This paper presents a comprehensive review of the developments made in rotating bearing fault diagnosis, a crucial component of a rotatory machine, during the past decade. A data-driven fault diagnosis framework consists of data acquisition, feature extraction/feature learning, and decision making based on shallow/deep learning algorithms. In this review paper, various signal processing techniques, classical machine learning approaches, and deep learning algorithms used for bearing fault diagnosis have been discussed. Moreover, highlights of the available public datasets that have been widely used in bearing fault diagnosis experiments, such as Case Western Reserve University (CWRU), Paderborn University Bearing, PRONOSTIA, and Intelligent Maintenance Systems (IMS), are discussed in this paper. A comparison of machine learning techniques, such as support vector machines, k-nearest neighbors, artificial neural networks, etc., deep learning algorithms such as a deep convolutional network... [more]

This paper addresses the leader tracking problem for a platoon of heterogeneous autonomous connected fully electric vehicles where the selection of the inter-vehicle distance between adjacent vehicles plays a crucial role in energy consumption reduction. In this framework, we focused on the design of a cooperative driving control strategy able to let electric vehicles move as a convoy while keeping a variable energy-oriented inter-vehicle distance between adjacent vehicles which, depending on the driving situation, was reduced as much as possible to guarantee air-drag reduction, energy saving and collision avoidance. To this aim, by exploiting a distance-dependent air drag coefficient formulation, we propose a novel distributed nonlinear model predictive control (DNMPC) where the cost function was designed to ensure leader tracking performances, as well as to optimise the inter-vehicle distance with the aim of reducing energy consumption. Extensive simulation analyses, involving a comp... [more]

Under unbalanced grid voltage faults, the output power oscillation of a grid-connected inverter is an urgent problem to be solved. In the traditional topology of inverters, it is impossible to eliminate power oscillation and simultaneously maintain balanced output current waveform. In this paper, considering the solvability of reference current matrix equation, the inherent mechanism of inverter output power oscillation is analyzed, and a modified topology with auxiliary modules inserted in series between the inverter output filter and the point of common coupling (PCC) is proposed. Due to the extra controllable freedoms provided by auxiliary modules, the inverter could generate extra voltage to correct PCC voltage while keeping balance of output current, so as to eliminate the oscillation of output power. Simulation and experimental results verify the effectiveness of the proposed topology.

Fault detection in microgrids is of great significance for power systems’ safety and stability. Due to the high penetration of distributed generations, fault characteristics become different from those of traditional fault detection. Thus, we propose a new fault detection and classification method for microgrids. Only current information is needed for the method. Hilbert−Huang Transform and sliding window strategy are used in fault characteristic extraction. The instantaneous phase difference of current high-frequency component is obtained as the fault characteristic. A self-adaptive threshold is set to increase the detection sensitivity. A fault can be detected by comparing the fault characteristic and the threshold. Furthermore, the fault type is identified by the utilization of zero-sequence current. Simulations for both section and system have been completed. The instantaneous phase difference of the current high-frequency component is an effective fault characteristic for detectin... [more]

A novel induction motor direct torque control (DTC) algorithm with synchronous modulation is presented. Compared to the traditional DTC method, whose main drawback is the presence of low-frequency torque harmonics (sub-harmonics), in the proposed method, the PWM switching frequency is imposed to be an integer multiple of the main supply frequency. This is achieved by continuously adjusting the PWM switching period to significantly reduce low-frequency harmonics. The devised algorithm has been tested on an inverter-fed induction motor drive system, and the obtained results show an important reduction of the sub-harmonic spectral content of the developed torque with respect to a conventional direct torque control while maintaining at the same time a high dynamic response.

Catalytic electroreduction of carbon dioxide represents a promising technology both to reduce CO2 emissions and to store electrical energy from discontinuous sources. In this work, electrochemical deposition of copper on to a gas-diffusion support was tested as a scalable and versatile nanosynthesis technique for the production of catalytic electrodes for CO2 electroreduction. The effect of deposition current density and additives (DAT, DTAB, PEG) on the catalysts’ structure was evaluated. The selectivity of the synthesized catalysts towards the production of CO was evaluated by analyzing the gaseous products obtained using the catalysts as cathodes in electroreduction tests. Catalyst morphology was deeply influenced by the deposition additives. Copper nanospheres, hemispherical microaggregates of nanowires, and shapeless structures were electrodeposited in the presence of dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide (DTAB), 3,5-diamino-1,2,4-triazole (DAT) and polyethylene glycol (PEG), respectiv... [more]

The paper presents a shunt hybrid active power filter for 1 kV mining applications in configuration with a single-tuned passive filter. The focus is on the method of controlling the filter, with particular emphasis on the influence of network voltage distortion and time delays in control on the effectiveness of harmonic reduction, which is one of the most important aspect of power quality. The low-power loss configuration of a hybrid filter with SiC transistors is shown, as well as the control algorithm which limits the influence of voltage distortion. Theoretical considerations are verified by results obtained from simulations and tests of the hybrid active power filter prototype.

This paper focuses on the development of a multi agent control system (MACS), combined with a stochastic based approach for occupancy estimation. The control framework aims to maintain the comfort levels of a building in high levels and reduce the overall energy consumption. Three independent agents, each dedicated to the thermal comfort, the visual comfort, and the indoor air quality, are deployed. A stochastic model describing the CO2 concentration has been studied, focused on the occupancy estimation problem. A probabilistic approach, as well as an evolutionary algorithm, are used to provide insights on the stochastic model. Moreover, in order to induce uncertainty, parameters are treated in a fuzzy modelling framework and the results on the occupancy estimation are investigated. In the control framework, to cope with the continuous state-action space, the three agents utilise Fuzzy Q-learning. Simulation results highlight the precision of parameter and occupancy estimation, as well... [more]

The International Maritime Organization adopted a strategy to reduce the total annual GHG emissions from international shipping by at least 50% by 2050, compared to 2008 levels. The European Union proposed an even farther reaching transformation: the European Commission adopted a set of proposals to make the EU’s transport policies fit for reducing net greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030, compared to 1990 levels. Therefore, all industrial actions in line and consistent with these strategies are essential. One of such activities may be a gradual transition from the most common independent controls of transport ships’ thrusters, propellers, and rudders to an integrated, power optimized, 3 degrees of freedom joystick control. In this paper, the full mission bridge simulator (FMBS) research on potential energy savings and, consequently, a GHG emission reduction, while steering a RoPax twin-screw ferry equipped with bow thrusters by a joystick control, is presented. The task of... [more]

This article describes the development and testing of a modified, semi-empirical ONERA dynamic stall model for an airfoil with a trailing edge flap—a “smart airfoil”—pitching at reduced frequencies up to 0.1. The Reynolds number is 105. The model reconstructs the load fluctuations associated with the shedding of multiple dynamic stall vortices (DSVs) in a time-marching solution, which makes it suitable for real-time control of a trailing edge flap (TEF). No other model captures the effect of the DSVs on the aerodynamic loads on smart airfoils. The model was refined and tuned for force measurements on a smart NACA 643-618 airfoil model that was pitching with an inactive TEF and was validated against the measurements when the TEF was activated. A substantial laminar separation bubble can develop on this airfoil, which is challenging for modelers of the unsteady response. A closed-loop controller was designed offline in SIMULINK, and the output of the controller was applied to the TEF in... [more]

Voltage source converter (VSC) based HVDC systems are one of the most promising technologies for high voltage bulk power transmission. The reliability and stability of a VSC-based HVDC system greatly depends on the design of a proper controller for the inner decoupled d-q current loop. One of the major causes of instability in a properly tuned controller is due to system parameter variation. This paper presents the design of a fixed parameter robust controller for the inner decoupled d-q current loop for a VSC-based HVDC system to deal with the uncertainties due to system parameter variations. The method of multiplicative uncertainty is employed in the robust design to model the variations in the system parameters. The robust control design was realized through a graphical procedure known as the loop-shaping technique. The graphical loop shaping technique is a much simpler and more straightforward method compared to the traditional H∞-based algorithms for robust controller design. The... [more]

This research paper presents a model of predictive control with a modulator for the inverter linked to the electrical grid, using the stationary reference frame and operating under grid distorted voltage. The stationary reference frame model for the system is obtained in its fundamental frequency and then the model predictive technique is implemented, which predicts the system actions using the obtained system model without the need of any other harmonic consideration. The controller calculates the voltage vector of the inverter through the minimization of the cost function. Thus, the proposal demonstrates, through experiments, its positive results regarding the low impact of the distorted voltage in the grid current without using any harmonic consideration on the model. Experimental results and comparisons carried out endorse the proposal of this work.

The most important element of the new active distribution system concept is the grid connected converter that needs to offer fault ride through capabilities. The new system topologies require new tools for fault state calculation that would consider different control methodologies. In that regard, this paper investigates the initial response of the grid connected inverter under fault that operates using new control methodology based on the integration of the delay signal cancellation. Using modern laboratory setup for testing of renewable energy sources and their integration in the power system the technique is weighed against the classical technique that does not provide the adequate control under unbalanced faults. Furthermore, through a set of specific experiments the paper demonstrates the behavior of the converter under fault, preparing the outline for the fault response modeling of distributed energy resources. Experimental results present the sub-transient period and the transie... [more]

In order to reduce the costs of implementing the radial position control system of a three-phase bearingless machine with split winding, this article proposes a driving method that uses only two phases of the system instead of the three-phase traditional one. It reduces from six to four the number of inverter legs, drivers, sensors, and current controllers necessary to drive and control the system. To justify the proposal, this new power and control configuration was applied to a 250 W machine controlled by a digital signal processor (DSP). The results obtained demonstrated that it is possible to carry out the radial position control through two phases, without loss of performance in relation to the conventional three-phase drive and control system.

This article presents an innovative induction motor state observer designed to reconstruct magnetic fluxes and the angular speed of an induction motor for speed sensorless control system applications such as field-oriented control (FOC). This observer is an intermediate solution between the proportional observer and the classical proportional-integral (PI) observer with respect to which the order of the integrating unit is reduced. Additional modifications of the observer’s structure have been implemented to ensure stability and to improve its functional properties. As a result, two versions of the observer structure were produced and experimentally tested using a sensorless FOC control system. Both structures resulted in correct control system operation for a wide range of angular speeds, including low speed ranges.

A high-speed on/off valve (HSV) is generally the core component of a digital hydraulic transmission system. Therefore, its dynamic characteristics often restrict the overall performance of the digital hydraulic system. Most of the current studies focus on the optimization on the dynamic characteristics or the energy characteristics, few studies have comprehensively considered the two characteristics of the valve together. In this paper, a pre-existing control algorithm (PECA) is proposed to improve the dynamic characteristics of the HSV, and simultaneously optimize the power losses of the HSV to improve its energy conversion efficiency. The results show that, compared with the traditional single-voltage driven strategy, the opening time of the PECA decreases by 29.4%, the closing time decreases by 59.6%, and the energy conversion rate increases by 7.9%.

The integration of an electrical storage system (ESS) into a DC microgrid using a bidirectional DC/DC converter provides substantial benefits but requires careful design. Among such converter topologies, the Split-pi converter presents several merits at the cost of non-isolated operation. However, the few works in the literature on the Split-pi presented only closed-loop control with a single control loop; furthermore, they neglected the reactive components’ parasitic resistances and did not perform any experimental validation. This work aimed at investigating the use of the Split-pi converter as a power interface between an ESS and a DC microgrid. Five typical microgrid scenarios are presented, where each of which requires a specific state-space model and a suitable control scheme for the converter to obtain high performance. In this study, two different state-space models of the converter that consider the parasitic elements are presented, the control schemes are discussed, and crite... [more]

In this paper, an automated umbilical system based on a 6-dof (degree of freedom) hydraulic parallel mechanism is proposed to automate the rocket propellant loading process. The mechanical structure, vision acquisition algorithm, and control algorithm used in the system are described in detail in the paper. To address the fluid nonlinearity problem of the hydraulic drive system, nonlinear compensation and three-state feedback control are used in the paper to enhance the performance of the hydraulic system. For the problem of force tracking during the docking process between the umbilical system and the rocket, an adaptive impedance control algorithm based on the online environmental parameter estimation is proposed in the paper, which effectively reduces the contact force during the docking process. The dynamic tracking and docking experiments indicate that this automated umbilical system features rapid reaction speed, high measurement precision, and good flexibility, which can be used... [more]

Phase change dispersions are useful for isothermal cooling applications. As a result of the phase changes that occur in PCDs, they are expected to have greater storage capacities than those of single-phase heat transfer fluids. However, for appropriate heat exchanger dimensions and geometries for use in phase change dispersions, knowledge about the convective heat transfer coefficients of phase change dispersions is necessary. A test unit for measuring the local heat transfer coefficients and Nusselt numbers of PCDs was created. The boundary condition of constant heat flux was chosen for testing, and the experimental heat transfer coefficients and Nusselt numbers for the investigated phase change dispersion were established. Different experimental parameters, such as the electrical wall heat input, Reynolds number, and mass flow rate, were varied during testing, and the results were compared to those of water tests. It was found that, due to the tendency of low-temperature increases in... [more]

The droop control scheme based on Q − ω and P − V characteristics is conventionally employed to share the load power among sources in an islanded low-voltage microgrid with resistive line impedances. However, it suffers from poor active power sharing, and is vulnerable to sustained deviations in frequency and voltage. Therefore, accurate power sharing and maintaining the frequency and voltage in the desired ranges are challenging. This paper proposes a novel microgrid control strategy to address these issues. The proposed strategy consists of a virtual flux droop and a model predictive control, in which the virtual flux is the time integral of the voltage. Firstly, the novel virtual flux droop control is proposed to accurately control the power sharing among DGs. Then, the model predictive flux control is employed to generate the appropriate switching signals. The proposed strategy is simple without needing multiple feedback control loops. In addition, pulse width modulation is not req... [more]

The electro-hydraulic servo pump control system (EHSPCS) is a volume control system that uses a permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) with a fixed displacement pump to directly drive and control the hydraulic cylinder. The energy transmission law of the system is very complicated due to the transformation of electrical, mechanical and hydraulic energy as well as other energy fields, and qualitative analysis of the energy transfer efficiency is difficult. Energy transfer analysis of the EHSPCS under different working conditions and loads is proposed in this paper. First, the energy flow transfer mechanism was analyzed, and the mathematical and energy transfer models of the key components of the system were established to explore the energy characteristic state transition rule. Second, a power bond diagram model was built, its state equation and state matrix were deduced, and a system simulation model was built. Finally, combined with the EHSPCS experimental platform, simulation expe... [more]

The paper introduces a novel predictive voltage control (PVC) procedure for a sensorless induction motor (IM) drive. In the constructed PVC scheme, the direct and quadrature (d-q) components of applied voltages are primarily managed instead of controlling the torque and flux as in the classic predictive torque control (PTC) technique. The theoretical basis of the designed PVC is presented and explained in detail, starting from the used cost-function with its relevant components. A comprehensive performance comparison is established between the two controllers, from which the superiorities of the designed PVC over the PTC approach can be easily investigated through the reduced ripples, reduced computation time, and faster dynamics. To sustain the system’s reliability, a combined Luenberger−sliding mode observer (L-SMO) is designed and verified for different operating speeds for the two controllers. The Luenberger component is concerned with estimating the stator current, rotor flux, and... [more]

Insulators play a significant role in high-voltage transmission lines, and detecting insulator faults timely and accurately is important for the safe and stable operation of power grids. Since insulator faults are extremely small and the backgrounds of aerial images are complex, insulator fault detection is a challenging task for automatically inspecting transmission lines. In this paper, a method based on deep learning is proposed for insulator fault detection in diverse aerial images. Firstly, to provide sufficient insulator fault images for training, a novel insulator fault dataset named “InSF-detection” is constructed. Secondly, an improved YOLOv3 model is proposed to reuse features and prevent feature loss. To improve the accuracy of insulator fault detection, SPP-networks and a multi-scale prediction network are employed for the improved YOLOv3 model. Finally, the improved YOLOv3 model and the compared models are trained and tested on the “InSF-detection”. The average precision (... [more]

The paper presents the existing verification methods for control algorithms in power electronics systems, including the application of model checking techniques. In the industry, the most frequently used verification methods are simulations and experiments; however, they have to be performed manually and do not give a 100% confidence that the system will operate correctly in all situations. Here we show the recent advancements in verification and performance assessment of power electronics systems with the usage of formal methods. Symbolic model checking can be used to achieve a guarantee that the system satisfies user-defined requirements, while statistical model checking combines simulation and statistical methods to gain statistically valid results that predict the behavior with high confidence. Both methods can be applied automatically before physical realization of the power electronics systems, so that any errors, incorrect assumptions or unforeseen situations are detected as ear... [more]

The presented work employs the multiple random feature kernel mean p-power algorithm (MRFKMP) for the voltage source converter (VSC) control of a three-phase four-wire grid-tied dual-stage photovoltaic-hybrid energy storage system (HESS) to achieve multiple objectives during various induced dynamic conditions. The proposed control enables the VSC to accomplish manifold goals, i.e., reactive power compensation, power quality enhancement, load, power balancing at common coupling point and grid voltage balancing during unity power factor mode of operation. The proposed system is scrutinized under steady-state and numerous dynamic states such as irradiation variation, specified power mode, abnormal grid voltage, load, and grid voltage unbalancing. The seamless control facilitates the swift resynchronization of the grid as well as maintaining stability during islanding and re-synchronization operations while satisfying the necessary load requirements. The associated HESS consisting of batte... [more]