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Center Publications, Center for Power Electronics Systems

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Browsing Center Publications, Center for Power Electronics Systems by Department "Center for Power Electronics Systems"

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    2012 CPES Annual Report
    Center for Power Electronics Systems (Virginia Tech. Center for Power Electronics Systems, 2012)
    The Center for Power Electronics Systems at Virginia Tech is a research center dedicated to improving electrical power processing and distribution that impact systems of all sizes – from battery – operated electronics to vehicles to regional and national electrical distribution systems. Our mission is to provide leadership through global collaborative research and education for creating advanced electric power processing systems of the highest value to society. CPES, with annual research expenditures about $4-5 million US dollars, has a worldwide reputation for its research advances, its work with industry, and its many talented graduates. From its background as an Engineering Research Center for the National Science Foundation during 1998 - 2008, CPES has continued to work towards making electric power processing more efficient and more exact in order to reduce energy consumption. Power electronics is the “enabling infrastructure technology” that promotes the conversion of electrical power from its raw form to the form needed by machines, motors and electronic equipment. Advances in power electronics can reduce power conversion loss and in turn increase energy efficiency of equipment and processes using electrical power. This results in increased industrial productivity and product quality. With widespread use of power electronics technology, the United States would be able to cut electrical energy consumption by 33 percent. This energy savings in the United States alone is estimated to be the equivalent of output from 840 fossil fuel based generating plants. This savings would result in enormous economic, environmental and social benefits.
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    2013 CPES Annual Report
    Center for Power Electronics Systems; Uncork-it, Inc. (Virginia Tech. Center for Power Electronics Systems, 2013)
    The CPES industrial consortium is designed to cultivate connectivity among researchers in academia and industry, as well as create synergy within the network of industry members. The CPES industrial consortium offers: The best mechanism to stay abreast of technological developments in power electronics; The ideal forum for networking with leadingedge companies and top-notch researchers; The CPES connection provides the competitive edge to industry members via: Access to state-of-the-art facilities, faculty expertise, top-notch students; Leveraged research funding of over $4-10 million per year; Industry influence via Industry Advisory Board and research champions; Intellectual properties with early access for Principal Plus and Principal members via CPES IPPF (Intellectual Property Protection Fund); Technology transfer made possible via special access to the Center’s multi-disciplinary team of researchers, and resulting publications, presentations and intellectual properties; Continuing education opportunities via professional short courses offered at a significant discount. The CPES industrial consortium offers the ideal forum for networking with leading-edge companies and top-notch researchers and provides the best mechanism to stay abreast of technological developments in power electronics.
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    2014 CPES Annual Report
    Center for Power Electronics Systems; Uncork-it, Inc. (Virginia Tech. Center for Power Electronics Systems, 2014)
    Over the past two decades, CPES has secured research funding from major industries, such as GE, Rolls-Royce, Boeing, Alstom, ABB, Toyota, Nissan, Raytheon, and MKS, as well as from government agencies including the NSF, DOE, DARPA, ONR, U.S. Army, and the U.S. Air Force, in research pursuing high-density system design. CPES has developed unique high-temperature packaging technology critical to the future powerelectronic industry. In the HDI mini-consortium, the goal of high power density will be pursued following two coupled paths, both leveraging the availability of wide-bandgap power semiconductor, as well as high-temperature passive components and ancillary functions. The switching frequency will be pushed as high as component technologies, thermal management, and reliability permit. At the same time, the maximum component temperatures will be pushed as high as component technologies, thermal management, and reliability permit. The emergence of wide‐bandgap semiconductors such as Silicon Carbide (SiC) and Gallium Nitride (GaN) makes it possible to realize power switches that operate at frequency beyond 5 MHz and temperature beyond 200° C. As the switching frequency increases, switching noise is shifted to higher frequency and can be filtered with small passive components, leading to improved power density. Higher operating temperatures enable increased power density and applications under harsh environments, such as military systems, transportation systems, and outdoor industrial and utility systems.
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    2015 CPES Annual Report
    Center for Power Electronics Systems; Uncork-it, Inc. (Virginia Tech. Center for Power Electronics Systems, 2015)
    In its efforts to develop power processing systems to take electricity to the next step, CPES has developed research expertise encompassing five technology areas: (1) power conversion technologies and architectures; (2) power electronics components; (3) modeling and control; (4) EMI and power quality; (5) high density integration. These technology areas target applications that include: (1) Power management for information and communications technology; (2) Point-of-load conversion for power supplies; (3) Vehicular power conversion systems; (4) Renewable energy systems. In 2015, CPES sponsored research totaled approximately $2.2 million. The following abstracts provide a quick insight to the current research efforts.
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    2016 CPES Annual Report
    Center for Power Electronics Systems; Uncork-it, Inc. (Virginia Tech. Center for Power Electronics Systems, 2016)
    In its effort to develop power processing systems to take electricity to the next step, CPES has cultivated research expertise encompassing five technology areas: (1) power conversion technologies and architectures; (2) power electronics components; (3) modeling and control; (4) EMI and power quality; and (5) high density integration. These technology areas target applications that include: (1) Power management for information and communications technology; (2) Point-of-load conversion for power supplies; (3) Vehicular power converter systems; and (4) High-power conversion systems. In 2016, CPES sponsored research totaled approximately $2.1 million. The following abstracts provide a quick insight to the current research efforts.
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    2017 CPES Annual Report
    Center for Power Electronics Systems; Uncork-it, Inc. (Virginia Tech. Center for Power Electronics Systems, 2017)
    In its effort to develop power processing systems to take electricity to the next step, CPES has cultivated research expertise encompassing five technology areas: (1) power conversion technologies and architectures; (2) power electronics components; (3) modeling and control; (4) EMI and power quality; and (5) high density integration. These technology areas target applications that include: (1) power management for information and communications technology; (2) point-of-load conversion for power supplies; (3) vehicular power converter systems; and (4) high-power conversion systems. In 2016, CPES sponsored research totaled approximately $2.4 million. The following abstracts provide a quick insight to the current research efforts.
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    Center Program Snapshot (April 2009)
    Center for Power Electronics Systems (Virginia Tech. Center for Power Electronics Systems, 2009-04)
    With the widespread use of power electronics technology, the United States would be able to cut electrical energy consumption by 33 percent. The energy savings, by today’s measure, is equivalent to the total output of 840 fossil fuel-based generating plants. This would result in enormous economic, environmental and social benefits. The engineers of the Center for Power Electronics Systems (CPES) are working to make electric power processing more efficient and more exact in order to achieve these benefits. The effort requires close collaboration with industry and with researchers across universities and fields of endeavor. Electrification is considered the greatest engineering feat of the 20th century by the National Academy of Engineering. The dream of CPES engineers is to take electricity to the next step and develop power processing systems of the highest value to society.
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    CPES : 10-Year Progress Report
    Center for Power Electronics Systems; Uncork-it, Inc. (Virginia Tech. Center for Power Electronics Systems, 2010-04)
    A major strength of CPES is its ability to use a wealth of existing resources and industrial collaboration. Virginia Tech, the University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW), and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) are the nation’s leaders in power electronics and advanced power semiconductor materials and devices. These three universities have combined forces with North Carolina A&T State University (NCA&T) and the University of Puerto Rico-Mayagüez (UPRM), which are institutions with solid reputations in the quality of their undergraduate engineering programs as well as their power electronics and related research. Virginia Tech brings expertise in high-frequency power conversion devices and circuit technologies, power electronics packaging, and systems integration. The University of Wisconsin has expertise in industrial and utility-grade power conversion, electric machines and motor drives, and industrial controls. RPI’s expertise involves novel discrete power semiconductor materials, process techniques, power devices, and smart power ICs. North Carolina A&T contributes knowledge of nonlinear control, neural networks, and fuzzy logic-based intelligent control, and the University of Puerto Rico-Mayagüez has expertise in controls and electric machines. The resources and expertise of researchers from each of these institutions have contributed to the success of the Center. CPES industry members have been the critical key in our success. From the beginning, industry members have been enthusiastic and involved, helping shape goals and contributing to the management of the ERC. Since 1998, CPES research goals have evolved and the collaborations with industry and university researchers have strengthened. CPES succeeded in changing the technology of power electronics, while increasing knowledge and participation in the field. As we graduate from the NSF ERC program, we look forward to building on our global collaboration and changing the way electricity is used.
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    CPES : Mini-Consortium Brochure
    Center for Power Electronics Systems (Virginia Tech. Center for Power Electronics Systems, 2011-04)
    The CPES mini-consortium model provides a unique mechanism for all participants in power electronics – including industry competitors – to pool efforts to address their common challenges and develop pre-competitive Advances. Companies and organizations join CPES as a Principal Plus Member and choose the mini-consortium option. Annual membership fees are $50,000. Research results generated within a miniconsortium are shared among its members, and intellectual properties developed under the CPES industry consortium are shared among all Principal-level members as described on the next page. The research and IP benefits are only part of what makes the mini-consortium effective. The distinctive feature of the model is discussion among all participants, which then shapes and guides research toward overcoming the major barriers in the field. Competitive plans and technologies are protected, yet participants can discuss their mutual technical problems. Miniconsortium interactions take place in the quarterly review meetings.
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    CPES Center Brochure (April 2011)
    Center for Power Electronics Systems; Uncork-it, Inc. (Virginia Tech. Center for Power Electronics Systems, 2011-04)
    The Center for Power Electronics Systems is a $4 million/year research center dedicated to improving electrical power processing and dis­tribution that impact systems of all sizes –from battery-operated electronics to vehicles to regional and national electrical distribution systems. Our mission is to provide leadership through global collaborative research and education for creat­ing electric processing systems of the highest value to society. CPES has a worldwide reputation for its research advances, work with industry to improve the entire field, and its many talented graduates. From 1998- 2008, CPES served as an Engineering Research Cen­ter (ERC) for the NSF. A collaboration of five univer­sities and many industrial firms, the CPES ERC was the largest-ever collaboration of power electronics re­searchers. During the ERC period, CPES developed the IPEM, a standardized off-the-shelf module that has revolutionized power electronics. Today, we are building on that foun­dation so that power electronics can fulfill its promise and reduce energy use while helping electronics-based systems grow in capability.