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In this thesis a design for a smart high efficiency voltage regulating module capable of supplying the core of modern microprocessors incorporating dynamic voltage and frequency scaling (DVS) capability is accomplished using a RISC based microcontroller to facilitate all the functions required to control, protect, and supply the core with the required variable operating voltage as set by the DVS management system. Normally voltage regulating modules provide maximum power efficiency at designed peak load, and the efficiency falls off as the load moves towards lesser values. A mathematical model has been derived for the main converter and small signal analysis has been performed in order to determine system operation stability and select a control scheme that would improve converter operation response to transients and not requiring intense computational power to realize. A Simulation model was built using Matlab/Simulink and after experimenting with tuned PID controller and fuzzy logic controllers, a simple fuzzy logic control scheme was selected to control the pulse width modulated converter and several methods were devised to reduce the requirements for computational power making the whole system operation realizable using a low power RISC based microcontroller. The same microcontroller provides circuit adaptations operation in addition to providing protection to load in terms of over voltage and over current protection. A novel circuit technique and operation control scheme enables the designed module to selectively change some of the circuit elements in the main pulse width modulated buck converter so as to improve efficiency over a wider range of loads. In case of very light loads as the case when the device goes into standby, sleep or hibernation mode, a secondary converter starts operating and the main converter stops. The secondary converter adapts a different operation scheme using switched capacitor technique which provides high efficiency at low load currents. A fuzzy logic control scheme was chosen for the main converter for its lighter computational power requirement promoting implementation using ultra low power embedded controllers. Passive and active components were carefully selected to augment operational efficiency. These aspects enabled the designed voltage regulating module to operate with efficiency improvement in off peak load region in the range of 3% to 5%. At low loads as the case when the computer system goes to standby or sleep mode, the efficiency improvent is better than 13% which will have noticeable contribution in extending battery run time thus contributing to lowering the carbon footprint of human consumption.

<p>Induction machines convert more than 55% of electrical energy into various other forms in industrial and domestic environments. Improved performance, especially by reduction of losses in induction machines hence can significantly reduce consumption of electricity. Many design and control methods are adopted to make induction machines work more efficiently, however certain design compromises are inevitable, such as skewing the rotor to improve the magnetic noise and torque characteristics increase the cross current losses considerably in a cage rotor, degrading the efficiency of the motor. Crosscurrent losses are the dominating stray losses which are dependent on several factors among them are percentage skew and the contact resistance between the rotor bars and laminations. It is shown in this thesis that implementing a design change which has non-skewed asymmetrical distribution of rotor slots can serve the same purpose as skewing i.e., reduction of the magnetic noise, thereby avoiding the negative effects of skewing the rotor slots especially by reducing the cross-current losses.</p><p>Two design ethodologies to introduce asymmetry in rotor slots are proposed and the key performance characteristics like torque ripple, radial air gap forces are computed both numerically and analytically. Radial forces obtained from the finite element method are coupled to the analytical tool forcalculating the magnetic noise. A spectral method to calculate and separate the radial forces into vibration modes and their respective frequencies is proposed and validated for a standard 4-pole induction motor. The influence of rotor slot number, eccentricity and skew on radial forces and magnetic noise are studied using finite element method in order to understand the vibrational and acoustic behavior of the machine, especially for identifying their sources. The validated methods on standard motors are applied for investigating the asymmetrical rotor slot machines.</p><p>Radial air gap forces and magnetic noise spectra are computed for the novel dual and sinusoidal symmetrical rotors and compared with the standard symmetrical rotor. The results obtained showed reduced radial forces and magnetic noise in asymmetrical rotors, both for the eccentric and noneccentric cases. Based on the results obtained some guide lines for designing  asymmetrical rotor slots are established. Magnitudes of the harmful modes of vibration observed in the eccentric rotors, which usually occur in reality, are considerably reduced in asymmetrical rotors showing lower sound intensity levels produced by asymmetrical rotors. The noise level from mode-2 vibration in a 4-pole standard 15 kW motor running with 25% static eccentricity is decreased by about 6 dB, compared to the standard rotors. Hence improved performance can be achieved by removing skew which reduces cross current losses and by employing asymmetrical rotor slots same noise level can be maintained or can be even lowered.</p><p> </p><p> </p>

Induction machines convert more than 55% of electrical energy into various other forms in industrial and domestic environments. Improved performance, especially by reduction of losses in induction machines hence can significantly reduce consumption of electricity. Many design and control methods are adopted to make induction machines work more efficiently, however certain design compromises are inevitable, such as skewing the rotor to improve the magnetic noise and torque characteristics increase the cross current losses considerably in a cage rotor, degrading the efficiency of the motor. Crosscurrent losses are the dominating stray losses which are dependent on several factors among them are percentage skew and the contact resistance between the rotor bars and laminations. It is shown in this thesis that implementing a design change which has non-skewed asymmetrical distribution of rotor slots can serve the same purpose as skewing i.e., reduction of the magnetic noise, thereby avoiding the negative effects of skewing the rotor slots especially by reducing the cross-current losses. Two design ethodologies to introduce asymmetry in rotor slots are proposed and the key performance characteristics like torque ripple, radial air gap forces are computed both numerically and analytically. Radial forces obtained from the finite element method are coupled to the analytical tool forcalculating the magnetic noise. A spectral method to calculate and separate the radial forces into vibration modes and their respective frequencies is proposed and validated for a standard 4-pole induction motor. The influence of rotor slot number, eccentricity and skew on radial forces and magnetic noise are studied using finite element method in order to understand the vibrational and acoustic behavior of the machine, especially for identifying their sources. The validated methods on standard motors are applied for investigating the asymmetrical rotor slot machines. Radial air gap forces and magnetic noise spectra are computed for the novel dual and sinusoidal symmetrical rotors and compared with the standard symmetrical rotor. The results obtained showed reduced radial forces and magnetic noise in asymmetrical rotors, both for the eccentric and noneccentric cases. Based on the results obtained some guide lines for designing  asymmetrical rotor slots are established. Magnitudes of the harmful modes of vibration observed in the eccentric rotors, which usually occur in reality, are considerably reduced in asymmetrical rotors showing lower sound intensity levels produced by asymmetrical rotors. The noise level from mode-2 vibration in a 4-pole standard 15 kW motor running with 25% static eccentricity is decreased by about 6 dB, compared to the standard rotors. Hence improved performance can be achieved by removing skew which reduces cross current losses and by employing asymmetrical rotor slots same noise level can be maintained or can be even lowered. / QC 20110221