Evaluation of alternative evolutionary programming techniques for optimization of an automotive alternator

One of the primary design requirements of automotive generation systems is maximizing power density subject to the constraint of minimizing the overall system cost. However, with the progress made in the reduction of automotive drive train noise, the torque ripple of the generator has been found to be a dominant noise source under idle conditions at high electrical loads. Thus, an added design constraint is the minimization of the torque ripple produced by the machine. In order to evaluate alternative machine designs (and select an optimal), numerical tools are typically applied. In this research, a focus is placed on the creation of numerical tools that can be used to effectively search for an optimal design. A primary tool is an evolutionary algorithm (EA) that has been integrated within a customized magnetic equivalent circuit (MEC) model of the machine. The selection of an EA that is most likely to converge to an optimal solution in the least amount of time is described along with its use in selecting an optimal rotor-pole geometry.     

Intensification of the use of ionic liquids as efficient reaction co-solvents in asymmetric hydrogenations

The “Noyori” Ru-BINAP chiral complex is an industrially used homogeneous catalyst for stereoselective hydrogenations providing valuable fine chemicals with high optical yields. Its pseudo-immobilisation with help of various ionic liquids (ILs) represents an alternative to the not very efficient heterogenisation on inorganic supports. Many ILs are commercially readily available or could simply be produced, but in both cases a problem of their purity is encountered. Presence of even trace impurities may either suppress or promote the reaction progress, and most importantly, the parameter of enantioselectivity. The complex treatment of the reaction system must be always accepted whenever a genuine role of an ionic liquid is discussed. For this purpose a well understood reaction system—asymmetric hydrogenation of methyl-3-oxobutanoate (methylacetoacetate/MAA) to methyl-3-hydroxybutanoate (methylhydroxybutyrate/MHB) over the chiral Noyori type Ru-BINAP catalyst in the ethanol-bmimPF₆ reversibly biphasic mixed phase was chosen. Self-prepared bmimPF₆ ionic liquid was exposed to a series of normalized purification steps based on a theoretical semi-mechanistic model. It provided a clear evidence of the number and duration of necessary purification steps together with an effective “value” of each of them. Another important data were collected in the form of pseudo-ternary phase diagrams for all major components including the model impurities.     

Measurement and control of torque ripple-induced frame torsional vibration in a surface mount permanent magnet machine

A sensor to measure the stator torsional vibration due to torque ripple produced by a surface mount permanent magnet machine is first described. The sensor is relatively inexpensive and is straight forward to incorporate into a drive system. Experiments are performed to validate that the voltage produced by the sensor is linearly related to torque ripple amplitude. Closed-loop controllers are then described that adjust the stator current harmonics applied to the machine to achieve a commanded average torque while mitigating measured torsional vibration. Simulation and experimental results are used to demonstrate the effectiveness of the control techniques.     

Parametric average-value model of synchronous machine-rectifier systems

A new average-value model of a rectifier circuit in a synchronous-machine-fed rectifier system is set forth. In the proposed approach, a proper state model of the synchronous machine in the qd-rotor reference frame is used, whereas the rectifier/dc-link dynamics are represented using a suitable proper transfer function and a set of nonlinear algebraic functions that are obtained from the detailed model using numerical averaging. The new model is compared to a detailed simulation as well as to measured data and is shown to be very accurate in predicting the large-signal time-domain transients as well as small-signal frequency-domain characteristics.     

Three-dimensional computer simulation of plasma-solid interaction in the presence of magnetic field

This paper describes computational simulations of the propagation of a magnetised plasma to inner parts of porous solids or cavities. The geometry of such a problem requires generally three-dimensional simulations due to lack of symmetry. We propose a hybrid method to overcome limitations of commonly used particle and fluid models. The hybrid method combines particle and fluid parts in an iterative manner to obtain results in a short time preserving information about individual particles.The hybrid model is applied to a study of ion propagation to a cylindrical hole in a conductive solid. The influence of a magnetic field and its orientation is discussed. The presence of the magnetic field enhances the flux of ions to the hole; the influence of voltage bias on the substrate is highly important.     

Breakdown voltage of the surface glow discharge

Breakdown voltage is an important parameter of the surface glow discharge especially from the standpoint of practical applications. The experimental results of the breakdown voltage measurements for this type of discharge together with the results obtained from theoretical analysis are given. The presented model is based on the calculation of the electric field, trajectories of charged particles (which do not follow the flux lines) and finally on the testing of the condition for the self sustained discharge. The obtained theoretical results are in good agreement with the experimental ones     

Utilization of a piezoelectric polymer to sense harmonics of electromagnetic torque

In this paper, the use of a piezoelectric polymer material to measure the harmonics of electromagnetic torque produced by a permanent magnet synchronous machine is described. The advantages of the polymer include low cost, durability, and flexibility. In addition, wide-bandwidth sensors are relatively easy to design and couple to drive system hardware for harmonic evaluation or to use in feedback-based control. To illustrate the use of the polymer, the electrical and mechanical properties of three sensors are described. The results of time-domain simulation and hardware experiments are used to validate that the voltage obtained from the sensors is linearly related to the torque ripple produced by the machine.     

Correlating structure with ferromagnetism in melt-spun Gd100−xFex

X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy measurements of melt-spun Gd_100−xFe_x (0 ≤ x ≤ 40) and inert-gas condensed/compacted samples (3.8 ≤ x ≤ 12.7) reveal a structure of crystalline hcp-Gd grains surrounded by a non-crystalline Gd1−xeffFexeff phase, where x_eff > x is the effective iron concentration within the amorphous region. The two-phase structure is responsible for an unusual dependence of the coercivity on temperature in which non-zero coercivity is observed above the hcp-Gd T_c with a peak near 320 K. The coercivity decreases as the hcp-Gd grains order, then increases with decreasing temperature. This behavior is explained by the presence of magnetically correlated Fe-rich regions.     

An efficient and accurate method of representing magneticsaturation in physical-variable models of synchronous machines

When analyzing machine/converter systems it is convenient to represent the stator variables in physical (abc) form. It has been shown that a physical-variable voltage-behind-reactance form of the synchronous machine model can be derived which is numerically more efficient than existing physical-variable models. In this research, a new voltage-behind-reactance model is derived which incorporates the effects of magnetic saturation. This model is shown to have the same numerical efficiency of the unsaturated model and is readily implemented in either circuit-based or differential-equation based simulation languages. An example system is provided which demonstrates the accuracy and efficiency of this model for a wide-range in operating conditions