Torque Control

This book is the result of inspirations and contributions from many researchers, a collection of 9 works, which are, in majority, focalised around the Direct Torque Control and may be comprised of three sections: different techniques for the control of asynchronous motors and double feed or double star induction machines, oriented approach of recent developments relating to the control of the Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motors, and special controller design and torque control of switched reluctance machine

Efficiency Optimised Control of Interior Permanent Magnet Machine Drives in Electric Vehicle Applications

The thesis focuses on the losses minimisation of an interior permanent magnet synchronous machine (IPMSM) drive in electric vehicle applications. As drive losses are a combination of the IPMSM losses and the inverter losses, this thesis is mainly divided into two parts: the first part deals with minimising the copper and iron losses of the IPMSM with due account of machine parameters variations and the voltage drop across the stator winding resistance. A new losses minimisation algorithm (LMA) which considers these issues is presented in this research. A comprehensive off-line simulation study based on this LMA is performed in order to evaluate the effect of the parameters variations, resistive voltage drop and iron losses on the IPMSM optimal efficiency operation. It is shown that the parameters variations and resistive voltage drop should be included in the losses minimisation to achieve IPMSM optimal efficiency operation. On the other hand, the minimum losses operation points are not significantly affected by the utilised IPMSM iron losses. The proposed LMA is implemented with non-linear look-up tables (LUTs) using the current commands developed for both constant torque and field weakening operations. Good matching between the simulation and experimental results has been achieved. Reducing the inverter switching losses is the aim of the second part of this PhD research in addition to decrease the common mode voltage (CMV) which may lead to undesirable motor bearing current and electromagnetic interference. A comparative study between up-to-date PWM techniques for CMV reduction with the conventional space vector PWM (SVPWM technique) through simulation studies are presented. Due to its advantages on reducing both the switching losses and CMV of the inverter over all (αβ) voltage hexagon modulation regions, the LuPWM technique is selected for the tested IPMSM drive. Firstly, the scalar implementation of this LuPWM technique using the sine triangle waveform modulation technique on a simulation model of a resistor-inductor (R-L) inductive load is validated with sinusoidal current waveforms. However, implementation of the LuPWM in the closed loop control system of the tested IPMSM drive results in a considerable unexpected distortion in the phase current waveforms especially at low demanded torques. A study on this issue shows that due to the unavoidable ripples on the electrical angle position information leading to the malfunction on determining the (αβ) voltage hexagon sectors, the sector transition point of the LuPWM pulses especially when the state of the LuPWM pulse is changed between On-state and Off-state is strongly affected. Consequently, the current waveforms for a closed-loop drive system under the LuPWM technique during the sectors transition period become seriously distorted. In this thesis, the LuPWM current waveforms distortion problem is proposed to be addressed by modifying the pulse pattern of the traditional LuPWM technique around the (αβ) voltage hexagon sectors transition points associated with significant current waveforms distortion as aforementioned. Under this proposed PWM technique denoted as Mod-LuPWM technique, the switching state of each LuPWM pulse is suggested to be hold for an optimum small period around each transition period. Hence, the adverse effects of the angular ripple and the voltage error will be evened out between the “Turn-On” and “Turn-Off” transitions. Therefore, sinusoidal current waveforms can be obtained for closed-loop drive system under the proposed Mod-LuPWM. In addition, similar to the traditional LuPWM the Mod-LuPWM technique own the ability of on reducing the peak-to-peak common mode voltage value to one sixth of the DC-link voltage compared with the traditional PWMs. On the other hand, due to its switching characteristics, the switching losses of the drive system under the Mod-LuPWM technique are also reduced by one third during the switching period leading to an increase on the switching device life-time. Furthermore, as its implementation does not require any additional hardware, the proposed Mod-LuPWM can be employed for any existing drive system without any increase in the total drive cost. The proposed Mod-LuPWM has been validated with well-matched between simulation and experimental results showing significant current waveform improvements and considerable CMV reduction

Comprehensive loss optimization of induction motor drives

Extensive use of power electronics-controlled induction motor drives over the past few decades has enabled the development of loss minimization control algorithms. With the technological advancements in power semiconductor switching devices such as insulated gate bipolar transistors and gate commutated thyristors, induction motor drives are increasingly used in applications, ranging from automotive traction to more-electric aircraft, which have widely varying speed, torque and power requirements. Advances in control technology have enabled the development of various sophisticated controllers for motor drives aimed at performance enhancement. Substantial energy savings may be obtained when drive controllers are optimized for loss reduction under varying operating conditions. This dissertation addresses loss optimization opportunities in induction motor drives from system perspectives. First, a constrained loss optimization method is developed. Past work on loss minimization has focused on specific drive components such as the machine stator and rotor windings, inverter and dc-link. Component-level loss minimization, however, will not guarantee minimum total loss in the drive system. So, a system-level loss minimization method is proposed using a comprehensive loss model, to achieve true minimum total loss. Next, a lossless damping controller is proposed to suppress undesirable resonant oscillations in the machine voltages and currents due to the use of LC filters between the inverter and motor terminals. Passive damping methods employing physical resistors to suppress these oscillations, contribute to additional losses. Lossless active damping methods with virtual resistors have been explored in the literature. Conventionally, this resistance value is fixed, based on empirical rules, and left unchanged for all operating conditions. Choosing incorrect resistance values for the damping controller can result in degraded system behavior. A small-signal transfer function approach based on operating conditions and dynamic adjustment of the virtual resistance, is developed for the damping controller. The controller is designed to allow a flexible differential damping approach. Finally, power electronics loss reduction is investigated in a voltage source inverter (VSI)-based induction motor drive. It is known that low drive speeds will result in poor bus utilization and increased power electronics loss for higher link voltages. Losses can be reduced by dynamically varying the dc link voltage according to operating conditions. In addition to reducing losses, varying the link voltage also reduces the switched voltage magnitude across the inverter switches, potentially increasing inverter reliability. In the proposed method, the link voltage is varied using a front-end dc-dc buck converter according to a loss minimization algorithm. The effect of additional loss from the front-end converter on the total loss is also studied. Benefits of the proposed methods are verified by simulations and experiments

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

Industrial and Technological Applications of Power Electronics Systems

The Special Issue "Industrial and Technological Applications of Power Electronics Systems" focuses on: - new strategies of control for electric machines, including sensorless control and fault diagnosis; - existing and emerging industrial applications of GaN and SiC-based converters; - modern methods for electromagnetic compatibility. The book covers topics such as control systems, fault diagnosis, converters, inverters, and electromagnetic interference in power electronics systems. The Special Issue includes 19 scientific papers by industry experts and worldwide professors in the area of electrical engineering

Advances in the Field of Electrical Machines and Drives

Electrical machines and drives dominate our everyday lives. This is due to their numerous applications in industry, power production, home appliances, and transportation systems such as electric and hybrid electric vehicles, ships, and aircrafts. Their development follows rapid advances in science, engineering, and technology. Researchers around the world are extensively investigating electrical machines and drives because of their reliability, efficiency, performance, and fault-tolerant structure. In particular, there is a focus on the importance of utilizing these new trends in technology for energy saving and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This Special Issue will provide the platform for researchers to present their recent work on advances in the field of electrical machines and drives, including special machines and their applications; new materials, including the insulation of electrical machines; new trends in diagnostics and condition monitoring; power electronics, control schemes, and algorithms for electrical drives; new topologies; and innovative applications

Control of a fractional-slot, concentrated-wound interior permanent magnet generator for direct-drive wind generation applications

This thesis assesses improvements to two types of control for a novel interior permanent magnet (PM) synchronous generator with fractional-slot, concentrated-wound stator designed for direct-drive wind energy conversion. The two control techniques assessed are a) field oriented control using a back-to-back converter arrangement and b) a current controller with a rectifier-connected boost converter. These were chosen to understand the potential and the limitations of the generator and its control. Modifications to the control techniques are proposed to improve the generator efficiency, the dynamic performance in the flux-weakening range and the torque ripple performance. The adequacy of the distributed-wound PM synchronous machine model for steady-state and dynamic control of this generator was experimentally validated under field oriented control using a back-to-back converter connected to the grid. The effectiveness of the existing current trajectory controls on the efficiency of the new generator was evaluated. A new flux-prioritized maximum torque per ampere technique which is independent of speed-dependent predefined trajectories was introduced, and a similar efficiency improvement was gained as the conventional loss minimization method in the partial load range. Thus, the control model validation and efficiency imrpovement of the new generator are the primary contributions. The dynamic performance of the generator, directly driven by a non-pitchable wind turbine emulator was investigated from cut-in speed to cut-out speed using maximum power point tracking and then constant power control above rated speed. A significant contribution was done in the power control above base wind speed that was achieved by utilizing the extended flux-weakening capability of the machine with its wide constant power-speed range. High torque ripple was observed when operated with a rectifier and boost converter using boost converter inductor current control. A new direct torque control technique using a machine rotor position based torque estimator was proposed to minimize this torque ripple. Eventhough the reduced torque ripple is still higher than that with back-to-back converter, the achieved ripple reduction is significant. The control of generator speed under each method is also demonstrated. Although the new method gives a faster speed dynamics than the conventional method, it shows slower speed response than that of back-to-back converter control. However, the significance of the study using a diode rectifier-connected boost converter control is highlighted with the achieved torque ripple minimization and performance enhancement of the generator. This study is expected to open new investigations in flux-weakening control of the PM generators using rectifier-connected boost converter. In this thesis, back to back converter control is demonstrated in order to optimally control the novel generator under the field oriented control, energy efficient current control and power control together with voltage control operating above rated speed. Torque ripple minimization of the generator is also presented when used with a diode rectifier-connected boost converter control

Optimization of a CSI inverter and DC/DC elevator with silicon carbide devices, for applications in electric traction systems

The applications of electric traction systems currently focus on developing technologies with greater energy efficiency and lower environmental impact. Manufacturers of hybrid and electric vehicles are looking for ways to improve and optimize the efficiency of their models. Manufacturers are looking for more efficient and more compact converter topologies. The use of new band gap materials in the construction of these topologies has generated many debates and new lines of research especially in the optimization of these topologies. The silicon carbide (SiC) based switching devices provide significant performance improvements in many aspects, including lower power dissipation, higher operating temperatures, and faster switching, compared with conventional Si devices, all these features make that these devices generate interest in applications for electric traction systems. This work presents a method for improving total harmonic distortion (THD) in the currents of output and efficiency in SiC current source inverter for future application in an electric traction system. The method proposed consists in improving the coupling of a bidirectional converter topology V-I and CSI. The V-I converter serves as a current regulator for the CSI and allows the recovery of energy. The method involves an effective selection of the switching frequencies and phase angles for the carriers signals present in each converter topology. With this method, it is expected to have a reduction of the total harmonic distortion THD in the output currents. In addition, an analysis of the losses in the motor and topologies of power converters is developed considering the optimization method previously analyzed. The weighted average efficiency of the whole system (power converters + motor) in differents conditions of operations is presented.Las aplicaciones de los sistemas de tracción eléctrica actualmente se centran en el desarrollo de tecnologías con mayor eficiencia energética y menor impacto ambiental. Los fabricantes de vehículos híbridos y eléctricos están buscando formas de mejorar y optimizar la eficiencia de sus modelos. Los fabricantes buscan topologías de convertidores más eficientes y más compactas. El uso de nuevos materiales de banda prohibida en la construcción de estas topologías ha generado muchos debates y nuevas líneas de investigación, especialmente en la optimización energética de las mismas. Los dispositivos de conmutación basados en carburo de silicio (SiC) proporcionan mejoras significativas en la eficiencia en muchos aspectos, incluida una menor disipación de potencia, temperaturas de funcionamiento más altas y una conmutación más rápida, en comparación con los dispositivos de Si convencionales. Todas estas características hacen que estos dispositivos generen interés en las aplicaciones de sistemas tracción eléctrica. Este trabajo presenta un método para mejorar la distorsión armónica total (THD) en las corrientes de salida y eficiencia en el inversor de fuente de corriente SiC para aplicaciones futuras en un sistema de tracción eléctrica. El método propuesto consiste en mejorar el acoplamiento de una topología de convertidor bidireccional V-I y CSI. El convertidor V-I sirve como un regulador de corriente para el CSI y permite la recuperación de energía. El método implica una selección efectiva de las frecuencias de conmutación y los ángulos de fase para las señales portadoras presentes en cada topología del convertidor. Con este método, se espera una reducción de la distorsión armónica total THD en las corrientes de salida. Además, se desarrolla un análisis de las pérdidas en el motor y las topologías de los convertidores de potencia considerando el método de optimización analizado previamente. Se presenta la eficiencia promedio ponderada de todo el sistema (convertidores de potencia + motor) en diferentes condiciones de operaciónPostprint (published version