Power Electronics Research
at the University of Nottingham
Professor Pat Wheeler
Email: [email protected]
Power Electronics, Machines and Control (PEMC) Research
Group
UNIVERSITY OF NOTTINGHAM, UK
The University of Nottingham
Professor Pat Wheeler
Email: [email protected]
Electric Propulsion for
Future Transportation
Professor Pat Wheeler
University of Nottingham
email: [email protected]
Nottingham
Manchester
Liverpool
London
Bristol
180km
City of Nottingham
Population 300,000
The city famous for the
legend of Robin Hood
and Brian Clough
[one time manager of
the Nottingham Forest
football team]
Nottingham
Power Electronics, Machines & Control Group Te
Automotive and Marine
Aerospace (All/More Electric Aircraft)
Future Electricity Networks
Renewable Energy
High-energy Physics applications
Industrial Applications
Application Areas
Underlying scientific research
Power device packaging and cooling
New actuator topologies
Cooling methodologies & thermal integration
New modelling methods
Electrical Machines and Motor Drives
Power Electronic Converters
Electrical power systems (AC/DC/Hybrid)
Energy management system
High density power conversion
Diagnostics and Prognostics
Electromagnetic compatibility
Research Themes
3000m2 laboratories with own 5MVA power supply
Motor rigs 1kW to 750kW, voltage supplies to 13kV
Electrical Machine/Actuator manufacture
Machine and Power Systems testing to 800kW
Environmental testing chambers
Group Facilities
> 140 Researchers/Academics
18 Academic Staff [Faculty]
48 Contract Research Fellows
70 PhD students
4 Visiting Scholars
Current Research Grants US$35M
Full ProfessorsProf Jon Clare (Power Electronics)
Prof Mark Johnson (Power Devices, Energy)
Prof Pat Wheeler (Power Electronics)
Prof Mark Sumner (Drives, Power Quality, Energy)
Prof Pericle Zanchetta (Control, Power Quality)
Prof Chris Gerada (Machines, Drives)
Prof Lee Empringham (Power Conversion)
Associate ProfessorsDr Christian Klumpner (Power Electronics)
Dr Alberto Castellazzi (Power Device Technologies)
Dr Sergei Bozhko [Aerospace Electrical Systems]
Assistant ProfessorsDr Guarang Vakil (Electrical Machines)
Dr Alan Watson (High Power Electronics)
Dr Paul Evans (Power Device Technologies)
Dr Alessandro Costabeber (Power Converters/Control)
Dr Michael Galea (Machines and Drives)
Dr Tom Cox (Electrical Machines)
Dr Tao Yang (Aircraft Electrical Power Systems)
Dr Michele Degano (Electrical machines)
INTRODUCTION
• Some Electric Transportation applications
• UK initiatives to encourage technology advances
• Research and technology transfer at University of Nottingham, UK
• Some examples of application
• Car – penetration of technology and what the UK is doing
• Cummins Electric truck – future of road transport with autonomous operation
• Bike – exciting promotion of technology through racing and speed
• Planes – technology road map to electric propulsion
• Ships – electric ship propulsion
• Railways – high value lines and electrical energy grid integration
• Busses – Transport for London – hybrid, electric and hydrogen
• Importance of Renewable Energy
• Distributed generation in the ‘final mile’
• Smart-grid technology
Introduction
Electric
Cars
Electric Cars – The Beginning
1828: First recorded Electric vehicleHungarian, Ányos Jedlik
1839: Electric-powered carriageRobert Anderson of Scotland
1912: peak in 20th Century productionElectrical cars in early 1900s had advantages:
low noise, no hand cranking engines and
no adding water to steam engines
1928: all production ended due cost and rangeElectric cars costs $2000
Petrol cars cost £600!
Nissan Leaf
0 to 60mph: 10 seconds
Battery: 30 kWhr
Range: 107 miles (175km)
Cost: $35000
Tesla S
0 to 60mph: 2.3 seconds
Battery: 85 kWhr
Range: 265 miles (425km)
Cost: $75000
Electric Cars - Today
Electric Cars
Advantages• Low running costs and zero emissions
• Free parking in cities (city authorities)
• Free charging stations are available (employers)
• No UK road tax or purchase tax (government)
• Free at-home charging points in UK (electrical utility
companies)
.Disadvantages
• Range anxiety and charging times
• Up to 30 minutes even with fast charge
technologies
• Requires change of driving expectations
• High purchase cost: battery technology
• ‘Second life’ use in Electricity Grid connected
applications – adds end of life value
• Lithium Ion type battery technology– Self Oxidizing Lithium-ion batteries have a higher energy density
– What chemistry will the next successful battery technology use?
Battery: Technology
Motor
Controller
Battery
Electric and
Hybrid
Propulsion
Technologies
Electric Propulsion - Series Hybrid
• No direct mechanical connection between engine and wheels
• Engine run at optimum speed for efficient generation
• Powered from generator or battery
• Good for Urban driving – stop/start applications
• Examples: Hybrid urban bus and diesel/electric trains since the 1950s
Petrol Engine
Battery Drive Wheels
Generator
MotorPower Converter
Electric Propulsion - Parallel Hybrid
• Direct connection between engine and wheels
• Improves efficiency for continuous driving conditions – for example on a motorway
• Power conversion not needed in continuous operation mode
• Car can be driven from Electrical Motor, Petrol Engine or both
• Regenerative braking used to charge battery
• Example: Honda Civic Insight
Petrol Engine
Battery
Drive WheelsMotor/Generator
Power Converter
Electric Propulsion – All Electric Systems
• Energy Sources• Lithium Ion type batteries or fuel cells
• Hydrogen fuel cells• + Only water as a waste product
• - Hydrogen has to be formed and safely stored
• Wheels driven by an electrical motor
Energy Supply
[eg Battery or fuel cell
or super-capacitor or
similar]
Drive WheelsMotor/Generator
Power Converter
• Lithium Ion type Batteries• + can be charged anywhere you have an
electricity supply
• + clean technology at the point of use
• - energy density needs to improve
Electric
Aircraft
Towards All-Electric Flight
• All electric aircraft propulsion is possible
• Series Hybrid will follow parallel hybrid technology
• All Electric will be used when electrical energy storage
becomes available with the required
energy density
Electric Concept
Plane
Modern Trends in Aircraft Electric Power Systems
Engine Propulsion
Fuel Energy Storage
EMEMEMEM EMEM EMEMEMEM EMEMEMEM
TurbineTurbine
Electric Propulsion Electric Propulsion
Electric Starter/Generators
Power Electronic Converters
Battery Electrical Energy Storage
Fuel Cell Electrical Energy Storage
Fast-Responce Electrical Energy
Storage (SuperCap)
Electric Loads (WIPS, EPS, EMA, etc)
EPS control and energy
management
TurbineTurbine“Single-bus” approach
Potential Hybrid - electric architecture:
- gas turbines drive generators, optionally may act as direct
propulsion devices
- distributed electrical machines drive propulsion devices
- energy storage devices can be used to buffer energy
High-power machines for hybrid propulsion
- MW-class equipment
- Efficiency/losses become a critical design factor
- High speed gen-sets
- Very high power density requirement
- Thermally/Mechanically challenged- Low-speed propulsion motors
- Very high torque density
- Electromagnetically/Thermally
challenged
Generator
Gas Turbine
Propulsors
EM
EM
Converter
Technology Targets for
Electric Flight
Electric
Propulsion
for Ships
Full Electric Ship Propulsion
• All Electric Propulsion of Ships is used today
• Example: Type 45 Destroyer with the UK Navy
• a regular visitor to Valparaiso!
• Efficiency: gives better fuel economy, range and living space
• Survivability: electrical system can be reconfigured
• Flexibility: Electrical Energy could also be used for weapon systems
• Similar technology used on civilian ships
• Ferries - efficiency
• Cruise ships - noise
120 cars, 360 passengers, 10 knots
HMS Daring, Type 45 Destroyer
Ack. James Crowford, MOD
Distributed
Generation
and Smart
Grids
Future - Smart Grids
• Communications layer added to give user and operator real time information available
• Increased use of renewables and energy storage at all levels
• Capacity can be used for electric transportations platforms
• Second life batteries for vehicles can be used as energy storage devices – ‘second life’ use
operations
generation
transmission distributionconsumers
Bidirectional flow of energy
Bidirectional flow of real time information
Evolution to the future Smart Grid
• Slow communications - manual
meter reading
• Low penetration of renewable
energy sources
• Low levels of distributed
generation
• No real time customer information
• “Economy 7” to modify customer
consumption
• High level communications in
transmission and distribution
• Some grid level renewable
energy sources
• Some distributed generation at
local level – starts to off-set
electric vehicle load
• Low levels of real time customer
information
• Real time communications between all
levels from user to operator
• Lots of renewable sources and energy
storage at all levels, including within
consumers premises
• High levels of real time customer
information and real time pricing
• Distributed generation may offset
electric vehicle load on average
Electric
Superbikes
Electric Superbike RacingThe University of Nottingham Racing Team
• Capable of speeds up to 200mph (320km/hr), weighs 245kg!
• 450V DC supply, about 19.5kWhr of stored Energy, peak power of ~200kW
• MotoE European Race Series Champions in 2015 and 2016
• Podium finish at the Isle of Man TT Zero in 2016 and 2017
• Faster round Formula 1 track in Portimao, Portugal than a BMW S1000RR!
Why race electric motorbikes?
• Promotion of Electric Vehicle Technology• Motor sport is a good way to raise awareness of new
technology
• TV and Media coverage is essential
• Pushing the boundaries of technology• Race bikes can be used to trial and test new technologies
• Possible to take far more risks and find limits practical limits
• Testing new ideas and challenging regulations• Transportation of Lithium-ion batteries by Air
• Racing challenges for autonomous vehicles
• Testing new battery technologies
• Winning Races
• MotoE European Champions
(track series): 2015 and 2016
• TT Zero
3rd Place: 2016 and 2017
Electric Superbike RacingThe University of Nottingham Racing Team
• Winning Races
• MotoE European Champions
(track series): 2015 and 2016
• TT Zero
3rd Place: 2016 and 2017
Electric Superbike RacingThe University of Nottingham Racing Team
Isle of Man
CONCLUSIONS
• Cars/Automotive
• Need a flexible approach to charging stations and standards as technology is developing quickly,
• Regulations must be very open – eg inductive and rapid charging
• Electric trucks
• A great technology for a low carbon economy for busses as well as trucks
• Will be an early application area for autonomous vehicle operation
• Motorbikes
• Exciting promotion of technology through racing and speed
• Allows technology development and the pushing of boundaries
• Ships/Marine
• Electric ship propulsion is an established technology
• Flexibility and efficiency of operation
• Railways
• High Speed Trains as to increasing capacity in high value transport corridors
• Electrical energy grid integration can be a win-win situation
Conclusions
TT Zero 2017
UoN Superbike
