Thesis (MScEng (Electrical and Electronic Engineering))--University of Stellenbosch, 2011. / Due to finite oil resources and its political and economical impact, a renewed interest in energy independence has compelled industry and government to pursue electric vehicle designs. The current worldwide research that is being conducted on drivetrain topologies for EVs, focus mainly on direct in-wheel drive, direct differential drive and fixed-gear differential drive topologies. Furthermore, the control strategy for these type of motor drives require a, so called, field-weakening operation in order to achieve acceptable performance characteristics for the vehicle. This thesis evaluates the use of a manual gearbox drivetrain topology and a radial flux air-cored permanent magnet (RFAPM) synchronous machine, without flux-weakening operation, as a traction drive application for EVs. For the purpose of this research study, a 2006 model Opel Corsa Lite is converted to a battery electric vehicle, and the Corsa is renamed to the E-Corsa. The Corsa is converted so that all the original functionality, boot space and space inside the vehicle are retained. The original 5-speed manual gearbox is used as drivetrain for the vehicle and a 40 kW, 70 Nm RFAPM traction drive is developed for the manual gearbox. A power electronic converter is designed for RFAPM traction drive and a Lithium ion (Li-ion) battery pack is used as energy source for the traction drive. The battery pack is mounted partially in the front and partially in the back of the vehicle to maintain an even weight distribution in the vehicle.

Thesis (MScEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The worldwide increase in the popularity of high voltage direct current (HVDC) power transmission application has led to questions regarding the performance of high voltage alternating current (HVAC) insulators when energized under HVDC excitation. These questions have led researchers conduct numerous research projects worldwide. A particular question NamPower (the power utility in Namibia) has faced is: how do these insulators perform and age when energized under HVDC excitation in heavily polluted environments? This question was only partly answered by some insulator ageing tests conducted under laboratory conditions for HVDC excitation. However, the natural ageing tests on insulators, which are preferred, have to date been confined predominantly to HVAC excitation voltages. Thus, this research was initiated to investigate the natural ageing performance of insulators under both HVAC and HVDC excitations, when subjected to harsh marine pollution environments. This research project involved performance and ageing tests on three identical sets of line insulators made from different insulator materials, energised under HVAC and both polarities HVDC excitations respectively. The tests were conducted at Koeberg insulator pollution test station (KIPTS), which is a natural marine pollution insulator test station located near Cape Town, along the west coast of South Africa, approximately 50 m from the sea. The set of insulators consisted of EPDM silicone alloy rubber, HTV silicone rubber, RTV silicone rubber coated porcelain, Porcelain and Glass insulators. The HVAC excitation voltage was chosen as 12.7 kV r.m.s. phase-to-ground and it was decided to use a HVDC excitation voltage equal to this value. The research results showed that the insulators made from HTV silicone rubber performed better than the insulators made from EPDM silicone alloy rubber under all excitation voltages. It is also showed that RTV silicone rubber coated porcelain insulators performed better than Glass and Porcelain insulators under all excitation voltages. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die wêreld wye toename in gewildheid van hoë spanning gelyk stroom (HSGS) krag transmisie aplikasie het gelei na vrae oor die effektieweteit van hoë spanning wissel stroom (HSWS) insolators in HSGS aplikasies. Hierdie vrae het gelei na baie navorsings projekte. Een vraag waarmee NamPower (die krag voorsienings maatskapy in Namibia) gekonfronteer was, was hoe gaan die insolators wat onderworpe is aan ’n HSGS toevoer reageer in ’n baie besoedelde omgewing. Hierdie vraag was slegs gedeeltelik beantwoord deur verouderings toetse op insolators wat gedoen is in ’n labaratorium met ’n HSGS toevoer. Inteendeel, die meeste natuurlike verouderings toetse op insolators, soos verkies, is meestal gedoen met ’n HSWS toevoer. Om hierdie rede was hierdie navorsing begin om natuurlike verouderings toetse te doen op insolators onderworpe beide aan HSWS en HSGS toevoere binne ’n marien besoedelde omgewing. Hierdie navorsings projek gaan oor prestering en verouderings toetse op drie, identiese, transmissie lyn insolator stelle, wat onderskeidelik onderworpe was aan HSWS en beide polariteite HSGS toevoere. Die toetse was gedoen by Koeberg insolator besoedeling toets stasie (KIBTS) wat naby Kaapstad geleë is langs die weskus van Suid Africa omtrent 50 m van die see. ’n Stel toets insolators bestaan uit EPDM silikon allooi rubber, HTV silikon rubber, RTV silikon rubber bedekte porselein, Porselein en Glas insolators. Die HSWS waarde waarmee die insolators getoets was, was 12.7 kV w.g.k., fase-na-grond, en dit was besluit om ’n HSGS waarde gelyk aan hierdie spannings waarde te gebruik. Die navorsings resultate wys dat insolators wat gemaak is met HTV silikon rubber presteer beter as insolators wat met EPDM silikon allooi rubber gemaak is onder al die verskillende toevoere. Dit wys ook dat RTV silikon rubber bedekte porselein presteer beter as Porselein en Glas insolators onder al die verskillende toevoere.

Thesis (MScEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / Wind energy has proven to be a viable source of clean energy, and the worldwide demand is growing rapidly. Variable speed topologies, with synchronous generators and full-scale converters, are becoming more popular, and the e ective control of these systems is a current trend in wind energy research. The purpose of this study is the modelling, design, simulation and implementation of a small-scale, variable speed wind energy conversion system, incorporating the position sensorless direct torque control with space vector modulation, of a permanent magnet synchronous generator, including an RLC converter lter. Another aim is the development of a gain scheduling algorithm that facilitates the high level control of the system. Mathematical models of the combined lter-generator model, in the stationary and rotating reference frames, are presented and discussed, from which equivalent approximate transfer functions are derived for the design of the controller gains. The design of the controller gains, RLC lter components, gain scheduling concept and maximum power point tracking controller are presented. It is discovered that the RLC lter damping resistance has a signi cant e ect on the resonance frequency of the system. The system is simulated dynamically in both Simulink and the VHDL-AMS programming language. Additionally, the maximum power point tracking controller is simulated in the VHDL-AMS simulation, including a wind turbine simulator. The simulation results demonstrate good dynamic performance, as well as the variable speed operation of the system. The practical results of torque and speed controllers show satisfactory performance, and correlate well with simulated results. The detailed gain scheduling algorithm is presented and discussed. A nal test of the complete system yields satisfactory practical results, and con rms that the objectives of this thesis have been reached.

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In this dissertation a new type of electrical machine, a Radial Flux Air-Cored Permanent Magnet machine with a Double-sided Rotor and utilising concentrated, non-overlapping windings, is proposed. The concept of the Double-sided Rotor Radial Flux Air-Cored Permanent Magnet machine, or RFAPM machine for short, was derived from the Double-sided Rotor Axial Flux Air-Cored Permanent Magnet (AFAPM) machine. One of the problems that AFAPM machines experience, is the deflection of the rotor discs due to the strong magnetic pull of the permanent magnets, especially with double-sided rotor machines. The main advantage of a RFAPM machine over a AFAPM machine is that the rotor back-iron is cylindrically shaped instead of disk shaped. Due to the structural integrity of a cylinder, the attraction force between the two rotors does not come into play any more. The focus of this dissertation is on a thorough analytical analysis of the Double-Sided Rotor RFAPM machine. With the RFAPM being an air-cored machine, the feasibility to develop a linear, analytical model, to accurately predict the radial flux-density and hence the induced EMF in the stator windings, as well as the accurate calculation of the developed torque of the machine, needed to be investigated. The need for a thorough analytical examination of the Double-Sided Rotor RFAPM machine stemmed from the need to reduce the blind reliance on Finite Element Modelling (FEM) software to calculate the back-EMF and torque produced by these machines. Another problem experienced with the FEM software was to obtain accurate torque results. Excessive ripple torque oscillations were sometimes experienced which took a considerable amount of time to minimise with constant refinement to the meshing of the machine parts. Reduction in the mesh element size unfortunately also added to the simulation time. The requirement for an accurate analytical model of the RFAPM machine was also necessary in order to reduce the amount of time spent on successive FEM simulation to obtain the optimum pole arc width of the permanent magnet in order to minimise the harmonic content of the radial flux-density distribution in the the stator windings. In this dissertation, the use of single-layer and double-layer, non-overlapping, concentrated winding for the RFAPM machine is also investigated. It was decided to include a comparison of these two non-overlapping winding configurations with a “hypothetical” concentrated, overlapping winding configuration. This would allow us to gauge the effectiveness of using nonoverlapping winding with respect to the reduction in copper losses as well as in the reduction in copper volume. It would also allow us to investigate the extent of how much the developed torque is affected by using non-overlapping windings instead of overlapping windings. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In hierdie proefskrif word ’n nuwe tipe elektriese masjien, ’n Radiale-vloed Lugkern Permanent Magneet Masjien met ’n dubbelkantige rotor en nie-oorvleuelende Windings voorgestel. Die konsep vir die Radiale-vloed Lugkern Permanent Magneet Masjien, of RVLPM vir kort, is afgelei vanaf die Dubbelkantige Rotor, Aksiale-vloed Lugkern (AVLPM) masjien. Een van die probleme wat met AVLPM masjiene ondervind word, is die defleksie van die rotorjukke as gevolg van die sterk aantrekkingskragte van die permanente magnete, veral in dubbelkantige rotor masjiene. Die hoof voordeel wat die RVLPM masjien inhou bo die AVLPM masjien, is die feit dat die RVLPM se rotorjukke silindries is in plaas van ronde skywe. As gevolg van die strukturele integriteit van ’n silinders, speel die aantrekkingskrag van die permanente magnete nie meer ’n rol nie. Die fokus van die proefskrif gaan oor die deeglike analitiese analise van die dubbelkantige RVLPM masjien. Weens die feit dat die RVLPM masjien ’n lugkern masjien is, is daar besluit om ondersoek in te stel na die moontlikheid om ’n lineêre, analitiese model vir die masjien op te stel waarmee die radiale-vloeddigtheid, teen-EMK asook die ontwikkelde draaimoment vir die masjien akkuraat bereken kan word. Die behoefde aan ’n akkurate analitiese model vir die dubbelkantige rotor RVLPM masjien is om die blinde vertroue te elimineer wat daar in Eindige-Element Modellering (EEM) sagteware gestel word om die teen-EMK en ontwikkelde draaimoment van die RVLPM masjien uit te werk. ’n Verdere probleem wat daar met EEM sagteware ondervind is, is die akkurate berekening van die ontwikkelde draaimoment. Oormatige rimpel draaimoment ossillasies is soms ondervind wat heelwat tyd geverg het om te minimeer, deur voortdurende verfyning van die EEM maas in die verskillende dele van die masjien. Soos die maas egter kleiner word, verleng dit die simulasie tyd van die EEM aansienlik. Nog ’n rede vir ’n akkurate analitiese model van die RVLPM masjien, is om vinnige metode te verkry om die optimale permanente magneet pool hoekwydte te verkry, wat die minste Totale Harmoniese Vervorming (THV) in die radiale-vloeddigtheidsdistribusie in die statorgebied sal veroorsaak, sonder om herhaaldelike EEM simulasies te loop. In die proefskrif word die gebruik van enkellaag en dubbellaag, nie- oorvleuelende, gekonsentreerde wikkelings vir die RVLPM masjien ook ondersoek. Daar is besluit om hierdie twee nie-oorvleuelende windingskonfigurasies met ’n “hipotetiese” gekonsentreerde, oorvleuelende windingskonfigurasie te vergelyk. Dit behoort ons in staat te stel om die doeltreffendheid van nie-oorvleuelende windings te bepaal, met betrekking tot die afname in koperverliese asook die afname in kopervolume. Verder sal dit ons in staat stel om ook mate waartoe die ontwikkelde draaimoment deur nie-oorvleuelende windings beïnvloed word, te ondersoek.