Dr. Akshay Kumar Rathore of Concordia University

Sinusoidal Pulse Width Modulation (SPWM) technique has been a powerful method to generate sine waveform at inverter output from a fixed dc link input. Similarly, space vector modulation (SVM) has been widely adopted to produce the three-phase sine AC output from a fixed dc link. These two modulation techniques are implemented on 3-phase 3-leg (6 switches) six-step inverter topology if the dc link voltage is much higher than desired three-phase rms output. However, if the source/dc link voltage is lower or much lower than ac rms output, then frond-end dc/dc converters becomes necessary. To implement existing SVM or carrier based modulation, traditionally large number of semiconductor devices, three-phase magnetics, and bulky unreliable electrolytic capacitor are employed to develop a high voltage dc link at inverter input. Novel Single-reference-Six-Pulse Modulation (SRSPM) substantially reduces the number of semiconductor devices and magnetics and eliminates the dc link electrolytic capacitor allowing pulsating dc link voltage waveform at the inverter input. It significantly reduces the cost, size, and weight and improves reliability of the system. The control complexity is much simplified because of the reduced reference signals generation and gate driving requirements . This novel SRSPM is simple and results in saving of 87% switching losses. The concept has been experimentally implemented and demonstrated with closed loop control to achieve 97% efficiency at low voltage high current specifications.

Biography:

Akshay Kumar Rathore received the M.Tech. degree in Electrical Machines and Drives from the Indian Institute of Technology (BHU), Varanasi, India, in 2003 and Ph.D. degree in Power Electronics from University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada, in 2008. He had two Postdoctoral Research Appointments with the University of Wuppertal, Germany, and University of Illinois at Chicago, IL, USA. He served as an Assistant Professor in Electrical and Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore. He is currently an Associate Professor in Electrical and Computer Engineering, Concordia University, Montreal, Canada.

He has published more than 200 research papers in international journals and conferences including 76 IEEE Transactions. His research is mainly focused on current-fed converters, high-frequency soft-switching converters, and multilevel inverters. 

He received the Gold Medal during his M.Tech. degree for securing highest academic standing among all electrical engineering specializations. He received the 2013 IEEE IAS Andrew W. Smith Outstanding Young Member Achievement Award, 2014 Isao Takahashi Power Electronics Award, and 2017 IEEE IES Davin J Irwin Early Career Award.