Silicon carbide metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistors (SiC MOSFETs) exhibit outstanding advantages in high-frequency, high-temperature, high-voltage, and high-current applications due to their superior performance. However, their high switching speeds result in extremely brief switching transients, giving rise to several challenges: overshoot, oscillation and electromagnetic interference. These issues hinder the broader adoption and application of SiC MOSFETs. The active gate driver (AGD) has emerged as an advanced drive solution that can significantly improve the switching characteristics of SiC MOSFETs by dynamically adjusting drive parameters and optimizing switching trajectories. This paper focuses on potential issues related to the application of SiC devices, particularly medium-voltage SiC devices. Based on current research on AGD technology for SiC MOSFETs, four aspects are examined to discuss the significant role of AGD technology in facilitating the widespread application of SiC MOSFETs: the acquisition and integration of device status information, the application of multi-objective optimization algorithms, the active control of switching transient trajectories, and the co-optimization of AGD and main circuit layouts. Finally, the paper proposes prospects for future research directions in this field.

Dynamic transconductance (g(m)) characterizes the relationship between gate voltage and channel current of SiC MOSFET during switching transients. It can serve as a crucial parameter for monitoring the operating state of SiC devices. This paper proposes a novel transconductance value extraction method for medium-voltage SiC modules, aiming to measure the dynamic g(m) during switching transients. Firstly, based on the saturation of dV(ds)/dt, two turn-off modes of SiC MOSFET are explored. By analyzing the mathematical relationships between voltage and current under these two modes, a channel current calculation model is developed, which further forms the gm extraction method. Subsequently, with the fitting method, the proposed g(m) extraction method is applied on a 3.3kV/750A SiC MOSFET to get a gm-temperature expression. Finally, both the g(m) extraction method and its application are experimentally validated.

Talkative power converter/conversion (TPC), which enables simultaneous power conversion and communication, reduces the complexity of power systems by simplifying the system wiring. However, the amplitude of the power supply voltage in ac systems is time-varying, which affects the data modulation signal. The decoupling of the power conversion and communication is paramount to achieving TPC in ac systems. This paper introduces the coupling issue associated with TPC in ac systems, and constructs a demonstration platform based on a variable speed drive (VSD) system to illustrate the practical implementation of TPC. The effectiveness and feasibility of the proposed TPC scheme are verified by simulations and experiments, demonstrating its high performance with a feedback communication rate of 10 kbps.

This article introduces the principles of the talkative power converter/conversion (TPC) in an ac system, demonstrated through its application in a three-phase power factor correction (PFC) in a variable speed drive (VSD) system. It outlines the mechanism of signal spectrum shift in ac systems, especially those formed by power electronics inverters, and highlights TPC's broader applicability beyond dc systems. The challenges of baud rate limitations and high bit error rates are addressed with data transmission enhancement through topology and communication side. Both simulations and experiments affirm the practicality and effectiveness of the proposed TPC scheme in the field-oriented control for a VSD, demonstrating high-performance results with a feedback communication rate of 10 kb/s. The broader impact of this research lies in its potential to simplify communication in various ac applications, contributing to advancements in power systems and VSD technologies.

This article presents a novel design methodology for narrowband full-duplex simultaneous wireless power and data transfer (SWPDT) systems, targeting enhanced power and communication performance in compact implantable devices. The proposed approach incorporates the flexibility of frequency division multiplexing (FDM) with an optimized parallel impedance network to achieve complete decouple design for power and data transfer. By setting communication frequency as an integer multiple of the power transfer frequency, interference from the low-order power harmonic is effectively mitigated. A parallel impedance network is then constructed based on symmetrical port network analysis to suppress adjacent channel interference (ACI) and improve the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) through the dedicated adjusting impedance. A prototype based on Class E topology achieves 289 mW power transfer with 74.8% efficiency, along with 1 Mb/s full-duplex communication. Simulation and experimental results validate the effectiveness of the proposed method, demonstrating its potential as a high-performance solution with enhanced efficiency, bidirectional communication capability, and design flexibility for implantable devices in real life.

By integrating a temperature-adaptive function, an active gate driver (AGD) enhances the switching performance of silicon carbide (SiC) MOSFETs under varying temperature conditions. However, the lack of analytical expressions describing the coupling between AGD parameters and temperature variation limits the broader application of this method, particularly in SiC modules that exhibit complicated device transient behaviors. To address this challenge, a mathematical model of the transient behavior of an SiC module is developed to investigate the relationship among AGD parameters, junction temperature, and switching performance. The analysis reveals that the impact of temperature on switching performance is directly linked to the duration of each gate resistance. Accordingly, a temperature-adaptive AGD for SiC MOSFET modules is proposed. Online junction temperature monitoring is achieved using turn-on delay detection, and the duration of each gate's driving resistance is dynamically adjusted. The proposed temperature-adaptive AGD is validated experimentally using a commercial 1.2 kV/560 A SiC MOSFET at 600 V/200 A. Experimental results across a temperature range of 20 degrees C to 100 degrees C demonstrate that electrical stress variation remains within 15%, while loss variation does not exceed 10%.

Wireless charging is becoming an essential power supply pattern for electronic devices. Currently, mainstream smartphones are almost compatible with wireless charging. However, when the charging efficiency is continuously improved, its security challenge still remains open yet overlooked. In this paper, we reveal that severe security flaws exist in the wireless charging procedure of off-the-shelf commodity smartphones. Specifically, we find that an attacker can utilize the electromagnetic induction effect between the wireless charger and the smartphone to detect the activities and operations performed on the smartphone. We term such attack as EM-Surfing side-channel attack and build a theoretical model to show its feasibility. To explore the hazard of EM-Surfing , we propose a three-module attack method, with which we conduct real-world experiments over three mainstream models of smartphones. The results show that the attacker can achieve over 99%, 96%, 94%, and 97% accuracy when inferring the passcode, keystroke, App information, and speech content, respectively. We also design an App named SecCharging to prevent smartphones from EM-Surfing attacks. The defense experiment results demonstrate that SecCharging can mitigate the threats posed by EM-Surfing effectively.

This study develops a new method to evaluate the economic viability of co-generation electric vehicle stations that concurrently generate electricity and hydrogen for charging battery electric vehicles and refueling hydrogen vehicles. The approach uniquely differentiates the costs associated with various energy outputs in co-generation stations and includes often-overlooked peripheral devices critical for accurate evaluation of the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) and hydrogen (LCOH). The method was tested across three design configurations: two featuring single storage options (battery and fuel cell, respectively) and a third using hybrid storage employing both. Each configuration was modeled, simulated, and optimized using HOMER Pro 3.14.2 to determine the most optimal sizing solution. Then, based on the optimal sizing of each design, LCOE and LCOH were evaluated using the proposed method in this study. The analysis revealed that excluding often-overlooked peripheral devices could lead to a 27.7% error in LCOH evaluation, while the impact on LCOE was less than 1%. Among different configurations, the design with hybrid storage proved economically superior, achieving a total levelized cost of energy (TLCOE) for the entire system of USD 0.113/kWh, with the LCOE at USD 0.025/kWh and LCOH at USD 0.088/kWh (or USD 3.46/kg). Comparative analysis with state-of-the-art studies confirmed the accuracy of the proposed method. This study provides a more precise and holistic approach that can be leveraged for the feasibility analysis of electric vehicle stations globally, enhancing strategic decision-making in sustainable energy planning.

With the growth of electric vehicles (EVs), developing high-power density bidirectional on-board chargers (OBCs) has become a research hotspot. The asymmetric CLLC is one of the most promising OBC application topologies as it has no secondary-side resonant inductor compared with the symmetric CLLC, facilitating high power density and efficient design. However, when the CLLC converter operates in vehicle-to-grid (V2G) mode, it instigates a large double-line frequency (DLF) resonant current, resulting in increased power losses and deteriorating system performance. To solve these issues, a small-signal model is established for CLLC operating in the V2G mode. Using the small-signal model, the output impedance model with parasitic parameters is derived, which is not been thoroughly reported before. The developed output impedance model then assists control design by providing insights into the circuit parameter's effect. Afterward, a unique control method is proposed that incorporates a notch filter and quasi-proportional resonator (QPR) into the control loops. The proposed control method can significantly increase the CLLC closed-loop output impedance magnitude at DLF, which enables DLF resonant current reduction. Finally, a 6.6-kW OBC is built, and experiments validate that the proposed method can achieve a 40% DLF resonant current reduction in V2G mode.

The urgent need for innovative energy solutions to facilitate the transition to renewable energy and electric vehicles (EVs) is particularly critical in developing countries, where high emissions and grid reliability challenges persist. This study investigates an off-grid residential renewable energy system with stationary storage like battery and hydrogen, alongside an EV as mobile storage. A bi-level optimization framework is established considering stationary and mobile energy storage options and a strategy is proposed to implement Vehicle-toHome (V2H) in off-gird settings. Three cases are studied, with optimal component sizing determined using an optimization tool integrated with MATLAB. Firstly, to determine the most cost-effective stationary storage alternative, Case 1 uses hydrogen and Case 2 employs a battery as storage. Then Case 3 integrates the optimal stationary storage with mobile storage using V2H technology enabling the EV to support household energy needs during peak times. Results highlight that combining stationary and mobile storage (Case 3) offers a 15.92% reduction in Total Net Present Cost (TNPC) and a 13.9% reduction in Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE) compared with stationary storage alone. This off-grid system (Case 3) also outperforms the conventional grid economically and environmentally, offering 2.13x TNPC reduction and 7,813 kg/yr carbon emissions mitigation.

3.3kV high-current SiC MOSFET module is promising for enhancing efficiency in railway traction and renewable power generation sectors. Although it features low switching loss, high-frequency operation can still accumulate significant loss, potentially damaging long-term reliability and lifetime of the module. The conventional method for switching loss suppression is through the decrement of gate resistance, resulting in serious overshoot. To address these issues, an active gate driver (AGD) is designed in this paper to reduce the switching loss without intensifying the overshoot. A mathematical model is established to elucidate the design methodology of AGD, and experiments validate the proposed method’s effectiveness.

Modular robotics offers design flexibility that could enable the scale-up of robotic systems for marine applications. We have developed simple repeating cubic modular components that can be assembled and reconfigured to create different types of underwater robots for marine applications, enabling them to navigate and perform tasks underwater with ease and efficiency.

In transitioning to electric vehicles (EVs), deploying charging infrastructure for battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and hydrogen refueling infrastructure for fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) is a key challenge. This paper presents a multi-energy EV station, accommodating both electricity and hydrogen refueling needs. This dual functionality increases system flexibility and simultaneously supports the adoption of BEVs and FCEVs. Unlike existing studies that consider only limited design options in EV station designing, this study modeled and optimized fifteen multi-energy EV station designs, combining renewable and non-renewable resources. These designs were evaluated against sustainability criteria covering technical, economic, environmental, and sociopolitical dimensions. The decision-making model used the AHP to weigh various criteria and employed methods such as GRA, MOORA, EDAS, TOPSIS, and VIKOR for ranking design alternatives. The planning model identified Design 14 as the optimal choice for the targeted site. This optimal design is cost-effective, offering a levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) of 0.046 $/kWh and a levelized cost of hydrogen (LCOH) of 3.907 $/kg. It outperforms the baseline design economically, reducing the LCOE by 1.97 times and LCOH by 1.35 times. Environmentally, it decreases emissions by 514.2 t/year compared to the grid. The station can operate safely with established safety measures. Results are benchmarked against other studies from various sites, and a sensitivity analysis on uncertain parameters elucidated expected variations in the outcomes. The presented EV station planning model can be applied worldwide, considering the meteorological conditions of the specific site.

Wireless power and data transmission (WPDT) solutions for medical implants are highly desired. However, achieving a high-power transmission efficiency and data rate simultaneously over an inductive link remains a significant challenge. This paper presents an innovative WPDT circuit that incorporates additional MOSFETs with an inductor in a Class-E power amplifier (PA), achieving amplitude-shift keying (ASK) modulation to address this issue. Firstly, the efficiency of the inductive power transmission link and Class-E PA was analyzed, providing design insights. Then, leveraging the insights, the proposed circuit was designed in such a way that it could effectively switch between two load networks to maintain high transfer efficiency for ASK modulation. Based on the load networks, the relationship between introducing the inductor’s value and the data modulation index (MI) was derived to help achieve the desired high-power transmission efficiency. Additionally, the design and calculation of the proposed circuit are also presented. Finally, the proposed circuit was validated through simulations and experiments, demonstrating a power delivery to a load of 84.1 mW with a power transmission efficiency of 70.8% at a data rate and carrier frequency of 3 Mbps and 16 MHz, respectively. Furthermore, the bit error rate (BER) is less than 10−6 with an MI of 10%.

To suppress the conducted electromagnetic interference (EMI) of power supplies, the passive EMI filter (PEF) composed of inductors and capacitors is usually adopted. However, the large volume of PEF limits the further improvement of power density. This study presents an active EMI filter (AEF) based on predictive pulsed compensation (PPC) to suppress the common mode (CM) noise of boost converters. The proposed AEF is easy to implement and low-cost. Its core circuit contains an online adjustable voltage source, a half-bridge driver, and a pair of Y-capacitors. The circuit generates a rectangular pulse with adjustable amplitude to cancel CM noises. Besides, this research contributes by identifying and resolving the challenges that hinder the application of PPC-based AEF to boost converters, including the amplitude, time delay, and edge slope of the pulse. The position order of AEF and PEF is also discussed. A prototype with 48V input and 100kHz switching frequency is tested experimentally to verify the proposed AEF. Experimental results show that the proposed AEF achieves a 21dB reduction in CM noise at 200kHz and consumes only 45mW of power. Furthermore, the proposed AEF achieves a 47% reduction in volume compared with the conventional PEF.

The rapid development of green charging and refueling stations is vital for the widespread adoption of fuel cell electric vehicles and battery electric vehicles. This paper investigates the challenge of selecting the most optimal autonomous station design among various 100 % renewable-based options, considering techno-economic and socio-political factors. A globally applicable systematic framework is presented, encompassing 14 performance criteria, a microgrid optimization tool, and a hybrid multicriteria decision method. Focusing on the pressing needs of Karachi, Pakistan, the study showcases the application of the framework to evaluate 7 renewable-based autonomous designs. Among these, the photovoltaic and biogas generator-powered station emerges as the most optimal option for Karachi, with a levelized cost of energy (LCOE) of 0.31 $/kWh, levelized cost of hydrogen (LCOH) of 4.281 $/kg and payback period of 8.3 years. The optimal design avoids 2,455 tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2)/year compared to the grid and 5,642 tonnes of CO2/year compared to diesel generators. When compared with the grid extension, the breakeven distance is found to be 4.6 km. Sensitivity analysis shows a 3.6 % decrease in LCOE and a 13.7 % decrease in LCOH with a 20 % increase in charging and refueling load, highlighting scalability benefits. This study contributes to various united nations' sustainability goals (7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13), striving to provide a clear pathway for selecting optimal station designs.

AbstractFive‐phase permanent magnet synchronous machine (PMSM) can operate under open‐circuit faults with the appropriate current regulations. However, the traditional current regulations based on the five‐phase half‐bridge inverter have to satisfy the constraint of zero neutral point current, which limits the fault‐tolerant performance of the machine. Thus, this paper investigates the current regulation based on the five‐phase six‐leg (FPSL) inverter, which relieves the zero‐neutral point current limitation, and both current regulations considering the maximum torque (MT) and minimum copper loss (MC) are derived under different open‐circuit conditions. The cost of the system has increased, but with the new regulations, better fault‐tolerant operation capability of the machine can be obtained under all kinds of open‐circuit faults. Moreover, with the introduction of the neutral point current, the machine can work under triple‐phase open‐circuit faults. In conclusion, the proposed control scheme based on the FPSL inverter expands the fault‐tolerant operation capability of the five‐phase PMSM. The experiment results prove the effectiveness of the proposed current regulation on increasing average torque or reducing copper loss under fault‐tolerant operation.

Stray parameter extraction is crucial for the safe operation and stress estimation in power electronics systems. This study proposes a multifaceted stray parameter extraction method based on high-frequency oscillation characteristics of switching transient. Unlike existing methods that rely on waveform amplitude accuracy and channel sampling synchronization, the proposed method requires less precision in these areas. Hence, it is more resilient to signal attenuation and mismatch issues, making it a robust solution. First, the mathematical analysis of the oscillation behavior in the turn- off transients is presented. Next, the relationship of the oscillation frequency with the parameters in a second-order and a fourth-order model is analyzed. A novel extraction method and the corresponding design of the extraction kit are then presented. The effectiveness is verified by the extraction application in various components in a high-power converter, including copper and laminated busbars, dc-link capacitors, and semiconductor power modules. The robustness and frequency algorithm were improved and verified by Monte Carlo trials. Both partial and total loop parameter extraction tests validate that the proposed method can accurately obtain values in the order of 10 nH and offers high test precision, simple operation, and low extraction error.

The past decade has witnessed a surging interest in the study of magnetic tactile sensors that can detect subtle changes in both normal and shear forces. However, due to the lack of guidance by appropriate theoretical models, the development of previous magnetic tactile sensors relies either on a trial‐and‐error manner or tedious point‐by‐point experimental calibrations, which are costly and time‐inefficient. Here, a theoretical model integrating magnetics, artificial neural networks, and nonlinear solid mechanics is proposed for the first time to guide the design of 3D magnetic tactile sensors. Then, a button‐shaped magnetic tactile sensor prototype that can detect subtle triaxial force changes is fabricated, which relates the nonlinear magnetic flux density to the external force, without burdensome calibration procedures. The sensor can achieve an axial measurement error of less than 1% and an in‐plane error of less than 3.7% with excellent durability. This study provides a comprehensive understanding of magnetic tactile sensors and sheds light on their applications in soft robotics, intelligent manipulation, and human–robot interaction (HRI).

To improve the torque performance limited by the low carrier ratio operation in motor drive system, a master–slave motor drive system based on dual stator winding structure is researched in this article. A high-frequency harmonic current is injected through the auxiliary windings to compensate the torque ripple and dynamic issue caused by the low carrier ratio. The basic operation principle in master–slave motor drive system is presented and then the turn ratio, mutual inductance, and carrier ratio in both windings are studied to achieve the optimization for the torque performance and power loss. The control method aiming at depression on toque ripple and load disturbance is proposed and gets merged with the vector control strategy. The loss analysis considering the injected high-frequency current is presented to compare with the three-phase system in high carrier ratio operation. It is found that a 30% total loss reduction can be achieved under the same torque ripple. Both simulation and experiments show the effectiveness of proposed master–slave windings system and the control strategy.