Power electronics and interconnected applications

The strategic role of power electronics is steadily increasing as a consequence of stricter requirements on energy saving and utilization of renewable energy sources for decelerating the observed atmospheric climate changes and ensuring the availability of energy in the future. Without utilization of power electronic converters the above stated targets cannot be obtained. Power electronic research and teaching have been topology driven neglecting largerly the dynamics associated to the power electronic converters and the interconnected systems based on them. Most of the problems in the industrial power electronic products are associated to the dynamic phenomena caused by the control anomalies in the converters and the interactions between them and/or with the LC resonant elements within the system. The research has been concentrating on modelling the dynamics of the converters and the interconnected systems in such a way that the origin of the phenomena is understood leading to deterministic corrective measures based on control engineering and system dynamics. The recent research has main focus on the interconnected renewable energy systems, which are turned out to be poorly understood.

Contact person: Prof. Teuvo Suntio