The research group operates in the field of power electronic converters and high-performance electric drives, developing innovative solutions for industrial applications, electric mobility, high-speed machines, and energy generation from renewable sources such as photovoltaic and wind energy conversion.
The group’s expertise ranges from analysis and design of power conversion circuits, to prototype development and experimental testing, as well as the implementation of digital control strategies and advanced diagnostic and fault-tolerant algorithms.
Power Electronic Converters
The group’s activities cover a wide range of conversion topologies—DC-DC, DC-AC, AC-DC, and AC-AC—including both traditional solutions and innovative architectures such as multilevel, multiphase, matrix, back-to-back, dual two-level, resonant, and soft-switching converters.
The main goal is to achieve high efficiency, compactness, and reliability, meeting the needs of modern high-power-density systems.
Special attention is dedicated to converters based on Wide Band Gap (WBG) semiconductors (SiC and GaN), which enable high switching frequencies, reduced losses, and minimized passive component size. These devices are used in the development of T-NPC, E-NPC, and Modular Multilevel Converter (MMC) topologies, in both three-phase and multiphase configurations.
The group is also active in developing power-conditioning solutions based on Active Front End converters, used for the harmonic and transient distortion mitigation, and dynamic reactive-power control, contributing to improved power quality and overall system stability.
Electric Drives
The group designs and develops variable-speed drives for DC machines, induction machines, permanent-magnet synchronous machines (SPMSM and IPM), and multiphase machines.
Particular focus is placed on drives for high- and ultra-high-speed electrical machines (up to 100,000 rpm), including the development of field-weakening strategies and delay-compensation techniques to ensure stability, accuracy, and maximum efficiency even under critical operating conditions.
The group also has advanced expertise in sensorless control (position-sensorless operation) and fault-tolerant control to guarantee operational continuity in the presence of multiple faults.
The analyzed faults include: open-phase and open-switch faults in converters, partial or localized demagnetization of permanent magnets, inter-turn short circuits in stator windings of synchronous machines, and rotor bar faults in induction machines.
Experimental validation is carried out through dedicated test benches and real-time testing platforms, enabling realistic assessment of system behavior under operating conditions.
Control, Validation, and Digital Twin
Control and modulation strategies are designed to minimize losses, reduce current ripple, and improve voltage and current quality, ensuring high performance even under variable operating conditions.
A key aspect of the research activity is the integration of hardware and software, aimed at optimized design and accurate system validation.
To this end, the group employs Hardware-In-the-Loop (HIL) and Power Hardware-In-the-Loop (PHIL) platforms, allowing real-time verification of control algorithms and power converters under realistic conditions.
In parallel, Digital Twin models of converters, electrical machines, and drives are developed, capable of reproducing the real-time behavior of physical systems for predictive analysis, diagnostics, and performance optimization.
Main Research Activities
- Design and optimization of power electronic converters for industrial, traction, and renewable-energy applications.
- Development of modulation and digital control strategies to maximize efficiency, power density, and power quality.
- Design of innovative multiphase, matrix, and soft-switching converters.
- Advanced control of multilevel converters (T-NPC, MMC, Diode-Clamped, E-type, Cascaded H-Bridge).
- Analysis and development of converters using Wide Band Gap semiconductors (SiC, GaN).
- Hardware–software integration and real-time validation using HIL and PHIL platforms.
- Power conditioning and power-quality improvement using Active Front End converters.
- Electric drives for DC, induction, SPMSM/IPM synchronous, and multiphase machines.
- Drives for high- and ultra-high-speed machines (up to 100 kRPM).
- Sensorless and fault-tolerant control for three-phase and multiphase machines.
- Diagnosis and fault-tolerant control strategies for converters and electrical machines and drives (open-phase, open-switch, demagnetization, inter-turn short circuit, rotor faults).
- Experimental analysis and validation of prototypes, with emphasis on reliability, efficiency, and industrial scalability.
Laboratory Equipment
The laboratory is equipped with a wide range of instruments for the design, testing, and validation of power-conversion systems and electric drives:
- Rapid prototyping systems: 3 dSPACE platforms (1 MicroLabBox, 2 ds1104) and 1 RTBox 3 for HIL and PHIL testing.
- Drive test benches: 5 benches up to 50 Nm and 5000 rpm, with high-precision torque and speed sensors.
- High-speed machine setups: 2 dedicated low-torque benches up to 100,000 rpm.
- Special electrical machines:
- 1 five-phase wound-rotor induction machine;
- 2 six-phase synchronous machines for demagnetization and inter-turn short-circuit testing;
- 3 induction machines with 7, 9, and 12 phases (squirrel-cage rotor);
- 3-phase and 5-phase tubular linear actuators.
- Power converters:
- Three-phase and multiphase SiC/GaN 3-level and 5-level inverters (T-NPC, E-NPC, MMC);
- Multiphase two-level SiC/GaN converters;
- Resonant and soft-switching converters.
- Measurement equipment:
- Precision three-phase and six-phase wattmeters;
- High-bandwidth digital oscilloscopes;
Systems for electrical and mechanical quantities acquisition.
Settori ERC
- PE7_1 - Control engineering
- PE7_2 - Electrical and electronic engineering: semiconductors, components, systems
- PE8_6 - Energy systems (production distribution, application)
Scientific Coordinator: Prof. Angelo Tani