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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 37 records · Page 2

Adaptive Internal Model Based Current Control with Embedded Active Damping of a Three-Phase Grid-Connected Inverter with LCL Filter for PV Application

This paper presents an internal model based controller with embedded active damping for a three-phase grid-connected inverter with LCL filter. A strategy to control the grid current based on the internal model principle is presented in this paper. It is known that a third-order LCL filter apart from providing better attenuation also poses the problem of initiating unwanted resonance oscillations especially during transients. To address this problem, an active damping strategy based on virtual resistance emulation on the grid side filter is implemented. Also, to ensure effective active damping, an online parameter update strategy is implemented for the filter parameters. The proposed method provides better attenuation to oscillation damping and achieves good tracking performance without adversely affecting the bandwidth. The architecture is verified based on computer simulations via MATLAB/Simulink and PLECS domain and various important case study results are presented.

grid-connected inverter↗

Beam current controller for laser ion source

The present invention relates to the design and use of an ion source with a rapid beam current controller for experimental and medicinal purposes. More particularly, the present invention relates to the design and use of a laser ion source with a magnetic field applied to confine a plasma flux caused by laser ablation.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Current control of magnetic anisotropy via stress in a ferromagnetic metal waveguide

In this work, we demonstrate that in-plane charge current can effectively control the spin precession resonance in an Al 2 O 3 /CoFeB/Ta heterostructure. Brillouin light scattering was used to detect the ferromagnetic resonance field under microwave excitation of spin waves at fixed frequencies. The current control of spin precession resonance originates from modification of the in-plane uniaxial magnetic anisotropy field $H_k$, which changes symmetrically with respect to the current direction. Numerical simulation suggests that the anisotropic stress introduced by joule heating plays an important role in controlling $H_k$. These results provide new insight into current manipulation of magnetic properties and have broad implications for spintronic devices.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Automated setup for magnetic hysteresis characterization based on a voltage controlled current source with 500 kHz full power bandwidth and 10 A peak-to-peak current

This paper describes the design of a system for the characterization of magnetic hysteresis behavior in soft ferrite magnetic cores. The proposed setup can test magnetic materials exciting them with controlled arbitrary magnetic field waveforms, including the capability of providing a DC bias, in a frequency bandwidth up to 500 kHz, with voltages up to 32 V peak-to-peak, and currents up to 10 A peak-to-peak. In order to have an accurate control of the magnetic field waveform, the system is based on a voltage controlled current source. The electronic design is described focusing on closed loop feedback stabilization and passive components choice. The system has real-time hysteretic loop acquisition and visualization. The comparisons between measured hysteresis loops of sample magnetic materials and datasheet available ones are shown. Results showing frequency and thermal behavior of the hysteresis of a test sample prove the system capabilities. Moreover, the B-H loops obtained with a multiple waveforms excitation signal, including DC bias, are reported. The proposal is a low-cost and replicable solution for hysteresis characterization of magnetic materials used in power electronics.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Controlled Current Distribution in Anti-Hall bar Geometries

Quantum Hall measurements have been performed on high-mobility GaAs/AlGaAs (p-type) and (n-type) quantum wells using a Hall/Anti-Hall bar configuration having both inner and outer edges. The potential distribution and the current flow in the bulk can be controlled by the external magnetic field or the driving current. Extreme situations occur at the Quantum Hall states where the current, driven by leads connected to the outer edge, flows exclusively in one half of the sample. In these states, the chemical potential of the inner edge aligns itself with the edge at ground potential. Accumulation and depletion of carriers takes place at the edge whose carriers flow away from the current source.

Tarquini, Vinicio↗

Tunneling current-controlled spin states in few-layer van der Waals magnets

Abstract Effective control of magnetic phases in two-dimensional magnets would constitute crucial progress in spintronics, holding great potential for future computing technologies. Here, we report a new approach of leveraging tunneling current as a tool for controlling spin states in CrI 3 . We reveal that a tunneling current can deterministically switch between spin-parallel and spin-antiparallel states in few-layer CrI 3 , depending on the polarity and amplitude of the current. We propose a mechanism involving nonequilibrium spin accumulation in the graphene electrodes in contact with the CrI 3 layers. We further demonstrate tunneling current-tunable stochastic switching between multiple spin states of the CrI 3 tunnel devices, which goes beyond conventional bi-stable stochastic magnetic tunnel junctions and has not been documented in two-dimensional magnets. Our findings not only address the existing knowledge gap concerning the influence of tunneling currents in controlling the magnetism in two-dimensional magnets, but also unlock possibilities for energy-efficient probabilistic and neuromorphic computing.

Science & Technology - Other Topics↗

Note. Switch-Mode Hybrid Current Controllers for Quantum Cascade Lasers

Chemical sensing in the mid-infrared has been revolutionized by the advent of quantum cascade lasers. Their higher current and voltage demands compared to laser diodes however, negatively impact size, weight and power footprint for fieldable systems, particularly in hot environments. This letter presents a switch-mode/linear hybrid controller design, furnishing low-noise drive current up to 2 amperes at compliance voltages up to 15 volts, with noise levels close to the Johnson noise of the internal resistors. Current modulation from near zero to 1.8 Amps is also demonstrated at frequencies up to a kilohertz.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Quench protection for high-temperature superconductor cables using active control of current distribution

Superconducting magnets of future fusion reactors are expected to rely on composite high-temperature superconductor (HTS) cable conductors. In presently used HTS cables, current sharing between components is limited due to poorly defined contact resistances between superconducting tapes or by design. The interplay between contact and termination resistances is the defining factor for power dissipation in these cables and ultimately defines their safe operational margins. However, the current distribution between components along the composite conductor and inside its terminations is a priori unknown, and presently, no means are available to actively tune current flow distribution in real-time to improve margins of quench protection. Also, the lack of ability to electrically probe individual components makes it impossible to identify conductor damage locations within the cable. In this work, we address both problems by introducing active current control of current distribution between components using cryogenically operated metal-oxide-semiconductor-field-effect transistors (MOSFETs). We demonstrate through simulation and experiments how real-time current controls can help to drastically reduce heat dissipation in a developing hot spot in a two-conductor model system and help identify critical current degradation of individual cable components. Finally, prospects of other potential uses of MOSFET devices for improved voltage detection, AC loss-driven active quench protection, and remnant magnetization reduction in HTS magnets are also discussed.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

NASA Iced Aerodynamics and Controls Current Research

This slide presentation reviews the state of current research in the area of aerodynamics and aircraft control with ice conditions by the Aviation Safety Program, part of the Integrated Resilient Aircraft Controls Project (IRAC). Included in the presentation is a overview of the modeling efforts. The objective of the modeling is to develop experimental and computational methods to model and predict aircraft response during adverse flight conditions, including icing. The Aircraft icing modeling efforts includes the Ice-Contaminated Aerodynamics Modeling, which examines the effects of ice contamination on aircraft aerodynamics, and CFD modeling of ice-contaminated aircraft aerodynamics, and Advanced Ice Accretion Process Modeling which examines the physics of ice accretion, and works on computational modeling of ice accretions. The IRAC testbed, a Generic Transport Model (GTM) and its use in the investigation of the effects of icing on its aerodynamics is also reviewed. This has led to a more thorough understanding and models, both theoretical and empirical of icing physics and ice accretion for airframes, advanced 3D ice accretion prediction codes, CFD methods for iced aerodynamics and better understanding of aircraft iced aerodynamics and its effects on control surface effectiveness.

Addy, Gene↗

Fast pulsed operation of a small non-radioactive electron source with continuous emission current control

Non-radioactive electron sources are of great interest in any application requiring the emission of electrons at atmospheric pressure, as they offer better control over emission parameters than radioactive electron sources and are not subject to legal restrictions. Recently, we published a simple electron source consisting only of a vacuum housing, a filament, and a single control grid. In this paper, we present improved control electronics that utilize this control grid in order to focus and defocus the electron beam, thus pulsing the electron emission at atmospheric pressure. This allows short emission pulses and excellent stability of the emitted electron current due to continuous control, both during pulsed and continuous operations. As an application example, this electron source is coupled to an ion mobility spectrometer. Here, the pulsed electron source allows experiments on gas phase ion chemistry (e.g., ion generation and recombination kinetics) and can even remove the need for a traditional ion shutter.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Current control of light by nonreciprocal magnetoplasmonics

The ability to actively control light has long been a major scientific and technological goal. We proposed a scheme that allows for active control of light by utilizing the nonreciprocal magnetoplasmonic effect. As a proof of concept, we applied current signal through an ultrathin metallic film in a magneto-plasmonic multilayer and found that dynamic photonic nonreciprocity appears in magnetic-optical material layer due to the magnetic field being induced from current signal and modulates surface plasmon polaritons trapped in the metal surface and the light reflected. The proposed concept provides a possible way for the active control of light and could find potential applications such as ultrafast optoelectronic signal processing for plasmonic nanocircuit technology and ultrafast/large-aperture free-space electro-optic modulation platform for wireless laser communication technology.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Electric current control of creation and annihilation of sub-100 nm magnetic bubbles examined by full-field transmission soft X-ray microscopy

The effect of electric current pulses on a sub-100 nm magnetic bubble state in a symmetric Pt/Co multilayer was directly observed using a full-field transmission soft X-ray microscope (MTXM). Field-induced evolution of the magnetic stripe domains into isolated bubbles with their sizes down to 100 nm was imaged under varying external magnetic fields. Electric current pulses were then applied to the created magnetic bubbles, and it was observed that the bubbles could be either created or annihilated by the current pulse depending on the strength of applied magnetic field. The results suggest that the Joule heating plays a critical role in the formation and/or elimination of the bubbles and skyrmions. Finally, the schematic phase diagram for the creation and annihilation of bubbles is presented, suggesting an optimized scheme with the combination of magnetic field and electric current necessary to utilize skyrmions in the practical devices.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DC-Link Current Minimization Control for Current Source Converter-Based Solid-State Transformer

This article proposes a fast predictive control method and a small DC-link inductor to minimize the DC-link current in current-source converter (CSC)-based solid-state transformer. The DC-link current minimization can significantly reduce power loss and improve efficiency. The challenge of this problem is on improving both steady-state and dynamic performance. PI control methods and large DC-link inductors are conventionally used in the CSC but have limited dynamic performance. A model predictive control (MPC) method is proposed to achieve switching-cycle-level settling time, and the DC-link inductor is sized for 40% ripple to enable fast current change. Importantly, this article also proposes to minimize the DC-link current by varying the current even within a line cycle under single-phase load to improve the steady-state performance, in contrast with the reduction to a constant value in the literature. The proposed MPC features a constant switching frequency without weighting factors. The MPC does not have a high computational burden and is implemented in a regular digital controller for a prototype of soft-switching solid-state transformer (S4T) with reduced conduction loss. The effectiveness of the proposed method has been experimentally verified on the SiC S4T prototype during steady-state and dynamics under different multiport power flow conditions up to 2 kV peak. Here, the DC-link current in the experiments is close to the minimum current with a short zero-vector duration, which further verifies the performance of the proposed method.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

Field and Current Control of the Electrical Conductivity of an Artificial 2D Honeycomb Lattice

The conductivity of a neodymium-based arti ficial honeycomb lattice undergoes dramatic changes upon application of magnetic fi elds and currents. We attribute these changes to a redistribution of magnetic charges that are formed at the vertices of the honeycomb due to the nonvanishing net flux of magnetization from adjacent magnetic elements. We suggest that the application of a large magnetic fi eld or a current causes a transition from a disordered state, in which magnetic charges are distributed at random, to an ordered state, in which they are regularly arranged on the sites of two interpenetrating triangular Wigner crystals. The field and current tuning of electrical properties are greatly desirable functionalities for spintronics applications. As a result, a new spintronics research platform can be envisaged in arti cial magnetic honeycomb lattice.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

An Optimized H5 Hysteresis Current Control with Clamped Diodes in Transformer-Less Grid-PV Inverter

With the rise of renewable energy penetration in the grid, photovoltaic (PV) panels are connected to the grid via inverters to supply solar energy. Transformer-less grid-tied PV inverters are gaining popularity because of their improved efficiency, reduced size, and lower costs. However, they can induce a path for leakage currents between the PV and the grid due to the absence of galvanic isolation. This leads to serious electromagnetic interference, loss in efficiency, and safety concerns. The leakage current is primarily influenced by the nature of the common mode voltage (CMV), which is determined by the switching techniques of the inverter. In this paper, a novel inverter topology of Hysteresis Controlled H5 with Two Clamping Diodes (HCH5-D2) is derived. The HCH5-D2 topology helps decouple the AC part (Grid) and DC part (PV) during the freewheeling period to make the CMV constant, thereby reducing the leakage current. Additionally, the extra diodes help reduce voltage spikes generated during the freewheeling period and maintain the CMV at a constant value. Finally, a 2.2 kW grid-connected single-phase HCH5-D2 PV inverter system’s MATLAB simulation is presented, showing better results compared to a traditional H4 inverter.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Optimal Submodule Capacitor Sizing for Modular Multilevel Converters with Common Mode Voltage Injection and Circulating Current Control

Abstract - Modular multilevel converters (MMCs), with the filterless and transformer-less features, are considered as a promising topology for high-efficiency medium voltage (MV) high voltage (HV) drive systems. However, at low frequencies (< 30 Hz), a large current ripple flowing through the capacitors of each submodule will cause significant capacitor voltage fluctuation. This paper proposes an optimal submodule capacitor selection based on the common mode voltage injection. The proposed sizing model includes two functions: a) accurately estimating the capacitor voltage ripple based on the drive system parameters; and b) identifying the minimum capacitance of the submodule capacitors based on the allowed maximum capacitor voltage fluctuations. Simulation and hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) test results show that the error between the actual and estimated values of the voltage fluctuation is within 3% using the proposed model.

Capacitor Sizing↗

Time-domain detection of current controlled magnetization damping in Pt/Ni{sub 81}Fe{sub 19} bilayer and determination of Pt spin Hall angle

The effect of spin torque from the spin Hall effect in Pt/Ni{sub 81}Fe{sub 19} rectangular bilayer film was investigated using time-resolved magneto-optical Kerr microscopy. Current flow through the stack resulted in a linear variation of effective damping up to ±7%, attributed to spin current injection from the Pt into the Ni{sub 81}Fe{sub 19}. The spin Hall angle of Pt was estimated as 0.11 ± 0.03. The modulation of the damping depended on the angle between the current and the bias magnetic field. These results demonstrate the importance of optical detection of precessional magnetization dynamics for studying spin transfer torque due to spin Hall effect.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗