Review of flux-weakening algorithms to extend the speed range in electric vehicle applications with permanent magnet synchronous machines

This article reviews Flux-Weakening (FW) algorithms for Permanent Magnet Synchronous Machines (PMSMs), focusing on the automotive sector, especially in electric and hybrid electric vehicles. In the past few years, the spread of Electric Vehicles (EVs) has improved the technology of electric machines and their control to achieve more compact and competitive solutions. PMSMs are the most widespread electric machines used in EVs thanks to their high-power density and potential operation at constant power range during high speed. Such high speed implies a high electromotive force. An FW technique is mandatory to reduce the electromagnetic flux generated by the electric machine due to the voltage limits of the traction inverter and the energy source. This article classifies and analyses the state-of-the-art FW control strategies by comparing their main advantages and drawbacks. The Vector Current Control (VCC) method that regulates the modulus of the applied voltage is the most common one in the literature thanks to i) its robustness to parameter modification and model unsureness, ii) low computational complexity, and iii) high dynamic response and control stability.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Intelligent traction motor control techniques for hybrid and electric vehicles

This thesis presents the research undertaken by the author within the field of intelligent traction motor control for Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV) and Electric Vehicle (EV) applications. A robust Fuzzy Logic (FL) based traction motor field-orientated control scheme is developed which can control multiple motor topologies and HEV/EV powertrain architectures without the need for re-tuning. This control scheme can aid in the development of an HEV/EV and for continuous control of the traction motor/s in the final production vehicle. An overcurrent-tolerant traction motor sizing strategy is developed to gauge if a prospective motor’s torque and thermal characteristics can fulfil a vehicle’s target dynamic and electrical objectives during the early development stages of an HEV/EV. An industrial case study is presented. An on-line reduced switching multilevel inverter control scheme is investigated which increases the inverter’s efficiency while maintaining acceptable levels of output waveform harmonic distortion. A FL based vehicle stability control system is developed that improves the controllability and stability of an HEV/EV during an emergency braking manoeuvre. This system requires minimal vehicle parameters to be used within the control system, is insensitive to variable vehicle parameters and can be tuned to meet a vehicle’s target dynamic objectives

Development of Grid-Connected and Front-End Converters for Renewable Energy Systems and Electric Mobility

The spread of renewable energy sources and electric vehicles is increasing thanks to the greater awareness of the climate problems due to the large and long-lasting use of the non-renewable energy sources. The integration of renewable energy sources to the power grid, however, poses significant technical challenges, since it drastically changes its topology and nature. In fact, while the traditional power generation system is centralized, the renewable energy is distributed and intermittent. In this scenario, power converters play a central role. Power converters are the technology that enables the interconnection of different players to the electric power system. In this work, a control system for grid-connected converters has been developed. The main focus is on the current control. The most renowned current controllers, such resonant and repetitive regulators, have been studied and tested in laboratory in order to compare the performance in terms of harmonic compensation and burden of the processor. The problem of the saturation of a multi-frequency current controller has been investigated and different saturation algorithms have been proposed. The power converters have, however, wide use and the same of the method, developed for grid-connected converters can be applied to electrical motor drives with open-end windings. If a floating capacitor bridge is connected to the secondary side of the open-end stator windings, it can supply the reactive power needed by the motor and completely exploit its current capability of the power source. This feature allows the drive to obtain higher torque at higher speed, increasing therefore the output power over all the flux-weakening speed range. The floating bridge, operating as harmonic compensator, allows the inverter connected to the primary energy source to work in overmodulation and even six-step modulation, in order to further boost the performance of the drive, without compromising the quality of the phase current

Analysis, design and control of permanent magnet synchronous motors for wide-speed operation

Ph.DDOCTOR OF PHILOSOPH

Continuous-control-set Model Predictive Current Control of Asymmetrical Six-phase Drives Considering System Non-idealities

Finite-control-set model predictive control (FCS-MPC) of multiphase (n-phase, n is assumed to be an odd number for simplicity) drives is challenging because of the large number of actual/virtual voltage vectors and the need for current control in (n-1)/2 sub-spaces (or planes; multi-plane current control). Any sub-optimal design (poor or no current control in some of the (n-1)/2 planes) may result in high individual plane current ripples, due to the low reactance. This work therefore investigates continuouscontrol-set (CCS) MPC for constant switching frequency multiphase motor drives as another alternative. The highbandwidth CCS-MPC is designed to accurately account for system non-idealities, namely digital control and pulse width modulation delays, inverter dead time, and measurement noise. It will be shown that the CCS-MPC has the advantages of full voltage vector space access, regular switching characteristic, and improved cycle-by-cycle tracking control, while maintaining some of the known advantages of the FCS-MPC, e.g., intuitive cost function design, model-based control, and fast dynamics. The proposed control scheme is benchmarked experimentally against the classical, proportional-integral-based, fieldoriented control in conjunction with an asymmetrical sixphase induction motor drive

Advance control of a synchronous reluctance motor drive

This thesis investigates two predictive control algorithms designed to enhance the performance of a synchronous reluctance motor drive. In particular, a finite-control set solution approach has been followed. In particular, this thesis proposes the inclusion of integral terms into the cost function to ensure zero steady-state errors thus compensating for any model inaccuracy. In addition, a control effort term is also considered in the online optimization definition to achieve a quasi-continuous time digital controller given the high achievable ratio between the sampling frequency and the average switching frequency. After a comprehensive simulation study showing the advantages of the proposed approach over the conventional predictive controller solution over a wide range of operating conditions, several experimental test results are reported. The effectiveness of the proposed control approach, including a detailed analysis of the effect of the load and speed variations, is thus fully verified providing useful guidelines for the design of a direct model predictive controller of synchronous reluctance motor drives. In addition, this thesis investigates an innovative duty cycle calculation method for a continuous-control set model predictive control. The formulation of the duty cycles, as well as the introduction of integral terms, enable good reference tracking performance with zero steady-state error at fixed switching frequency over the whole current operating range. Low current ripple with smooth and fast dynamics are achievable, making the proposed control algorithm suitable as a valid alternative in synchronous reluctance motor drives over the established control methods. Simulations and experimental results show the effectiveness and the advantages of the proposed control algorithm over the benchmark

Advances in Rotating Electric Machines

It is difficult to imagine a modern society without rotating electric machines. Their use has been increasing not only in the traditional fields of application but also in more contemporary fields, including renewable energy conversion systems, electric aircraft, aerospace, electric vehicles, unmanned propulsion systems, robotics, etc. This has contributed to advances in the materials, design methodologies, modeling tools, and manufacturing processes of current electric machines, which are characterized by high compactness, low weight, high power density, high torque density, and high reliability. On the other hand, the growing use of electric machines and drives in more critical applications has pushed forward the research in the area of condition monitoring and fault tolerance, leading to the development of more reliable diagnostic techniques and more fault-tolerant machines. This book presents and disseminates the most recent advances related to the theory, design, modeling, application, control, and condition monitoring of all types of rotating electric machines

Novel Flux-weakening Control of Permanent Magnet Synchronous Machines with Particular Reference to Stability Issues

For many applications, such as electric vehicles and washing machines, flux-weakening control is required for permanent magnet synchronous machine (PMSM) drives to extend the operation speed range and maximize the power capability under the voltage and current constraints. Voltage magnitude feedback flux-weakening control is widely employed due to its advantages of simple and standard control structure, robustness against parameter variation, both linear and over modulation flux-weakening operation, and automatic flux-weakening operation. However, stability problems are prone to occur in the flux-weakening region since the PMSM drive will operate on the boundary of the voltage limit. In this thesis, based on a non-salient-pole PMSM, the factors that could cause stability problems in the flux-weakening region with voltage magnitude feedback flux-weakening control are investigated and the corresponding solutions are developed. Firstly, based on a d-axis current voltage feedback controller, an adaptive control parameter method is proposed for the PMSM machine without maximum torque per voltage (MTPV) region, which aims to ensure the stability in a wider speed range. Then, a current reference modifier (CRM) and a voltage limit reference modifier (VRM) are incorporated with the conventional voltage feedback controller in order to improve the stability in the over modulation region. As for the PMSM machine with MTPV region, an extra feedback controller is introduced with an MTPV penalty function. The MTPV penalty function is optimized in terms of its effect on the steady-state performance, the dynamic performance, and the stability in the MTPV region. Afterward, the MTPV controller is properly selected and designed. Furthermore, two flux-weakening control methods accounting for MTPV, i.e. dq-axis current based feedback flux-weakening control, and current amplitude and angle based feedback flux-weakening control, are developed and compared in terms of the stability. It shows that the two methods exhibit complimentary merits and demerits in different regions, and consequently, a hybrid feedback flux-weakening control is proposed to combine their synergies and overcome their demerits. As the feedback voltage ripples that origin from the non-ideal drive system can be amplified by a conventional speed PI controller, the oscillation may even occur if a good speed dynamics is required in the flux-weakening region. An adaptive fuzzy logic speed controller is proposed and implemented to reduce the feedback voltage ripples while maintaining good speed dynamics

New Optimal High Efficiency Dsp-based Digital Controller Design For Super High-speed Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor

This dissertation investigates digital controller and switch mode power supply design for super high-speed permanent magnet synchronous motors (PMSM). The PMSMs are a key component for the miniaturic cryocooler that is currently under development at the University of Central Florida with support from NASA Kennedy Space Center and the Florida Solar Energy Center. Advanced motor design methods, control strategies, and rapid progress in semiconductor technology enables production of a highly efficient digital controller. However, there are still challenges for such super high-speed controller design because of its stability, high-speed, variable speed operation, and required efficiency over a wide speed range. Currently, limited research, and no commercial experimental analysis, is available concerning such motors and their control system design. The stability of a super high-speed PMSM is an important issue particularly for open-loop control, given that PMSM are unstable after exceeding a certain applied frequency. In this dissertation, the stability of super high-speed PMSM is analyzed and some design suggestions are given to maximize this parameter. For ordinary motors, the V/f control curve is a straight line with a boost voltage because the stator resistance is negligible and only has a significant effect around the DC frequency. However, for the proposed super high-speed PMSM the situation is quite different because of the motor\u27s size. The stator resistance is quite large compared with the stator reactive impedance and cannot be neglected when employing constant a V/f control method. The challenge is to design an optimal constant V/f control scheme to raise efficiency with constant V/f control. In the development, test systems and prototype boards were built and experimental results confirmed the effectiveness of the dissertation system