Project

# Title Team Members TA Documents Sponsor
54 GaN-Based Dual DC-DC Converter for EV Auxiliary Systems
 Marwan Eladl
Sanat Pandey
Tony Xu
 Chaitanya Sindagi design_document1.pdf
final_paper1.pdf
proposal1.pdf
Marwan Eladl (meladl2)

Sanat Pandey (sanatp2)

Tony Xu (tonyx2)

Idea Post Link: https://courses.engr.illinois.edu/ece445/pace/view-topic.asp?id=66363


**Problem statement**

Electric Vehicle auxiliary systems such as air conditioning (up to 30%) and heating system (up to 35%) severely reduce the vehicles range. DC-DC converters are used to go from 200-800V battery to 48V or 12V battery to power these systems in EVs. Most converters are rated for high currents hence are inefficient for lower currents. This means that during various situations such as when the car is idle, there is power wastage.

**Solution Overview**

We believe the solution is to use 2 DC-DC converters, one designed with high efficiency at high current and the other at low current. Using control logic one converter will be turned off while the other one is on based on the current being pulled. The output will be taken differentially with one of the outputs inverted. The voltages we will be using to test our design will be 200V to simulate the car’s propulsion battery and 12 V to be supplied to auxiliary components.

**Solution Components**

Power Converters: Used to convert the high voltage input into a low power output, consists of two parallel GaN down converters.

Switching Interface: A control circuit which switches between the two converters. This module will take in input from the current sensor.

Current Sensor: A circuit that senses whether or not the auxiliary systems are experiencing high or lower current draws. This module will send control information to the switching interface.

Differential Output Circuit: This module allows one of the outputs from the down converters to be the positive terminal of our output and flips the polarity of the other converter to be the negative terminal. It then will take the differential output of these two circuits to be our 12V output.

Bonus Module: Because there needs to be at least one converter working at all times, a microcontroller could be used to allow for this safety measure. This is not a top priority because we are focused on hardware that allows for more efficient power conversion to the auxiliary systems.


**Criteria for Success**

- Have minimal reduction in the efficiency in high current mode in comparison to a standard single DC-DC converter, which is generally designed for high current
- Have a significant increase in efficiency for low current mode than the standard DC-DC converter.

The Marching Band Assistant

Wynter Chen, Alyssa Louise Licudine, Prashant Shankar

The Marching Band Assistant

Featured Project

NetID/Names

wynterc2 (Wynter Chen), alyssal3 (Alyssa Licudine), shankar7 (Prashant Shankar)

Problem

Drum majors lead and conduct marching bands. One of their main jobs is to maintain tempo for the musicians by moving their hands in specific patterns. However, many drum majors, especially high school students, need to learn how to conduct specific tempos off the top of their head and maintain a consistent tempo without assistance for performances. Even those with musical experience have difficulty knowing for certain what tempo they're conducting without a metronome.

Solution Overview

Our project consists of an arm attachment that aids drum major conducting. The attachment contains an accelerometer that helps determine the tempo in beats per minute via hand movement. A display shows the beats per minute, which allows the drum major to adjust their speed as necessary in real time. The microcontroller data is wirelessly transmitted, and a program can be downloaded that not only visualizes the data in real-time, but provides an option to save recorded data for later. There is also a convenient charging port for the device.

This project is a unique invention that aims to help marching bands. There have been previous projects and inventions that have also digitized the conducting experience, such as the Digital Conducting Baton from Spring 2015. However, these have been in the form of a baton rather than a glove, and are used to alter music files as opposed to providing feedback. Additionally, orchestra conductors use very delicate motions with a baton, while drum majors create large, sharper motions with their arms; thus, we believed that an arm attachment was better suited for marching band usage. Unlike other applications that only integrate digital instruments, this project seeks to assist live performers.

Link to RFA: https://courses.grainger.illinois.edu/ece445/pace/view-topic.asp?id=37939

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