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This paper aims to overcome the limitations of low efficiency, low power density and strong electromagnetic interference (EMI) of the existing pulsed melt inert gas (MIG) welding power supply. So a novel and simplified implementation of digital high-power pulsed MIG welding power supply with LLC resonant converter is proposed in this work.

A simple parallel full-bridge LLC resonant converter structure is used to design the digital power supply with high welding current, low arc voltage, high open-circuit voltage and a wide range of arc loads, by effectively exploiting the variable load and high-power applications of LLC resonant converter.

The efficiency of each converter can reach up to 92.3%, under the rated operating condition. Notably, with proposed scheme, a short-circuit current mutation of 300 A can stabilize at 60 A within 8 ms. Furthermore, the pulsed MIG welding test shows that a stable welding process with 280 A peak current can be realized and a well-formed weld bead can be obtained, thereby verifying the feasibility of LLC resonant converter for pulsed MIG welding power supply.

The high efficiency, high power density and weak EMI of LLC resonant converter are conducive to the further optimization of pulsed MIG welding power supply. Consequently, a high performance welding power supply is implemented by taking adequate advantages of LLC resonant converter, which can provide equipment support for exploring better pulsed MIG welding processes.

Quantitative reliability analysis can effectively identify the time the driving system needs to be maintained. Then, the potential safety problems can be found, and some catastrophic failures can be effectively prevented. Therefore, this paper aims to evaluate the reliability of the switched reluctance generator (SRG) driving system.

In this paper, a method considering different thermal stresses and fault tolerance capacity is proposed to analyze the reliability of an SRG. A full-bridge power converter (FBPC) instead of the asymmetric half-bridge power converter (AHBPC) is adopted to drive the SRG system. First, the primary fault modes of the SRG system are introduced, and a fault criterion is proposed to determine whether the system fails. Second, the thermal circuit model of the converter is established to quickly and accurately obtain the junction temperature of the devices. At last, the Markov models of different levels are established to evaluate the reliability of the system.

The results show that the two-level Markov model is the most suitable when compared to the static model and the one-level Markov model.

The driving system of SRG will be more reliable after the reliability of the system is evaluated by the Markov model. At the same time, an FBPC is adopted to drive the SRG. The FBPCs have the advantages of fewer switching devices, higher integration and lower cost. The proposed driving strategy of the FBPC avoids the current reversal and the generation of dead zone time, which has the advantage of reliable operation. In addition, a precise thermal circuit model of the FBPC is proposed, and the junction temperature of each device can be obtained, respectively.

Because of the shortage of energy, the development of green and reliable energy is particularly important. As a green and clean energy, wind power is widely used. As the core component of wind power generation, it is particularly important to choose generators with high reliability. Switched reluctance machine is widely used as generators because of its strong fault tolerance and high reliability. Therefore, this paper aims to propose a power converter and its control strategy to improve the efficiency of switched reluctance generators.

In this paper, a full-bridge power converter (FBPC) instead of the asymmetric half-bridge power converter (AHBPC) is adopted to drive the switched reluctance generator (SRG) system. Compare the FBPC with the AHBPC, the FBPC has several advantages including low cost and modularization, and operation process of SRG winding current direction is variable.

The results show that the SRG system can keep smooth operation by the FBPC with relatively high efficiency.

The FBPC is suitable to drive the SRG system. Meanwhile, this paper introduces two excitation modes of the FBPC as three-phase three-beat mode and six-phase six-beat mode. When the six-phase six-beat control strategy is adopted, the dead band time of the converter can be avoided. At the same time, the SRG has higher efficiency.

The S-MCSRM is a two-phase excited switched reluctance motor (SRM), with the short flux path and mutual inductance coupling, which is suitable for the oil submersible pump application owing to large torque and three-wire connection with the standard full-bridge power converter. However, there is not literature to disclose its model due to the complicated mutual inductance coupling. The FEM model is a time-consuming method to analyze this motor. For the first time, this paper aims to propose an S-MCSRM model for performance analysis and control method developing. The proposed model would save simulation time and be a theoretical fundamental for further implementing control algorithm.

The S-MCSRM's operating principle is analyzed, and the voltage equation and the generated torque are deduced. The FEM is utilized to obtain the five typical magnetization curves that describe the S-MCSRM's magnetic path characteristic. The magnetic co-energy equation, phase torque and total torque equations are obtained. From the basic voltage equation, the S-MCSRM's state space model is built for the dynamic analysis and control purpose. The S-MCSRM is widely analyzed in detail by using the proposed model and comparison with the conventional SRM. JMAG finite element package is used to verify the proposed model.

The proposed modeling method is validated by the identical results to those from FEM-based JMAG software. The proposed model just takes second-level time, which is far less than minute-level time consuming of FEM method. The S-MCSRM generates larger torque than the conventional SRM, with three-wire and standard full bridge power converter, and it is confirmed that the S-MCSRM is suitable for the oil submersible pump applications.

This paper proposes a new modeling method for the S-MCSRM to exactly analyze the motor's operating performances, and also it is a theoretical fundamental for developing control algorithm. The proposed model saves much time in analysis, calculation, and simulation, when compared to the FEM method. The completed analysis including flux linkages, torque, torque-ripple, and torque-speed characteristic discloses the S-MCSRM's steady-state operating performances, which provides the deep insight for this kind of motor's applications.

The purpose of this paper is to propose a new three-phase switched reluctance motor (SRM), and achieve high-torque and low-cost. This new SRM's winding configuration uses the double-layer distributed windings, which is different from the conventional SRM's single tooth coils.

The operating principle of new SRM is analyzed, and the voltage equation and the generated torque are deduced. Finite element method (FEM) and finite element circuit coupled method are utilized to evaluate the new motor's operating performances. The two dimensional (2D) frequency response analysis model is employed in the FEM model. Based on the 2D frequency response analysis model, the magnetic field distribution, self-inductance, and mutual-inductance for the new SRM are analyzed in detail. A co-simulation model using FE analysis package and Matlab-Simulink is proposed to simulate the new SRM drive. The simulated and experimental results verify the new SRM.

For the new SRM with double-layer distributed windings, a co-simulation method is proposed to analyze its characteristics. The new SRM presents lower torque ripple coefficient and generates larger torque than the conventional SRM, with three-wire and standard full bridge power converter, rather than six-wire and asymmetric half-bridge converter for conventional SRM.

This paper proposes a new SRM with the double-layer distributed windings driven by a standard full bridge inverter. In order to calculate dynamic characteristics of the new SRM, a co-simulation method using FEM and Simulink is proposed to simulate the new SRM drive, where the power inverter and the current chopping control algorithm are implemented.

How to use a simple and classical topology to provide a high-efficiency excitation voltage for dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) loads is one of the primary problems to be solved for DBD application fields.

To address the issue, a set of modes that can generate a high-efficiency pulse excitation voltage in a full-bridge inverter are adopted. With the set of modes, the unique equivalent circuit of DBD loads and the parasitic parameter of the step-up transformer can be fully used. Based on the set of modes, a control strategy for the full-bridge inverter is designed. To test the performance of the power supply, a simulation model is established and an experimental prototype is made with a DBD excimer lamp.

The simulation and experimental results show that not only a high-efficiency excitation voltage can be generated for the DBD load, but also the soft switching of all power switch is realized. Besides this, with the set of modes and the proposed control strategy, the inverter can operate in a high frequency. Compared with other types of power supplies, the power supply used in the paper can fully take advantage of the potential of the excimer lamp at the same input power.

This work considers that how to use a simple and classical topology to provide a high-efficiency excitation voltage for DBD loads is one of the primary problems to be solved for DBD application fields.

The purpose of this paper is to characterize the nonlinear dynamical behaviour of a buck‐based power‐switching amplifier controlled by fixed frequency and pulse width modulation with a proportional‐integral compensator. The system has two forcing frequencies and one natural frequency and therefore it is characterized by three different scales of time. When the frequencies are far one from the other, quasi‐static approximation can be used. However, as the switching and the modulating frequencies become closer, this approximation is not valid and the results based on it lead to erroneous conclusions about the dynamics of the system.

A discrete time approach is used to reveal the interesting nonlinear phenomena that the system can exhibit. From numerical simulations using the switched model, it is shown that the system can present period‐doubling bifurcation at the fast scale (switching frequency).

An exact solution discrete‐time model is derived, able to predict accurately the nonlinear dynamical behaviour of the system.

The discrete time model is obtained without making quasi‐static approximation. The exact switched model is used to validate the discrete‐time model obtained. Finally, the effect of the switching frequency instabilities on the output voltage spectrum has been explored.

This paper aims to present an 8 kW LLC resonant converter designed for plasma power supply with higher efficiency and lighter structure. It presents how to solve the problems of large volume and weight, low performance and low efficiency of traditional plasma power supply.

At present, conventional silicon (Si) power devices’ switching performance is close to the theoretical limit determined by its material properties; the next-generation silicon carbide (SiC) power devices with outstanding advantages can be used to optimal design. This 8 kW LLC resonant converter prototype with silicon carbide (SiC) power devices with a modulated switching frequency ranges from 100  to 400 kHz.

The experimental results show that the topology, switching loss, rectifier loss, transformer loss and drive circuit of the full-bridge LLC silicon carbide (SiC) plasma power supply can be optimized.

Due to the selected research object (plasma power supply), this study may have limited universality. The authors encourage the study of high frequency resonant converters for other applications such as argon arc welding.

This study provides a practical application for users to improve the quality of plasma welding.

The experimental results show that the full-bridge LLC silicon carbide (SiC) plasma power supply is preferred in operation under conditions of high frequency and high voltage. And its efficiency can reach 98%, making it lighter, more compact and more efficient than previous designs.

The purpose of this paper is to describe a two‐level hierarchical control strategy for electrical energy transfers in multisource renewable energy systems. The aim of the control design is to perform the energy transfers, according to the sources power variations and the load characteristics.

The controller determines the operating mode of the multisource renewable energy system and the power ratio provided by each source to satisfy the load demand. The study is based on an accurate model of the DC/DC converters coupled on the DC bus. The performance of the controller is compared with the usual method based on the measurements of the system variables with sensors (solar radiation, shaft speed, voltages, and currents).

The proposed method does not need extra sensors to measure the available power for each source.

The method is developed for an hybrid system with two sources (photovoltaic and lead‐acid battery bank) and specific zero voltage switch full‐bridge isolated buck DC/DC power converters but can easily extended to more sources and other classes of DC/DC converters.

The method is assessed through computer simulations using a simple comprehensive model. An experimental device is also developed by the GREAH Research Group of University Le Havre (France). The GREAH also participates to a technologic centre with similar topology on the site of Fecamp (France).

The proposed autonomous control schema is suitable to control hybrid systems with several energy sources in remote areas.

The main contributions of this work are first to introduce a two stages controller and second to use the duty cycle value of the power converters as decision criteria to switch off/on the sources.