Power electronics

This thesis explores an approach for the measurement of the quality of power
generated by the Center of Ocean and Energy Technology's prototype ocean turbine. The
work includes the development of a system that measures the current and voltage
waveforms for all three phases of power created by the induction generator and quantifies
power variations and events that occur within the system. These so called "power quality
indices" are discussed in detail including the definition of each and how they are
calculated using LabYiew. The results of various tests demonstrate that this system is
accurate and may be implemented in the ocean turbine system to measure the quality of
power produced by the turbine. The work then explores a dynamic model of the ocean
turbine system that can be used to simulate the response of the turbine to varying
conditions.

Uninterruptable Power Supply (UPS) systems have become essential to modern
industries that require continuous power supply to manage critical operations. Since a
failure of a single battery will affect the entire backup system, UPS systems providers
must replace any battery before it runs dead. In this regard, automated monitoring tools
are required to determine when a battery needs replacement. Nowadays, a primitive
method for monitoring the battery backup system is being used for this task. This thesis
presents a classification model that uses data mining cleansing and processing techniques
to remove useless information from the data obtained from the sensors installed in the
batteries in order to improve the quality of the data and determine at a given moment in
time if a battery should be replaced or not. This prediction model will help UPS systems
providers increase the efficiency of battery monitoring procedures.

It has become a case of great desire and, in some instances, a requirement to have systems in engineering be energy efficient, in addition to being effectively powerful. It is rare that there is a single technique that has the range to make this possible in a wide collection of areas in the field. The work done in this thesis exhibits how Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) bridges LEDs, plug in vehicles, fuel cells and batteries, all seemingly different sub categories of electrical engineering. It stems from an undergraduate directed independent study supervised by Dr. Zilouchian that encircled LEDs and electric vehicles and how they contribute to a smart electric grid. This thesis covers the design and development of a prototype board that test how PWM saves energy, prolongs lifespan and provides a host of customizable features in manufactured LED lights that are used in the marine industry. Additionally, the concept of charging batteries that provide power to electric vehicles was explored. It is stressed that consumers who are interested in electric vehicles are concerned about refueling and recharge times. It is natural that a competing product, such as the electric vehicle in a world dominated by internal combustion engines, will perform on par if not better than existing choices. Tests are conducted to investigate the methods of fast battery charging and the challenges this technique creates. Attention is also given to the development of a pulsed Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) fuel cell, specifically to prove whether pulse modulation is more efficient in a hydrogen producing fuel cell as opposed to direct-driven voltage and current alternatives.