Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE210100473
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$462,573.00
Summary
Breaking Performance Limits of Solar Inverters for a Sustainable Future. Micro-inverters offer a unique ability to maximise solar energy yield and streamline the installation, operation and maintenance process of solar power generation, thus having huge potentials to drastically reduce the cost of solar electricity. However, performance limits have hampered their wider applications in the energy sector. This project aims to tackle the performance challenges of micro-inverters by developing a nov ....Breaking Performance Limits of Solar Inverters for a Sustainable Future. Micro-inverters offer a unique ability to maximise solar energy yield and streamline the installation, operation and maintenance process of solar power generation, thus having huge potentials to drastically reduce the cost of solar electricity. However, performance limits have hampered their wider applications in the energy sector. This project aims to tackle the performance challenges of micro-inverters by developing a novel power-conversion architecture, a unified design framework, and a new control theory. The intended research outcome will be a new range of ultra-high-performance micro-inverters. This will promote greater solar uptake and maintain Australia’s leadership in the development of disruptive solar power generation technology.Read moreRead less
Low cost, efficient and more reliable power switching network. This project aims to propose new power electronics circuit integration concepts and control techniques to reduce power supply cost by at least 30 per cent while improving efficiency and reliability. Photovoltaic combined battery storage application will be implemented and tested in detail to demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed concepts. The outcomes of the project will benefit many emerging technologies such as electric vehic ....Low cost, efficient and more reliable power switching network. This project aims to propose new power electronics circuit integration concepts and control techniques to reduce power supply cost by at least 30 per cent while improving efficiency and reliability. Photovoltaic combined battery storage application will be implemented and tested in detail to demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed concepts. The outcomes of the project will benefit many emerging technologies such as electric vehicles, renewable energy and energy storage systems, wireless communications and portable devices.Read moreRead less
Extending the lifetime of switching power converters. This project aims to address the need for longer lifespan of power conversion systems which can withstand failure of its key components. This is achieved through developing more reliable power converter circuits whilst reducing the stress of the components. This project will generate new circuit design and control techniques for power and energy systems, especially in dealing with reliability issues. Expected outcome of this project includes ....Extending the lifetime of switching power converters. This project aims to address the need for longer lifespan of power conversion systems which can withstand failure of its key components. This is achieved through developing more reliable power converter circuits whilst reducing the stress of the components. This project will generate new circuit design and control techniques for power and energy systems, especially in dealing with reliability issues. Expected outcome of this project includes reduction of failure rate of power converters by at least 50%. This should provide benefits for many sectors including emerging technologies in particular renewable energy, electric vehicles and energy storage systems seeking reliable power supply and for the environment with reduced e-waste production.Read moreRead less
Integrated energy conversion and management systems in silicon-on-sapphire. The aim of this research is to develop specialised "power-supply-on-a-chip" integrated circuits (ICs) for efficient conversion and management of electrical energy. The project will utilise and develop the unique local expertise and IC fabrication capability in silicon-on-sapphire technology in partnership with Sapphicon Semiconductor Pty. Ltd. The ICs developed will be used to improve the performance of small-scale elect ....Integrated energy conversion and management systems in silicon-on-sapphire. The aim of this research is to develop specialised "power-supply-on-a-chip" integrated circuits (ICs) for efficient conversion and management of electrical energy. The project will utilise and develop the unique local expertise and IC fabrication capability in silicon-on-sapphire technology in partnership with Sapphicon Semiconductor Pty. Ltd. The ICs developed will be used to improve the performance of small-scale electric power and transport systems based on alternative energy sources, thereby assisting energy self-sufficiency in rural and remote communities and reducing Australia's dependence on fossil and other non-renewable fuels. Sales of the ICs will also generate export income for Australian industry.Read moreRead less