• Energy Research

This article presents a nonlinear equivalent circuit model of an isolated dc-dc converter with a 3-phase medium frequency transformer. The model takes into account the magnetic cross saturation of the 3-phase core-type magnetic circuit. The model is suitable in detailed electromagnetic transient simulations of power systems involving isolated dc-dc converters. The model is developed using the Lagrange energy method. It involves a matrix of dynamic inductances containing a nonlinear term resulting from core magnetization and a linear term resulting from leakage flux. The model parameters are determined based on a series of magnetostatic finite element method simulations. This approach is convenient when applied to high power transformers offering a limited characterization effort, or if the transformer prototype does not exist. The experimental validation performed on a novel 3-phase MFT prototype in a 100 kW 1.2 kV 20 kHz dual active bridge converter has proved the validity of the model and model parameters. The no-load steady-state and inrush tests and the full-load test show a very good fit between the simulated and experimentally measured waveforms. The comparison with a classical simplified model neglecting magnetic cross saturation shows a significant difference in the no-load inrush test.

Mobile Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) measurements carried out on the railway consist of using satellite navigation systems to determine the track geometry of a moving railway vehicle on a given route. Their purposes include diagnostics, stocktaking, and design work in railways. The greatest advantage of this method is the ability to perform measurements in a unified and coherent spatial reference system, which effectively enables the combining of design and construction works, as well as their implementation by engineering teams of diverse specialties. In the article, we attempted to assess the impact of using three types of work mode for a GNSS geodetic network [Global Positioning System (GPS), GPS/Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS) and GPS/GLONASS/Galileo] on positioning availability at three accuracy levels: 1 cm, 3 cm and 10 cm. This paper presents a mathematical model that enables the calculation of positioning availability at these levels. This model was also applied to the results of the measurement campaign performed by five GNSS geodetic receivers, made by a leading company in the field. Measurements with simultaneous position recording and accuracy assessment were taken separately on the same route for three types of receiver settings: GPS, GPS/GLONASS and GPS/GLONASS/Galileo in an urban area typical of a medium-sized city. The study has shown that applying a two-system solution (GPS/GLONASS) considerably increases the availability of high-precision coordinates compared to a single-system solution (GPS), whereas the measurements with three systems (GPS/GLONASS/Galileo) negligibly increase the availability compared to a two-system solution (GPS/GLONASS).

The magnetizing inductance of the medium frequency transformer (MFT) impacts the performance of the isolated dc-dc power converters. The ferrite material is considered for high power transformers but it requires an assembly of type “I” cores resulting in a multi air gap structure of the magnetic core. The authors claim that the multiple air gaps are randomly distributed and that the average air gap length is unpredictable at the industrial design stage. As a consequence, the required effective magnetic permeability and the magnetizing inductance are difficult to achieve within reasonable error margins. This article presents the measurements of the equivalent B(H) and the equivalent magnetic permeability of two three-phase MFT prototypes. The measured equivalent B(H) is used in an FEM simulation and compared against a no load test of a 100 kW isolated dc-dc converter showing a good fit within a 10% error. Further analysis leads to the demonstration that the equivalent magnetic permeability and the average air gap length are nonlinear functions of the number of air gaps. The proposed exponential scaling function enables rapid estimation of the magnetizing inductance based on the ferrite material datasheet only.