Date of Defense
14-4-2026 12:30 PM
Location
Building F1, Room 1164
Document Type
Thesis Defense
Degree Name
Master of Science in Electrical Engineering (MSEE)
College
College of Engineering
Department
Electrical Engineering
First Advisor
Addy Wahyudie
Keywords
Wave Energy Converter, multilevel converter, T-NPC, back-to-back converter, power quality, total harmonic distortion
Abstract
A Wave Energy Converter (WEC) is a device that transforms the kinetic energy of ocean waves into usable electrical energy. Wave energy has the potential to become a major renewable energy source soon, as its energy density is higher than that of solar and wind power, especially as its technology advances. This thesis addresses the integration of wave energy conversion systems into the electrical grid using back-to-back multilevel power converter topologies. The study focuses on the design and implementation of a back-to-back three-level T-type Neutral Point Clamped (T-NPC) converter for a single wave energy conversion system to enhance efficiency, reliability, and power quality. A comprehensive simulation-based evaluation will be conducted to assess the performance of the proposed topology compared with conventional two- and three-level Neutral Point Clamped (NPC) back-to-back converters under monochromatic and polychromatic wave conditions. The results demonstrate that the three-level T-NPC converter achieves improved loss characteristics, minimal total harmonic distortion in current (THDi), higher efficiency, better load sharing among switching devices, resulting in a longer lifespan and stable operation under dynamic sea-wave elevations under balanced load conditions. Consequently, the advancements made in this research will benefit the wave energy research community.
Included in
Performance Analysis of Back-to-Back Multilevel TNPC Converters for Wave Energy Converters
Building F1, Room 1164
A Wave Energy Converter (WEC) is a device that transforms the kinetic energy of ocean waves into usable electrical energy. Wave energy has the potential to become a major renewable energy source soon, as its energy density is higher than that of solar and wind power, especially as its technology advances. This thesis addresses the integration of wave energy conversion systems into the electrical grid using back-to-back multilevel power converter topologies. The study focuses on the design and implementation of a back-to-back three-level T-type Neutral Point Clamped (T-NPC) converter for a single wave energy conversion system to enhance efficiency, reliability, and power quality. A comprehensive simulation-based evaluation will be conducted to assess the performance of the proposed topology compared with conventional two- and three-level Neutral Point Clamped (NPC) back-to-back converters under monochromatic and polychromatic wave conditions. The results demonstrate that the three-level T-NPC converter achieves improved loss characteristics, minimal total harmonic distortion in current (THDi), higher efficiency, better load sharing among switching devices, resulting in a longer lifespan and stable operation under dynamic sea-wave elevations under balanced load conditions. Consequently, the advancements made in this research will benefit the wave energy research community.