Filtering by
- All Subjects: Modeling
- Creators: Sugar, Thomas
- Creators: Ayyanar, Raja
1. Synthesis of a three-phase standard feeder and load model using the measured voltages and currents, for events such as faults and feeder pickup cases, obtained at the head of the feeder.
2. Investigated the impact of the synthesized standard feeder and load model on the sub-transmission system for a feeder pick-up case.
In the first phase of this project, a standard feeder and load model had been synthesized by capturing the current transients when three-phase voltage measurements (obtained from a local electric utility) are played-in as input to the synthesized model. The comparison between the measured currents and the simulated currents obtained using an electromagnetic transient analysis software (PSCAD) are made at the head of the designed feeder. The synthesized load model has a load composition which includes impedance loads, single-phase induction motor loads and three-phase induction motor loads. The parameters of the motor models are adjusted to obtain a good correspondence between measured three-phase currents and simulated current responses at the head of the feeder when subjected to events under which measurements were obtained on the feeder. These events include faults which occurred upstream of the feeder at a higher voltage level and a feeder pickup event that occurred downstream from the head of the feeder. Two different load compositions have been obtained for this feeder and load model depending on the types of load present in the surrounding area (residential or industrial/commercial).
The second phase of this project examines the impact of the feeder pick-up event on the 69 kV sub-transmission system using the obtained standard feeder and load model. Using the 69 kV network data obtained from a local utility, a sub-transmission network has been built in PSCAD. The main difference between the first and second phase of this project is that no measurements are played-in to the model in the latter case. Instead, the feeder pick-up event at a particular substation is simulated using the reduced equivalent of the 69 kV sub-transmission circuit together with the synthesized three-phase models of the feeder and the loads obtained in the first phase of the project. Using this analysis, it is observed that a good correspondence between the PSCAD simulated values of both three-phase voltages and currents with their corresponding measured responses at the substation is achieved.
important to increase the eciency and reliability of this emerging clean energy technologies.
This thesis focuses on modeling and reliability of solar micro inverters. In
order to make photovoltaics (PV) cost competitive with traditional energy sources,
the economies of scale have been guiding inverter design in two directions: large,
centralized, utility-scale (500 kW) inverters vs. small, modular, module level (300
W) power electronics (MLPE). MLPE, such as microinverters and DC power optimizers,
oer advantages in safety, system operations and maintenance, energy yield,
and component lifetime due to their smaller size, lower power handling requirements,
and module-level power point tracking and monitoring capability [1]. However, they
suer from two main disadvantages: rst, depending on array topology (especially
the proximity to the PV module), they can be subjected to more extreme environments
(i.e. temperature cycling) during the day, resulting in a negative impact to
reliability; second, since solar installations can have tens of thousands to millions of
modules (and as many MLPE units), it may be dicult or impossible to track and
repair units as they go out of service. Therefore identifying the weak links in this
system is of critical importance to develop more reliable micro inverters.
While an overwhelming majority of time and research has focused on PV module
eciency and reliability, these issues have been largely ignored for the balance
of system components. As a relatively nascent industry, the PV power electronics
industry does not have the extensive, standardized reliability design and testing procedures
that exist in the module industry or other more mature power electronics
industries (e.g. automotive). To do so, the critical components which are at risk and
their impact on the system performance has to be studied. This thesis identies and
addresses some of the issues related to reliability of solar micro inverters.
This thesis presents detailed discussions on various components of solar micro inverter
and their design. A micro inverter with very similar electrical specications in
comparison with commercial micro inverter is modeled in detail and veried. Components
in various stages of micro inverter are listed and their typical failure mechanisms
are reviewed. A detailed FMEA is conducted for a typical micro inverter to identify
the weak links of the system. Based on the S, O and D metrics, risk priority number
(RPN) is calculated to list the critical at-risk components. Degradation of DC bus
capacitor is identied as one the failure mechanism and the degradation model is built
to study its eect on the system performance. The system is tested for surge immunity
using standard ring and combinational surge waveforms as per IEEE 62.41 and
IEC 61000-4-5 standards. All the simulation presented in this thesis is performed
using PLECS simulation software.
This thesis worked towards the development of a parameterized 3D model off a cover that could go over any specific prosthesis depending on the parameters that had been entered. It also focused on gathering user inputs, which was done with the aid of the Amputee Coalition, that could be used to create an aesthetic design on this cover. The Amputee Coalition helped to recruit participants through its website and social media platforms. Finally, multiple methods of creating a design were developed to increase the amount of customization that a user could have for their cover.
This thesis worked towards the development of a parameterized 3D model off a cover that could go over any specific prosthesis depending on the parameters that had been entered. It also focused on gathering user inputs, which was done with the aid of the Amputee Coalition, that could be used to create an aesthetic design on this cover. The Amputee Coalition helped to recruit participants through its website and social media platforms. Finally, multiple methods of creating a design were developed to increase the amount of customization that a user could have for their cover.
In order to characterize the ankle mechanics and understand the underlying mechanisms that influence the neuromuscular properties of the ankle, a novel multi-axial robotic platform was developed. The robotic platform is capable of simulating various haptic environments and transiently perturbing the ankle to analyze the neuromechanics of the ankle, specifically the ankle impedance. Humans modulate ankle impedance to perform various tasks of the lower limb. The robotic platform is used to analyze the modulation of ankle impedance during postural balance and locomotion on various haptic environments. Further, various factors that influence modulation of ankle impedance were identified. Using the factors identified during environment dependent impedance modulation studies, the quantitative relationship between these factors, namely the muscle activation of major ankle muscles, the weight loading on ankle and the torque generation at the ankle was analyzed during postural balance and locomotion. A universal neuromuscular model of the ankle that quantitatively relates ankle stiffness, the major component of ankle impedance, to these factors was developed.
This neuromuscular model is then used as a basis to study the alterations caused in ankle behavior due to neurodegenerative disorders such as Multiple Sclerosis and Stroke. Pilot studies to validate the analysis of altered ankle behavior and demonstrate the effectiveness of robotic rehabilitation protocols in addressing the altered ankle behavior were performed. The pilot studies demonstrate that the altered ankle mechanics can be quantified in the affected populations and correlate with the observed adverse effects of the disability. Further, robotic rehabilitation protocols improve ankle control in affected populations as seen through functional improvements in postural balance and locomotion, validating the neuromuscular approach for rehabilitation.