Iranian Scientists Make Special Convertor to Stabilize Electrical Voltage

An article titled ‘An Isolated SEPIC-Based AC-AC Converter for Voltage Sag/Swell Mitigation’ about the product was published by Mohammad Arasteh, a faculty member of the Electrical Engineering Department of the Faculty of Engineering and Technology of the University of Science and Culture, in collaboration with the Iranian and international researchers in the international journal IET Power Electronics, with an impact factor of 1.7, and in the Q2 quartile.

In this article, a new and efficient topology of AC-AC step-up-down converters is introduced, which is based on the SEPIC structure with high-frequency isolation. This converter is capable of performing voltage conversion in a wide range, both in step-up and step-down modes, and with in-phase or anti-phase output.

The outstanding features of this structure include low harmonic input current, good performance with non-unity power factor loads, significant reduction in switching losses due to high frequency switching in only one of the switches, and elimination of the need for snubber circuits.

The bipolar output version of this converter is also capable of direct connection to the load and operates in applications like dynamic voltage compensator (DVR) without the need for a line frequency transformer. Tests conducted on a 250 W hardware sample confirm the accuracy of the theoretical performance and prove the ability of the converter to cope with severe voltage fluctuations (over 50%).

A converter is an electrical circuit which accepts a DC input and generates a DC output of a different voltage, usually achieved by high frequency switching action employing inductive and capacitive filter elements.

A power converter is an electrical circuit that changes the electric energy from one form into the desired form optimized for the specific load. A converter may do one or more functions and give an output that differs from the input. It is used to increase or decrease the magnitude of the input voltage, invert polarity, or produce several output voltages of either the same polarity with the input, different polarity, or mixed polarities such as in the computer power supply unit.

In a relevant development in 2022, an engineering company in Iran had also produced a high-quality electronic circuit convertor at a lower price compared to the European products.

The electronic circuit converter converts direct electric current to alternating current with desired frequency and voltage.

“Production of the low-cost electronic circuit converter domestically has decreased the country's need for imports,” Fatemeh Nasrollahzadeh, a member of the board of directors of Pouya San’at Madar engineering company, said.

“A converter consists of electronic components called inductors and capacitors which cause the output current to rise or fall slowly. Converters can be used together with transformers to convert a certain direct current input voltage to a completely different alternating current output voltage,” she added.

Nasrollahzadeh explained that the converter is capable of producing more than 90% useful energy and the electric pulses are produced directly when the on and off switch is activated, therefore, the current should be reversed 50 to 60 times in one second, in order to produce an alternating current which is carried out by the converter.

She added that the electronic power converters that are used in controlling and operating electric machines, including inductive, synchronous and direct current machines are known as electric machine drives or remote control drives that are used in various industries.

Nasrollahzadeh said that the Iran-made electronic circuit convertors are presented to the market at lower price than the Europe-made products.

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