Power and Energy Commons^™

Design And Evaluation Of An Open-Source Ac/Dc Power Converter For Microgrid Applications, Ryan J. Rayos

Master's Theses

This thesis presents the design, implementation, and evaluation of an open-source bidirectional power conversion platform intended for microgrid applications. As distributed energy resources, battery storage systems, and hybrid AC/DC architectures continue to increase in adoption, there is a growing demand for flexible, low-cost, and programmable power electronic platforms capable of interfacing between DC and AC subsystems. Existing commercial solutions are often proprietary and expensive, limiting their accessibility for educational, research, and rapid prototyping applications. This work expands upon the existing open-source Atinverter platform by increasing its operating voltage capability, integrating bidirectional power flow, and implementing telemetry systems suitable for microgrid …

Lora Networking Hardware Reference Designs For Terrestrial And Low-Earth-Orbit Communications, Kevin Nottberg

Master's Theses

The work presented here demonstrates a highly robust and tested LoRa networking hardware reference design to meet the needs of the embedded networking company OWL Integrations. The hardware presented integrated a unique combination of features and design choices. The detailing of its unique design is potentially of use to others for use in fielded battery powered terrestrial sensor networking hardware utilizing LoRa. Also, the terrestrial hardware presented is shown to have the capability to support command and control (C2) LoRa links in low-earth orbit beyond terrestrial systems. The design presented has a more U.S. centric component bill-of-materials (BOM), with the …

Development Of A Multi-Mode Switching-Inverter Laboratory Module For An Introductory Power Electronics Course, Darcy Eliasi

Master's Theses

DC–AC converters, or inverters, are essential power‑electronic interfaces widely used in photovoltaic systems, microgrids, energy‑storage installations, and numerous other modern electrical applications. This thesis presents the design, construction, and testing of an improved laboratory module developed as a student learning tool for demonstrating four fundamental inverter switching techniques: simple square wave (SSWI), modified square wave (MSWI), bipolar PWM, and unipolar PWM. Building upon the previous module, the improved design centers on three key enhancements. These include the selection of a more suitable wave‑generation solution, a multiplexer‑based mode‑selection architecture that reduces user complexity and eliminates conflicting signal configurations, and the integration …

Time-Domain Symmetrical Components For Detection And Analysis Of Unbalanced Faults In Three-Phase Systems, Ryan Pospichal

Master's Theses

Unbalanced faults in three-phase power systems degrade performance, increase losses, and threaten equipment reliability. Traditional frequency-domain approaches using phasor analysis and symmetrical components offer valuable steady-state insights but respond too slowly for transient or rapidly changing conditions. This thesis investigates time-domain symmetrical components (ISCs) as a faster, physically interpretable method for detecting and analyzing unbalanced faults directly from instantaneous voltages and currents. Two ISC computation techniques were developed and compared: a polar-form method, applying one-third and two-thirds cycle time delays, and a rectangular-form method, which achieves equivalent phase shifts using only a quarter-cycle delay. Simulations in Microsoft Excel verified both …

Design And Development Of A Half-Bridge Llc Resonant Converter Laboratory Module, Alyssa Lam

Master's Theses

Resonant DC-DC converters have become a well-known solution in power supplies due to their ability to improve efficiency by utilizing soft-switching techniques. This further has caused a growing interest in industry to use these converters for high-switching-frequency, high-efficiency, and high-power applications such as EV charging stations, photovoltaic systems, battery chargers, etc. One particular resonant topology that has gained popularity in recent years is the LLC resonant converter. Due to the prevalent use of the LLC resonant converter, it is therefore crucial for students preparing for a career path in power electronics to become well-versed in the concept and implementation of …

Open Source Microgrid Integration, Zachary J. Kwast

Master's Theses

Microgrids are small-scale electrical systems that operate in tandem with a centralized grid to provide power to a smaller group of target devices. These microgrids are used for a wide range of different purposes, which invites the need for a generalized model that can be tweaked for a variety of uses. This document goes over the theory used to design an open source AC and DC microgrid meant for use by anyone. The microgrid is created using a Raspberry Pi that controls two different power converters so that a wide range of voltage and current characteristics can be achieved. These …

Design, Analysis, And Implementation Of An Improved Zero Voltage Switching Hybrid Voltage Divider, Luke V. Cerda

Master's Theses

This thesis entails the study, design, and construction of a novel DC-DC converter topology, the Zero Voltage Switching Hybrid Voltage Divider (ZVS-HVD), with improved modularization, optimization, and compactness. The ZVS-HVD facilitates higher load currents and accomplishes DC-DC voltage division through switching inductors and capacitors. Low switching loss is achieved through zero voltage switching (ZVS) and the use of GANFET switches. An analysis of duty cycle and high-frequency operation is conducted, enabling 1 MHz switching and improvements in output voltage ripple, voltage drooping, board size, and efficiency at higher load currents. Two versions of ZVS-HVD prototypes were constructed with on-board signal …

Development Of A Versatile Switching Mode Inverter Laboratory Module, Zachariah Lee Mustar

Master's Theses

DC-AC converters, or inverters, are complex devices that play an essential role in photovoltaic, energy storage, and microgrid systems. Therefore, they constitute a class of power electronics that any power-focused electrical engineering student should be familiar with. This thesis presents the development and testing of a single device that power electronics students will use in a laboratory setting to experiment with each of the four different switching techniques employed in inverters: a simple square wave (SSWI), modified square wave (MSWI), bipolar PWM, and unipolar PWM. The module was built with a physically modifiable control stage and a power stage constituting …

Study On The Application Of Smart Electric Meters For Secondary Voltage Protection, Jayaditya Sisodia

Master's Theses

The purpose of our research is to utilize PG&E’s Smart Meters installed across California to protect the Secondary Voltage delivered to the meter. This means detecting electrical faults between the utility’s distribution transformer and the installed Smart Meter. Our goal is to propose and implement various solutions through additional devices and protocols to detect and prevent these faults, communicate them with the meter, and forward fault information to the utility. A device will be designed to be installed on the transformer, detect faults, shut off power transmission, and communicate to the meter via fiber optic cable. Research will then be …

Remote Monitoring And Control Of Protection Relays Via Programmable Logic Controller, Rio Mcgown-Kauffman

Master's Theses

The purpose of this study is to explore the ability of a programmable logic controller (PLC) to wirelessly monitor and control power protection relays. The technologies surrounding power protection and industrial automation are ever evolving and have developed significantly in recent history. Industrial power applications call for consistent condition monitoring and status updates for various high-importance components. The high-importance components have power protection schemes that are managed by digital relays to trip circuit breakers in fault or unsafe operating conditions. The smart relays have a wide range of capabilities, including communications. Cal Poly assembled a collection of relays from Schweitzer …

Modeling Battery Energy Storage Systems To Study The Effects Of Battery Chemistry And Operation On Power Quality, Lin E. Knudsen

Master's Theses

This thesis studies the impacts of battery chemistry (specifically lithium-iron phosphate, sodium-ion, and solid-state), AC voltage, battery size, charging mode, state of charge (SOC), active power draw, and power factor on the power quality of a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS). For harmonic evaluation, the metrics provided by the IEEE Standard 519 are used as a guideline to quantify voltage and current harmonics. A comprehensive MATLAB Simulink using Simscape Electrical is used to develop and simulate the models for the battery, DC-DC converter, AC-DC converter, and the grid. A total of 57 simulation cases varying the BESS factors are performed, …

Modeling And Efficiency Analysis Of Hybrid Ac/Dc And Conventional Ac House Electrical Systems For Net-Zero Energy Homes, Tyler Bury

Master's Theses

This thesis presents the design, simulation, and comparative efficiency analysis of hybrid AC/DC residential homes versus conventional AC homes for Net Zero Energy Homes (NZEH). Motivated by the increasing prevalence of DC-native technologies such as solar photovoltaics, battery storage, and DC-powered electronics, this work evaluates whether hybrid AC/DC distribution can offer measurable efficiency benefits over traditional systems. Twelve detailed house models were developed—six employing a hybrid AC/DC architecture and six based on conventional AC systems, each supplying a combination of AC and DC residential loads. Simulations were conducted using MATLAB/Simulink to model steady-state efficiency under various loading conditions. Grid configurations …

Modeling And Analysis Of A Hybrid Ac/Dc Green Seaport Power System With Photovoltaic Generation And Battery Energy Storage Systems, Corey Zaas

Master's Theses

This thesis investigates the modeling, simulation, and analysis of a Green Seaport power system integrating photovoltaic (PV) generation, battery energy storage systems (BESS), and coordinated protection within a hybrid AC/DC framework. The work improves a previously established model, enhancing it with detailed protection studies and simultaneous AC/DC power flow analysis using EasyPower software. The system was evaluated under a wide range of operating conditions, including varying solar irradiance, battery charge and discharge states, and both full and zero load conditions. Key performance indicators included voltage regulation, power factor behavior, equipment loading, protection device coordination, and total system power losses. Simulation …

3d Printed Microfluidic Fabrication Methodology, Characterization, Mechanical Design, And Applications In Electrostatic Artificial Muscles And Benthic Microbial Fuel Cells, Terak B. Hornik

Master's Theses

The fabrication of microfluidic devices often requires specialized methods. The development of these methods requires careful characterization and understanding of the processes involved. Using primarily PolyJet 3D printing technology, microfluidics offers a wide scope of applications such as microfluidic benthic microbial fuel cells (MBMFCs) and electrostatic artificial muscles. MBMFCs benefit from the confinement of the microbes resulting in close proximity between the electrode and the organisms. Using a modular design called the Sponge, assembly and upscaling is possible. Electrostatic artificial muscles benefit from a microfluidic approach due to the non-linearity of electrostatic attraction creating disproportionate benefits when miniaturized. When designed …

Harmonic Flow Modeling And Analysis Of A Green Hybrid Ac/Dc Seaport Power System, Krishan Kaushal Ram, Taufik, Helen Yu, Siddharth Vyas

Master's Theses

This thesis aims to design and develop a model for a proposed Green Seaport power system and perform harmonic analysis. The model was developed using MATLAB Simulink and tests were performed by dividing the system into several Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) operating modes such as simultaneous charging and discharging, simultaneous charging, and simultaneous discharging. For each mode, BESS state of charge and other factors such as solar irradiance for the PV system, load levels and power factor were varied to observe the impact on system’s voltage Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) level and current Total Demand Distortion (TDD). 62 separate …

Design And Analysis Of A New Buck-Boost Converter With A Low-Side Switch, Abdullah Awidah

Master's Theses

This work explores the design, simulation, construction, and analysis of a novel Non-isolated DC-DC Buck-Boost converter which has the advantage of incorporating a low-side switch compared to the traditional buck-boost which requires a high-side switch. This allows the use of a low-side driver which further simplifies the design and operation of the converter. The proposed Buck-Boost converter was constructed to provide -24 V output from an input range of 12V-18V with 15V nominal input at 10W maximum output power utilizing 500kHz switching frequency. Findings from simulations and hardware tests verify that the converter effectively provides the desired -24 V output …

A Hybrid Computer To Solve The Selective Harmonic Minimization Problem In Single-Phase Inverters, Dillon Nguyen

Master's Theses

Power electronics possess forms of non-ideality due to the nonlinearity present in physical switches. These switches are driven with pulse width modulation (PWM), which properly down-converts or up-converts based on converter topology. When these switches turn on or off, they introduce the main proponent of efficiency loss: harmonics. This becomes a nonlinear optimization problem with many converters. The solution proposed in this thesis is an analog/digital hybrid computer that utilizes the speed of analog computation and the accuracy of digital computing together. A Plexim RT Box provides the programmability needed for algorithms, while the analog circuit provides low-power, high-speed computation …

Design Of A Dynamic, Reconfigurable, Self-Balancing Battery Pack, Alexander Hallett Neiman

Master's Theses

This thesis details the design and testing of a reconfigurable battery array. Reconfigurable battery arrays, specifically for mobile applications, have the potential to reduce or eliminate use of auxiliary charging, balancing, and inverter systems. Design work included a bidirectional solid state switch and a cell-to-cell bidirectional current-limiting power converter. While the overall efficiency, size, and cost of the battery pack was not competitive with existing options, it demonstrated cell-to-cell balancing and native four-level square wave AC inverter output with an array of only two cells. This demonstrates viability of the concept as well as reveals important requirements and safety features …

Design And Analysis Of Zero Voltage Switching Hybrid Voltage Divider, Stephen Ulysses Alvarado Estrada

Master's Theses

This work explores the design, construction, and analysis of a novel DC-DC converter which incorporates combinations of switching capacitors and inductors to achieve an integer voltage divider function, without the need for a feedback loop controller to achieve the desired output voltage. The proposed Hybrid Voltage Divider additionally provides zero voltage switching (ZVS) at turn on transitions which yields improved overall efficiency of the converter. Besides a proof-of-concept via computer simulations, another primary goal of this thesis is to demonstrate the functionalities of the proposed Zero Voltage Switching Hybrid Voltage Divider (ZVS-HVD) through hardware prototyping. The proposed ZVS-HVD was designed …

An Analysis On Wildfire Mitigations Employed By Utilities In California, Evan Luu

Master's Theses

As climate change continues to worsen, environmental effects are felt by many people around the world. In California, some of its most damaging wildfires have been found to be started by utilities. As the state continues to suffer from worsening wildfire conditions, the utilities need to implement a variety of wildfire mitigations to help reduce the risk of wildfires that can affect the state and its residents. This paper analyzes the effectiveness of four mitigations employed across three California utilities and suggests potential ways for the mitigations to be used together. The technologies evaluated are covered conductor, rapid earth fault …

Parameter Measurement Of 0.33 Hp Synchronous Machine Using Itech Digital Power Supply, Andrew Kargol

Master's Theses

The classical methodologies for synchronous machine modeling provide a solid estimation for synchronous machine behavior but are limited in terms of accuracy due to the assumptions made in the modeling process. The equivalent circuit model developed by the classical approach breaks down the entire machine into a singular impedance component. This allows the model to be generated more quickly but limits its accuracy. In the pursuit of developing a more realistic model, this thesis outlines the parameter measurement of a Hampden SM-100 synchronous machine. In determining the SM-100’s experimental parameters, this thesis executes and analyzes new experimental approaches to synchronous …

Efficiency Study Of A Hybrid Ac/Dc House, Eunice Dominique Solomon Santiago

Master's Theses

With the proliferation of residential-scale renewable energy sources and DC loads, it has become attractive to use residential DC electrical system that could offer benefits over the legacy residential AC electrical system. The Hybrid AC/DC house provides a sustainable alternative to preexisting residential electrical system by having both AC and DC buses. The DC bus facilitates the connection from DC sources to DC loads, whereas the AC bus interfaces AC sources to AC loads. The study develops the equations to calculate losses based on a model consisting of four main components: Multiple-Input Single-Output (MISO) converter, AC-DC converter, inverter, and DC-DC …

Solar Farm Utilizing A Battery Energy Storage System, Hannah Nicole Bonderov

Master's Theses

According to the US Energy and Information Administration, between 2022-2023 60% of planned new electricity generation consists of solar farms with a battery energy storage system [1]. The demand for these paired systems has increased since batteries can be charged during the day with the energy captured from the solar farm then released to the customer in the evening during peak energy demand. This achieves peak load shaving which reduces the cost of electricity for the customer and is ecologically friendly.

This thesis aims to create an efficient solar farm with a battery energy storage system for a farmer in …

Current-Source Dc-Dc Converter For Fiber-Optic Communication Systems, Jissell C. Jose

Master's Theses

In this thesis, a proof of concept for a current-source DC-DC converter for powering sensors used in an underwater communications system is presented. The proposed converter steps down an input current of 0.9 A to 0.625 A, while maintaining an output voltage of 24 V and output power of 15 W. The complete steady-state analysis and design of the proposed converter in its single-stage form is also explained in detail. Performance evaluation of the proposed converter was carried out using LTspice. Results of the simulation demonstrate that the design was able to produce average output current of 0.639 A at …

Reliability Study Of Electrical Distribution System With Local And Interregional Bidirectional Centralized Electric Vehicle Charging Stations, Janine Gian Christii C. Darato

Master's Theses

In this thesis, a method was developed to evaluate the impact of bidirectional electric vehicle (EV) charging on power system reliability using Synergi Electric software. Load profiles, EV availability, EV state-of-charge (SOC) were important factors considered in this study. The analysis in this study is based on local and interregional vehicle-to-grid (V2G) implementation at different load points in the system. In general, local V2G implementation is observed to be more effective in improving system reliability over interregional V2G power flow. System Average Interruption Duration Index (SAIDI) and System Average Interruption Frequency Index (SAIFI) improvements were observed to increase with increasing …

Microgrid Laboratory Wind Energy Integration, Vincent Liang

Master's Theses

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo’s Electrical Engineering Department and the Power Energy Institute have developed a microgrid laboratory with various generators, loads, and protection systems over the past several years. To improve and make the Cal Poly microgrid laboratory more realistic, this thesis outlines the process of improving the EE microgrid setup by adding a wind energy generation system via an induction generator, excitation capacitors, and a protection relay. By adding an induction generator, the microgrid system becomes more resilient to sudden power fluctuations by maintaining a stable voltage and frequency when the microgrid is islanded. To test this, a …

Underground Transmission For Renewable Energy: Design, Modeling, And Analysis, Matthew Suen

Master's Theses

A microgrid is a local energy grid that could be disconnected from the larger grid and operate autonomously. This particular segment of the power industry is growing due to its reliability during times of emergency and crisis. Among these benefits are improved efficiency, lower operating costs, renewable generation sources, and improved resiliency of the regional electric grid. Communities can better prepare for unprecedented weather like wildfires, hurricanes, and other natural disasters. Regions that produce renewable energy can export their surplus through high voltage transmission lines to balance power supply and demand needs.

This Underground High-Voltage Transmission Network project aims to …

Performance Loss Rate And Temperature Modeling In Predictive Energy Yield Programs For Utility-Scale Solar Power Plants, Katelynn M. Dinius

Master's Theses

The Gold Tree Solar Farm, designed by REC Solar, has a rated output power of 4.5 MW and began operation in 2018 to provide electricity to Cal Poly’s campus. Gold Tree Solar Farm site terrain consists of rolling hills and uneven slopes. The uneven typography results in interrow shading, requiring a modified tracking control algorithm to maximize power production. Predicting a utility solar field’s lifetime energy yield is a critical step in assessing project feasibility and calculating project revenue. The MATLAB-based predictive power model developed for this field overpredicted power in the middle of the day. The purpose of this …

Design And Analysis Of A Single-Stage Inverter Using Parallel Dc-Dc Converters For Solar Cell Application, Gabriel Leonides

Master's Theses

This thesis introduces the design and analysis of a single-stage inverter. A circuit was designed and simulated as a proof of concept to investigate the possibility of using boost and buck-boost converters to provide an AC output. The proposed circuit utilizes non-synchronous boost and buck-boost converters due to their simplicity in control signals as opposed to synchronous converters. The application of the proposed inverter is for use with individual solar cells. The aim of the inverter for a single cell is to improve the efficiency of a solar panel, whose performance is limited to the performance of the least efficient …

High Voltage Dc-Dc Converter Design For Submarine Application, Oscar Ambriz

Master's Theses

In this work a proof of concept for a step-down DC-DC converter used in a high voltage submarine application is presented. The purpose of the converter is to step down a 5000V-6000V input to a 24V output which can serve as an input to a submarine sensor. The completed system consists of two stages where the first stage is an unregulated switched capacitor converter to step down the initial input to a voltage range more appropriate for the selected second stage. The second stage is a regulated flyback converter topology which regulates the final output to the desired 24V. Performance …