This paper presents the study of conducted and radiated emissions due to common-mode (CM) currents flowing through the power cables of a DC–DC converter system. In order to predict the conducted electromagnetic interferences (EMI) emissions, a model of power converter system is presented. The finite-difference time-domain method (FDTD) is used for predicting the magnetic near field radiated by the power supply cable of a buck converter and that due to CM current flowing through the cable. The CM current resulting from the model is compared with the experimental ones and implemented in the FDTD algorithm as current source of disturbance. The comparison with experimental results shows the validity of the FDTD model over a wide frequency range. The goal of this study is to predict the level of conducted and radiated EMI emissions. Therefore, proposing and investigating a simple and effective filtering solution that allows to reduce the emissions located in the switching noise zone, the results show that the conducted and radiated emission levels can be reduced by as much as 30 dB when using this technique.

A novel rectifying circuit topology is proposed for converting electromagnetic pulse waves (PWs), that are collected by a wideband antenna, into dc voltage. The typical incident signal considered in this paper consists of 10-ns pulses modulated around 2.4 GHz with a repetition period of 100 ns. The proposed rectifying circuit topology comprises a double-current architecture with inductances that collect the energy during the pulse delivery as well as an output capacitance that maintains the dc output voltage between the pulses. Experimental results show that the efficiency of the rectifier reaches 64% for a mean available incident power of 4 dBm. Similar performances are achieved when a wideband antenna is combined with the rectifier in order to realize a rectenna. By increasing the repetition period of the incident PWs to 400 ns, the rectifier still operates with an efficiency of 52% for a mean available incident pulse power of -8 dBm. Finally, the proposed PW rectenna is tested for a wireless energy transmission application in a low-Q cavity. The time reversal technique is applied to focus PWs around the desired rectenna. Results show that the rectenna is still efficient when noisy PW is handled.

This paper presents a discrete conducted electromagnetic (EM) interference filter optimization procedure, based on a genetic algorithms. A macromodeling technique taking into account the load impedance, the source emissions and the filter parasitic components, including the filter layout, is used to obtain an accurate solution for the optimization process. The latter searches among supplier passive component databases and provides, for a given filter topology, an optimal set of components available on the market. This approach has been applied to a differential Class-D audio amplifier for validation. By considering the electromagnetic interference (EMI), the additional power losses introduced by the filter and the audio gain, two different optimization formulations have been tested. The first corresponds to maximizing the power efficiency of the system while respecting a determined level of EM emissions. The second corresponds to minimizing the EMI without exceeding a determined level of power loss. The optimized filters are built and measurements are carried out. The results show a remarkable power efficiency improvement and a significant EM emission reduction when compared to a reference filter.

In line with the trend toward continuous miniaturization and price reduction, it is crucial to analyze the impact of uncertainties on the performance of electrical circuits. Performance is evaluated for the worst-case scenario and in the frequency domain by computing upper and lower bounds. The purpose is not only to propose a method for the worst-case tolerance analysis but also to provide an efficient and a suitable tool for electrical engineers that can be easily applied to realistic electrical engineering problems. The proposed method is based on the robust analysis method (so-called μ-analysis) for which well known and efficient algorithms exist. However in order to apply it, the problem under consideration has to be transformed in a standard minimal so-called LFT representation. Its derivation is a difficult task even for control systems engineers. This paper proposes a transparent and systematic LFT derivation procedure for users based only on their knowledge of electrical engineering. At the end of this paper, an industrial example is provided, which reveals the benefits and the efficiency of the proposed approach, and how it can be applied to any linear electrical circuit.

Fast and very fast transient overvoltages generally appear during switching operations within electrical substations. The oscillatory nature of such phenomena with frequencies that can reach several tens of megahertz tends to degrade the lifetime of high voltage equipment such as bushings and transformers, inducing partial discharges activity or breakdown of the insulation system. According to several case studies, bushings are one of the most sensitive parts to such overvoltages, indeed, a failure in a bushing will in most cases lead to a failure of the transformer, often catastrophically. Generating such overvoltages with a very high frequency character and considerable amplitude can be very difficult, moreover, studying the effect of such overvoltages on the insulated bushings is not easy, even experimentally. Therefore, a simulation of the fast transients in the system can be very useful to understand the consequences of such phenomena. In this context, this document aims to propose a model of high voltage capacitive graded oil impregnated paper (OIP) bushing based on a distributed electrical circuit. The equivalent circuit is constructed based on the geometric design and electrical properties of the materials. The model was developed and implemented using Matlab/Simulink® software, and was validated with experimental measurements based on impedance sweep frequency analysis. The modeling results are in a good agreement with the experimental ones.

The system capable of harvesting RF energy from the environment through an antenna and converting it into direct current energy to deliver to a load is known as rectenna. The rectifier circuit is an important part of the rectenna and its modeling is arduous since it employs a non-linear device working at extremely low power levels. In addition, there are some losses in the system. Thus, the design of a high-efficient rectifier is a great challenge. In this work, several rectifier topologies are optimized, using the Genetic Algorithm, in order to achieve the highest efficiency and output voltage. An analysis of the influence of the variables on the output of these rectifiers was also performed. The topologies under investigation were optimized for-15 dBm input power and 2.45 GHz operating frequency, in accordance with the most suitable band for energy harvesting. Under these conditions, the Monodiode Series topology presents the best performance. When the input power is-15 dBm, it presents an output voltage of 402 mV and an efficiency of 51.3%. At that power level, the achieved efficiency is higher than that found in the literature.