<p> This thesis studies critical zones of automated vehicles. The goal is for the automated vehicle to complete a car-following or lane change maneuver without collision. For instance, the automated vehicle should be able to indicate its interest in changing lanes and plan how the maneuver will occur by using model predictive control theory, in addition to the autonomous vehicle toolbox in Matlab. A test bench (that includes a scenario creator, motion logic and planner, sensors, and radars) is created and used to calculate the parameters of a critical zone. After a trajectory has been planned, the automated vehicle then attempts the car following or lane change while constantly ensuring its safety to continue on this path. If at any point, the lead vehicle brakes or a trailing vehicle accelerates, the automated vehicle makes the decision to either brake, accelerate, or abandon the lane change. </p>

<p>Predicting core losses in electromagnetic and electromechanical devices such as electric machines is crucial to avoid overheating or oversizing. This work focuses on predicting core loss under a dc bias condition which results in hysteresis loop distortion and an increase in the core loss. The interest in dc biased materials is to facilitate design of electric drive systems wherein the electric machine core is subject to a dc bias such as in homopolar machines. Owing to their simplicity and ease of use, Steinmetz-based models are considered in this work. Herein, four models based on Steinmetz Equations are studied and compared for dc offset sinusoidal field intensity waveforms. The model parameters are then characterized for a sample of M15 steel. Finally, the four models are compared with regards to their accuracy and performance under saturated conditions.</p>

<p dir="ltr">The most predominantly used rotating electric machines today are the radial and axial flux varieties (denoted RFM and AFM, respectively). There is another category of machines called the transverse flux machines (denoted TFMs) which are best suitable for high torque low speed applications such as in wind energy conversion systems, ship propulsion systems, and other direct drive applications. In this work, a design methodology based on a magnetic equivalent circuit (MEC) model for a three-phase stacked transverse flux machine is presented. Using this MEC model, an optimization-based design paradigm is created. Finite element analysis is used to validate a design obtained from the proposed algorithm. </p>

<p dir="ltr">Recent regulatory changes have been proposed to phase down the use of hydrofluorocarbon</p><p dir="ltr">(HFC)-based refrigerants in air conditioning and refrigeration systems. The proposed</p><p dir="ltr">low global warming potential alternatives (low-GWP) are characterized by lower volumetric</p><p dir="ltr">capacities, which require either higher displacements or higher speeds to meet compressor</p><p dir="ltr">loads. In order to address this, the coupled optimization of a compressor system and its electric</p><p dir="ltr">drive has been proposed. The primary goal of this thesis is to establish tools that can be</p><p dir="ltr">used to assess the impact that alternative low-GWP refrigerants have on the sizing and performance</p><p dir="ltr">of electrically driven compressors. Toward this goal, a method-of-moments-based</p><p dir="ltr">model has been established and structured to enable rapid evaluation of the electromagnetic</p><p dir="ltr">performance of V-shaped interior magnet machines. Contributions to the model formulation</p><p dir="ltr">include the use of a judicious combination of point and pulse basis functions to evaluate</p><p dir="ltr">machine behavior under saturation of stator and rotor steels. Also included is a straightforward</p><p dir="ltr">means to include multiple operating points with minimal additional computational</p><p dir="ltr">expense. Coupled to the electromagnetic model is a thermal equivalent circuit model that</p><p dir="ltr">includes conductive heat transfer between slot winding bundles and stator steel. It also includes</p><p dir="ltr">convective heat transfer from the stator to the rotor through the airgap. The proposed</p><p dir="ltr">models have been validated using commercial finite-element based software. Subsequently,</p><p dir="ltr">they have been applied in design optimization studies used to compare the efficiency and size</p><p dir="ltr">(mass) between machines designed for a common HFC refrigerant (R410A) and a proposed</p><p dir="ltr">alternative (R454B).</p>

<p>In recent years, switch-mode power electronic converters have gained considerable popularity</p> <p>because of their compact size and high switching frequencies. This makes them</p> <p>suitable for power processing in various applications, including photovoltaic systems and</p> <p>electric vehicles. However, their high switching frequency capabilities have a drawback. A</p> <p>high-frequency common-mode voltage coupled with the switching of the power converters</p> <p>excites the parasitic capacitances of the system. It leads to the flow of common-mode current.</p> <p>Since the common-mode current flows through an unintended path, it can potentially</p> <p>interfere with the performance of system components. Passive filters can be used to mitigate</p> <p>common-mode currents. Using a common-mode inductor in conjunction with strategically</p> <p>placed capacitors makes it possible to limit the flow of common-mode current.</p> <p><br></p> <p>As part of this work, passive mitigation of common-mode current will be investigated in</p> <p>a variable frequency drive system. In this regard, the process of designing a three-phase ac</p> <p>common-mode inductor is explained. As a first step, a mitigation strategy is proposed and</p> <p>described. Next, the issue of self-capacitance of the inductor is discussed. Afterwards, the</p> <p>ac common-mode inductor is designed using a multi-objective optimization-based approach.</p> <p>Following this are the design results, concluding the dissertation.</p>

<p dir="ltr">There is a growing demand for lower-cost, lighter-weight, and more compact electric ma-<br>chines used for vehicle propulsion. In this research, a dual-rotor inert-core machine (ICM) is<br>considered to meet this demand. In the ICM, permanent-magnet-based Halbach arrays are<br>placed on inner and outer rotating structures. This enables one to eliminate magnetic steels<br>used in the stator and rotor of traditional electric machinery. In addition, a stator structure<br>that leverages a thermal plastic is proposed that facilitates straightforward active cooling<br>of phase windings, which greatly increases current density. To support the multi-objective<br>design of the ICM, a multi-physics toolbox has been developed. Within the toolbox, electro-<br>magnetic performance is predicted using a method-of-moments-based field solver. Thermal<br>performance is assessed using a thermal equivalent circuit that includes conductive heat<br>transfer from stator windings to the surrounding environment as well as convective heat<br>transfer to moving fluids. The structural integrity of the stator is assessed using analytical<br>expressions to predict stress from material properties, geometry, and applied external forces.<br>Calculated loss of proposed designs includes those of the stator windings as well as those<br>required for active cooling. Several optimization studies have been conducted to evaluate the<br>performance of the ICM under an expected electric vehicle driving cycle. From the studies,<br>Pareto-optimal fronts are obtained and used to explore the impact of alternative cooling<br>strategies on volumetric power density.</p>

<p>In this research, a Split-Shaft Wind Energy Conversion System (SS-WECS) is investigated</p> <p>to improve the performance and cost of the system and reduce the wind power</p> <p>uncertainty influences on the power grid. This system utilizes a lightweight Hydraulic Transmission</p> <p>System (HTS) instead of the traditional gearbox and uses a Doubly-Fed Induction</p> <p>Generator (DFIG) instead of a synchronous generator. This type of wind turbine provides</p> <p>several benefits, including decoupling the shaft speed controls at the turbine and the generator.</p> <p>Hence, maintaining the generator’s frequency and seeking maximum power point</p> <p>can be accomplished independently. The frequency control relies on the mechanical torque</p> <p>adjustment on the hydraulic motor that is coupled with the generator. This research provides</p> <p>modeling of an SS-WECS to show its dependence on mechanical torque and a control</p> <p>technique to realize the mechanical torque adjustments utilizing a Doubly-Fed Induction</p> <p>Generator (DFIG). To this end, a vector control technique is employed, and the generator</p> <p>electrical torque is controlled to adjust the frequency while the wind turbine dynamics</p> <p>influence the system operation. The results demonstrate that the generator’s frequency is</p> <p>maintained under any wind speed experienced at the turbine.</p> <p>Next, to reduce the size of power converters required for controlling DFIG, this research</p> <p>introduces a control technique that allows achieving MPPT in a narrow window of generator</p> <p>speed in an SS-WECS. Consequently, the size of the power converters is reduced</p> <p>significantly. The proposed configuration is investigated by analytical calculations and simulations</p> <p>to demonstrate the reduced size of the converter and dynamic performance of the</p> <p>power generation. Furthermore, a new configuration is proposed to eliminate the Grid-</p> <p>Side Converter (GSC). This configuration employs only a reduced-size Rotor-Side Converter</p> <p>(RSC) in tandem with a supercapacitor. This is accomplished by employing the hydraulic</p> <p>transmission system (HTS) as a continuously variable and shaft decoupling transmission</p> <p>unit. In this configuration, the speed of the DFIG is controlled by the RSC to regulate the</p> <p>supercapacitor voltage without GSC. The proposed system is investigated and simulated in</p> <p>MATLAB Simulink at various wind speeds to validate the results.</p> <p>Next, to reduce the wind power uncertainty, this research introduces an SS-WECS where the system’s inertia is adjusted to store the energy. Accordingly, a flywheel is mechanically</p> <p>coupled with the rotor of the DFIG. Employing the HTS in such a configuration allows the</p> <p>turbine controller to track the point of maximum power (MPPT) while the generator controller</p> <p>can adjust the generator speed. As a result, the flywheel, which is directly connected</p> <p>to the shaft of the generator, can be charged and discharged by controlling the generator</p> <p>speed. In this process, the flywheel energy can be used to modify the electric power generation</p> <p>of the generator on-demand. This improves the quality of injected power to the</p> <p>grid. Furthermore, the structure of the flywheel energy storage is simplified by removing</p> <p>its dedicated motor/generator and the power electronics driver. Two separate supervisory</p> <p>controllers are developed using fuzzy logic regulators to generate a real-time output power</p> <p>reference. Furthermore, small-signal models are developed to analyze and improve the MPPT</p> <p>controller. Extensive simulation results demonstrate the feasibility of such a system and its</p> <p>improved quality of power generation.</p> <p>Next, an integrated Hybrid Energy Storage System (HESS) is developed to support the</p> <p>new DFIG excitation system in the SS-WECS. The goal is to improve the power quality</p> <p>while significantly reducing the generator excitation power rating and component counts.</p> <p>Therefore, the rotor excitation circuit is modified to add the storage to its DC link directly.</p> <p>In this configuration, the output power fluctuation is attenuated solely by utilizing the RSC,</p> <p>making it self-sufficient from the grid connection. The storage characteristics are identified</p> <p>based on several system design parameters, including the system inertia, inverter capacity,</p> <p>and energy storage capacity. The obtained power generation characteristics suggest an energy</p> <p>storage system as a mix of fast-acting types and a high energy capacity with moderate</p> <p>acting time. Then, a feedback controller is designed to maintain the charge in the storage</p> <p>within the required limits. Additionally, an adaptive model-predictive controller is developed</p> <p>to reduce power generation fluctuations. The proposed system is investigated and simulated</p> <p>in MATLAB Simulink at various wind speeds to validate the results and demonstrate the</p> <p>system’s dynamic performance. It is shown that the system’s inertia is critical to damping</p> <p>the high-frequency oscillations of the wind power fluctuations. Then, an optimization approach</p> <p>using the Response Surface Method (RSM) is conducted to minimize the annualized</p> <p>cost of the Hybrid Energy Storage System (HESS); consisting of a flywheel, supercapacitor, and battery. The goal is to smooth out the output power fluctuations by the optimal</p> <p>size of the HESS. Thus, a 1.5 MW hydraulic wind turbine is simulated, and the HESS is</p> <p>configured and optimized. The direct connection of the flywheel allows reaching a suitable</p> <p>level of smoothness at a reasonable cost. The proposed configuration is compared with the</p> <p>conventional storage, and the results demonstrate that the proposed integrated HESS can</p> <p>decrease the annualized storage cost by 71 %.</p> <p>Finally, this research investigates the effects of the reduced-size RSC on the Low Voltage</p> <p>Ride Through (LVRT) capabilities required from all wind turbines. One of the significant</p> <p>achievements of an SS-WECS is the reduced size excitation circuit. The grid side converter is</p> <p>eliminated, and the size of the rotor side converter (RSC) can be safely reduced to a fraction</p> <p>of a full-size excitation. Therefore, this low-power-rated converter operates at low voltage</p> <p>and handles the regular operation well. However, the fault conditions may expose conditions</p> <p>on the converter and push it to its limits. Therefore, four different protection circuits are</p> <p>employed, and their effects are investigated and compared to evaluate their performance.</p> <p>These four protection circuits include the active crowbar, active crowbar along a resistorinductor</p> <p>circuit (C-RL), series dynamic resistor (SDR), and new-bridge fault current limiter</p> <p>(NBFCL). The wind turbine controllers are also adapted to reduce the impact of the fault</p> <p>on the power electronic converters. One of the effective methods is to store the excess energy</p> <p>in the generator’s rotor. Finally, the proposed LVRT strategies are simulated in MATLAB</p> <p>Simulink to validate the results and demonstrate their effectiveness and functionality.</p>

<p dir="ltr">In our daily lives, we rely on a multitude of discrete products to meet our needs. Traditional product design approaches have primarily focused on economic and technical aspects, often overlooking the pressing environmental and social challenges facing society. Recognizing the limitations of our ecological systems to cope with the waste generated by our current industrial processes, there is a growing need to anticipate the potential consequences of product design across technical, economic, environmental, and social dimensions to pave the way for a sustainable future. One promising strategy within this context is the integration of sustainability principles into optimization-based design models that consider a product's entire life cycle. While there have been previous efforts to optimize product life cycles, a comprehensive exploration of optimization-based design methods with a focus on multiple objectives for discrete products is essential. This dissertation explores the integration of sustainability principles with optimization-based design by taking the electric traction motor used in electric vehicles as a case study. This complex and environmentally significant technology is ideal for investigating the tradeoffs and benefits of incorporating sustainability objectives into the design process.</p><p dir="ltr">The key tasks undertaken in this study are as follows:</p><ul><li>Development of a parametric design and optimization framework for a surface-mounted permanent magnet synchronous motor. In this task, a special emphasis is placed on reducing reliance on materials with a high supply risk, such as rare earth elements.</li><li>Creation of a parametric life cycle assessment model that combines life cycle assessment and optimization-based design to minimize a single-score environmental impact. This model offers insights into the environmental performance of product design and underscores the importance of minimizing environmental impact throughout a product's life cycle.</li><li>Integration of a life cycle costing model, incorporating techno-economic assessment and total cost of ownership perspectives, into the parametric life cycle assessment and optimization-based design models. This model is used to minimize levelized production and driving costs, shedding light on the trade-offs within this family of cost metrics and the optimization of manufacturing systems for motor production.</li><li>Proposal of a circular economy model/algorithm to assess the advantages of integrating the circular economy paradigm during the early design phase. All the mentioned objective functions are considered to study the impacts of applying the circular economy paradigm.</li></ul><p dir="ltr">The contributions of this research can be summarized as follows:</p><ul><li>Utilized a diverse array of analytical methodologies to parameterize the design process of a motor, incorporating the integration of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Techno-Economic Analysis (TEA) models, as well as the incorporation of disassembly planning for informed decision-making in the early stages of design.</li><li>Proposed a generalized objective function denoted as the Supply Risk-equivalent (SR-eq.), aimed at mitigating the risks associated with the dependency on critical materials in product manufacturing.</li><li>Introduced a novel approach for visualizing non-dominated solutions within a multi-objective framework, with experimentation conducted on up to six distinct objectives.</li><li>Substantiated the significance of decarbonizing the electric grid while maintaining competitive cost structures, the importance of advancing non-destructive evaluation (NDE) procedures for assessing the condition of end-of-life (EoL) subassemblies, and optimizing the collection rate of EoL motors.</li></ul><p dir="ltr">Demonstrated that the optimization of technical metrics as surrogate indicators for economic and environmental performance does not necessarily yield designs that are concurrently optimal in economic and environmental terms.</p>