POWER CONDITIONING LABORATORY – LCEE
Texto em português
ACTIVITIES DEVELOPED AT LCEE
Electric Power Conditioning is defined as the procedures and technologies necessary to:
- ensure the specified conditions for the electrical supply of a load, whatever its nature;
- ensure safe and compliant conditions for extracting power from the electricity source, whatever its nature;
- for AC networks, one should seek
- minimize the harmonic content of voltage and current;
- maximize the power factor of the loads;
- stabilize the supply voltage;
- minimize the generation of high-frequency components;
- make the use of the power system more flexible.
ONGOING RESEARCH
- Active filters and reactive compensators with multilevel inverters
- Converter and control technologies applied to smart grids
- Power converters for aeronautical applications
- Switching mode power supplies for high-voltage applications
- Power and drive systems in electric vehicles
- Power Quality in aeronautical and naval onboard environments
The main areas in which research activities are developed at LCEE are the following:
- Development of Programs for Simulation and Analysis of Electrical Processes.
- Development of Electronic Converters and Compensators.
- Electrical Energy Quality: Development of Active and Hybrid Filters.
- Electrical Machines and Drives.
- Development of Specialized Instrumentation.
Images of LCEE activities and facilities
UPA 2010
LCEE
Team 2011
1. Development of Programs for Simulation and Analysis of Electrical Processes.
Computer simulations greatly facilitate the study of electrical systems since conducting field experiments can be difficult or even impossible. Recent research in power quality in distribution networks has allowed important advances in modeling residential and commercial loads, little explored in the literature. Such loads have gained importance due to the strong increase in non-linear loads that contribute to the deterioration of power supply conditions, especially with regard to harmonic distortion. Due to their peculiarities, such loads cannot be compensated with passive filters, requiring in-depth studies to mitigate their effects. Additionally, the use of capacitive compensation in such networks leads to an increase in harmonic distortion.
Simulation programs have been developed, mainly in MatLab / Simulink and PSim, and algorithms for the optimal allocation of compensators in distribution networks, including the high and low voltage sides, considering power quality.
2. Development of Converters and Compensators
It is of great interest to develop static converters that present, from the point of view of the power supply network, high performance, characterized by minimum harmonic distortion of the current, acceptable values of conducted EMI, high power factor, and high efficiency. In addition to these characteristics, the specifications of the supplied loads must obviously be met.
For three-phase rectifiers, a high power factor can be achieved by developing control strategies for converters operating in Pulse Width Modulation (PWM), which allows them to absorb a current from the network appropriately, reducing harmonic distortion. High-voltage resonant converters have been studied and developed for applications such as ozone production, laser power supply, etc. Converters have also been developed for electric vehicle power systems and power generation from DC sources (fuel cells, photovoltaic panels, batteries, and supercapacitors).
3. Power Quality: Development of Active and Hybrid Filters
The study and development of active and hybrid filter prototypes for harmonic compensation and/or power factor correction are based on measurement and error feedback techniques for the quantities to be measured and applied to the control of static converters.
The trend toward hybrid filters, which reduces the cost of the active part of the filtering, brings with it the challenge of finding suitable topologies and efficient control techniques that can respond very quickly to disturbances in the system. Multilevel topologies have been studied for these applications due to their suitability for higher power and voltage levels.
As a field of application, in addition to the traditional field of electricity distribution networks, PQ problems have been studied in onboard environments, specifically in aircraft that use the MEA (More Electric Aircraft) concept.
Thus, this research topic arises as a natural convergence of the previous activities.
4. Electrical Machines and Drives
The study and implementation of digital systems for the control of electrical machines are of fundamental importance in the search for superior dynamic responses, high efficiency, and lower implementation costs.
The control of induction and permanent magnet synchronous generators by power electronic converters, ensuring the stability of the generated voltage and frequency and the correct connection to the AC grid, and techniques for driving electric motors for traction and braking of electric vehicles have been investigated.
5. Development of Specialized Instrumentation
As a result of original research by Prof. Sigmar Deckmann, a pioneering experiment was developed in Brazil regarding the measurement and analysis of light scintillation ("flicker”). Through various projects and financing, which began in 1984, several prototypes of scintillation analyzers were developed. These prototypes led to agreements with CEMIG and ELETROPAULO, which allowed the construction of several units of this equipment, the only ones available in Brazil at the time.
The previously analog process was digitized, expanding the equipment’s capacity to other measurements, such as harmonic analysis, sequence components, and power factor monitoring.
As a result of this work, the group became involved in the discussion of Electrical Power Theories, which has engaged important researchers from all over the world in establishing appropriate criteria for the analysis of electrical networks under increasingly common conditions in terms of distortions and imbalances, situations in which traditional definitions of power are not adequate and, more than that, wrong.
Professors:
Dr. José Antenor Pomilio - Full Professor.
Dr. Sigmar Maurer Deckmann - Full Professor - retired
Contributors (2025)
Dr. Joel Filipe Guerreiro
Dr. José Carlos Ugaz Pena - Postdoctoral Researcher
Dr. Eliabe Duarte Queiroz - Postdoctoral Researcher
Dr. Robson Mayer - Postdoctoral Researcher
Dr. Kristian Pessoa dos Santos - Postdoctoral Researcher
STUDENTS working at LCEE (2025):
- Debora Pereira Damasceno - PhD
- Mateus Pinheiro Dias - PhD
- Pablo HC da SB Loureiro - PhD
- Alex Sander Sebaje - PhD
- Douglas de Assis Ferreira - PhD
- Caique C. Almeida de Carvalho - PhD
- João José Ferreira Evangelista Filho - Master's Degree
- Artêmio Barros - Master's Degree
- Lucas Cordeiro de Arruda - Master's Degree
AGREEMENTS AND EXTERNAL SOURCES OF RESOURCES
In recent years, agreements have been signed with companies in the electricity sector (Elektro and CPFL) that have financed research related to various aspects of energy quality, mainly in electricity distribution networks. Activities related to using alternative energy sources, such as fuel cells applied in electric vehicles and stationary generation, are also under development. Recent research projects with funding:
Electronic conditioning of electrical energy in aeronautical networks aiming to Ensure the quality of its supply. From June 2017 to May 2020. Proc. CNPq 401216/2016-0,
Aircraft Onboard Power Grids: Quality Assurance of Electrical Energy and Electronic Power Solutions, July 2017 to June 2019. Proc. FAPESP 2017/05565-7
Thematic Project: "Interdisciplinary Research in Smart Electric Power Grids," July 2017 to June 2023, Proc. FAPESP 2016/08645-9
Mover/Rota 2030 Project: Bidirectional Fast Charging Station for Electric Vehicles with Multifunctionalities, Underway since January 2023.
Technological development work has been carried out with companies of different sizes and for various applications. Examples include contracts with Semikron, Panozon Ambiental, and Zasso/Sayyou. In addition, LCEE provides technical services in power electronics and energy quality.
INFRASTRUCTURE
This laboratory aims to contribute to the development of undergraduate (Scientific Initiation) and postgraduate (Master's and Doctorate) teaching, as well as to the improvement of measurement technology, electrical energy conditioning, and Brazilian standardization regarding disturbances in electrical systems through the dissemination of the results of the research developed.
The following equipment is currently available at LCEE:
- Microcomputers for individual student use and dedicated applications
- Laser printer;
- Digital oscilloscopes with different features (Keysight, Yokogawa, Tektronix, Rhode & Schwartz)
- Programmable 3-Phase AC Power Supply, California, 4.5 kVA
- Hitech 4.5 kVA 3-phase programmable AC power supply, aircraft standard
- Photovoltaic panel emulator, Agilent.
- HP programmable DC source;
- Yokogawa precision three-phase wattmeter;
- Zes -Zimmer energy analyzer;
- Three-phase power quality analyzers: Hioki, Dranetz, Fluke;
- HP 8904 Multifunction Synthesizer;
- HP 3325A Function Generator;
- HP 35660A Dynamic Signal Analyzer;
- HP 5183 wave recorder;
- Digital multimeters;
- Yokogawa optical oscillograph;
- Tektronix / Agilent / Yokogawa current measurement systems;
- Programmable function generator, 4 channels, Yokogawa;
- Tek 27120 conducted an EMI measurement system;
- Loads of different power;
- Motor-generator sets of various powers;
- Supercapacitor bank Epcos 5 x 150F/42V
* All equipment is networked. The DSE computer park has over 100 machines across the department's laboratories.
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