Shipboard MVDC power systems need to support pulsed loads, which have destabilizing ef-fects on the MVDC power transmission bus voltage. Despite the reference shipboard MVDC architecture having energy storage to buffer the large power swings of pulsed loads, a large constant power still needs to be delivered to maintain the energy storage state of charge. This recharging constant power itself introduces small signal instability to the MVDC bus voltage. This thesis investigates the advantages of adding a dynamically tuneable virtual capacitor and resistor in parallel to the pulsed load for maintaining small signal stability. The stabi-lizer is implemented in a negative load configuration in the existing reference architecture hardware, where the stabilizer negatively impacts the power quality of the downstream load. To address this, a dual use is added to existing hardware by having the energy storage also cancel out the newly introduced noise. A controller was designed to control a MVDC power converter module for providing these stability services. In addition, the controller manages its internal energy storage and stabilizes its internal DC bus that powers its downstream pulsed load. / Future ships will have a special shipboard power grid and power converters to power future electronics. Most of these power converters will have an internal battery device that provides power when the generators do not provide enough power. Generators are very slow to change their power output. Some shipboard electronics may consume very large amounts of power at very quickly changing rates, causing instability to the power system. The batteries can accomodate the instability caused by these electronics. However, the batteries need to be quickly recharged, which is also unstable to the special power grid. This thesis modifies the recharging behavior so that it does not cause this instability. Also, it is preferable that the batteries will only draw power from the power grid in one direction and send power to the power consuming electronics. This setup is called negative load. This setup is preferable, because sending power back to the power grid will require extra hardware. Ships can only carry so much equipment due to constraints in weight or room, so additonal hardware is undesireable. There already exists similar research to provide this stabilizing service, but they are not designed for a shipboard power grid supporting these quick high power electronics. This thesis also makes a controls system that manages the battery and other requirements of the power system.

Modular Multilevel Converters (MMC) are being widely considered for medium to high voltage DC generation systems. Integrated system design optimization of the generator-MMC system through multi-objective optimization is of interest, because such an approach allows the trade-off between competing objectives (for example, mass and loss) to be explicitly and quantitatively identified. In this work, such an optimization based design paradigm for MMC based generator rectifier systems is developed. To formulate the design problem as a multi-objective optimization problem, it is required that the system waveforms can be obtained to facilitate the imposition of constraints and the estimation of power losses. Similarly, it is also desired to include detailed electric machine magnetic and electrical analysis in design optimization, as well as aspects such as the inductor and heat sink design. Such development typically requires detailed component design and simulation models for the electric machine and converter which are computationally expensive. As an alternative, the proposed work utilizes an electric machine metamodel, heat sink metamodel, and high-speed steady-state simulation model for the MMC to facilitate multi-objective optimization minimizing system metrics of interest while satisfying system constraints. Using the developed component simulation and design models, a multi-objective optimization based design of an MMC based generator-rectifier system is conducted.

Energy storage attracts attention nowadays due to the critical role it will play in the power generation and transportation sectors. Electric vehicles, as moving energy storage, are going to play a key role in the terrestrial transportation sector and help reduce greenhouse emissions. Bulk hybrid energy storage will play another critical role for feeding the new types of pulsed loads on ship power systems. However, to ensure the successful adoption of energy storage, there is a need to control and optimize the charging/discharging process, taking into consideration the customer preferences and the technical aspects. In this dissertation, novel control and optimization algorithms are developed and presented to address the various challenges that arise with the adoption of energy storage in the electricity and transportation sectors. Different decentralized control algorithms are proposed to manage the charging of a mass number of electric vehicles connected to different points of charging in the power distribution system. The different algorithms successfully satisfy the preferences of the customers without negatively impacting the technical constraints of the power grid. The developed algorithms were experimentally verified at the Energy Systems Research Laboratory at FIU. In addition to the charge control of electric vehicles, the optimal allocation and sizing of commercial parking lots are considered. A bi-layer Pareto multi-objective optimization problem is formulated to optimally allocate and size a commercial parking lot. The optimization formulation tries to maximize the profits of the parking lot investor, as well as minimize the losses and voltage deviations for the distribution system operator. Sensitivity analysis to show the effect of the different objectives on the selection of the optimal size and location is also performed. Furthermore, in this dissertation, energy management strategies of the onboard hybrid energy storage for a medium voltage direct current (MVDC) ship power system are developed. The objectives of the management strategies were to maintain the voltage of the MVDC bus, ensure proper power sharing, and ensure proper use of resources, where supercapacitors are used during the transient periods and batteries are used during the steady state periods. The management strategies were successfully validated through hardware in the loop simulation.

Nowadays, a high penetration level of distributed energy resources (DERs), such as renewables, energy storage, and electric vehicles, are integrated into modern electric power grids, especially power distribution sections, through inverter-based interfaces. Depending on the interfacing technologies and capacities of different DERs, the power distribution networks with inverter-based DERs feature different characteristics, which motivates this dissertation to investigate the modeling, design, and control of heterogeneous inverter-based power distribution networks. First, an example of a DER power distribution network, a PV system, is studied and an optimal design framework for PV systems is proposed considering two objectives, levelized cost of energy (LCOE) and power density (PD). Second, to further improve the performance of the inverter-based distribution networks, the harmonic characteristics of a generic grid-interactive inverter is investigated. A holistic mathematical harmonic state space (M-HSS) model of a grid-interactive inverter is derived to calculate each order of harmonics of grid-connected current. Moreover, to further reduce the computation burden caused by repetitive usage of the mathematical HSS model during the optimal design process, a data-driven HSS (D-HSS) modeling method is proposed by incorporating the data-driven techniques into the aforementioned M-HSS modeling. Based on the M- and D-HSS models, an effective optimal design framework is proposed to determine the closed-loop inverter system parameters. Furthermore, due to the increasing deployment of power electronic devices and nonlinear loads, power grids in the distribution network typically present certain degrees of low and/or high order harmonics. Thus, a harmonic compensation control (HCC) scheme is proposed to ensure that the inverter-based distribution network could provide high-quality grid current injection under distorted grid voltage conditions. Additionally, an energy-stored quasi-Z source converter (qZSC) based interlink converter is proposed for hybrid AC/DC microgrids in the distribution networks. The proposed system not only interlinks both AC and DC sub-microgrids but also incorporates energy storage. The operating principle, operating states as well as control schemes are presented in detail. Finally, another DER power distribution network, a medium voltage DC (MVDC) distribution network, is investigated in the study. First, the dissertation proposes an effective fault management scheme for MVDC networks, which includes a virtual-impedance-based fault current limiter (VI-FCL) on the DC side and a positive-negative-sequence (PNS) control scheme on the AC side. Finally, another DER power distribution network, a medium voltage DC (MVDC) distribution network, is investigated in the study. First, the dissertation proposes an effective fault management scheme for MVDC networks, which includes a virtualimpedance-based fault current limiter (VI-FCL) on the DC side and a positive-negativesequence (PNS) control scheme on the AC side. Then, a detailed 2ω mathematical model of the MVDC network under unbalanced AC voltage conditions is derived to investigate how the 2ω ripple propagates across the network and the corresponding control scheme is investigated to mitigate the 2ω ripple. / Electrical and Computer Engineering

Shipboard Power System (SPS) is known as an independent controlled small electric network powered by the distributed onboard generation system. Since many electric components are tightly coupled in a small space and the system is not supported with a relatively stronger grid, SPS is more susceptible to unexpected disturbances and physical damages compared to conventional terrestrial power systems. Among different distribution configurations, power-electronic based DC distribution is considered the trending technology for the next-generation U.S. Navy fleet design to replace the conventional AC-based distribution. This research presents appropriate control management frameworks to improve the Medium-Voltage DC (MVDC) shipboard power system performance. Model Predictive Control (MPC) is an advanced model-based approach which uses the system model to predict the future output states and generates an optimal control sequence over the prediction horizon. In this research, at first, a centralized MPC is developed for a nonlinear MVDC SPS when a high-power pulsed load exists in the system. The closed-loop stability analysis is considered in the MPC optimization problem. A comparison is presented for different cases of load prediction for MPC, namely, no prediction, perfect prediction, and Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) prediction. Another centralized MPC controller is also designed to address the reconfiguration problem of the MVDC system in abnormal conditions. The reconfiguration goal is to maximize the power delivered to the loads with respect to power balance, generation limits and load priorities. Moreover, a distributed control structure is proposed for a nonlinear MVDC SPS to develop a scalable power management architecture. In this framework, each subsystem is controlled by a local MPC using its state variables, parameters and interaction variables from other subsystems communicated through a coordinator. The Goal Coordination principle is used to manage interactions between subsystems. The developed distributed control structure brings out several significant advantages including less computational overhead, higher flexibility and a good error tolerance behavior as well as a good overall system performance. To demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed approach, a performance analysis is accomplished by comparing centralized and distributed control of global and partitioned MVDC models for two cases of continuous and discretized control inputs.

Uninterrupted power supply is an important requirement for electric ship since it has to confront frequent travel and hostilities. However, the occurrence of faults in the shipboard power systems interrupts the power service continuity and leads to the severe damage on the electrical equipments. Faults need to be quickly detected and isolated in order to restore the power supply and prevent the massive cascading outage effect on the electrical equipments. This thesis presents an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) based method for the fault classification and location in MVDC shipboard power systems using the transient information in the fault voltage and current waveforms. The proposed approach is applied to the cable of an equivalent MVDC system which is simulated using PSCAD. The proposed method is efficient in detecting the type and location of DC cable faults and is not influenced by changes in electrical parameters like fault resistance and load.

With the increasing maturity and flexibility of power electronics-based voltage conversion techniques, DC grids, and distribution systems have gained significant interest. These systems offer advantages such as improved power quality, efficiency, and flexibility. Medium-voltage DC (MVDC) applications, including shipboard, railway systems, distribution networks, and microgrids, are emerging as critical areas of interest. To integrate MVDC systems with existing power grids, MV AC/DC conversion techniques are crucial. Moreover, the lack of mature protection strategies and equipment, particularly DC circuit breakers (DCCB), poses a significant challenge to the development of MVDC systems. Therefore, this thesis aims to address two primary challenges in the field: the improved topologies of MV AC/DC conversion techniques for interfacing MVDC systems with power grids and the development of high power density DCCB for MVDC systems. The traditional modular multilevel converter (MMC) is widely used for medium voltage (MV) AC/DC conversion due to its modularity, scalability, and reliability. However, the presence of numerous semiconductor devices and capacitors in MMCs results in challenges such as low power efficiency and density. To enhance the performance of MMCs, this thesis proposes several novel hybrid MMC (HMMC) topologies, including the three-level HMMC, flying capacitor HMMC, and hybrid-leg MMC. These topologies aim to leverage the advantages of both conventional multilevel converters and MMCs. By replacing the low-voltage (LV) submodule (SM) in MMCs with a simple high-voltage (HV) switch, higher efficiency, a smaller footprint, and lower cost can be achieved. The HV switch operates at line frequency, simplifying device-switching and addressing the challenges of series-connected devices. The introduction of additional HV switches enables alternative connections compared to traditional MMCs, reducing the number of required SMs. Consequently, there is a significant reduction in the number of semiconductor devices, capacitor energy storage, and power losses. Furthermore, an average model is developed for the three-level HMMC to illustrate the additional power flow path between the AC and DC sides, as well as the reduced SM capacitor energy storage requirement. As a result, the proposed HMMCs exhibit substantial potential to replace traditional MMCs, offering higher efficiency and power density. Unidirectional high-voltage (HV) and medium-voltage (MV) rectifiers are essential for applications where power flows exclusively from the AC to the DC side. Examples of such applications include HVDC transmission, front-end converters for electric vehicle (EV) charging stations, and data centers. Therefore, hybrid modular multilevel rectifiers (HMMRs) are proposed for these unidirectional AC/DC applications. Instead of utilizing active devices for HV switches, the HMMR employs HV diode to achieve step-up HMMR, step-down HMMR, and flying capacitor HMMR configurations. As diodes are passive devices that do not require gate driver units, the HMMR design becomes simpler, resulting in cost and volume savings. Additionally, voltage sharing among the HV diode stack becomes more manageable as concerns regarding gate signal mismatch are eliminated. However, it is important to note that diodes lack current interruption capability. This limitation requires further investigation, particularly in non-unity power factor (PF) operations, which may impose restrictions on the operational range of the rectifiers. In terms of medium voltage (MV) DC circuit breakers (DCCB), this paper introduces the concept and design procedure of a high-power-density, modular, and scalable power electronic interrupter (PEI) for MV hybrid circuit breakers (HCB). The analysis includes trade-offs and limiting factors of various components within a single PEI module. A prototype of a 12 kV, 1 kA breaking-capable PEI is constructed, and new staged turn-off strategies are proposed to ensure the balanced distribution of metal-oxide varistor (MOV) energy. The developed PEI achieves a peak power density of 7.4 kW/cm$^3$, much higher than the solution based on the IGBT modules. After integrating the developed PEI into a full-scale HCB, the breaking capability of the developed PEI and the effectiveness of the staged turn-off strategy are validated. Furthermore, the scalability of the HCB is evaluated, which can simplify the design process from a low-voltage HCB to a higher-voltage version. For series-connected devices in SSCB or HCB configurations, the conventional gate driver structure necessitates an individual gate driver unit, fiber-optic, and isolated power supplies for each device. This design increases cost and volume, particularly for this single-pulse application. To address this issue, two new single gate driver structures are proposed to reduce component count and system complexity. The first solution, namely the MOV-coupled structure, employs a metal-oxide varistor (MOV) for the turn-off path. On the other hand, the transformer-coupled structure combines the auxiliary power and gate signal, enabling both simultaneous and staged turn-off schemes. Moreover, the cascaded high- and lower-voltage transformer structure simplifies insulation design and demonstrates improved scalability. These proposed gate driver structures aim to streamline the system, reduce component numbers, and simplify control for series-connected devices, leading to cost savings and improved overall performance. / Doctor of Philosophy / The advent of modern power electronics has paved the way for the implementation of medium-voltage (MV) DC systems, which offer advantages such as improved power quality, efficiency, and flexibility. However, the development of advanced AC/DC power conversion techniques and MVDC distribution system equipment, particularly MV DC circuit breakers (DCCBs), poses significant challenges for future MVDC systems. While the modular multilevel converter (MMC) is considered one of the best solutions, it suffers from a large number of devices and submodules (SMs). To overcome this limitation, novel topology concepts are introduced by combining high-voltage (HV) switches with low-voltage SMs, which leverage the benefits of both MMC and conventional multilevel converters. Several Hybrid MMC (HMMC) topologies, such as the three-level HMMC, flying capacitor HMMC, and hybrid-leg MMC, have been proposed. The introduction of additional HV switches enables different configurations over one line cycle, reducing the number of SMs and achieving higher power density and efficiency compared to the traditional MMC. Moreover, for unidirectional power flow, the hybrid modular multilevel rectifiers (HMMRs) can be derived by replacing the HV switch with HV diodes. This modification further reduces cost and volume compared to bidirectional converters. However, the non-unity power factor operation is different from the HMMC version, and more investigation is carried out in this work. As for MV DCCBs, the concept and design procedure of a compact, modular, and scalable power electronic interrupter (PEI) for MV hybrid circuit breakers (HCBs) are discussed. Additionally, two single gate driver structures are proposed to simplify the gate driver design, leading to a significant reduction in component count and cost. These advancements in topology solutions, MV DCCBs, and gate driver structures hold promise for the development of efficient and cost-effective MVDC systems.

Recent advancements in Voltage Source Converters (VSCs) of high-voltage and high-power rating had a significant impact on the development of Multi-Terminal HVDC (MTDC) power transmission systems. The U.S. Navy has proposed Multi-Zonal Medium Voltage DC (MVDC) Shipboard Power System (SPS) architecture for the next generation of their surface combatant. A Multi-Zonal MVDC SPS consists of several VSCs exchanging power through a DC network. Following a system fault or damage, the current flow pattern in the DC distribution grid will change and the DC voltages across the VSCs will assume new values. DC voltage reference or power reference settings of VSCs have to be determined, in advance, which can maintain the DC voltage within desired margins (usually 5% around the nominal value) in steady state, under the prefault as well as the postault conditions. In this work, the reference settings have been pre-determined by: (1) Development of a sensitivity based algorithm for voltage control of VSCs of the DC system and (2) Development of an optimal algorithm for voltage and power control of the VSCs. The algorithms have been tested on a simplified representation of the MVDC SPS architecture.

<div>Cables play an important role in the design of a power system. DC cable design presents unique challenges due to the fact that space charge can accumulate within the dielectric over time. Space charge accumulation is a function of temperature, electric field, and dielectric properties. Of particular concern is that the space charge leads to electric fields that are sufficient to break down the cable, particularly during transient conditions such as voltage reversal.</div><div><br></div><div>In this research, a focus is on the development of a coupled thermal- and electricalequivalent-circuit model that is general and provides the ability to predict the electric fields and space charge accumulation within single and multi-conductor DC cables. In contrast to traditional analytical models, the approach is more general, allowing for exploration of a wide spectrum of geometries. In contrast to traditional numerical methods, including finite element or finite difference, apriori knowledge of the electric field behavior is used to discretize the dielectric into a small number of electric flux tubes. The electric field dynamics within each tube are then modeled using a first order nonlinear differential equation. The relatively coarse discretization enables the solution to be computed rapidly. This is useful in population-based design where a large number of candidate evaluations is necessary to explore a design space. The modeling approach has been validated using several examples presented in the literature. In addition, its usefulness has been highlighted in the optimization of a 20 kV cable wherein objectives include minimization of mass and loss. </div>

Satisfaire les besoins en énergie de manière responsable est possible grâce aux énergies renouvelables, notamment éoliennes et solaires. Cependant ces centres de captation d’énergie sont éloignés dans zones de consommation. Le transport de l’énergie via des réseaux HVDC (haute tension courant continu) permet un rendement et une flexibilité avantageuse face au transport HVAC (haute tension courant alternatif). Ceci est rendu possible grâce aux convertisseurs utilisant l’électronique de puissance. Les récents développements sur les semi-conducteurs à large bande interdite, plus particulièrement le carbure de silicium (SiC) offrent la possibilité de concevoir ces convertisseurs plus simples, utilisant des briques technologiques de plus fort calibre (≤ 10 kV). Cependant le packaging, essentiel à leur bon fonctionnement, ne suit pas ces évolutions. Dans cette thèse, nous explorons les technologies actuelles ainsi que les limites physique et normatives liées au packaging haute tension. Des solutions innovantes sont proposées pour concevoir un module de puissance haute tension, impactant que faiblement les paramètres connexes (résistance thermique, isolation électrique et paramètres environnementaux). Les éléments identifiés comme problématiques sont traités individuellement. La problématique des décharges partielles sur les substrats céramiques métallisés est développée et une solution se basant sur les paramètres géométriques a été testée. Le boitier standard type XHP-3 a été étudié et une solution permettant de le faire fonctionner à 10 kV à fort degré de pollution a été développée. / The supply of carbon-free energy is possible with renewable energy. However, windfarms and solar power plants are geographically away from the distribution points. Transporting the energy using the HVDC (High Voltage Direct Current) technology allow for a better yield along the distance and result in a cost effective approach compared to HVAC (High Voltage Alternative Current) lines. Thus, there is a need of high voltage power converters using power electronics. Recent development on wide bandgap semiconductors, especially silicon carbide (SiC) allow a higher blocking voltage (around 10 kV) that would simplify the design of such power electronic converters. On the other hand, the development on packaging technologies needs to follow this trend. In this thesis, an exploration of technological and normative limitation has been done for a high voltage power module design. The main hot spot are clearly identified and innovative solutions are studied to provide a proper response with a low impact on parasitic parameters. Partial Discharges (PD) on ceramic substrates is analyzed and a solution of a high Partial Discharge Inception Voltage (PDIV) is given based on geometrical parameters. The XHP-3 like power modules are studied and a solution allowing a use under 10 kV at a high pollution degree (PD3) is given.