Electrical and Computer Engineering Commons^™

Thermal Performance Of Algan/Gan Based Power Switching Devices For Transformerless Inverters, Mahesh B. Manandhar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Wide Bandgap (WBG) semiconductors like Silicon Carbide (SiC), Gallium Nitride (GaN) and Aluminum Gallium Nitride (AlGaN) have superior material properties as compared to Silicon (Si) like higher electrical breakdown voltages and bandgap energies as well as lower leakage currents as compared to Si which make them ideal to operate at higher voltage with lower thermal losses. These properties make WBG materials ideal for power devices like Vertical Double-diffused Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistors (VDMOSFETs). The use of digital prototyping through computer simulation increases the speed and flexibility of the design iterations while reducing the cost and time required for …

Wind Turbine Parameter Calibration Using Deep Learning Approaches, Rebecca Mccubbin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The inertia and damping coefficients are critical to understanding the workings of a wind turbine, especially when it is in a transient state. However, many manufacturers do not provide this information about their turbines, requiring people to estimate these values themselves. This research seeks to design a multilayer perceptron (MLP) that can accurately predict the inertia and damping coefficients using the power data from a turbine during a transient state. To do this, a model of a wind turbine was built in Matlab, and a simulation of a three-phase fault was used to collect realistic fault data to input into …

Characterization, Analysis, And Application Of Wbg Power Devices For Future Power Conversion Systems, Ali Mahmoud Salman Al-Bayati

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Semiconductor power devices are the most momentous constituents of any power converter system. Fast switching, compactness, high performance and efficiency, and high temperature operation are the exacting challenges experienced by conventional silicon (Si) power device based power converters in many applications. In this dissertation, the wide bandgap (WBG) power devices are studied and used to transcend the limitations imposed by the Si power devices. It mainly focuses on characterization and analysis of the behavior of WBG power devices as well as design and development of efficient, high performance, and reliable dc–dc power converters based on WBG technology. First, using computer …

Adaptive Navigation Utilizing A Drone Cluster, Zach Cameron, Brendan Engh, Thomas Kambe, Aditya Krishnan

Interdisciplinary Design Senior Theses

The current infrastructure for drone piloting involves drones flying in a predetermined path to find an object, source, or target with a known location. Drones should be able to determine an optimal flight path mid-flight in order to find an undefined source or target given existing parameters that can be analyzed from incoming sensor data. However, a framework for such a feat is almost non-existent. Our project aims to build such a framework that allows for the control of and communication among multiple drones, called a cluster, and allows for in-flight analysis and processing of sensor information to determine how …

Developing A Skin Phantom For The Testing Of Biowearables, Tawni Henderson, Ju Young Lee, Matthew Placide, Kiran Sutaria

Interdisciplinary Design Senior Theses

There is a demonstrated need in the biowearables industry for a benchtop model that can accurately emulate the perspiration mechanism and corresponding impedance vs. frequency spectra of skin. This model, or skin phantom, could increase the efficiency and accuracy of early-stage testing of biowearables, as well as minimize animal, human, and cadaver testing.

The objective of this project is to develop a skin phantom that can emulate the perspiration mechanism and impedance spectrum behavior of human skin for the testing of biowearables in the 2,000 - 20,000 Hz range. We also endeavored to create computer-simulated models to aid in the …

Microgrid-Enabled Reactive Power Support To Enhance Grid Economics, Sarhan Hasan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Reactive power plays an essential role in voltage control and stability in electric power systems. Various Volt/VAR techniques are utilized in electric power systems to maintain the voltage profile within defined acceptable limits and accordingly provide reliability and stability. Reactive power has been commonly generated through large-scale synchronous generators or distributed capacitor banks to provide proper transmission and distribution level system management, however, reactive power can be further used as an effective means to reduce total system operation cost. In this dissertation, an optimal reactive power model is proposed to determine the optimal nodal reactive powers that result in the …

Deep Reinforcement Learning For The Optimization Of Building Energy Control And Management, Jun Hao

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Most of the current game-theoretic demand-side management methods focus primarily on the scheduling of home appliances, and the related numerical experiments are analyzed under various scenarios to achieve the corresponding Nash-equilibrium (NE) and optimal results. However, not much work is conducted for academic or commercial buildings. The methods for optimizing academic-buildings are distinct from the optimal methods for home appliances. In my study, we address a novel methodology to control the operation of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system (HVAC).

We assume that each building in our campus is equipped with smart meter and communication system which is envisioned in …

Experimental Investigation Of Low-Voltage Silicon Carbide (Sic) Semiconductor Devices For Power Conversion Applications, Saleh Salem H. Alharbi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Enhancing the performance and efficiency of power converter systems requires fast-switching power devices with considerably low switching and conduction losses. Silicon (Si) semiconductor devices are the essential components in electronic converter designs, and their behaviors and switching characteristics determine the system’s overall performance and efficiency. These conventional Si devices are nearing to hit their physical and operational limits in meeting power converter requirements with respect to high temperature and large voltage conditions. However, silicon carbide (SiC) power devices enable greater converter efficiency and better power density, particularly under hard switching frequencies and high output voltages due to their outstanding material …

Power System Frequency Control And Stability Analysis With Increasing Renewable Energy Penetration Level, Weihang Yan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

With the ever-increasing penetration level of renewable energy generation units and the replacement of traditional synchronous generators, the issues associated with the deteriorated performance of power system frequency regulation and potential grid frequency instability become more significant. In this dissertation, the inertial control algorithms are investigated and analyzed for power electronics converter in a renewable energy generation unit. The concept and design of Virtual Synchronous Generator are comprehensively discussed, such that the small-signal stability and frequency stability of power systems with high renewable energy penetration level can be enhanced. Moreover, both nonlinear dynamic model and small-signal linearization of Virtual Synchronous …

Deep Siamese Neural Networks For Facial Expression Recognition In The Wild, Wassan Hayale

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The variation of facial images in the wild conditions due to head pose, face illumination, and occlusion can significantly affect the Facial Expression Recognition (FER) performance. Moreover, between subject variation introduced by age, gender, ethnic backgrounds, and identity can also influence the FER performance. This Ph.D. dissertation presents a novel algorithm for end-to-end facial expression recognition, valence and arousal estimation, and visual object matching based on deep Siamese Neural Networks to handle the extreme variation that exists in a facial dataset. In our main Siamese Neural Networks for facial expression recognition, the first network represents the classification framework, where we …

Aggregated Der Management In Advanced Distribution Grids, Mohsen Mahoor

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Evolution of modern power systems are more distinct in distribution grids, where the growing integration of microgrids as well as distributed energy resources (DERs), including renewable energy resources, electric vehicles (EVs), and energy storage, poses new challenges and opportunities to grid management and operation. Rapid growth of distribution automation as well as equipment monitoring technologies in the distribution grids further offer new opportunities for distribution asset management. The idea of aggregated DERs is proposed as a remedy to streamline management and operation of advanced distribution grids, as discussed under three subjects in this dissertation. The first subject matter focuses on …

Experimental Evaluation Of Medium-Voltage Cascode Gallium Nitride (Gan) Devices For Bidirectional Dc–Dc Converters, Salah Salem H. Alharbi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As renewable energy sources, such as photovoltaic (PV) cells and wind turbines, are rapidly implemented in DC microgrids, energy storage systems play an increasingly significant role in ensuring uninterrupted power supply and in supporting the reliability and stability of microgrid operations. Power electronics, especially bidirectional DC–DC converters, are essential parts in distributed energy storage and alternative energy systems because of their grid synchronization, DC power management, and bidirectional power flow capabilities. While there is increasing demand for more efficient, compact, and reliable power converters in numerous applications, most existing power converters are hindered by traditional silicon (Si) based semiconductors, which …

Ultrasonic-Based Condition Assessment Of Wooden Utility Poles, Yishi Lee

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

More than 300 million utility poles shoulder the utility grid in the United States. However, the ineffectiveness of the current inspection process causes roughly a third of utility poles removed from the service deemed suitable for reuse. Due to the utterly essential role of the power infrastructure, budget shrinkage, and the structural degradation of the modern distribution grid, this Ph.D. dissertation addresses the challenges by proposing a physics-based signal analysis method with a jointly developed ultrasonic UB1000 system c to enhance the objectivity in ultrasonic-based nondestructive evaluation (NDE). The proposed methodology has been deployed commercially in the field and featured …

Impact Of Grid-Following And Grid-Forming Ders On Resilient Operation Of Holonic Grid, Ali M. Alsenan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigates how different distributed energy resources (DERs) impact the resilience operation of a holonic grid. The holonic grid consists of two or more connected microgrids and /or provisional microgrids (PMGs). The type of the DER, i.e., grid-forming or grid-following, affects the operations of the holonic grid, particularly during the islanded mode. To study this emerging and timely topic, a resilience-oriented holonic grid optimal operation model is proposed. This model carefully formulates the operations of both grid-forming and grid-following DERs. A variable value of lost load (VoLL) is further employed in the proposed model to help quantify and monetize …

Developing Machine Learning Algorithms For Behavior Recognition From Deep Brain Signals, Hosein Golshan Mojdehi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative condition and movement disorder that appears with symptoms such as tremor, rigidity of muscles and slowness of movements. Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is an FDA-approved surgical therapy for essential tremor and PD. Despite the fact that DBS substantially alleviates the motor signs of PD, it can cause cognitive side effects and speech malfunction mainly due to the lack of adaptivity and optimality of the stimulation signal to the patients’ current state. A behavior-adapted closed-loop DBS system may reduce the side effects and power consumption by adjusting the stimulation parameters to patients’ need.

Behavior recognition …

Epic: Examining Patch Impedance Characteristics, Shane Buck, Jyotsna Gopinath, Kyle Markfield

Interdisciplinary Design Senior Theses

In the United States, approximately one in 4 adults have at least one chronic illness, making up approximately 84% of US Healthcare Spending. Unfortunately, 50% of patients with chronic diseases do not take their medication properly and as such spend more money trying to get better – approximately $100 billion in annual preventable costs. One solution to this issue is digital medicine as it allows for the monitoring of patient medicine consumption.

Our industry partner has developed a three-part digital medicine system with the aim of allowing patients with chronic health issues to better reach their health goals through monitoring …

Design Of An Urban Garden Aquaponics System, Riley Albright-Borden, James Wang, Sydney Thompson

Interdisciplinary Design Senior Theses

The project objective is to create a durable, off-the-grid, large-scale aquaponics system consisting of over 90 sq. ft of growing space, a 650-gallon fishpond, and four types of sensors to transmit water quality data to the internet for remote water quality monitoring. The end goal of the project is to supplement produce grown in the garden to further increase fresh, nutritional options available in meals cooked and distributed by Loaves and Fishes Family Kitchen to combat food insecurity in San Jose. This report presents the need for a system, details the various subsystems, and the rationale for the designs. It …

Lactic Acid Threshold Stimulator, Justin Brackett, Karen Carreon, Fernando Guerra, Malyna Sanchez

Interdisciplinary Design Senior Theses

As a person works out, the threshold of lactic acid will build causing anywhere from discomfort to pain. Reducing the discomfort caused by lactic acid could greatly improve an individual’s performance while working out. Reducing this discomfort may be done through Electrical Muscle Stimulation (EMS), which is the procedure of contracting muscles through sending electrical signals. Our team’s goal is to create LATS, a wearable and mobile application that alleviates discomfort and aids muscle recovery during the intense parts of a workout. The system consists of a heart rate monitor to measure lactic acid levels, a garment that is worn …

Supervised Machine Learning Techniques For Short-Term Load Forecasting, Harish Amarasundar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Electric Load Forecasting is essential for the utility companies for energy management based on the demand. Machine Learning Algorithms has been in the forefront for prediction algorithms. This Thesis is mainly aimed to provide utility companies with a better insight about the wide range of Techniques available to forecast the load demands based on different scenarios. Supervised Machine Learning Algorithms were used to come up with the best possible solution for Short-Term Electric Load forecasting. The input Data set has the hourly load values, Weather data set and other details of a Day. The models were evaluated using MAPE and …

Control Strategy For A Small-Scale Microgrid Based On Battery Energy Storage System-Virtual Synchronous Generator (Bess-Vsg), Wei Gao

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As one of widely deployed renewable energy resources, PV power is playing a very important role in microgrids today. It has advantages such as making the best of natural solar energy and being friendly to our environment. In this thesis, solar PV based microgrid is studied using modeling and simulation. Microgrid can run in either grid-connected-mode or islanded-mode. However, there are also some disadvantages for solar power. For solar panel, its output is influenced by weather conditions such as illumination intensity and temperature. In addition, during the control process of grid-connected mode, it is hard to guarantee its output power …

Small-Scale Microgrid Energy Market Based On Pilt-Dao, Tianlu Gao

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

With the installed capacities of Distributed Generations (DGs) dramatically increasing in power systems from Distributed Energy Resources (DERs) such as hydropower, wind, solar, geothermal and biomass, the operation methods of DERs tradings or transactions become more and more complicated. However, the energy market of DERs in Microgrids (MGs) is still under devolvement due to low security and transparency at present. Therefore, a small-scale microgrid energy market is proposed in this study based on Decentralized Autonomous Organization of Parallel, Integrity, Longevity, and Transparency (PILT-DAO) of the features of the blockchain. The microgrid owners can complete the transaction in the PILT-DAO market. …

Power System Resilience Enhancement Using Artificial Intelligence, Rozhin Eskandarpour

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Extreme weather events and natural disasters are the major cause of power outages in the United States. An accurate forecast of component outages and the resultant load curtailment in response to extreme events is an essential task in pre- and post-event planning, recovery and hardening of power systems. Power system resilience improvement is investigated in this work from component outage prediction to identifying the potential power outages in the system to estimating probable load curtailment due to these outages and offering methods for grid hardening. Initially, two machine learning based prediction methods are proposed to determine the potential outage of …

Solar Forecasting And Integration In Power Systems, Mohana Alanazi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Renewable energy resources are becoming critical players in the electricity generation sector, primarily due to viability in combating global warming, effectiveness in reducing pollution caused by fossil fuel based generation, and diversifying energy mix to ensure energy security and sustainability. Solar energy is one of the most common types of renewable energy that has grown rapidly over the past decade and is anticipated to grow even faster in the future. Power supply from renewable resources is forecasted to surpass other types of generation in a foreseeable future. Numerous factors, including but not limited to the dropping cost of solar technology, …

Radar Detection, Tracking And Identification For Uav Sense And Avoid Applications, Erik George Moore

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Advances in Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) technology have enabled wider access for the general public leading to more stringent flight regulations, such as the "line of sight" restriction, for hobbyists and commercial applications. Improving sensor technology for Sense And Avoid (SAA) systems is currently a major research area in the unmanned vehicle community. This thesis overviews efforts made to advance intelligent algorithms used to detect, track, and identify commercial UAV targets by enabling rapid prototyping of novel radar techniques such as micro-Doppler radar target identification or cognitive radar. To enable empirical radar signal processing evaluations, an S-Band and X-Band frequency …

Proactive Monitoring, Anomaly Detection, And Forecasting Of Solar Photovoltaic Systems Using Artificial Neural Networks, Ahmad Almadhor

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The world of energy sustainability landscape is witnessing high proliferation of smartgrids and microgrids, it has become significant to use intelligent tools to design, operate and maintain such crucial systems in our lives. Solar energy is an intermittent source and purely Photovoltaic (PV) based, or PV and storage based smartgrids require characterization and modelling of PV resources for an effective planning and effective operations. This dissertation familiarizes briefly the existing tools for design, monitoring, forecasting and operation of a solar system in smart electric grids infrastructure and proposes a unique application-based infrastructure to monitor, operate, forecast and troubleshoot a working …

A Study On Distributed Generation With A Focus On Solar Power, Shravan Kumar Tomar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Centralized generation is when electric power is produced in a large scale of tens of MWs and is located away from the end user. This kind of production is connected to a series of high-voltage transmission lines. Electricity is then delivered to the end user through a network of distribution grids. Centralized generation tend to have multiple end user with multiple user profiles.

Distributed Generation is when is produced in a small scale and is located at the site of or very close to the end user. There are many ways distributed generation can be achieved, Solar power being the …

Capturing Transmission And Distribution Connected Wind Energy Variability, Abdulaziz Alanazi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Although renewable energy provides a viable solution to address ongoing challenges of the economy and the environment in modern power systems, the variable generation of this technology results in major technical challenges for system operators. This issue is becoming more severe as the penetration of renewable generation is increasing. This dissertation addresses the variability challenge of renewable energy resources in transmission and distribution levels of modern power systems.

For transmission level, this dissertation focuses on wind generation fluctuation. Three methods of reducing wind generation fluctuation are investigated from an economic perspective, including (a) dumping the wind generation, (b) using battery …

Design And Analysis Of A Non-Isolated High Gain Step-Up Cuk Converter, Yasser Almalaq

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Renewable energy sources, such as solar energy, are desired for both economic and ecological issues. These renewable energy sources are plentiful in nature and have a terrific capability for power generation. The only drawback of solar energy, which is one of the best forms of energy sources, is that the output has a low voltage and needs to be stepped up in order to be inserted into the DC grid or an inverter for AC applications. To overcome this drawback, a high gain DC-DC power converter is required in this kind of system. These power converters are needed for a …

Increasing Distribution Grid Hosting Capacity Through Wire And Non-Wire Solutions, Abdulrahman N. Almazroui

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Increased deployment of distributed generation (DG) can adversely impact the operational performance of distribution networks. This increment can potentially change network power flow and result in several operational issues such as reduced power quality, overvoltage, and ineffective protection. In order to quantify the degradation bounds of distribution operation due to increasing DG integration, the concept of hosting capacity is introduced. The aim of this thesis is to increase the DG hosting capacity in distribution network by proposing several wire and non-wire solutions. To this end, these solutions include network reconfiguration, reactive power control, and energy storage system deployment. The network …

Distribution Level Building Load Prediction Using Deep Learning, Abdulaziz S. Almalaq

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Load prediction in distribution grids is an important means to improve energy supply scheduling, reduce the production cost, and support emission reduction. Determining accurate load predictions has become more crucial than ever as electrical load patterns are becoming increasingly complicated due to the versatility of the load profiles, the heterogeneity of individual load consumptions, and the variability of consumer-owned energy resources. However, despite the increase of smart grids technologies and energy conservation research, many challenges remain for accurate load prediction using existing methods. This dissertation investigates how to improve the accuracy of load predictions at the distribution level using artificial …