Analytical Evaluation of Surface-Mounted PMSG Performances Connected to a Diode Rectifier

This paper analyzes some operational issues of threephase surface-mounted permanent magnet synchronous generators (PMSGs) connected to a diode rectifier. This simple configuration coupled to a single-switch dc–dc converter is used in smallscale wind energy conversion systems, as well as in energy harvesting systems, to reduce costs. The diode rectifier causes an intrinsic limit for the maximum convertible power, which is related to the load impedance matching, and additional joule losses due to the distorted currents. By using an analytical steady-state model of the rectifier and of the PMSG, this paper discusses how to achieve two particularly meaningful operating conditions characterized respectively by the maximum power transfer and the maximum power per ampere. The theory is validated by simulation and test results on a prototype

Comparison between Coreless and Yokeless Stator Designs in Fully-Superconducting Propulsion Motors

Hybrid electric propulsion could be the solution to the ambitious environmental targets of the aerospace industry. Fully-superconducting machines have the potential to deliver the step-change in specific torque, power, and efficiency capabilities required for large civil transport aircraft applications. However, fully-superconducting machines are still in their infancy. This article investigates the electromagnetic design of two different stator design concepts for an ac fully-superconducting machine for an aerospace distributed fan motor application. A benchmark aerospace specification of 1 MW was chosen and the design of a conventional permanent-magnet machine was used to assess the performance of the two equivalent fully-superconducting ac motor designs. Following the guidelines from an experimental study of the losses in a small ac stator prototype with MgB 2 coils, a fully-superconducting air-cored stator design and a new yokeless stator design are proposed. Both ac superconducting machine designs use superconducting bulk magnets mounted on a rotor core and an MgB 2 superconducting stator winding. This article discusses the key design issues of the two stator layouts in relation to the current aerospace targets for efficiency and power density. </p

Inner control method and frequency regulation of a DFIG connected to a DC link

In this paper, an inner loop for the control and frequency regulation of the doubly fed induction generator connected to a dc link through a diode bridge on the stator is presented. In this system, the stator is directly connected to the dc link using a diode bridge, and the rotor is fed by only a pulsewidth-modulated (PWM) converter. If compared to the DFIG connected to an ac grid, this system uses one PWM inverter less and a much less expensive diode bridge. Thus, the cost of power electronics is reduced. The application in mind is for dc networks such as dispersed generation grids and microgrids. These networks use several elements that should work together. Usually, these elements are connected with each other by power electronic devices in a common dc link. This paper presents a control system for the inner control loop in order to regulate the torque and the stator frequency. Simulation and experimental results show that the system works properly and is able to keep the stator frequency near the rated value of the machine. © 1986-2012 IEEE

Volt-ampere ratings in electronically tuned linear alternators for thermoacoustic engines

Linear alternators (LAs) coupled to thermoacoustic engines (TAEs) provide a viable solution to extract energy from a heat source in a variety of applications such as waste heat, energy harvesting, solar thermal and biomass power generation. For the electrical power to be maximised, the acoustic impedances of LA and TAE have to match. This requirement cannot, in general, be met by relying only on the design of the LA, but can be achieved at the control level, by using a fraction of the LA inverter current to create 'electronic stiffness' which contributes to the overall stiffness tuning the resonance frequency. The same concept can, in principle, be used to replace part of the mechanical spring stiffness in order to overcome the limitations in the mechanical design, at the expense of an increase in LA and inverter ratings. The impact of electronic stiffness on LA power capability and ratings is analysed here. Two meaningful scenarios are considered in the analysis: The LA derating for resonance frequency tuning and the oversizing when springs are partially replaced by electronic stiffness. The study is supplemented with experiments on a small-scale LA test rig

Current-Modulation-Based On-Line Resonance Tuning Strategy for Linear Generator Drives

Linear generators (LGs) are frequently used for energy harvesting with free-piston Stirling engines, thermoacoustic engines, and wave energy converters. This article presents a control strategy to track and maintain LG resonance conditions in real time. The algorithm is based on the LG response to a low-frequency amplitude modulation of the current component in phase with the instantaneous position (d-axis). The averaged product of modulated air-gap power and modulation signal is fed into a controller to adjust the d-axis current and restore resonance. The use of air-gap power instead of dc power improves resonance tracking accuracy and eliminates steady-state low-frequency stroke oscillations. This article presents a full theoretical analysis providing accurate steady-state and small-signal models for control synthesis. The broad experimental validation included in the article proves that the control is able to restore resonance even when the force-source introduces significant additional mechanical impedance

Adaptive Tuning of the Stator Inductance in a Rotor Current MRAS Observer for Sensorless Doubly Fed Induction Machine Drives

This paper deals with the adaptive tuning of the stator inductance in a rotor-current-based Model Reference Adaptive System observer for the sensorless control of doubly fed induction machines. At first, the effect of mismatched parameters in this observer is discussed in order to show the considerable influence of the stator inductance on the accuracy of the estimated rotor position. Then, an adaptive tuning of the stator inductance is proposed and a small signal model is deduced in order to design the tuning loop. Moreover, a theoretical sensitivity and stability analysis is performed. Finally, the performances of the proposed scheme are experimentally investigated and validated

Sensorless Frequency and Voltage Control in the Stand-Alone DFIG-DC System

A sensorless stand-alone control scheme of a doubly fed induction generator (DFIG)-DC system is investigated in this paper. In this layout, the stator voltage is rectified by a diode bridge that is directly connected to a dc bus. The rotor-side voltage source inverter is the only controlled converter required in this system and is directly powered by the same dc bus created by the stator-side rectifier. DC voltage and stator frequency are regulated by two independent proportional-integral regulators that give the references for inner current controllers implementing field-oriented control. As it is capable of creating a stable and regulated dc bus, this system can be conveniently adopted to supply dc loads or to form a dc grid. Due to the constraint imposed by the stator diode bridge, the DFIG has to operate under a constant stator voltage, and the conventional stator field-oriented control implemented in stand-alone ac DFIG must be modified. This paper presents the control structure and the theoretical framework for the controller synthesis. Simulation and experimental validations on a small-scale rig are included

Minimization of Torque Ripple in the DFIG-DC System Via Predictive Delay Compensation

Torque ripple caused by stator current and flux harmonics is one of the main issues in the doubly fed induction generator (DFIG)-dc system, which inherently has to operate with distorted waveforms produced by the diode commutation. This paper proposes a torque-ripple mitigation strategy based on a predictive estimation of the reciprocal of flux linkage. The predictive estimation compensates for the intrinsic delay in the actuation of the torque-ripple rejection signal through the rotor current control loops. Unlike other approaches relying on complex current regulators with selective harmonic tracking, this strategy is based on well-established proportional-integral (PI) controllers for the rotor currents. PI current controllers can then still have bandwidth values typical of usual DFIG systems. Simulations and experiments on a test-rig show that the compensation strategy achieves a strong torque ripple reduction and is very robust against stator frequency variations