He received the M.Sc. degree in electrical engineering under the Graduate Program in Electrical Engineering (PPGEL) UFSJ/CEFET-MG from UFSJ in 2015 and the doctorate in electrical engineering under the Graduate Program in Electrical Engineering (PPGEL) from the Federal University of Uberlândia (UFU), Uberlândia, in 2023. Since 2014, he has held the position of Electrical Engineer in the Projects and Works Division with UFSJ. His research interests include motor drives, multilevel inverters, battery energy storage systems (BESS), and microgrids.
RESEARCH, TEACHING, or OTHER INTERESTS
Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment, Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering, Building and Construction
17
Scopus Publications
54
Scholar Citations
4
Scholar h-index
2
Scholar i10-index
Scopus Publications
Reliability Analysis of IGBT Modules of Multilevel Inverters Operating in Hostile Mining Environments Caio E. Silva, Gabriela Lígia Reis, André Mendonça Alzamora, Hélder de Paula IEEE Transactions on Industry Applications, 2025 Throughout many Industries, pulse width modulation voltage source inverters (PWM-VSI) are commonly utilized within adjustable speed drives (ASD) to control induction motors. For many application within various heavy industries, the cables connecting the output of some ASDs to their motor loads can be extremely long. These long cable applications can cause several operational challenges. As an innovative solution, an alternative system configuration has been previously proposed, in which the rectifier is kept in its typical location, and the inverter bridge and DC bus capacitors are installed near the driven motor. The long cables running from the ASD to the motor are used as a DC transmission line, mitigating the high-frequency problems resulting from the inverter-cable-motor interaction. However, new concerns regarding the reliability of the power devices arise once the inverter is installed in harsh ambient conditions. In this context, this work proposes a reliability analysis of such drive configuration, applying the physics of failure (PoF) approach combined with the design for reliability methodology to carry out the design adjustments to achieve the reliability and minimizing implementation costs required for the application, focusing on the inverter IGBT modules. The results show that a three-level active neutral point clamped inverter (3L-ANPC) topology, applying two pulse width modulation (PWM) strategies and 400 Amp.–6.5 kV IGBTs, would be the most appropriate from this study's reliability and feasibility analyses.
Tool for the Assessment of the Savings in the Cable Acquisition When Employing DC Transmission in Long Distance AC Drives André M. Alzamora, Caio Eduardo Silva, Marco T. A. Êvo, Hélder de Paula IEEE Transactions on Industry Applications, 2025 Throughout different stages of the mining processes, alternating current (AC) motors powered by pulse width modulation (PWM) converters are employed, typically connected by extensive cable lengths. While these drives bring forth significant advantages, they also give rise to challenges associated with high-frequency problems, which, in turn, reduce the operational lifespan of the system components. Off-the-shelf solutions, involving the incorporation of passive filters, tend to adversely affect both the cost and efficiency of the system, justifying research for new alternatives. A recent proposal suggests a distinctive approach, wherein the frequency converter is divided into its rectifier and inverter units. The former is situated in its original location, while the latter is positioned close to the load. Consequently, the drive system operates with direct current (DC) for electric power transmission. This innovative topology not only eliminates the high-frequency problems but also substantially enhances efficiency while reducing costs of the transmission. Prior research has demonstrated the potential of this alternative drive topology, particularly through case studies in low- and medium-voltage systems within mining plants. In this paper, the economic and energy efficiency potentials of such DC transmission drives regarding the power transmission are examined using reference graphs that offer insights beyond conventional case studies. These graphs represent decision-making tools, allowing for a quick and accessible assessment of the economic viability of the alternative topology for a wide range of powers and drive distances. The main aspects related to the methodology, along with relevant technical discussions, are addressed.
Design for Reliability of DC-Link Capacitors for Multilevel Inverter Topologies Operating in Hostile Environments Caio Eduardo Silva, André M. Alzamora, Marco T. A. Êvo, Hélder de Paula IEEE Transactions on Industry Applications, 2024 Especially in the mining industry, Pulse Width Modulated Voltage Source Converters (PWM-VSC) are commonly used to drive induction motors at long distances from the inverter. However, this can cause unwanted high-frequency phenomena due to the long cables used for the converter-to-motor connection. A new configuration has been proposed to address this issue, keeping the rectifier in its original location while installing the inverter bridge close to the motor terminals. However, this new configuration can compromise the inverter's lifetime in hostile environments. This paper presents a study on the reliability of DC-Link capacitors for Three Level Neutral Point Clamped (3L-NPC), Three Level Active Neutral Point Clamped (3L-ANPC), and Five Level H-Bridge Neutral Point Clamped (5L-HNPC) inverter topologies in these environments, using methodologies based on Physics of Failure (PoF) and Design for Reliability (DfR).
Tool for the Assessment of the Savings in the Cable Acquisition When Employing DC Transmission in Long Distance Drives André M. Alzamora, Caio Eduardo Silva, Marco T. A. Êvo, Hélder de Paula Record of Conference Papers Annual Petroleum and Chemical Industry Conference, 2024 Throughout different stages of the mining processes, alternating current (AC) motors powered by pulse width modulation (PWM) converters are employed, typically connected by extensive cable lengths. While these drives bring forth significant advantages, they also give rise to challenges associated with high-frequency problems, which, in turn, reduce the operational lifespan of the system components. Off-the-shelf solutions, involving the incorporation of passive filters, tend to adversely affect both the cost and efficiency of the system, justifying research for new alternatives. A recent proposal suggests a distinctive approach, wherein the frequency converter is divided into its rectifier and inverter units. The former is situated in its original location, while the latter is positioned close to the load. Consequently, the drive system operates with direct current (DC) for electric power transmission. This innovative topology not only eliminates the high-frequency problems but also substantially enhances efficiency while reducing costs of the transmission. Prior research has demonstrated the potential of this alternative drive topology, particularly through case studies in low- and medium-voltage systems within mining plants. In this paper, the economic and energy efficiency potentials of such DC transmission drives regarding the power transmission are examined using reference graphs that offer insights beyond conventional case studies. These graphs represent decision-making tools, allowing for a quick and accessible assessment of the economic viability of the alternative topology for a wide range of powers and drive distances. The main aspects related to the methodology, along with relevant technical discussions, are addressed.
RELIABILITY ANALYSIS OF IGBT MODULES OF MULTILEVEL INVERTERS OPERATING IN HOSTILE ENVIRONMENTS Caio Eduardo Silva, Gabriela Lígia Reis, André M. Alzamora, Hélder de Paula Record of Conference Papers Annual Petroleum and Chemical Industry Conference, 2024 Throughout the industry, pulse width modulation voltage source inverters (PWM-VSI) are commonly utilized with adjustable speed drives (ASD) to control, most commonly, induction motors. Especially in the mining and petroleum industries, long cables connecting motors and inverters are often present, which can cause several problems. As an innovative solution, an alternative system configuration has been previously proposed, in which the rectifier is kept in its typical location, and the inverter bridge and DC bus capacitors are installed near the driven motor. Long cables are used as a DC transmission line, mitigating the high-frequency problems resulting from the inverter-cable-motor interaction. On the other hand, new concerns regarding the reliability of the power devices arise once the inverter is installed in harsh ambient conditions. In this context, this work proposes a reliability analysis of such drive configuration, applying the physics of failure (PoF) approach combined with the design for reliability (DfR) methodology to carry out the design adjustments to achieve the reliability required for the application, focusing on the inverter IGBT modules. Moreover, this paper will evaluate widely accepted multilevel inverter topologies and modulation strategies, verifying those capable of minimizing implementation costs and ensuring adequate reliability indexes for the system—aiming to enable the commercial use of this promising configuration. The results show that a three-level active neutral point clamped inverter (3L-ANPC) topology applying two pulse width modulation (PWM) strategies and 400 A – 6.5 kV IGBTs would be the most appropriate from this study's reliability and feasibility analyses.
Electrostatic Shielding for Bearing Current Mitigation-An Analysis of its Thermal Impact on the Motor Marco Túlio Alves Êvo, Arismar M. G. Júnior, Caio Eduardo Silva, Hélder de Paula IEEE Transactions on Industry Applications, 2023 This work presents a study on the use of electrostatic shields to reduce bearing currents (both Electrostatic discharge machining and circulating currents), focusing on its thermal impact on the motor operation. 2-D finite element models are utilized to analyze the temperature distribution inside the coil winding slot of motors both with and without shielding. The results show that the shielding device can be used with a negligible influence on the temperature rise inside the slot. In addition, it is demonstrated that for some shield configurations, the stator winding eddy current loss can be attenuated. In such cases, the shield presence can also lead to a temperature reduction in the stator conductors. Furthermore, the developed models can be expanded to be used in the analysis of any other motor equipped with this type of solution, aiding the design and implementation of the shielding device. Keeping in mind that the majority of the motor failures are due to bearing problems, this article contributes to the industry by addressing issues closely related to the reliability topic, such as solutions to increase the motor availability, which is the very case of the shielding device.
Electrostatic Shield to Mitigate the High Frequency Circulating Bearing Current-A Study for Design Guidelines Marco Túlio Alves Êvo, Caio Eduardo Silva, Isabela O. Zaparolli, Hélder de Paula IEEE Transactions on Industry Applications, 2023 In a previous work, the authors addressed electrostatic shielding to reduce the bearing discharge currents (electrostatic discharge machining currents - EDM). In order to expand the application of such a shielding device, this article presents an analysis of its use to reduce the inverter-induced circulating bearing currents on induction machines. Employing finite element analysis (FEA), 2D, and 3D models were developed to clarify the tradeoff between the shield effectiveness and the associated additional heat losses and motor efficiency reduction, considering different geometric arrangements and materials for the shielding device construction. The results provide very good guidelines for the shield design, contributing to its practical application viability. It is shown that it is possible to design a shielding configuration that achieves a high mitigating level with a negligible impact on the motor efficiency and developed torque. Furthermore, comparing calculation models of different complexities, the article also shows the importance of representing all capacitive couplings inside the motor and the non-uniform current distribution in the shield to determine its effectiveness. Since a large fraction of the motor failures are caused by bearing currents, this article can provide benefits to key topics for industry, such as equipment reliability and availability.
Selection of attributes for partial discharge localization in transformer windings Arismar M. G. Júnior, Marco Túlio A. Evo, Caio Eduardo Silva, Hélder De Paula 2023 15th IEEE International Conference on Industry Applications Induscon 2023 Proceedings, 2023 Nowadays, machine learning methods have been widely used in the detection, diagnosis, and localization of Partial Discharges (PDs) in power transformers, such a fact that allows early identification of failures in the insulating system and the proper scheduling of maintenance activities. Before the classifiers training stage, however, features extraction and selection from the PDs signals is a fundamental step, procedures directly related to the models' validation performance, and that can avoid their overfitting. Therefore, in this paper, methods for features extraction and selection are investigated, regarding the PDs location between layers and sections of the transformers windings. For this purpose, features extracted from the PDs' high-frequency current signals were selected by the Stepwise, SVM-RFE, and CasCor methods, being the resulting subsets applied in the training of SVM classifiers constituting a localization system. The results show that the features subset arising from the CasCor selection method provides SVM models with better performance for locating PDs, either between layers or sections of the winding.
Design for Reliability (DFR) of DC-Link Capacitors for Multilevel Inverter Topologies Operating in Hostile Environments Caio Eduardo Silva, AndréM. Alzamora, Marco T. A. Êvo, Hélder De Paula Record of Conference Papers Annual Petroleum and Chemical Industry Conference, 2023 Especially in the mining industry, Pulse Width Modulated Voltage Source Converters (PWM-VSC) driving induction motors at long distances from the inverter is common. Due to the long cable used for the converter-to-motor connection, several unwanted high-frequency phenomena occur. A new configuration for these motor drive systems was previously proposed to address this situation. The new configuration involves keeping the rectifier in its original location, while the inverter bridge is installed close to the motor terminals, and long cables are used as a DC transmission line. The environment in which the inverter will now be located is more hostile and can compromise the inverter’s lifetime. This situation creates new concerns about the system’s reliability, despite the various advantages of this new configuration. This paper presents a study on the reliability of the DC-Link capacitors for Three Level Neutral Point Clamped (3L-NPC) and Three Level Active Neutral Point Clamped (3L-ANPC) inverter topologies when operating in aggressive environments. For this purpose, methodologies based on Physics of Failure (PoF) and Design for Reliability (DfR) were used. In this sense, an investigation was conducted to find the configurations best suited to improve the solution regarding reliability, cost, energy, and volume.
Evaluating a New Configuration for Medium-Voltage Drive Systems in a Mining Plant André M. Alzamora, Caio Eduardo Silva, Marco T. A. Êvo, Hélder De Paula Record of Conference Papers Annual Petroleum and Chemical Industry Conference, 2023 Large AC motors are ubiquitous in the mining industry, and these often require medium-voltage (MV) converters. Generally, long cables provide the connection between the variable speed drive (VSD) and the motor, which increases problems involving high frequency currents and overvoltages. These undesired phenomena are attenuated by large, heavy and expensive inverter output filters. As an alternative solution to such problems, the authors have proposed, in previous works, the separation of the frequency converter into its rectifier and inverter units, where the rectifier remains in its original location and the inverter is placed beside the motor, thus establishing a DC transmission link through the long cable. Such a configuration naturally (i) mitigates the high-frequency phenomena, (ii) reduces the voltage drop along the cable, and (Hi) can result in substantial copper savings. Until the present moment, the evaluations performed on the proposed topology was aimed at low voltage mining applications, which have shown excellent results. However, since MV drive systems are common in the mining industry, the proposed drive topology should also be analyzed considering this application. In this way, this paper evaluates the copper and energy savings obtained through this alternative drive topology by means of a case study involving three MV motor drive systems situated in a mining plant.
Tool for the Assessment of the Savings in the Cable Acquisition When Employing DC Transmission in Long Distance AC Drives AM Alzamora, CE Silva, MTA Êvo, H de Paula IEEE Transactions on Industry Applications 61 (4), 6810-6821 , 2025 2025 Citations: 2
Reliability analysis of IGBT modules of multilevel inverters operating in hostile mining environments CE Silva, GL Reis, AM Alzamora, H de Paula IEEE Transactions on Industry Applications 61 (4), 6798-6809 , 2025 2025 Citations: 3
Reliability analysis of igbt modules of multilevel inverters operating in hostile environments CE Silva, GL Reis, AM Alzamora, H de Paula 2024 IEEE IAS Petroleum and Chemical Industry Technical Conference (PCIC), 1-10 , 2024 2024 Citations: 2
Design for Reliability of DC-Link Capacitors for Multilevel Inverter Topologies Operating in Hostile Environments CE Silva, AM Alzamora, MTA Êvo, H de Paula IEEE Transactions on Industry Applications 60 (4), 5882 - 5892 , 2024 2024 Citations: 12
Seleção de Atributos para a Localização de Descargas Parciais nos Enrolamentos de Transformadores AMG Júnior, MTA Evo, CE Silva, H De Paula 2023 15th IEEE International Conference on Industry Applications (INDUSCON … , 2023 2023
Análise da viabilidade e da confiabilidade de uma configuração alternativa de conversores de frequência para o acionamento de motores distantes e em ambientes e hostis CE Silva Universidade Federal de Uberlândia , 2023 2023
Electrostatic Shielding for Bearing Current Mitigation - An Analysis of its Thermal Impact on the Motor MTA ÊVO, AMG JÚNIOR, CE SILVA, H DE PAULA 2022 IEEE IAS Petroleum and Chemical Industry Technical Conference (PCIC … , 2023 2023 Citations: 5
Evaluating a New Configuration for Medium-Voltage Drive Systems in a Mining Plant MTAÊHDP A. M. Alzamora, C. E. Silva 2023 IEEE IAS Petroleum and Chemical Industry Technical Conference (PCIC … , 2023 2023 Citations: 1
Design for Reliability (DFR) of DC-Link Capacitors for Multilevel Inverter Topologies Operating in Hostile Environments MTAÊHDP C. E. Silva, A. Alzamora 2023 IEEE IAS Petroleum and Chemical Industry Technical Conference (PCIC … , 2023 2023 Citations: 12
Aprimoramento de um sistema de gestão colaborativa para o IFPB CEL Silva, GDD Costa, AA Lucena 2022
Aprimorando um Sistema de Gestão Colaborativa para uma Instituição Federal de Ensino AA de Lucena, CEL Silva, GDD Costa, DCM Maia, AF Milanez Anais do Encontro de Computação do Oeste Potiguar ECOP/UFERSA (ISSN 2526 … , 2022 2022
Electrostatic Shield to Mitigate the High Frequency Circulating Bearing Current - A Study for Design Guidelines MTA ÊVO, CE SILVA, IO ZAPAROLI, H DE PAULA 2022 IEEE IAS Petroleum and Chemical Industry Technical Conference (PCIC … , 2022 2022 Citations: 5
Matrix Converters: Evaluation of a Technique for the Common Mode Voltage Reduction Aimed at Long Cable Motor Drive Systems AM Alzamora, IO Zaparoli, MTA Êvo, CE Silva, H de Paula 2021 IEEE Industry Applications Society Annual Meeting (IAS), 1-7 , 2021 2021
Confiabilidade de inversores operando em ambientes hostis [not available in english] CE Silva, H de Paula 2021 14th IEEE International Conference on Industry Applications (INDUSCON … , 2021 2021 Citations: 2
Broad Comparison of Multilevel Inverter Topologies Operating in Hostile Environments: DC Transmission Applicability and Feasibility CE SILVA, AM ALZAMORA, H PAULA 2021 IEEE Industry Applications Society Annual Meeting (IAS), 1-9 , 2021 2021 Citations: 15
Sistema de Ventilação numa Planta de Produção de Aço: Estudo de Caso no Contexto da Eficiência Energética F de Assis Dias, H de Paula, CE Silva, MS Vieira Congresso Brasileiro de Automática-CBA 2 (1) , 2020 2020 Citations: 2
Discussion on the reliability of inverters operating in hostile environments CE Silva, H de Paula, F de Assis Dias, LC Gomes 2020 IEEE Industry Applications Society Annual Meeting, 1-8 , 2020 2020 Citations: 4
Especificação de Motores de Indução Trifásicos para Acionamento de um Exoesqueleto Robótico de Membros Superiores FA DIAS, CE SILVA, LMR BACCARINI, LAR SILVA XI International Conference on Industry Applications, 2014 , 2014 2014
Controlador PID Sintonizado por Algoritmo Genético Guiado por Otimização Colaborativa CE SILVA, VVRE SILVA, LMR BACCARINI Congresso Brasileiro de Automática, 2014, 2962-2967 , 2014 2014 Citations: 1
Controlador PID Sintonizado em Tempo Real por Algoritmo Genético em Otimização Colaborativa CE SILVA, VVRE SILVA, LMR BACCARINI 3° Congresso de Engenharias UFSJ , 2013 2013
MOST CITED SCHOLAR PUBLICATIONS
Broad Comparison of Multilevel Inverter Topologies Operating in Hostile Environments: DC Transmission Applicability and Feasibility CE SILVA, AM ALZAMORA, H PAULA 2021 IEEE Industry Applications Society Annual Meeting (IAS), 1-9 , 2021 2021 Citations: 15
Design for Reliability of DC-Link Capacitors for Multilevel Inverter Topologies Operating in Hostile Environments CE Silva, AM Alzamora, MTA Êvo, H de Paula IEEE Transactions on Industry Applications 60 (4), 5882 - 5892 , 2024 2024 Citations: 12
Design for Reliability (DFR) of DC-Link Capacitors for Multilevel Inverter Topologies Operating in Hostile Environments MTAÊHDP C. E. Silva, A. Alzamora 2023 IEEE IAS Petroleum and Chemical Industry Technical Conference (PCIC … , 2023 2023 Citations: 12
Electrostatic Shielding for Bearing Current Mitigation - An Analysis of its Thermal Impact on the Motor MTA ÊVO, AMG JÚNIOR, CE SILVA, H DE PAULA 2022 IEEE IAS Petroleum and Chemical Industry Technical Conference (PCIC … , 2023 2023 Citations: 5
Electrostatic Shield to Mitigate the High Frequency Circulating Bearing Current - A Study for Design Guidelines MTA ÊVO, CE SILVA, IO ZAPAROLI, H DE PAULA 2022 IEEE IAS Petroleum and Chemical Industry Technical Conference (PCIC … , 2022 2022 Citations: 5
Discussion on the reliability of inverters operating in hostile environments CE Silva, H de Paula, F de Assis Dias, LC Gomes 2020 IEEE Industry Applications Society Annual Meeting, 1-8 , 2020 2020 Citations: 4
Reliability analysis of IGBT modules of multilevel inverters operating in hostile mining environments CE Silva, GL Reis, AM Alzamora, H de Paula IEEE Transactions on Industry Applications 61 (4), 6798-6809 , 2025 2025 Citations: 3
Tool for the Assessment of the Savings in the Cable Acquisition When Employing DC Transmission in Long Distance AC Drives AM Alzamora, CE Silva, MTA Êvo, H de Paula IEEE Transactions on Industry Applications 61 (4), 6810-6821 , 2025 2025 Citations: 2
Reliability analysis of igbt modules of multilevel inverters operating in hostile environments CE Silva, GL Reis, AM Alzamora, H de Paula 2024 IEEE IAS Petroleum and Chemical Industry Technical Conference (PCIC), 1-10 , 2024 2024 Citations: 2
Confiabilidade de inversores operando em ambientes hostis [not available in english] CE Silva, H de Paula 2021 14th IEEE International Conference on Industry Applications (INDUSCON … , 2021 2021 Citations: 2
Sistema de Ventilação numa Planta de Produção de Aço: Estudo de Caso no Contexto da Eficiência Energética F de Assis Dias, H de Paula, CE Silva, MS Vieira Congresso Brasileiro de Automática-CBA 2 (1) , 2020 2020 Citations: 2
Evaluating a New Configuration for Medium-Voltage Drive Systems in a Mining Plant MTAÊHDP A. M. Alzamora, C. E. Silva 2023 IEEE IAS Petroleum and Chemical Industry Technical Conference (PCIC … , 2023 2023 Citations: 1
Controlador PID Sintonizado por Algoritmo Genético Guiado por Otimização Colaborativa CE SILVA, VVRE SILVA, LMR BACCARINI Congresso Brasileiro de Automática, 2014, 2962-2967 , 2014 2014 Citations: 1
Seleção de Atributos para a Localização de Descargas Parciais nos Enrolamentos de Transformadores AMG Júnior, MTA Evo, CE Silva, H De Paula 2023 15th IEEE International Conference on Industry Applications (INDUSCON … , 2023 2023
Análise da viabilidade e da confiabilidade de uma configuração alternativa de conversores de frequência para o acionamento de motores distantes e em ambientes e hostis CE Silva Universidade Federal de Uberlândia , 2023 2023
Aprimoramento de um sistema de gestão colaborativa para o IFPB CEL Silva, GDD Costa, AA Lucena 2022
Aprimorando um Sistema de Gestão Colaborativa para uma Instituição Federal de Ensino AA de Lucena, CEL Silva, GDD Costa, DCM Maia, AF Milanez Anais do Encontro de Computação do Oeste Potiguar ECOP/UFERSA (ISSN 2526 … , 2022 2022
Matrix Converters: Evaluation of a Technique for the Common Mode Voltage Reduction Aimed at Long Cable Motor Drive Systems AM Alzamora, IO Zaparoli, MTA Êvo, CE Silva, H de Paula 2021 IEEE Industry Applications Society Annual Meeting (IAS), 1-7 , 2021 2021
Especificação de Motores de Indução Trifásicos para Acionamento de um Exoesqueleto Robótico de Membros Superiores FA DIAS, CE SILVA, LMR BACCARINI, LAR SILVA XI International Conference on Industry Applications, 2014 , 2014 2014
Controlador PID Sintonizado em Tempo Real por Algoritmo Genético em Otimização Colaborativa CE SILVA, VVRE SILVA, LMR BACCARINI 3° Congresso de Engenharias UFSJ , 2013 2013