Soft commutation in capacitive idling converters

The capacitive idling converters derived from the Cuk, SEPIC, Zeta, and flyback topologies allow soft commutation of power switches without the need for additional circuitry, making it possible to increase the switching frequency while maintaining high efficiency     

Power Equalization Techniques for Three-Phase VSI-Driven Single-Phase Ozone Generators

The purpose of this article is to present a method to equalize power imbalances in single-phase loads driven by three-phase voltage source inverters. The objective is to unbalance the line-to-line voltages in order to equalize the individual load power. The method is evaluated under non-linear loads, considering the dispersion of the high-voltage transformer electrical parameters values usually found in ozone generating systems. Two methods are considered for equalizing the load power. In the progressive method, the power equalization is performed by a microcontroller and works setting up the voltage applied over each load in response to power feedback from the other loads. In addition, Fuzzy Logic concepts are also applied, permitting a fast response, in spite of lower precision in the power balancing. Analytical, simulation and experimental results validate both methods.     

Life cycle cost analysis of energy efficiency design options for refrigerators in Brazil

The purpose of this paper was to present the results of a life cycle cost analysis concerning the purchase and operation of a more efficient popular refrigerator model compared with a baseline design in Brazil. The summarized results may be useful for organizations working to promote sustainable energy development. This paper specifically focuses on refrigerators, since their energy consumption is predicted to constitute over 30% of the total average domestic electricity bill in Brazilian households. If all new Brazilian refrigerators had an energy efficiency at the level consistent with the least life cycle cost of ownership, it would result in an annual savings of 2.8 billion dollars (US$) in electricity bills, 45 TWh of electricity demand, and 18 Mt of CO₂ emissions, with a respective payback period of 7 years which is less than half the average estimated lifetime of a refrigerator. The analysis was conducted following the guidelines of similar analyses available from the US Department of Energy and the Collaborative Labeling and Appliance Standards Program.