PEMC Newsletter April 2019

Welcome to the PEMC Newsletter - a source of news and information about the Power Electronics,

Machines and Control Research Group in the Faculty of Engineering, University of Nottingham

In This Issue

• University, Faculty and Group News

• Update About New PEMC Building

• Seminars and Events

• Journal Papers

• Conferences

• New PhD Students

• Visitors

• Group Social Activities

• Contact Us

University, Faculty and Group News

Food Production - Researchers Seek Solutions

Colleagues in the Department of Architecture and Built Environment are conduction research into

floating deep farms, in order to tackle the issue of food production in the face of a growing

population.

Professor Mark Gillot Interviewed on BBC Radio 5 Live

Prof. Gillot from the Department of Architecture and Built Environment was interviewd by BBC Radio

5 Live about a pilot scheme introduced to provide clean, renewable energy.

Funding for Two New Centres of Doctoral Training, Researching Sustainable Energy

The Faculty of Engineering is delighted to have secured funding for two new Centres of Doctoral

Training, which will see the development of research in sustainable energy.

Disposable Wound Dressing Aims to Reduce Costs for Wound Management

Researchers in the Centre for Healthcare Technologies are developing a dressing that can detect if

tissue is healing or infected.

New Technology Developed to Produce Electricity From Cocoa Bean Waste

A team led by colleagues in the Buildings, Energy and Environment Research Group, Institute of

Science and Society, Advanced Materials Group, and School of Chemistry has developed a green

technology that produces electricity from cocoa bean waste.

Dr Bahman Ghiassi Awarded Gustavo Colonnetti Medal

Dr Ghiassi, a colleague in Structural Engineering, was recently awarded a Gustavo Colonnetti medal

for his outstanding contribution to construction materials and structures.

Update About New PEMC Building

As readers of the Newsletter may know, the PEMC Group will be moving location next year. Offices

and Labs will be moving to the new, purpose built Power Electronics and Machines Centre on

Jubilee Campus. It will be a big change for the Research Group and one we're been very much

looking forward to for some time.

The new building will be open in June 2020 and will be home to 3 labs - High Power, Power

Electronics, and Drives. There will also be a workshop and office space for 144 Researchers and PhD

students.

Professor Pat Wheeler, Head of Group, says the following about the move:

“This is an exciting opportunity for the PEMC Group – moving to a purpose-built new building will

enable us to continue our world-class research and will provide a fully-equipped, technical home for

our researchers and students. We’re looking forward to our move to the Jubilee campus and will be

pleased to share updates with you through this newsletter.

I know that change can be challenging sometimes, so if anyone has any concerns then please let me

know.”

We'll be sharing updates about the move in our quarterly newsletters, so you can read about how

the move is progressing.

1 - Preparing the ground for the new PEMC building

Seminars and Events

PEMC Post Graduate Showcase

On 27th March, the PEMC Group held an internal competition for PhD students, with all PhDs invited

to take part.

• 1st Year PhDs gave a 1 slide, 1 minute presentation about their work

• 2nd Year PhDs designed a poster about their research

• 3rd Year PhDs gave a 1 slide, 3 minute presentation about their work

The event was chaired by Dr Paul Evans, and we were delighted that PEMC Group members took the

opportunity to share details of their work and swap ideas and research developments over lunch.

The winners and runners-up of the competition will be put forward to the Faculty of Engineering's

Postgraduate Showcase Event in May, and we wish them the best of luck!

Winners/runners-up were:

• 1st Year - winner - Tommaso Transi

• 1st Year - runner-up - Jay Harikumaran

• 2nd Year - David Acuna Ureta

• 2nd Year - runner-up - Mahmoud Elkazaz

• 3rd Year - winner - Patrick Xie

• 3rd Year - Zain Hassan

PEMC Seminar Series

The PEMC Group holds regular seminars, providing researchers, students and visitors with an

opportunity to share their work.

The following seminars have taken place:

1st November 2018

• "3L-NPC AC-DC Power Converter Using Virtual Space Vector PWM with Optimal Switching

Sequence Based on g-h Coordinate" by Feng Guo

• "An Enhanced Power Generation Centre for More Electric Aircraft Applications" by Xiaoyu

Lang

12th December 2018

• “Impact of single and combined electromechanical faults on stator and rotor vibration

characteristics in synchronous generator" by Prof. Yu-Ling He, North China Electric Power

University

• “Microgrid Energy Management Using a Two Stage Rolling Horizon Technique for Controlling

an Energy Storage System’’ by Mahmoud Elkazaz

23rd January 2019

• “Model reduction for the stability assessment of a Single-Phase Active-Front End”, Marta

Laterza

• “Design of High Reliability Power converters for Aerospace applications”, Jayakrishnan

Harikumaran

• “Wide Bandgap Semiconductors in More Electric Aircraft Motor Drive Applications”, Shane

O’Donnell

6th March 2019

• "A New Modular Multilevel Converter for HVDC applications”, Zain Hassan

• “Operating MMC DC-DC converter with trapezoidal waveforms”, Beeond M Saleh

2 - PEMC Postgraduate Showcase

Journal Papers

The following journal papers co-authored by a PEMC Group Member have been recently accepted

for publication, or published online:

• Stratta, A., Mouawad, B., Robertson, S., De Lillo, L., Empringham, L., Johnson, M., "3D

structure design of magnetic ferrite cores using gelcasting and pressure-less sintering

process", AIP Advances, 2019

• Ke Jia, Member, Zhe Yang, Yu Fang, Tianshu Bi, and Mark Sumner, "Influence of Inverter-

Interfaced Renewable Power Generators on Directional Relay and an Improved Scheme",

IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics, 2019

• Claudio Burgos-Mellado, Alessandro Costabeber, Mark Sumner, Roberto Cárdenas-Dobson,

Doris Sáez, "Small-signal Modelling and Stability Assessment of Phase-locked Loop in Weak

Grids", Energies, 2019

• Hao Yan ; Yongxiang Xu ; Feiyang Cai ; He Zhang ; Weiduo Zhao ; Chris Gerada, "PWM-VSI

Fault Diagnosis for a PMSM Drive Based on the Fuzzy Logic Approach", IEEE Transactions on

Power Electronics, 2019

• Chen Li ; Tao Yang ; Ponggorn Kulsangcharoen ; Giovanni Lo Calzo ; Serhiy Bozhko ;

Christopher Gerada ; Patrick Wheeler, "A Modified Neutral Point Balancing Space Vector

Modulation for Three-Level Neutral Point Clamped Converters in High-Speed Drives", IEEE

Transactions on Industrial Electronics, 2019

• Giorgio Valente ; Andrea Formentini ; Luca Papini ; Christopher Gerada ; Pericle Zanchetta,

"Performance Improvement of Bearingless Multisector PMSM With Optimal Robust Position

Control", IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics, 2019

• Shajjad Chowdhury ; Patrick Wheeler ; Zhen Huang ; Marco Rivera ; Chris Gerada, "Fixed

switching frequency predictive control of an asymmetric source dual inverter system with a

floating bridge for multilevel operation", IET Power Electronics, 2019

• Gerada, D., Xu, Z., Huang, X., Gerada, C. "Fully-integrated high-speed IM for improving high-

power marine engines", IET Electric Power Applications, 2019

• W Song, Z Dai, N Xie, Y Wang, P Wheeler, "Two methods for controlling three-time

fundamental frequency neutral-point voltage oscillation in a hybrid VIENNA rectifier", IET

Power Electronics, 2019

• Felix Rojas ; Roberto Cardenas-Dobson ; Jon C. Clare ; Matias Diaz ; Javier Pereda ; Ralph

Kennel, "A Design Methodology of Multi-Resonant Controllers for High Performance 400Hz

Ground Power Units", IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics, 2019

• Weiduo Zhao ; Xuejiao Wang ; Shaopeng Wu ; Shumei Cui ; Chris Gerada ; Hao Yan,

"Research on the Compensation Matching Design and Output Performance for Two-Axis-

Compensated Compulsators", IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science, 2019

• Yuliang Ji ; Hongchen Liu ; Feng Yong ; Fengjiang Wu ; Pat Wheeler, "High Step-Up Y-source

Coupled-Inductor Impedance Network Boost DC-DC Converters with Common Ground and

Continuous Input Current", IEEE Journal of Emerging and Selected Topics in Power

Electronics, 2019

• Xu zhen Huang ; HanChuan Yu ; Bo Zhou ; Liyi Li ; David Gerada ; Chris Gerada ; Zhenyu Qian,

"Detent-Force Minimization of Double-sided Permanent Magnet Linear Synchronous Motor

by Shifting One of the Primary Components", IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics,

2019

• Vincenzo Madonna ; Paolo Giangrande ; Chris Gerada ; Michael Galea, "Thermal analysis of

fault-tolerant electrical machines for more electric aircraft applications", The Journal of

Engineering, 2018

• Cosimo Spagnolo ; Sharmila Sumsurooah ; Christopher Ian Hill ; Serhiy Bozhko, "Finite state

machine control for aircraft electrical distribution system", The Journal of Engineering, 2018

• Hengliang Zhang ; Wei Hua ; Mingjin Hu ; David Gerada ; Chris Gerada, "The Influence of

Winding Location in Flux-Switching Permanent-Magnet Machines", IEEE Transactions on

Magnetics, 2018

• Jingru Dai ; Jianfeng Li ; Pearl Agyakwa ; Martin Corfield ; Christopher Mark Johnson,

"Comparative Thermal and Structural Characterization of Sintered Nano-Silver and High-

Lead Solder Die Attachments During Power Cycling", IEEE Transactions on Device and

Materials Reliability, 2018

• Mei Su ; Ziyi Zhao ; Hanbing Dan ; Tao Peng ; Yao Sun ; Ruyu Che ; Fan Zhang ; Qi Zhu ;

Patrick Wheeler, "Modified modulation scheme for three-level diode-clamped matrix

converter under unbalanced input conditions", IET Power Electronics, 2018

• Wei-Zhang Song ; Nan Xie ; You-Yun Wang ; Zhi-Hao Dai ; Wheeler Pat, "Two methods to

control neutral-point voltage fluctuation for a hybrid VIENNA rectifier", The Journal of

Engineering, 2018

• Serhiy Bozhko ; Tao Yang ; Jean-Marc Le Peuvedic ; Puvan Arumugam ; Marco Degano ;

Antonino La Rocca ; Zeyuan Xu ; Mohamed Rashed ; Weeramundage Fernando ; Christopher

Ian Hill ; Carol Eastwick ; Stephen Pickering ; Chris Gerada ; Patrick Wheeler, "Development

of Aircraft Electric Starter–Generator System Based on Active Rectification Technology", IEEE

Transactions on Transportation Electrification, 2018

• Tarisciotti, L., Costabeber, A., Chen, L., Walker, A., Galea, M., "Current fed isolated DC/DC

converter for future aerospace microgrids", IEEE Transactions on Industry Applications, 2018

• Hayder K. Jahanger ; David W.P. Thomas ; Mark Sumner ; Christopher Rose, "Impact of an

inverter-based DG on a double-ended fault location method", The Journal of Engineering,

2018

Conferences

PEMC Group members are active participants at national and international conferences. Group

members have recently attended the following conferences, or co-authored papers presented at

the following:

ICIT 2019 - International Conference on Industrial Technology

• Mohammad Ali Hosseinzadeh, Hassan Hadiizadeh, Maryam Sarbanzadeh, Marco Rivera,

Javier Munoz, Patrick Wheeler, "Modified H-Bridge Inverter with Reduced Number of

Switching Devices"

• Mohammad Ali Hosseinzadeh, Maryam Sarbanzadeh, Ali Salehi, Marco Rivera, Javier Munoz,

Patrick Wheeler, "Performance Evaluation of Cascaded H-bridge Multilevel Grid-Connected

Converter with Model Predictive Control Technique"

• Maryam Sarbanzadeh, Mohammad Ali Hosseinzadeh, Ali Saleh, Marco Rivera, Javier Munoz,

Patrick Wheeler, "Model Predictive Control for the New Reduced Multi-level Grid-Connected

Converter"

• Mohammad Ali Hosseinzadeh, Maryam Sarbanzadeh, Yamisleydi Salgueiro, Marco Rivera

and Patrick Wheeler, "Selective Harmonic Elimination In CascadedH-Bridge Multilevel

Inverter Using Genetic Algorithm Approach"

IAS 2018 - IEEE Industry Applications Society Annual Meeting

• Uddin, M., Mirzaeva, G., Stepien, P., De Lillo, L., Empringham, L., Rojas, F., "Common mode

voltage elimination in industrial AC-AC converters based on model predictive control"

• Li, K., Dewar, D., Formentini, A., Zanchetta, P., Wheeler, P., "Optimized control design for

power converters in power electronics embedded networks integrating grid model

identification"

SISPAD 2018 - International Conference on Simulation of Semiconductor Processes and Devices

• Olanrewaju, O., Castellazzi, A., "VHDL-AMS Thermo-Mechanical Model for Coupled Analysis

of Power Module Degradation in Circuit Simulation Environments"

PEAC 2018 - IEEE International Power Electronics and Application Conference and Exposition

• Song, W., Du, X., Liu, J., Wheeler, P., Wang, Y.-Y., Gao, D., "Fault Tolerant Model Predictive

Control for Indirect Matrix Converter with Fault Identification"

IECON 2018 - 44th Annual Conference of the IEEE Industrial Electronics Society

• Spagnolo, C., Sumsurooah, S., Hill, C.I., Bozhko, S., "Smart controller design for safety

operation of the MEA electrical distribution system"

• Giangrande, P., Madonna, V., Sala, G., Kladas, A., Gerada, C, Galea, M., "Design and testing

of PMSM for aerospace EMA applications"

• Zhang, J., Empringham, L., De Lillo, L., Wheeler, P., Spagnolo, C., "A design guide of direct

matrix converter open circuit online fault diagnosis in industrial applications"

• Buticchi, G., Bozhko, S.G., Gu, C., Gerada, C., De Carne, G., Liserre, M., "Sensitivity analysis

for the DC electrical power distribution system of the more electric aircraft"

IEEE ICA-ACCA 2018 - IEEE International Conference on Automation/23rd Congress of the Chilean

Association of Automatic Control: Towards an Industry 4.0

• Rivera, M., Castro, G., Wheeler, P., "Design, assembly and startup of a single-phase multi-

modular matrix converter for grid interconnection"

• Rivera, M., Faundez, D., Kolar, J., Wheeler, P., "A new topology of AC-AC ground power unit

for aeronautical applications"

icSmartGrids 2018 - 6th IEEE International Conference on Smart Grid

• Wang, Z., Castellazzi, A., "SiC-based Triple Active Bridge Converter for Shipboard Micro-grid

Applications with Efficient Energy Storage"

• Hussein, A., Castellazzi, A., "Comprehensive design optimization of a wind power converter

using SiC technology"

SAE 2018 The Aerospace Systems and Technology Conference

• Adhikari, J.,Yang, T., Rashed, M., Bozhko, S., Zhang, J.W., Wheeler, P.W. "Transient Stability

Analysis of DC Solid State Power Controller (SSPC) for More Electric Aircraft"

• Yeoh, S.S., Rashed, M., Bozhko, S., "Modulation Limit Based Control Strategy for More

Electric Aircraft Generator System"

New PhD Students

The PEMC Group is very pleased to welcome a number of new PhD students. The following students

have joined us since the start of the new academic year:

• Hatim Alwadi

• Yuzheng Chen - Research area: "Multiphase Permanent Magnet Machine". Supervisors: Prof

Serhiy Bozhko and Dr Tao Yang

• Daniele De Gaetano - Research Title: "Design, modelling and analysis of multi 3-phase

machines for improved torque and power capability for transport applications".

Supervisors: Dr Michele Degano, Prof Chris Gerada, Dr Giacomo Sala

• Habibu Hussaini - Research area: "An Intelligent Control technique of DC Grid to coordinate

on-board power generation system, distribution system and electrical loads on-board next

generation aircraft". Supervisors: Dr Tao Yang and Professor Serhiy Bozhko

• Bawar Jalal - Research area: "Real-time visualisation of electromagnetic fields using

augmented reality". Supervisors: Dr Paul Evans and Dr Steve Greedy

• Luis Felipe Colque Miranda

• Ivan Petric

• Jacopo Riccio - Research area: modulated model predictive control strategy and encoder-

less control solutions applied to synchronous reluctance machine and doubly fed induction

machine". Supervisors: Prof Pericle Zanchetta, Dr Andrea Formentini, Dr Shafiq Odhano

• Thomas Stacey

• Andrea Stratta

• Tommaso Transi - Research area: "Innovative winding topologies and design for electrical

machines for automotive and transport applications". Supervisors: Dr. Michele Degano and

Prof. Chris Gerada

• Bo Wang - Research area: "Fault Tolerant Motor Design For More-electric Aircraft

Applications". Supervisors: Dr Tao Yang and Prof Serhiy Bozhko

Visitors

The PEMC Group is delighted to welcome visiting students and academics to the Department. The

following are visiting us for a short period of time:

• Anuvav Bardalai - University of Nottingham Ningbo. Researching "Modelling and Analysis of

AC losses on High Speed electrical machines". With the PEMC Group until June 2019.

• Dr Feifei Bu - Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics. Researching electric

machines and drives for transportation electrification. With the PEMC Group until November

2019.

• Antonio Pio Catalano - University Naples "Federico II". With the PEMC Group until June

2019.

• Wei Choy

• Tiziano Daversa - University of Pisa. Researching modelling, design and control of magnet

bearings. With the PEMC Group until May 2019.

• Yann Dupuis - Ecole Nationale Supérieure d’arts et Métiers (ENSAM). Researching integrating

wide bandgap (SiC/GaN) power semiconductor devices. With the PEMC Group until August

2019.

• Alessandro Maria Fabrizio - Uni Rome "La Sapienza". With the PEMC Group until June 2019.

• Andrea Fregni - Università degli Studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia. Researching multiphase

numerical simulations of oil jets for end-winding cooling. With the PEMC Group until June

2019.

• Dr Peng Gao - Tianjin University, China. Working on Design of high-speed permanent magnet

synchronous motor. With the PEMC Group until September 2019.

• Professor Yu-Ling He - North China Electric Power University. Researching mechanics

characteristic analysis and vibration control of high-speed aerospace electric machine. With

the PEMC Group until September 2019.

• Xing Li - Hunan University. Working on Reactive Power Control of Matrix Converter and its

Applications. With the PEMC Group until September 2019.

• Zhan Li - College of Electrical Engineering, Zhejiang University, China. Working on power

converter fault detection. With the PEMC Group until February 2019.

• Luca Lusuardi - University of Bologna. Researching Parametric study of the thermal ageing of

the insulating material of the enamelled wires used in the More Electric Aircraft actuators.

With the PEMC Group until April 2019.

• Prof Conggan Ma - Harbin Institute of Technology-Weihai, China. Researching

Electromagnetic Vibration and Noise of Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor with 8 Poles

and 9 Slots. With the PEMC Group until November 2019.

• Abdul Rahman - University of Nottingham, Malaysia Campus. Researching "Multi-three-

phase Machine Control". With the PEMC Group until April 2020.

• Giulia Simoni - University of Pisa. Researching homopolar machine used as starter generator

in aerospace application. With the PEMC Group until April 2019.

• Ciro Scognamillo - University of Naples Federico II. Researching the study of power modules

and their reliability to thermal and electric stresses. With the PEMC Group until July 2019.

• Roberto Trani - University of Naples Federico II. Researching thermal behaviour

improvement in power electronics application. With the PEMC Group until July 2019.

• Giovanni Ungaro - Università degli studi di Pavia. Working on his master's thesis which

studies matrix converters. With the PEMC Group until April 2019.

• Qi Wang - Southeast University. Researching control of PMSM. WIth the PEMC Group until

January 2020.

• Fengjun Wu - Chinese Academy of Sciences, China. Researching multilevel converters and

matrix converters for particle accelerator applications. With the PEMC Group until Oct 2019.

• Yuan Xin - Beijing Institute of Technology. Researching muti-phase machine control and

PMSM control. With the PEMC Group until January 2020.

• Gongde Yang - Southeast University. Researching Novel Control Strategy Study of the Stator-

Permanent Magnet Brushless AC Machine. With the PEMC Group until October 2019.

• Dihui Zeng - Beijing Jiotong University. Researching analysis and control of linear motors.

With the PEMC Group until September 2019.

• Zhiqiang Zeng - Zhejiang University, China. Researching High-speed permanent magnet

machines. With the PEMC Group until August 2019.

• Fengyu Zhang - University of Nottingham, China Campus. Working on thermal management

of electrical machines. With the PEMC Group until June 2019.

• Hengliang Zhang - North China Electric Power University, Baoding, China. Working on

Mechanics characteristic analysis and vibration control of high-speed aerospace electric

machine. With the PEMC Group until August 2019.

• Yue Zhang - Queen's University, Belfast. Researching high speed PM electrical machine

design. With the PEMC Group until July 2019.

• Dan Zhao - Northwestern Polytechnical University. With the PEMC Group until December

2020.

Group Social Activities

Badminton

The PEMC Group held its Spring Badminton Competition at the end of March, with games in the

earlier stages and the finals taking place over two days. Congratulations to Guan and Fan for winning

and defending their championship! Thanks also to Sam for organising the event.

Winter Staff Cup

In January, the David Ross Sports Centre organised a football Winter Staff Cup - seven members of

the PEMC Group put a team together with other colleagues and made it all the way to the final!

Well done Salvo, Michele, Nino, Tainjie, Giorgio and Ahmed!

The team may have lost out 2-1 in the Final, but they did win a prize for their team name - Don

SCoreLeone :)

You can read more about the competition at this blog

The team will take place in the Spring Cup - good luck!

Contact Us

Contact details for academics, researchers and PhDs in the PEMC Group are on the University

website.

General enquiries should be sent to pemc@nottingham.ac.uk