1. Power Electronics Conversion 2
ECE 3795
Power Electronics Conversion 2
Fall 2017
© A. Kwasinski, 2017

2. Course Introduction
Meetings: Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11:00 AM to 12:15 PM ET in G36 Benedum Hall.
Professor: Alexis Kwasinski (Benedum 1229, Ph: )
Course Home Page:
Also in CourseWeb/Blackboard
Office Hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays (12:30 – 2:00 pm); or by appointment.
© A. Kwasinski, 2017

3. Course Introduction Prerequisites:
Knowledge of power electronics, control systems, and semiconductors or consent from the instructor.
This course is prepared under the assumption that students have already taken a graduate level course in power electronics, such as ECE 2250, or equivalent as well as an introductory graduate level course in control systems. If you have not taken either one of such graduate level courses please discuss your situation with Dr. Kwasinski.
Familiarity with at least one computer simulation software.
Knowledge on how to browse through professional publications.
Course Description:
PhD level course. Hence, students are expected to have a proactive and independent approach to their course work, which in many cases will require finding on their own proper ways to find unknown solutions to a given problem with minimal to no guidance from the professor.
Two main goals:
To discuss topics related with power electronics.
To prepare the students to conduct research or help them to improve their existing research skills.
© A. Kwasinski, 2017

4. Course Introduction Schedule:
Week 1, (Aug. 28) Introduction. Course description. Power electronics perspectives. Review of fundamental concepts.
Week 2 (Sept. 4) Power electronic circuits modeling. Switching functions and switched model.
Week 3 (Sept. 11)* Fast average and linear models (Dr. Kwasinski at ECCE Europe)
Week 4 (Sept. 18) Semiconductor switches model (diodes, MOSFETs and IGBTs).
Week 5 (Sept. 25)* Real loads, sources, and passive components. Rectifiers (Dr. K. at ECCE)
Week 6 (Oct. 2) Single-input dc-dc converters. (Th 10/7, Dr. Kwasinski possibly studying the effects of Hurricane Harvey in Houston)
Week 7 (Oct. 9)* Single-input dc-dc converters. Multiple-input converters. (No class on Tuesday – For the University it counts as a Monday)
Week 8 (Oct. 16) Inverters (Modulation strategies, sampling methods (UPWM, NPWM, etc.), current, voltage and impedance source inverters).
© A. Kwasinski, 2017

5. Course Introduction Schedule:
Week 9 (Oct. 23)* Thermal design. Reliability (Dr. K. at INTELEC)
Week 10 (Oct. 30) Linear and nonlinear control methods in power electronics (Linear feedback regulation and passivity based control).
Week 11 (Nov. 6)* Linear and nonlinear control methods in power electronics (Passivity based control, and time domain vs. geometric controllers, such as hysteresis control)
Week 12 (Nov. 13) Applications: Power electronics converters for renewable and alternative energy. Maximum power point tracking
Week 13 (Nov. 20)*Applications: Grid interaction. Islanding. EMI and power factor control. (Nov. 23: Thanksgiving day)
Week 14 (Nov. 27) Open topic week
Week 15 (Dec. 4) Presentations
Week 16 (Dec. 11) Presentations
© A. Kwasinski, 2017

6. Course Introduction Schedule (notes):
Asterisks indicate weeks when homework assignments are likely to be assigned (or, in most cases, to be due).
Italics indicate weeks when Dr. K will be attending conferences or may be unable to teach from the classroom for some other reason. However, some additional trips unknown at this time may come up during the course of the semester. For example, due to the particular nature of his research, Dr. K may need to travel to disaster areas on short notice. Although Dr. K will communicate these trips in advance along with any potential changes that these trips may cause, it is not possible to know at this time when those trips may occur. Still, provisions will be taken so no lecture classes are missed (e.g. some class may be taught remotely).
© A. Kwasinski, 2017

7. Course Introduction Grading: Homework: 30%
Project preliminary evaluation: 20%
Project report: 30%
Project presentation: 10%
Class participation: 10%
Letter grades assignment: A+ (grade > 97%), A (97% ≥ grade ≥ 92%), A- (92% > grade ≥ 87%), B+ (87% > grade ≥ 82%), B (82% > grade ≥ 77%), B- (77% > grade ≥ 72%), C+ (72% > grade ≥ 67%), C (67% > grade ≥ 62%), C- (62% > grade ≥ 57%), D+ (57% > grade ≥ 52%), D (52% > grade ≥ 47%), D- (47% > grade ≥ 40%), F (40% > grade).
Homework:
Homework will be assigned approximately every 2 weeks.
The lowest score for an assignment will not be considered to calculate the homework total score. However, all assignments need to be submitted showing a good-faith effort in trying to solve all problems in order to have the lowest homework score discarded.
© A. Kwasinski, 2017

8. Course Introduction Project:
The class includes a project that will require successful students to survey current literature.
The project consists of carrying out a short research project throughout the course.
The project could be to analyze some problem with a different approach, or explore some already presented approach in detail, or do a literature survey on a given topic.
The students need to identify their project topic. This topic, of course, needs to be related with power electronics.
© A. Kwasinski, 2017

9. Course Introduction Project: The project is divided in three phases:
1) Preliminary phase. Due date: Oct.5 . Submission of references, description of the problem, and proposed approach to study it (1 to 2 pages long-single column document).
2) Second phase. Due date: Nov. 16. Submission of a short paper (the report), at most 10 pages long, single column, regular font size and line spacing.
3) Discussion phase: By Nov. 23 all reports will be made available to the rest of the class. By Nov. 30 every student needs to submit a 1 or 2 sentence long question or comment for each of 5 project reports prepared by fellow students. On Nov. 23, Dr. K will assign which are these 5 other projects that each student needs to focus on. We will use these questions or comments during the Q&A session during the discussion of the projects on the last two weeks of classes.
Project Discussion:
To be held during the last two weeks of classes.
First, each student have tentatively 15 minutes to describe their project and what were the main concepts learned in it.
A Q&A session follows the initial description of the project.
Dr. K will moderate the discussion using the questions or comments submitted by Nov. 30.
© A. Kwasinski, 2017

10. Course Introduction Additional notes:
When sending me a message related with this course via start your Subject line with “ECE-3795 F17:”
Class presentations and homework assignments will be posted in both CourseWeb/Blackboard and the course website.
Announcements will be posted in the course website and in most cases in CourseWeb/Blackboard, too.
So, please, check both CourseWeb/Blackboard and the class website regularly for information, class notes and homework assignments.
© A. Kwasinski, 2017