning Position Controls for Hybrid Step

Motors: from Current-fed to Full-Order Models", IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics,

2018

• Gustavo Lambert; Marcus Vieira Soares; Patrick Wheeler; Marcelo Lobo Heldwein; Yales

Romulo de Novaes, "Current Fed Multipulse Rectifier Approach for Unidirectional HVDC and

MVDC Applications", IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics, 2018

• Yun Zhang; Qiangqiang Liu; Yongping Gao; Jing Li; Mark Sumner, "Hybrid Switched-

Capacitor/Switched-Quasi-Z-Source Bidirectional DC-DC Converter with Wide-Voltage-Gain

Range for Hybrid Energy Sources Evs", IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics, 2018

• Zhao, W., Wang, X., Gerada, C., Zhang, H., Liu, C., Wang, Y., "Multi-Physics and Multi-

Objective Optimization of a High Speed PMSM for High Performance Applications", IEEE

Transactions on Magnetics, 2018

• Huang, X., Liang, J., Zhou, B., Zhang, C., Li, L., Gerada, D., "Suppressing the Thrust Ripple of

the Consequent-pole Permanent Magnet Linear Synchronous Motor by Two-Step Design",

IEEE Access, 2018

• Castellazzi, A., Fayyaz, A., Kraus, R., "SiC MOSFET device parameter spread and ruggedness

of parallel multichip structures", Materials Science Forum, 2018

• Gerada, D., Huang, X., Zhang, C., Zhang, H., Zhang, X., Gerada, C., "Electrical Machines for

Automotive Electrically Assisted Turbocharging", IEEE/ASME Transactions on Mechatronics,

2018

• Johnson, M., Wilson, P.R., Empringham, L., De Lillo, L., "IEEE ITRW Working Group Position

Paper-Packaging and Integration: Unlocking the Full Potential of Wide-Bandgap Devices",

IEEE Power Electronics Magazine, 2018

Prizes

Congratulations also to Hanafy Mahmoud, Ahmed Al-Timinmy, Michele Degano, and Chris Gerada

from the PEMC Group, along with colleagues M. di Nardo and N. Bianchi, who were given the

SDEMPED Paper Award for technical competence at SDEMPED 2017. The award was for their paper

"Axial eccentric SynRel and SPM motors analytical models validation using a 3D finite element".

Conferences

PEMC Group members are active participants at national and international conferences. Group

members have recently attended the following conferences, or co-authored papers presented at

the following:

14th International Conference on Developments in Power System Protection

• H. K. Jahanger, D.W.T. Thomas, M. Sumner, C. Rose, "Influence of an Inverter Based DG on a

Double-Ended Fault Location Scheme"

9th International Conference on Power Electronics, Machines and Drives (PEMD 2018)

• A Talaha, G Vakil, T Cox, C Gerada, "Design of a 43kW switched reluctance machine for a

high performance hybrid electric vehicle"

• S Zhu, T Cox, Z Xu, C Gerada, "A novel 24-slots14-poles fractional-slot concentrated winding

topology with low space harmonics for electrical machine"

• F Khera, C Klumpner, P Wheeler, "New modulation scheme for bidirectional quasi z-source

modular multilevel converters"

• M Diaz, F Rojas, R Cardenas, M Espinoza, P Wheeler, "Vector control strategies to enable

equal frequency operation of the modular multilevel matrix converter"

• K Panagiotou, C Klumpner, M Sumner, "Sizing guidelines for grid-connected decentralised

energy storage systems: single house application"

• P Connor, A La Rocca, Z Xu, C Eastwick, S Pickering, C Gerada, "Numerical investigations of

convective phenomena of oil impingement on end-windings"

• S La Rocca, S Pickering, C Eastwick, C Gerada, K Rönnberg, "Fluid flow and heat transfer

analysis of TEFC machine end regions using more realistic end-winding geometry"

• L Chen, L Tarisciotti, A Costabeber, D Gottardo, P Zanchetta, P Wheeler, "Model predictive

control for Active-Bridge-Active-Clamp (ABAC) converter"

• B Ahmadi, J Espina, L de Lillo, R Abebe, L Empringham, C Johnson, "Next generation

integrated drive: A novel thermal and electrical integration technique for high power density

converters used in automotive drive systems"

• H Wu, A Castellazzi, J G Garcia, "GaN HEMT gate-driver for achieving high power converter

integration levels"

• S Zhu, A Fayyaz, A Castellazzi, "Static and dynamic TSEPs of SiC and GaN Transistors"

• A Ghanem, M Rashed, M Sumner, I Mansy, M Elsayes, "Wide frequency range active

damping of LCL-filtered grid connected converters"

• Y Zeng, A Hussein, Z Wang, A Castellazzi, E Gurpinar, "Experimental demonstration of an

optimised PWM scheme for more even device electro-thermal stress in a 3-level ANPC GaN

inverter"

• C Li, S Bozhko, C Gerada, T Yang, P Wheeler, G Calzo, "An advanced modulation scheme

emphasising neutral point ripple suppression using predictive control for three-level NPC

converters in aircraft electric starter generator applications"

• N Fritz, M Rashed, S Bozhko, P Wheeler, F Cuomo, "Analytical modelling and power density

optimisation of a single phase dual active bridge for aircraft application"

• K Bersch, P Connor, C Eastwick, M Galea, "A CFD and experimental investigation into a non-

intrusive method for measuring cooling air mass flow rate through a synchronous generator"

• A Fares, C Klumpner, M Sumner, "Optimising the structure of a cascaded modular battery

system for enhancing the performance of battery packs"

• N Fritz, M Rashed, S Bozhko, P Wheeler, "Flux control modulation for the dual active bridge

DC/DC converter"

IEEE Transportation Electrification Conference and Expo (ITEC 2018)

• M Sagar Bhaskar, S. Padmanaban, P.Wheeler, F. Blaabjerg, P. Siano, "A New Voltage Doubler

Based DC-DC 2LCm-YPower Converter Topologies for High-Voltage/Low-Current Renewable

Energy Applications"

IEEE COMPEL 2018

• Mahajan Sagar Bhaskar, Sanjeevikumar Padmanaban, Frede Blaabjerg, Patrick William

Wheeler, "An Improved Multistage Switched Inductor BoostConverter (Improved M-SIBC)

for Renewable EnergyApplications: A key to Enhance Conversion Ratio"

13th International Conference on Ecological Vehicles and Renewable Energies (EVER 2018)

• Diaz, M., Rojas, F., Donoso, F., Cardenas, R., Espinoza, M., Mora, A., Wheeler, P., "Control of

modular multilevel cascade converters for offshore wind energy generation and

transmission"

Visitors

The PEMC Group is delighted to welcome visiting students and academics to the Department. The

following are visiting us for a short period of time:

• Riccardo Leuzzi

• Li Jiaqi

• Kevin Sun - University of Newcastle, Australia. Researching "control of low inductance

permanent magnet machine with multilevel cascaded h-bridge converter". With the PEMC

Group until July 2018.

• Gustavo Lambert - Santa Catarina State University, Brazil. Researching "the modulation,

control and design of modular multilevel converters, particularly, the operation and control

of a two-stage ac-dc modular multilevel converter." With the PEMC Group until June 2018.

• Dong Yu

• Guangcheng Zhang

• Li Yu

• Anuvav Bardalai - University of Nottingham Ningbo. Researching "Modelling and Analysis of

AC losses on High Speed electrical machines". With the PEMC Group until November 2018.

• Wang Shuo - Tongji University, China. Researching "the suppression of torque ripple

problems used in (PMSM (Interior permanent magnet synchronous motors) or

PMaSynRM (Permanent Magnet Assisted Synchronous Reluctance Motor) . Also focusing on

the precise control of MTPA (Maximum Torque per Ampere) and flux-weakening method

considering magnetic saturation, and developing Resolver-to-digital conversion method for

resolver to detect angle accurately." With the PEMC Group until September 2018.

• Xiaomei Liu - Southeast University, China. Researching "high performance electric machine

design and their thermal management". With the PEMC Group until October 2018.

• Fengyu Zhang - University of Nottingham Ningbo. Researching "thermal management on

electrical machines". With the PEMC Group until June 2018.

• Jacopo Riccio

• Daniele de Gaetano - University of Padova, Italy. Researching "electrical machines for

electrification of transport, with focus in automotive applications". With the PEMC Group

until September 2018.

• Albino Amerise

• Besar Asllani - Laboratoire AMPÈRE, Lyon. Researching "reliability aspects of SiC-MOSFETs at

the subthreshold domain. With the PEMC Group until June 2018.

• Qinan Ni - Harbin Institute of Technology (HIT), Harbin, China. Researching "advanced

control of permanent magnet synchronous motor drives and position sensor-less control of

ac motors." With the PEMC Group until January 2019.

• Giovanni Decuzzi

• Dr Xuzhen Huang - Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing, China.

Researching "linear motor system, thermal analysis of motors, and high power density

permanent magnet synchronous motors." With the PEMC Group until September 2018.

• Dr Tomislav Dragicevic - Aalborg University, Denmark. Researching "control and design of

reliable power electronics systems, including grid-connected converters and microgrids."

With the PEMC Group until June 2018.

• Dr Gang Lv

• Dr. Takafumi Okuda

• Professor Robert Betz - University of Newcastle, Australia. Researching "control and design

of Brushless Doubly Fed Reluctance Machines, specifically the unusual asymmetric mutual

inductances that are measured in this machine. Also interested in learning more about DC

microgrids through interacting with researchers in the group working in this area."

Group Activities

PEMC Group members are an active bunch! Badminton, hiking - group members have been out and

about, making the most of the University's sporting facilities and the beautiful local countryside.

April 18 - a group, led by Dr Adam Walker, hiked around Dovedale in the Derbyshire Dales

April 18 - Seang (Sam) Yeoh organised a group badminton competition

Contact Us

Contact details for academics, researchers and PhDs in the PEMC Group are on the University

website.

General enquiries should be sent to pemc@nottingham.ac.uk