US-invented power converter allows grid to accept power from renewable energy

Engineering researchers at the University of Arkansas in the US have invented an electrical power converter system that simultaneously accepts power from a variety of energy sources and converts it for use in the electrical grid system.

The availability and use of renewable energy sources, such as solar, geothermal and wind, and their associated harvesting systems increase the need for new power converters that can efficiently convert diverse energy sources to work across modern electrical grid systems.

Innovations in this field are considered critical in the US as the country moves towards integration of renewable energy sources to the national power grid.

Current renewable energy conversion systems are seen to be bulky and inefficient, and they struggle to accept multiple inputs from diverse sources.

The researchers’ high-frequency matrix converter addresses these shortcomings as its simplified control system uses power converters to allow connection of a variety of power sources to a small, high-frequency transformer. By then using a high-frequency matrix converter, it produces stable electricity ready to be supplied to the electrical grid system.

Doctoral student Joseph Carr developed the system alongside Juan Balda, university professor and head of the department of electrical engineering.

The US Department of Energy, which sponsored the research, was granted a US patent for the technology and is now seeking licensing opportunities for potential commercialisation.

This article was originally published on the University of Arkansas website. To read the original article, click here: http://news.uark.edu/articles/27423/u-of-a-research-team-invents-electrical-power-converter-for-renewable-energy.

Image courtesy of the University of Arkansas.