Grant: Discovery Grants Program - Individual

With recent technological advancements, power converters in the megawatt range are increasingly used in many industries, such as renewable energy and motor drive industries. There are many technical challenges in developing high-power converter systems with application-specific controllers that are reliable, efficient and cost effective. My research objective in the next five years is to develop innovative high-power converter technologies and advanced control strategies for large renewable energy systems and motor drives. Specifically, I will work on the following three research projects: 1) high-efficiency filterless converter interface and control of large-scale photovoltaic energy systems; 2) sensorless control of high-power wind energy conversion systems; and 3) transformerless large motor drives. For the first project, I will focus on the development of large grid-tied photovoltaic energy systems that are reliable, energy efficient, and cost effective. This is achieved through research of novel power converter interfaces that does not require power-line filters to meet the grid code. In the second project, the maximum power available from the wind is extracted by large wind generators without the need for wind velocity or generator speed sensors. The novelty of the third project is that the costly and bulky isolation transformer, which is normally required in megawatt motor drives, is eliminated by optimal grounding methods and control strategies. The proposed research provides vital knowledge and practical solution to the pressing technical issues facing today's industry. Through industrial collaborations, the research outcomes will be transferred to the Canadian renewable energy and electric drive industries for commercialization, benefiting the Canadian economy.