IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics

There is a clear trend in the automotive industry to use more electrical systems in order to satisfy the ever-growing vehicular load demands. Thus, it is imperative that automotive electrical power systems will obviously undergo a drastic change in the next 10-20 years. Currently, the situation in the automotive industry is such that the demands for higher fuel economy and more electric power are ... View full abstract»

Interleaving technique is used in some applications due to its advantages regarding filter reduction, dynamic response, and power management. In dual battery system vehicles, the bidirectional dc-dc converter takes advantage of this technique using three-to-five paralleled buck stages. In this paper, we propose the use of a much higher number of phases in parallel together with digital control. It... View full abstract»

In this paper, a new dc-dc converter for solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) powered auxiliary power unit (APU) is proposed. The proposed converter does not consider the leakage inductance of the transformer as a parasite and uses it for energy transfer, thus avoiding problems of low efficiency and difficulty in control, caused by leakage inductance. The need for a separate filter inductor is also elimin... View full abstract»

In this paper, the Watkins-Johnson (WJ) converter was found to best step down the future automotive 42-V power network to 3 V or lower for the supply of microcontrollers and semiconductors. The particularity of the WJ converter is that it only employs a tapped-inductor and three other components. The use of a tapped-inductor is well-known and gives an extra-degree of freedom by the insertion of th... View full abstract»

This paper analyzes the operation of PowerMOSFETs in the 42-V-PowerNet and shows that very stressful conditions are encountered, which can lead to severe reliability problems. To enable thorough investigations by circuit simulations an accurate physics-based compact model of the devices is proposed: it includes all important electrothermal effects relevant to the description of the observed failur... View full abstract»

This paper focuses on the modeling of low-voltage automotive power electronic circuits to obtain accurate system simulation, including estimation of losses. The aim is to compare several metal-oxide semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) models to find out which can be used for low-voltage, high-current automotive converter simulations. As these models are intended for system simulation, o... View full abstract»

A novel approach of twin-side thermal interfaces of integrated power modules (IPM) is presented. This approach applies and improves commercially off-the-shelf products of IPM without significantly changing the original packaging design and manufacture's fabrication process. This approach can reduce the equivalent thermal impedance of the power module by about 20 %. It, in turn, reduces the p-n jun... View full abstract»

Introduction of higher dc system voltage distribution networks, such as the 42-V PowerNet in future passenger vehicles appears to be an unavoidable consequence of meeting the increasing future electrical power demand. Higher voltage electrical distribution networks in vehicles force considerable component and system changes regarding electrical safety and reliability. In the event of an arc fault,... View full abstract»

A novel rapid charger for lead-acid batteries is proposed in this paper. The proposed charger uses a single-stage power converter with an energy recovery cell. While providing high charging efficiency and prolonging battery lifetime, the proposed charger exhibits a high power factor, simplicity, and lower cost. The operating principles and design criteria are analyzed and discussed in detail. Simu... View full abstract»

This paper (also presented at [27]) presents an integrated design approach to small drives for emerging 42-V automotive systems. The emphasis is on motors for ancillary loads. The final result offers a simple and low cost solution with high efficiency and high power density. Motor and inverter designs are combined to gain advantages in power factor and operating range. A near-minimum-distortion me... View full abstract»

Switched reluctance machines (SRM) offer attractive attributes for automotive applications. These include robustness to harsh operational conditions, rugged structure, fault resilient performance, and a wide range of speed. The main debate over the adequacy of switched reluctance drives in automotive applications has often focused on efficiency and position sensorless control over the entire speed... View full abstract»

Fault tolerance is a critical attribute in automotive electrical and propulsion systems. In this paper, a control scheme is presented that allows an induction motor drive system to operate in the event of multiple sensor failures. Automatic diagnosis of sensor fault and recovery is performed and used to reconfigure the drive system controls to achieve the best performance in lieu of component degr... View full abstract»

This paper presents an integrated inverter for speed control of a traction motor and a compressor motor to reduce the compressor drive cost in electric vehicle/hybrid electric vehicle applications. The inverter comprises five phase-legs; three of which are for control of a three-phase traction motor and the remaining two for a two-phase compressor motor with three terminals. The common terminal of... View full abstract»

Electromagnetic noise, typical for systems with switching power converters, is especially troublesome in automotive electric drive systems because of the multitude of sensitive electronic equipment onboard of modern cars. To satisfy the relevant engineering norms, passive radio-frequency (RF) filters must be installed in the power electronic part of a drive. The RF filters add to the cost and size... View full abstract»

This paper describes an integrated starter generator (ISG) for automobile applications with 42-V powernet. This system is based on an induction machine which is directly mounted on the engine crankshaft and controlled using the technique of direct torque control (DTC). The suitability of the technique for ISG application is explained. The control structure of DTC for ISG application is described. ... View full abstract»

Permanent magnet-assisted reluctance synchronous machine (PM-RSM) starter alternator systems are credited with good performance for wide speed range in hybrid electric vehicles. This paper proposes a motion-sensorless motor/generator control of PM-RSM from zero speed up to maximum speed, using direct torque and flux control with space vector modulation. A quasioptimal stator flux reference with a ... View full abstract»

In this paper, two methods for flux linkage regulation in a starter/alternator with an axial-flux permanent magnet (AFPM) machine are proposed and compared. Desired regulation is achieved by two different mechanical solutions, each of them capable of modifying the amount of flux linkage through displacement of the two rotors in the AFPM machine. Constant power generation is thus achieved with very... View full abstract»

From the point of view of overall hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) and fuel cell vehicle (FCV) drive train efficiency, the research focus is mainly on the efficiency analysis of the power train components, which prove to be an integral part of modern HEV and FCV drive trains. The critical portion of any HEV electrical system consists of a power electronic converter (inverter) and a suitable traction ... View full abstract»

In this paper, a speed and torque coupling hybrid drivetrain is introduced. In this drivetrain, a planetary gear unit and a generator/motor decouple the engine speed from the vehicle wheel speed. Also, another shaft-fixed gear unit and traction motor decouple the engine torque from the vehicle wheel torque. Thus, the engine can operate within its optimal speed and torque region, and at the same ti... View full abstract»

Focusing on off-road and military hybrid vehicles, this paper fundamentally studied the design and the impact of the traction motor drive characteristics on vehicle performance, transmission requirement, energy storage, and reliability. This study focused to the impact of the extended speed of the motor drives on their power ratings, and therefore, of the energy storage size for given acceleration... View full abstract»

There is now significant interest in hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) propulsion systems globally. Economics play a major role as evidenced by oil prices in North America pressing upwards of $100/Bbl coupled with a customer preference for full size crossover and sport utility vehicles. The situation in Oceania is milder, but emerging markets such as China are experiencing automotive sector growth rat... View full abstract»

The paper presents the results of a two year study regarding the use of an innovative drive-train, having a parallel-hybrid structure, in a small scooter, in which a conventional internal combustion engine is coupled with an electric motor for the vehicle propulsion. The developed architecture enhances the maximum vehicle power, by exploiting the braking energy (by recovering it into the provided ... View full abstract»