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The development of more efficient power converters is the most important and challenging task for Power Electronics specialists. In the same time, many currently existing or yet to appear future applications require full mechanical independence between the transmitter and receiver of the electrical energy. This contactless form of energy transfer is the concern of the presented work. The work is based on the study of the Series Loaded Series Resonant converter which prove to be the best suitable for the contactless energy transfer. The work investigates the idealized Series Resonant Power Converter with the objective to find the best efficiency zones of operation. Generalized expressions obtained are original and useful. Based on the magnetic parameters of the loosely coupled transformer (magnetic link), the characteristics of the contactless power converter are described in approximated form. The approximation permits easier and faster calculation of the converter variables, thus predicting a shift of the maximum efficiency zone compared to the ideal converter case. The approximated form of the equations permitted to present a new instantaneous form of regulation which combines the frequency and pulse width modes which is free from the previously known defects. The method is based on calculating the energy portions supplied to the load during each half period. Measurements performed on industrial converters and on the laboratory experimental converter, confirm the predicted theoretically behaviour of the converter.

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The Portuguese directive 230/2004 established December 2006 as the dead-line for the legal targets of EEE recovery to be achieved. The EEE producers working in Portugal set up an organization whose mission is to design and manage this recovery network. A MILP model was previously developed to optimize the network design where, by considering EEE sources and recycling facilities locations as known, sorting centre locations were determined together with the planning of collection and sorting activities. In the present paper, the network planned by the Portuguese EEE organization is compared with the results provided by this early model. In addition, and taking into account new organizational objectives, where collecting and sorting entities should independently perform the associated activities, the developed model is further extended, in order to account for a new network level related to the collection and sorting activities, and the previous network is retrofitted.