The Z-source converter as an introduction to power electronics and undergraduate research

This paper presents the undergraduate research experience for electrical engineering students without previous knowledge of the area of power electronics. The paper is divided in two parts: the undergraduate research experience and the analysis of the Z-source. In the first part of the paper, the dynamic model that describes the operation of the Z-Source under resonance is analyzed. The Z-source topology is very simple to describe: two-port networks that consist of capacitors C_a and C_b and a split- inductor L_a and L_b connected in X shape. In the paper, the Z-Source is injected with different type of waveforms including square waveforms (produced by inverters or multilevel), harmonic injection, and random noise injected to the fundamental (sine) waveform. The second part of the paper present the undergraduate research experience analyzing the Z-source under resonant conditions. Several goals were obtained: 1) the undergraduate student was exposed to new circuit topologies in the area of power electronics, 2) interest about the new technologies developed in the field of power electronics, and 3) to familiarize the undergraduate student with typical software used in the industry such as Saber, Simulink, P-Spice, etc. It is important to point that most of the work related to the Z-source topology had been done in the past by graduate students as their dissertation work. But due the fact of the Z-source simple configuration, an interesting approach had been done as an introductory topology to undergraduates without previous knowledge of power electronics.