A study of volume versus frequency for soft switching IGBTconverters

Earlier references have described a new soft switched ZVS/ZCS (zero voltage switching, zero current switching) converter for IGBTs that allows operation above 20 kHz. Although frequencies above 20 kHz are now possible for IGBT converters, the optimum frequency for minimum volume may be below 20 kHz because of heat sink requirements. A comparative study considers the reactive component versus heat sink volume tradeoff for two 6 kW converters, one using ZVS/ZCS and the other using a more conventional circuit with hard switching     

Experimental Investigation of the Steady-State Rectified Alternator Model

Equations are derived to describe the steady-state behavior of a salient-pole alternator connected to a full-wave diode bridge. This model is then compared to one developed earlier for rectified superconducting machines. Experimental measurements are included for a 400-Hz aircraft-type alternator, and these are compared with the calculated results. Due to the similarity between the conventional and superconducting models, it is suggested that these results may be indicative of the accuracy for both types.     

Models for Type Ia Supernovae and Related Astrophysical Transients

We give an overview of recent efforts to model Type Ia supernovae and related astrophysical transients resulting from thermonuclear explosions in white dwarfs. In particular we point out the challenges resulting from the multi-physics multi-scale nature of the problem and discuss possible numerical approaches to meet them in hydrodynamical explosion simulations and radiative transfer modeling. We give examples of how these methods are applied to several explosion scenarios that have been proposed to explain distinct subsets or, in some cases, the majority of the observed events. In case we comment on some of the successes and shortcoming of these scenarios and highlight important outstanding issues.     

Rotary Transformer Design with Fixed Magnetizing and/or Leakage Inductances

A design algorithm is considered for transformers that must transfer electric power across a rotating interface. Among other features, this procedure allows the designer to minimize either weight or losses for either a fixed magnetizing inductance or a fixed leakage inductance. Numerical results are included to indicate the design tradeoffs between various parameters.     

The extreme ultraviolet explorer

The Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer (EUVE) Mission is described. The purpose of this mission is to search the celestial sphere for astronomical sources of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation (100–1000Å). The search will be accomplished with the use of three EUV telescopes, each sensitive to different bands within the EUV band. A fourth telescope will perform a high sensitivity search of a limited sample of the sky in a single EUV band. In six months, the entire sky will be scanned at a sensitivity level comparable to existing surveys in other more traditional astronomical bandpasses. A substantial number of EUV sources such as hot white dwarfs and stellar coronae are certain to be discovered given our current knowledge. More uncertain is what entirely new classes of objects will be discovered as EUV sources. A moderate resolution (～ 5Å) spectroscopy option is being considered which would cover the band from 80 to 600Å. This instrument would be capable of providing spectra of at least the 100 brightest EUV sources and would be utilized entirely on a Guest Investigator basis.     

Ralph: A Visible/Infrared Imager for the New Horizons Pluto/Kuiper Belt Mission

The New Horizons instrument named Ralph is a visible/near infrared multi-spectral imager and a short wavelength infrared spectral imager. It is one of the core instruments on New Horizons, NASA’s first mission to the Pluto/Charon system and the Kuiper Belt. Ralph combines panchromatic and color imaging capabilities with SWIR imaging spectroscopy. Its primary purpose is to map the surface geology and composition of these objects, but it will also be used for atmospheric studies and to map the surface temperature. It is a compact, low-mass (10.5 kg) power efficient (7.1 W peak), and robust instrument with good sensitivity and excellent imaging characteristics. Other than a door opened once in flight, it has no moving parts. These characteristics and its high degree of redundancy make Ralph ideally suited to this long-duration flyby reconnaissance mission.     

Modeling the Full-Bridge Series-Resonant Power Converter

A steady state model is derived for the full-bridge series-resonant power converter. Normalized parametric curves for various currents and voltages are then plotted versus the triggering angle of the switching devices. The calculations are compared with experimental measurements made on a 50 kHz converter and a discussion of certain operating problems is presented.     

Selective buck-boost equalizer for series battery packs

To maximize the capacity and reliability of a series connected battery pack, a new selective equalizer developed from the earlier ramp equalizer is proposed. A set of bipolar junction transistors (BJTs) controlled by a microcontroller is used to route equalization current to the lowest voltage batteries. Since only the lowest voltage batteries are connected to the equalizer, the need for uniform transformer leakage inductance is avoided, and a lower power level can be used since no excess current flows to the other batteries. An equalization experiment has shown that a 37 W selective equalizer had a slightly better effect on a 24-battery pack than a 63 W ramp equalizer     

Fast equalization for large lithium ion batteries

Slight differences between the series connected cells in a lithium ion (Lilon) battery pack can produce imbalances in the cell voltages, and this greatly reduces the charge capacity. These batteries cannot be trickle-charged like a lead acid battery since this would slightly overcharge some cells and may cause these cells to ignite. Therefore, an electronic equalizer (EQU) should be used to balance the cell voltages individually. The targeted EQU described herein can be connected to any cell via a set of sealed relays to provide much faster equalization and higher efficiency than previous methods.