Terry Ericsen

Power electronics and future marine electrical systems

Tomorrows marine electrical systems will be profoundly different from todays systems. Power electronics is making major impacts on virtually every marine system including propulsion, power distribution, auxiliaries, sonar, and radar. Newly emerging materials, components, and system concepts (such as wide band-gap materials, silicon-carbide-based power semiconductor devices, power electronics building blocks and integrated power systems) are, and will continue, enabling future marine systems as different from todays systems as steam ships were to sailing ships. However, these enabling technologies and concepts are not well known and have been difficult to understand. This paper introduces these new concepts and technologies, identify potential impacts, and explore new design methods to simplify marine electrical system development.

Future navy application of wide bandgap power semiconductor devices

An assessment of future U.S. Navy electrical power requirements is presented to identify wide bandgap power device application opportunities, issues, and challenges. An emphasis is placed on blocking voltage and the potential of wide bandgap power semiconductor devices to enable higher voltage machines that can meet the U.S. Navys future electrical power challenges. Estimates of the blocking voltage and power requirements are made for various power systems envisioned for future shipboard application. Blocking voltage estimates are made using a simplified stress level analysis to illustrate the basic concepts underlying power semiconductor device application in U.S. Navy shipboard systems.

The ship power electronic revolution: Issues and answers

Power electronics can enable dramatic improvements in marine platforms and ships - increased power, greater automation, with enhanced capabilities and missions. Systems with many power electronic components are emerging, driven by the need for power quality, availability, security, and efficiency. Mechanical ship propulsion systems are being replaced by electric propulsion. Variable speed motor drives are replacing across-the-line motor starters to save energy and decrease load induced instabilities. Uninterruptible power supplies are used everywhere to maintain power continuity and quality. Offshore and deep ocean platforms use many electrical motors for sea keeping and maneuvering. Marine based renewable energy concepts such as tidal and wave power generation and offshore wind farms are emerging. In all the complexity and detail of these is increasing dramatically. Todaypsilas rule-based design processes is no longer adequate. New power electronic system architectures and design concepts are the key to these advances. This paper analyzes these issues and offers solutions in the form of new ideas such as Medium Voltage DC distribution, MVDC, and a ldquorelationalrdquo design process, enabled by physics-based modeling and simulation. Paper also describes the Marine Industries Subcommittee activities in these areas and other related IEEE activities.

Advances in Power Conversion and Drives for Shipboard Systems

This paper presents some of the key advances in power electronics pertaining to shipboard electric power system applications. The focus is on the emerging wide bandgap semiconductor devices, i.e., silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN) devices, and their potential impact on future shipboard power conversion and drives. Their benefits on power converter efficiency and power density are explained through a case study of a medium-voltage (MV) class motor drive system. SiC and GaN also enable new applications, including solid-state transformers, while posing new design and application challenges such as gate drive, protection, and interaction with loads. In addition to device related topics, this paper also overviews other important advances in power electronics, including topology, control, passive components, thermal management, filters, and packaging. The significance of power electronics building blocks (PEBBs) concept for shipboard power system development is discussed. Recognizing the growing complexity of shipboard power systems, some system-level technologies related to future MV direct current (dc) system architecture are highlighted.

PEBB Concept Applications in High Power Electronics Converters

Demand for use of power electronics continues to increase, reaching many tens of MW and even greater than 100 MW. The size of power electronics is a real handicap for serving this demand. Power electronics building block (PEBB) is a generic strategic concept incorporating several technology aspects which have been foreseen as key to major reduction in cost, losses, size and weight of power electronics. The value of integration can be enhanced with standardization of interfaces of the building blocks and control/protections requirements. Therefore beyond the concept of physical building blocks, one must look to other aspects of integration, such as layout of building blocks, bus work connecting the blocks and standardization in order to derive the maximum benefits from the integration concepts. ONR has funded several manufacturers to develop PEBBs for a broad range of applications. Some of these designs are now commercially available, some are under development. This paper describes the latest PEBB based applications and introduces new concepts and technologies such as the hybrid-cascade concept for the high fidelity power drive which combines step-mode switching with pulse-width modulation to minimize both switching and conduction losses as well as current harmonic distortions

High-speed, scalable, real-time simulation using DSP arrays

Real-time simulation is a familiar technique for testing hardware and software in the loop and for operator training. An important parameter of these simulations is the frame-time necessary to capture the dynamics of the system being simulated. Modern power electronic systems, using higher frequency pulse-width modulation (PWM) converter control demand frame times that are significantly shorter than those found in most real-time simulators. The paper describes an approach to real-time simulation that is capable of achieving the frame times of 10 /spl mu/S and less required for this application. It is a scalable technique that uses arrays of digital signal processors on commercially available boards plugged into a conventional desktop computer. Analog and digital interfaces provide for the connection of real hardware to the simulation. Although the technique has so far been applied only to power electronic systems, it is capable of being used in a wide range of applications in which frame times of less than 10 /spl mu/S are required.

PEBB - Power Electronics Building Blocks from Concept to Reality

Power electronics building block (PEBB) concept is a platform-based approach where basic building blocks are consistent with one another, have a defined functionality & standardized hardware and control interfaces. Adoption of building block(s) that can be used for multiple applications, results in high volume production, reduced engineering effort; design testing, onsite installation and maintenance work. ONR has funded several universities and manufacturers to utilize PEBB concept for a broad range of applications. This paper describes the evolution of PEBB from concept to reality in marine and commercial applications

The Second Electronic Revolution (It's All About Control)

Systems for ships, offshore platforms, chemical plants, foundries, and utilities are rapidly changing as a result of the second electronic revolution. The first revolution was with integrated circuits which gave us the microprocessor, PCs, cell phones, and MP3 players. The second electronic revolution started with power electronics, which give us motor controllers, switching power supplies, hybrid cars, and electric ships. Just as the first electronic revolution changed our concepts of information, the second electronic revolution is redefining control. This paper discusses these changes and the opportunities enabled by new technologies and levels of control. Most notably, this paper provides a logical argument for future controller abilities to control any system to near perfection-accurately, precisely, reliably, and safely. This paper also proposes the use of building block concepts with modeling and simulation to create new tools and methods for designing and building power systems.

Power Electronic systems

Todays industrial systems are becoming Power Electronic systems. There are many scientific and engineering challenges to be resolved to achieve the full Power Electron System promise. This paper focuses on these challenges. In particular, this paper discusses the contributions made by the PEBB concept toward meeting these challenges. The paper provides a logical argument for future controller abilities to control any system to near perfection - accurately, precisely, reliably, and safely. This paper also proposes to use building block concepts with modeling and simulation to create new tools and methods for designing and building systems.

“The second electronic revolution” (it's all about control)

Systems for ships, offshore platforms, chemical plants, foundries, and utilities are rapidly changing as a result of the second electronic revolution. The first revolution was with integrated circuits which gave us the microprocessor, PCs, cell phones, and MP3 players. The second electronic revolution started with power electronics, which give us motor controllers, switching power supplies, hybrid cars, and electric ships. Just as the first electronic revolution changed our concepts of information, the second electronic revolution is redefining control. This paper discusses these changes and the opportunities enabled by new technologies and levels of control. Most notably, this paper provides a logical argument for future controller abilities to control any system to near perfection-accurately, precisely, reliably, and safely. This paper also proposes the use of building block concepts with modeling and simulation to create new tools and methods for designing and building power systems.