High Frequency Applications in Power Electronics: Wireless Power Transfer & Power Line Communication

Power electronics is the engineering field that deals with the control and conversion of electrical power from one form to another. With the increasing demand for high efficiency, low cost, and compact size, power electronics has become an essential technology in modern electrical systems. The two areas of focus for this dissertation are wireless power transfer (WPT) and power line communication (PLC), which are among the most active research areas in high-frequency power electronics. WPT is a technology that enables the transfer of electrical energy from a power source to a device without the need for physical contact. The technology has numerous applications, including the wireless charging of mobile devices, medical implants, and electric vehicles (EV). The dissertation presents two different power and frequency level applications of WPT - biomedical implants, and EVs - which involve the design and optimization of high-frequency resonant circuits and the analysis of electromagnetic interference (EMI) safety issue. High-frequency resonant circuits including the coil couplers are critical components of WPT systems, and their design and optimization can significantly improve efficiency and performance while avoiding health safety concerns. Additionally, PLC is a technology that enables data communication over power lines, which are already installed and available. The technology has numerous applications, including smart grid, home automation, and broadband internet access. In this dissertation, two-frequency shift keying (2FSK) method for high-frequency AC microgrid inverter communication is studied, which involves the design of high-speed modulation technique and the analysis of AC microgrid. High-speed and robust communication techniques are critical for ensuring the reliable and secure operation of the rapidly evolving microgrids.