Assessment and exploitation of the minimum current harmonic distortion under overmodulation in five-phase induction motor drives

This paper compares the most prominent overmodulation (OVM) techniques for five-phase induction motor drives with respect to the minimum current distortion (MCD) achievable. To attain a benchmark of the latter, two MCD OVM approaches are devised. Contrarily to previous strategies aimed at voltage distortion reduction/minimization, these MCD methods are focused on minimizing the harmonic stator copper loss (HSCL), thus minimizing the current total harmonic distortion (THD). One of these MCD strategies minimizes the HSCL while injecting only x–y harmonics. The other MCD method exploits α–β harmonic injection to further decrease the HSCL and to cover the whole OVM region. Moreover, the dual-mode OVM, which is one of the three-phase methods with the lowest distortion, is extended here for five-phase drives. The findings provide insight into how close the OVM methods are to the benchmark imposed by the MCD strategies. Notably, these MCD techniques yield a significant reduction of current THD, HSCL and peak current, especially for machines with negligible thirdorder space harmonic. The average switching losses are also decreased. Indications for real-time implementation of the MCD solutions are also givenAgencia Estatal de Investigación | Ref. PID2019-105612RB-I00Xunta de Galicia | Ref. ED431F 2020/07Xunta de Galicia | Ref. GPC-ED431B 2020/03Agencia Estatal de Investigación | Ref. RYC2018-024407-

DC-current injection with minimum torque ripple in interior permanent-magnet synchronous motors

Several proposals based on dc-current injection have been reported for estimating the stator winding resistance in induction machines, and recently extended for synchronous machines. Tracking this resistance can be very useful, e.g., for thermal monitoring or preserving control dynamics. In surface-mounted permanent-magnet synchronous machines (PMSMs), it is possible to inject a dc component in the d -axis, without perturbing the torque. However, it has been claimed that, for synchronous machines with saliency, it is not possible to avoid the torque ripple due to such injection. This letter proposes optimum reference currents to impose dc current in three-phase interior PMSMs while minimizing to practically zero its associated torque ripple. Namely, the dc signal is injected in combination with a suitable second-order harmonic so that the stator current space vector follows the constant-torque locus, while the fundamental is set according to the maximum-torque-per-ampere strategy. Experimental results validate the theory.Agencia Estatal de Investigación | Ref. DPI2016-75832-

Number of switching state vectors and space vectors in multilevel multiphase converters

Expressions to calculate the number of switching state vectors and the number of space vectors in multilevel multiphase voltage-source converters are given.Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia | Ref. ENE2006-0293

Multilevel Multiphase Feedforward Space-Vector Modulation Technique

Multiphase converters have been applied to an increasing number of industrial applications in recent years. On the other hand, multilevel converters have become a mature technology mainly in medium- and high-power applications. One of the problems of multilevel converters is the dc voltage unbalance of the dc bus. Depending on the loading conditions and the number of levels of the converter, oscillations appear in the dc voltages of the dc link. This paper presents a feedforward modulation technique for multilevel multiphase converters that reduces the distortion under balanced or unbalanced dc conditions. The proposed modulation method can be applied to any multilevel-converter topology with any number of levels and phases. Experimental results are shown in order to validate the proposed feedforward modulation technique.Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación DPI2009-07004Ministerio de Eduación y Ciencia TEC2007-6187

Enhanced resonant current controller for grid-connected converters with LCL filter

Conventional resonant controllers (RCs) are commonly used in the current control of grid-tied converters with LCL filter due to their advantages, such as zero steady-state error at both fundamental sequences, easy design process, and straightforward implementation. Nevertheless, these traditional solutions do not permit to place the closed-loop poles of the system in convenient locations when dealing with a fourth-order plant model such as the LCL filter plus the computation delay. Therefore, the reference tracking and the disturbance rejection are deficient in terms of transient behavior and depend on the LCL filter. Furthermore, an additional active damping method usually has to be designed in order to ensure stability. This paper presents an enhanced current RC with stable and fast response, negligible overshoot, good disturbance rejection, and low controller effort for grid-tied converters with LCL filter. The developed solution uses a direct discrete-time pole-placement strategy from the classical control theory (using transfer functions), involving two extra filters, to enhance the performance of the RC. In this manner, the complexity of state-space methods from modern control theory is avoided. Simulation and experimental results are provided to verify the effectiveness of the proposed control scheme.Ministerio de Ciencia e InnovaciónAgencia Estatal de Investigación | Ref. DPI2016-75832-RMinisterio de Economía y Competitividad | Ref. BES-2013-06314

Generalized multifrequency current controller for grid-connected converters with LCL filter

This paper presents a grid-side current controller for grid-tied inverters with LCL filter, including harmonic current elimination. The proposed controller only measures the grid current and voltage and it combines excellent dynamic characteristics with good robustness. Contrarily to previously proposed harmonic-current controllers, the presented solution offers a generalized method that gives a consistent (with minimal variation in the reference-tracking dynamics) and stable performance irrespectively of the number of current harmonics to be canceled and of the resonant frequency of the LCL filter (provided that it is lower than the Nyquist frequency). The response to reference commands is completely damped and fast. The response speed is set in accordance with the low-pass characteristic of the LCL filter so as to limit the control effort. Concerning the disturbance rejection, the controller offers an infinite impedance to any disturbances (such as grid voltage harmonics) at a set of arbitrarily specified frequencies. This allows the designer to eliminate all the undesired current harmonics with a simple design process. In addition, the performance of the presented controller is evaluated in terms of a fundamental tradeoff that exists between robustness to variations in the grid impedance and the number of frequency components rejected. Finally, simulation and experimental results that validate the proposal are presented.Ministerio de Ciencia e InnovaciónEuropean CommissionAgencia Estatal de Investigación | Ref. DPI2016-75832-RMinisterio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte | Ref. FPU14/0068

Symmetrical six-phase induction machines: a solution for multiphase direct control strategies

Six-phase induction machines are considered an interesting multiphase option because they can benefit from the well-known three-phase converter technology. These multiphase machines can be classified according to the spatial distribution of their windings into two main groups: asymmetrical and symmetrical six-phase machines. In the case of symmetrical sixphase machines, some sets of voltage vectors show an important advantage from the point of view of the - current mitigation. They provide an active production in the - plane with a completely null injection of - components. This fact is a desired feature for direct control strategies, such as standard model predictive control (MPC), where a single switching state is applied during the entire sampling period. Based on these statements, this work proposes an MPC strategy for symmetrical six-phase induction machines using voltage vectors with null - voltage production in order to obtain the flux/torque generation with minimum - currents. Simulated results have been included to validate the goodness of the developed control scheme.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tec

Multilevel multiphase space vector PWM algorithm with switching state redundancy

Multilevel multiphase technology combines the benefits of multilevel converters and multiphase machines. Nevertheless, new modulation techniques must be developed to take advantage of multilevel multiphase converters. In this paper, a new space vector pulsewidth modulation algorithm for multilevel multiphase voltage source converters with switching state redundancy is introduced. As in three-phase converters, the switching state redundancy permits to achieve different goals like extending the modulation index and reducing the number of switchings. This new algorithm can be applied to the most usual multilevel topologies; it has low computational complexity, and it is suitable for hardware implementations. Finally, the algorithm was implemented in a field-programmable gate array, and it was tested by using a five-level five-phase inverter feeding a motor.Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia | Ref. ENE2006-0293

Multidimensional two-level multiphase space vector PWM algorithm and its comparison with multifrequency space vector PWM method

A multilevel multiphase space vector pulsewidth modulation (SVPWM) algorithm has been introduced recently, in which the reference is separated into an integer part and a fractional part. The fractional part is, in essence, a two-level multiphase space vector algorithm. This paper shows that, with appropriate adaptations, the fractional part of the general space vector multilevel multiphase PWM can be applied as a stand-alone PWM method in conjunction with two-level voltage-source converters with any number of phases. Simulation results of the five- and six-phase cases are shown, and the new algorithm is compared with another recent multifrequency SVPWM algorithm, which follows the standard approach of selecting the switching vectors and calculating their application times using planes. The experimental verification is provided using a five-phase two-motor series-connected induction motor drive, supplied from a custom-designed five-phase voltage-source inverter.Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación | Ref. DPI2009-0700

Multilevel multiphase space vector PWM algorithm

In the last few years, interest in multiphase converter technology has increased due to the benefits of using more than three phases in drive applications. Besides, multilevel converter technology permits the achievement of high power ratings with voltage limited devices. Multilevel multiphase technology combines the benefits of both technologies, but new modulation techniques must be developed in order to take advantage of multilevel multiphase converters. In this paper, a novel space vector pulsewidth modulation (SVPWM) algorithm for multilevel multiphase voltage source converters is presented. This algorithm is the result of the two main contributions of this paper: the demonstration that a multilevel multiphase modulator can be realized from a two-level multiphase modulator, and the development of a new two-level multiphase SVPWM algorithm. The multiphase SVPWM algorithm presented in this paper can be applied to most multilevel topologies; it has low computational complexity and it is suitable for hardware implementations. Finally, the algorithm was implemented in a low-cost field-programmable gate array and it was tested in a laboratory with a real prototype using a five-level five-phase inverter.Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia | Ref. ENE2006-0293