Extremum Seeking-Based Optimization of High Voltage Converter Modulator Rise-Time

We digitally implement an extremum seeking (ES) algorithm, which optimizes the rise time of the output voltage of a high voltage converter modulator (HVCM) at the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center by iteratively, simultaneously tuning the first eight switching edges of each of the three-phase drive waveforms (24 variables total). We achieve a 50 μs rise time, which is reduction in half, compared to the 100 μs achieved at the Spallation Neutron Source at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Considering that HVCMs typically operate with an output voltage of 100 kV, with a 60-Hz repetition rate, the 50 μs rise time reduction will result in very significant energy savings. The ES algorithm will prove successful, despite the noisy measurements and cost calculations, confirming the theoretical results that the algorithm is not affected by noise whose frequency components are independent of the perturbing frequencies.