KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
Prof. Richard Cheung
P.Eng., Professor, Toronto Metropolitan University,Canada.
Incorporating Power Conversion Technology and SMR Nuclear Power Generation Technology
Power conversion technology has been used in the carbon-free nuclear power generations over several decades but mainly in the original configurations. Recently, the power conversion technology has advanced tremendously and various configurations of power conversions have been rapidly developed. However, they are rarely incorporated in the nuclear power generations. Why? The first part of this talk is to provide some insights as to why the application of modern power conversion configurations have been lagging or incompatible with nuclear power generations. This is based on the expertise and experience of working on-site at all Ontario Nuclear Generating Stations (NGS) (Bruce Power NGS 6500MW, Pickering NGS 3100MW, Darlington NGS 3500MW), as a senior designer, commissioner, and consultant in these NGS. Small Modular Reactor (SMR), the next-generation of nuclear technology, can produce clean, reliable and affordable power to entire communities and industries. Will this new nuclear generating technology provide a window for incorporating modern power conversion technology for operational and safety enhancement? The second part of this talk is to point out some directions for researching for potential incorporation of modern power conversion technology with SMR, to the extent without violating any contractual confidentiality. The SMR technology is new. Canada is at the planning stage for the SMR development in Darlington NGS, and China is at the forefront globally in terms of SMR construction. No operating record for the SMR is available, and very few literatures for SMR characteristics can be found. In the world of nuclear power generations, all operational aspects must be carefully assessed and all potential risk situations must be analyzed, detailed, and fully controlled. Is there any potential operational discrepancy for the SMR compared to a regular large nuclear reactor for electricity generation? The third part of this talk is to offer some insights of potential operational discrepancies and propose a study on the stability of the SMR generator if the existing station configurations are to be used with no changes. An investigation is proposed for the potential incorporation of the modern power conversion technology and the SMR technology for the enhancement on the operational stability and safety.
Prof. Song Ci
Professor, IEEE Fellow, Electrical Engineering Department of Tsinghua University, China.
Dynamic Reconfigurable Battery: Theory and Practice
Battery has been widely used in many applications, such as consumer electronics, electric vehicles, back power systems and grid-level energy storage systems. However, it is challenging to design an efficient, cost-effective, reliable and safe battery systems due to the fundamental mismatch between battery cell variation and fixed series-parallel battery pack configuration. Thus, dynamic reconfigurable battery is proposed to overcome battery cell variation problems by utilizing the cutting-edge power electronics semiconductors, leading to a paradigm-shifting approach to battery system development and operation. Through dynamic reconfigurable battery, traditional battery systems can be transformed from analog energy systems into their digital counterparts, which turning battery into digital energy assets and further to be seamlessly integrated with Internet ecosystem, leading to a whole new energy as a service (EAAS) to end users. In this talk, the design philosophy and the overarching system framework of dynamic reconfigurable battery will be discussed, and the effectiveness and efficiency of digital battery energy storage systems based on dynamic reconfigurable battery will be demonstrated by extensive experimental results and real-world case studies.
Prof. Xiongfei Wang
Professor, IEEE Fellow, the Department of Electrical Engineering, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
Harnessing Grid-Forming Converters for Sustainable Energy Systems
Modern energy grids are experiencing notable shifts propelled by the large-scale integration of renewable energy sources and the electrification of industrial and transportation sectors. Among these transformations, grid-forming power electronic converters stand out as pivotal building blocks in safeguarding grid stability and resilience. This talk will begin with a critical review of latest grid-forming capability requirements, and then explore the opportunities and challenges with the widespread adoption of grid-forming converters.
Prof. Dai Xin
Professor of the School of Automation, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China, and the Associate Director of National International Research Center of Wireless Power Transfer.
A Flexible Tuning Method for ZPA Frequency Operation of Multiple Excitation Units-WPT System by DC Input Voltages Regulation
This speech will present a flexible tuning method for zero phase angle (ZPA) frequency operation of a Multiple Excitation system at a constant frequency. This method can realize a dynamical tuning without additional variable inductor or capacitor. Only DC input regulation is utilized to realize a flexible tuning. This speech will introduce main principle of dynamical tuning and ZPA frequency regulation method.
