Speed control for multi-three phase synchronous electrical motors in fault condition

The growth of electrification transportation systems is an opportunity for delving into new feasible solutions for more reliable and fault tolerant arrangements. So far, many investigations distant from the market have been carried out. Most of the works are looking at new control strategies adding extra components increasing manufacturing efforts and costs. Considering a nine phase synchronous multi-three phase electrical motor with disconnected neutral points, this manuscript compares the common speed reference configuration (where all the drives are configured in speed mode) and the torque follower configuration (where one drive is in speed mode and all the others are in torque mode). Furthermore, a post-fault operation in open-circuit condition is proposed. Analytical equations and experimental validation in nominal and fault condition are given by means of Matlab/Simulink simulations and by experimental on a 22kW test rig

Distributed speed control for multi-three phase electrical motors with improved power sharing capability

This paper proposes a distributed speed control with improved power sharing capability for multi-three phase synchronous machines. This control technique allows the speed to be precisely regulated during power sharing transients among different drives. The proposed regulator is able to control the time constant of the current within the dq0 reference frame to a step input variation. If compared to current set-point step variations, the proposed droop controller minimises device’s stress, torque ripple, and thus mechanical vibrations. Furthermore, since distributed, it shows improved fault tolerance and reliability. The design procedure and the power sharing dynamic have been presented and analysed by means of Matlab/Simulink and validated in a 22kW experimental rig, showing good agreement with the expected performances

Enhanced power sharing transient with droop controllers for multithree-phase synchronous electrical machines

This paper presents a droop-based distributed control strategy for multithree-phase machines that provides augmented controllability during power sharing transients. The proposed strategy is able to mitigate the mutual interactions among different sets of windings without controlling any subspace variable, also offering a modular and redundant design. On the contrary, in a centralized configuration, subspaces would be controlled using the vector space decomposition, but fault tolerance and reliability levels required by the stricter regulations and policies expected in future transportation systems would not be satisfied. The proposed method is analytically compared against the state-of-the-art power sharing technique and equivalent models and control design procedures have been derived and considered in the comparison. Uncontrolled power sharing transients and their effects on mutual couplings among isolated sets of windings have been compared against the proposed regulated ones. Experimental results on a 22-kW nine-phase multithree-phase synchronous machine rig validate the design procedures showing good agreement with the expected performances

Distributed speed control for multi-three-phase motors with enhanced power sharing capabilities

This thesis describes the last three years work and the results achieved after several stages of design and experimental validation. The main result is the development of a novel sharing current controller for multi-three-phase electrical machines. The proposed regulator, called "speed-drooped" or simply "droop" controller, allows the current transient triggered by a step change within the rotating reference frame to be controlled. Since multi-three-phase systems appear to be very good candidates for future Integrated Modular Motor Drives and next transportation system challenges, the work has been set up with modularity and redundancy for next future motor drives. During the preliminary stages, the mathematical models of the droop controller have been derived and validated on a multi-drive rig with two three-phase induction motors on the same shaft at the University of Nottingham. After, while developing a new general purpose control platform for power electronics able to control up to three three-phase systems, the Vector Space Decomposition for de-coupling the mutual interactions within multi-three-phase electric motors has been studied. Thanks to it, the inductance matrix of a triple-star two poles synchronous generator at the University of Trieste, Italy, has been diagonalised. Finally, the proposed current controller has been experimentally validated on a nine-phase synchronous generator and compared with the state of the art current sharing techniques. Furthermore, a post-fault compensation strategy has been formulated and validated by means of simulation work. If compared to the state-of-the-art current sharing techniques, the "droop" regulator capability of controlling current sharing transients while keeping constant speed of the shaft has been proven and successfully demonstrated by means of Matlab/Simulink simulations and experiments on both rigs

Distributed speed control for multi-three-phase motors with enhanced power sharing capabilities

This thesis describes the last three years work and the results achieved after several stages of design and experimental validation. The main result is the development of a novel sharing current controller for multi-three-phase electrical machines. The proposed regulator, called "speed-drooped" or simply "droop" controller, allows the current transient triggered by a step change within the rotating reference frame to be controlled. Since multi-three-phase systems appear to be very good candidates for future Integrated Modular Motor Drives and next transportation system challenges, the work has been set up with modularity and redundancy for next future motor drives. During the preliminary stages, the mathematical models of the droop controller have been derived and validated on a multi-drive rig with two three-phase induction motors on the same shaft at the University of Nottingham. After, while developing a new general purpose control platform for power electronics able to control up to three three-phase systems, the Vector Space Decomposition for de-coupling the mutual interactions within multi-three-phase electric motors has been studied. Thanks to it, the inductance matrix of a triple-star two poles synchronous generator at the University of Trieste, Italy, has been diagonalised. Finally, the proposed current controller has been experimentally validated on a nine-phase synchronous generator and compared with the state of the art current sharing techniques. Furthermore, a post-fault compensation strategy has been formulated and validated by means of simulation work. If compared to the state-of-the-art current sharing techniques, the "droop" regulator capability of controlling current sharing transients while keeping constant speed of the shaft has been proven and successfully demonstrated by means of Matlab/Simulink simulations and experiments on both rigs

Multiphase electric drives for "More Electric Aircraft" applications

Advances in power electronic and machine control techniques are making the inverter-fed drives an always more attractive solution. Because of the number of inverter legs is arbitrary, also the number of phases results as a further degree of freedom for the machine design. Therefore, the multiphase winding is often a possible solution. Due to the increasing demand for high performance and high power variable speed drives, the research on multiphase machines has experienced a significant growth in the last two decades. Indeed, one of the main advantages of the multiphase technology is the possibility of splitting the power of the system across a higher number of power electronic devices with a reduced rating. A similar result can be obtained by using multi-level converters. However, the redundancy of the phases leads to an increased reliability of the machine and to the introduction of additional degrees of freedom in the current control and the machine design. This work aims to study and analyze the highly reliable and fault tolerant machines. It proposes innovative solutions for multiphase machine design and control to meet the safety-critical requirements in “More-Electric Aircraft” (MEA) and “More Electric Engine” (MEE) in which thermal, pneumatic or hydraulic drives in aerospace applications are replaced with electric ones. Open phase, high resistance and short circuit faults are investigated. Fault tolerant controls and fault detection algorithms are presented. Radial force control techniques and bearingless operation are verified and improved for various working scenarios. Fault tolerant designs of multiphase machines are also proposed