Analysis and prediction of inverter switching frequency in directtorque control of induction machine based on hysteresis bands andmachine parameters

In this paper, the influences of the hysteresis bands on the direct torque control (DTC) of an induction motor are analytically investigated, and the switching frequency of the inverter is predicted based on the analysis. The flux and torque hysteresis bands are the only gains to be adjusted in DTC, and the inverter switching frequency and the current waveform are greatly influenced by them. Therefore, the magnitude of the hysteresis band should be determined based on reasonable guidelines which can avoid excessive inverter switching frequency and current harmonics in the whole operating region. This paper predicts the inverter switching frequency according to torque and flux hysteresis bands based on induction machine parameters and control sampling period, and investigates the effect of hysteresis bands to line current harmonics. The simulated and experimental results prove the usefulness and feasibility of the proposed method     

Two-Level VSC Based Predictive Direct Torque Control of the Doubly Fed Induction Machine With Reduced Torque and Flux Ripples at Low Constant Switching Frequency

In this paper, a new predictive direct torque control (DTC) strategy of the doubly fed induction machine (DFIM) is presented. It is especially designed to operate at a considerably low constant switching frequency, reducing the electromagnetic torque and rotor flux ripples, in order to provide good steady-state and fast dynamic performances. This control is convenient for high power drive and generator applications, with restricted switching frequency. The DFIM is connected to the grid by the stator and the rotor is fed by a two level voltage source converter. In addition, this control method allows to implement a technique that reduces the switching power losses of the converter. Finally, experimental results show that the proposed DTC method effectively reduces the torque and flux ripples at low switching frequency, even under variable speed operation conditions.     

A direct torque control algorithm for permanent magnet synchronous motors with minimum torque pulsation and reduced electromagnetic interference noise

In this work, a sensorless hysteresis direct torque control (HDTC) algorithm for a permanent magnet synchronous motor is described. The algorithm uses the output of two hysteresis controllers used in the traditional HDTC to determine two adjacent switching vectors per one sample time. The algorithm also uses the magnitude of the torque error, magnitude of the flux error and stator flux position to select the switching time for the selected vectors. The selection of the switching time utilises table structure which reduces the complexity of calculation. The simulation results of this proposed algorithm show adequate dynamic torque performance and considerable torque ripples reduction as well as lower current ripples and reduced electromagnetic interference noise level, as compared with HDTC.     

A Novel Direct Torque Control Algorithm for IPMSM With Minimum Harmonics and Torque Ripples

This paper describes a new direct torque control algorithm for interior permanent-magnet synchronous motor (IPMSM) to improve the performance of hysteresis direct torque control (HDTC). The algorithm uses the output of two hysteresis controllers used in the traditional HDTC to determine two adjacent active vectors. It also uses the magnitude of the torque error and stator flux linkage position to select the switching time required for the two selected vectors. The selection of the switching time utilizes the suggested table structure, which reduces the complexity of calculation. The simulation results of this proposed algorithm show adequate dynamic torque performance and considerable torque ripples reduction as well as lower harmonic current as compared to HDTC     

Torque ripple analysis and dynamic performance of a space vector modulation based control method for AC-drives

A constant switching frequency torque control method is presented in this paper, that uses flux error vector based space vector modulation (SVM) to achieve steady state and dynamic control of torque. The effect of SVM switching on torque ripple has been analyzed using "flux ripple vectors". This approach is used to develop an insight of torque ripple and to estimate it for any operating angular velocity. We propose a method of compensation to maintain steady state control of torque in the overmodulation region of operation. During torque dynamic, the optimum maximum switching state vector is selected. This gives a response similar to that obtained using direct torque control (DTC) and direct self control (DSC) methods. The proposed method is verified experimentally.     

A novel direct torque controlled interior permanent magnet synchronous machine drive with low ripple in flux and torque and fixed switching frequency

A modified direct torque control (DTC) scheme for interior permanent magnet synchronous machine (IPMSM) is investigated in this paper, which features in very low flux and torque ripple and almost fixed switching frequency. It is based on the compensation of the error flux linkage vector by means of space vector modulation. Modeling and experimental results show that the flux and torque ripples are greatly reduced when compared with those of the basic DTC. With the new scheme, very short sampling time is not essential. All the advantages of the basic DTC are still retained. In addition, fixed switching frequency at different operating conditions becomes possible. The field-weakening control of this drive is also studied; an IPM DTC drive with a wider operation range and lower flux and torque ripple has been achieved experimentally.     

Implementation of a direct control algorithm for induction motorsbased on discrete space vector modulation

The basic concept of direct torque control of induction machines is investigated in order to emphasize the effects produced by a given voltage vector on stator flux and torque variations. The low number of voltage vectors which can be applied to the machine using the basic DTC scheme may cause undesired torque and current ripple. An improvement of the drive performance can be obtained using a new DTC algorithm based on the application of the space vector modulation (SVM) for prefixed time intervals. In this way a sort of discrete space vector modulation (DSVM) is introduced. Numerical simulations and experimental tests have been carried out to validate the proposed method     

Low switching frequency and high dynamic pulsewidth modulationbased on field-orientation for high-power inverter drive

In megawatt-rated inverter-fed induction motor drive systems, the gate-turn-off switching losses account for a considerable amount of the total losses, hence, the switching frequency in such systems must be kept at a low value of only a few hundred hertz. To avoid undesired torque harmonics under such operating conditions, the pulse control of the inverter is made dependent on the orientation of the rotor flux of the drive machine. This method transfers a major portion of the unavoidable current distortions into the field axis where they have no influence on the machine torque. An optimal trajectory-oriented control is presented that achieves low switching frequency at low torque and current harmonics and exhibits a very fast dynamic response. The performance of this method is demonstrated by measured results from a 30-kW model drive     

Performance evaluation of a direct torque controlled drive in thecontinuous PWM-square wave transition region

This paper investigates the operation of a direct torque controlled drive when operating under transient conditions and when operating in overmodulation conditions or in the “transition region” to six-step operation. The direct torque control is a dead-beat control of the torque and flux magnitude. In the steady-state, the stator voltage vector which drives the torque and flux to the reference value is calculated during each fixed switching period. Under transient or overmodulation conditions, an alternative switching algorithm must be used since dead-beat control is no longer possible. Two alternatives are presented for operation in overmodulation. The first involves a determination of the switching state a priori, and calculating the duty cycle for each phase based on the torque and flux error. A much simpler scheme is presented which utilizes the voltage reference vector from the direct torque control algorithm. This scheme, although not resulting in dead-beat control, is shown to provide very satisfactory performance in overmodulation. The direct torque control method shows great promise for light traction applications where a large quasi-constant power region is required. The scheme operates very satisfactorily in overmodulation, compared with existing current regulated PWM-based schemes, due to the fact that the voltage space vectors are directly controlled. A complete experimental evaluation of the proposed scheme operating in the transition region is also given     

A Direct-Flux-Vector-Controlled Induction Generator With Space-Vector Modulation for Integrated Starter Alternator

A direct-flux-vector-controlled scheme of induction generator has been proposed in this paper for future 42-V automobile application. The fundamental relationship between the rotating speed of the stator flux vector and torque is analyzed. A simple structure with only one proportional-integral (PI) controller is shown to implement the torque and flux controls adequately. By controlling the electromagnetic torque of the induction machine, the required dc-bus voltage can be well regulated within the 42-V PowerNet specifications. Fixed switching frequency and low torque ripple are obtained with space-vector modulation technique. Simulation and experimental results indicate that the proposed scheme provides a practical solution for an integrated starter alternator other than the widely applied field-oriented- control scheme.     

Measurement and control of torque ripple-induced frame torsional vibration in a surface mount permanent magnet machine

A sensor to measure the stator torsional vibration due to torque ripple produced by a surface mount permanent magnet machine is first described. The sensor is relatively inexpensive and is straight forward to incorporate into a drive system. Experiments are performed to validate that the voltage produced by the sensor is linearly related to torque ripple amplitude. Closed-loop controllers are then described that adjust the stator current harmonics applied to the machine to achieve a commanded average torque while mitigating measured torsional vibration. Simulation and experimental results are used to demonstrate the effectiveness of the control techniques.     

Electronic mode of control to obtain increased torque and improved power factor from an asynchronous machine

It is indicated that, by changing the electronic switching mode of the rotor current of an induction machine, it is possible to operate the machine at improved (capacitive) power factors and increased torque, or conversely at lower effective current and capacitive power factors at rated torque.     

A new optimized space-vector modulation strategy for acomponent-minimized voltage source inverter

This paper presents a new space-vector modulation strategy suitable for a low-cost pulse-width-modulation (PWM) voltage-source (VS) inverter employing only four switches, four diodes, and a split-capacitor bank in the DC link. The work is motivated by the need for an efficient and flexible modulation method, which is optimized with respect to minimum machine-torque ripple. The modulation strategy is named space-vector modulation for four-switch inverter (SVMFSI), and it is realized by planning the switching patterns between four active voltage vectors on the basis of a desired flux trajectory for the stator-flux vector in the AC machine. The strategy is implemented in a single 8-bit microcontroller as a double-sided modulation strategy. Simulations of the machine-torque ripple are performed at a switching frequency of 4 kHz and indicate a torque ripple of 14% at nominal load. Finally, selected results are verified experimentally on a 1.5-kVA prototype B4 inverter. The test results indicate high-quality output-voltage spectra with no low-order voltage harmonics and a harmonic-loss factor (HLF) of 1.12% at unity modulation index     

An assessment of the inverter switching characteristics in DTC induction motor drives

The switching characteristics of an inverter feeding an induction motor controlled with the direct torque control (DTC) technique are assessed in steady state. At first, the application share of the inverter voltage vectors for the stator flux covering half a sextant is defined and predicted. The prediction indicates that, under operation at fixed inverter dc link voltage and stator flux magnitude, the application share depends only on the supply frequency of the motor and, to a small extent, on the load. Afterwards, the inverter transitions and the corresponding phase commutations within a stator flux sextant are analyzed. The outcome of the analysis permits to compute the commutations of the inverter phases in one turn of the stator flux and, from them, the inverter switching frequency is obtained. Its value is influenced by the sampling interval and the control delay arising from the microprocessor implementation of DTC. For given sampling interval and control delay, it is shown that the inverter switching frequency depends on the same quantities as the application share of the inverter voltage vectors. A comparison with the switching characteristics of an inverter controlled with the space vector modulation technique is carried out. At last, the paper discusses the sensitivity of the switching frequency of an inverter for DTC to the following quantities: inverter dc link voltage, sampling interval and control delay. Throughout the paper simulation and experimental results are given to confirm the theoretical findings.     

Comparative analysis of torque-controlled IM drives withapplications in electric and hybrid vehicles

This paper presents torque-controlled drives based on machine flux and torque estimation. The theoretical aspects of these methods are discussed and a comparative analysis is provided with emphasis on DSP implementation and experimental results. The problems in the application of these techniques to propulsion systems are also discussed and possible solutions are presented     

Improvement of low-speed operation performance of DTC forthree-level inverter-fed induction motors

A direct torque control algorithm for three-level inverter-fed induction motors is presented. Basic voltage selection methods similar to a two-level inverter provoke some problems such as stator-flux drooping phenomenon and undesirable torque control deterioration appeared, especially at low-speed operation. To overcome these problems, an algorithm with the basic switching sectors subdivided and intermediate voltage vectors applied is proposed in this paper. This algorithm basically considers applications in which direct torque-controlled induction motors are fed by three-level inverters with maximum switching frequency lowered around 1 kHz. An adaptive observer is also employed to bring better responses at the low-speed operation, by estimating some state variables and motor parameters which take a deep effect on the performance of the low-speed operation. Simulation and experiment results verify effectiveness of the proposed algorithm     

Probabilistic voltage harmonic analysis of direct torque controlled induction motor drives

In high frequency motor-drives such as direct torque controlled (DTC) induction motor drives, the motor harmonic loss, and electromagnetic interference are largely affected by the spectrum of the motor input voltage. Nonlinear elements in the control loop of DTC drive make harmonic analysis of the drive very complex compared to classical pulsewidth modulated controlled drives. In this paper, a probabilistic method to study the harmonic contents of voltage in DTC of induction motors is presented. The DTC voltage chain is simulated with a random process. Then, the autocorrelation function of voltage vectors is calculated and its power spectrum density is obtained. The effect of flux and torque hysteresis controller bands, machine parameters, and inverter dc-link voltage on the motor voltage spectrum is investigated. Major harmonics in the DTC voltage spectrum are specified and their behaviors are described. Simulation and experimental results are presented to justify the theoretical analysis.     

Torque ripple reduction in DTC of induction motor driven bythree-level inverter with low switching frequency

A torque ripple reduction technique of direct torque control (DTC) for high power induction motors driven by three-level inverters with the inverter switching frequency limited around 0.5-1 kHz level is presented. It is noted that conventional two-level DTC algorithms to reduce torque ripple are devised for applications with relatively high switching frequency above 2-3 kHz and cannot accomplish satisfactory torque ripple reduction for three-level inverter systems with such lower switching frequencies. A new DTC algorithm, especially for low switching frequency inverter system, illustrates quite reduced torque ripple characteristics all over the operating speed region. Simulation and experimental results show effectiveness of the proposed control algorithm     

Dual Direct Torque Control of Doubly Fed Induction Machine

The main idea developed in this paper is a novel biconverter structure to supply a doubly fed induction machine (DFIM). Two voltage source inverters (VSIs) feed the stator and rotor windings. The outputs of the two VSIs are combined electromechanically in the machine, and as a result, novel features can be obtained. For example, for high power drive applications, this configuration uses two inverters dimensioned for a half of the DFIM power. A new dual direct torque control is developed with flux model of DFIM. Two switching tables linked to VSI are defined for stator and rotor flux vector control. The satisfactory experimental and simulation results are shown, and they confirm good dynamic behavior in four quadrants of the speed-torque plane. Moreover, experimental results show the correct flux vector control behavior and speed tracking performances.     

Direct torque control of induction machines with constant switching frequency and reduced torque ripple

Direct torque control (DTC) of induction machines is known to have a simple control structure with comparable performance to that of the field-oriented control technique. Two major problems that are usually associated with DTC drives are: switching frequency that varies with operating conditions and high torque ripple. To solve these problems, and at the same time retain the simple control structure of DTC, a constant switching frequency torque controller is proposed to replace the conventional hysteresis-based controller. In this paper, the modeling, averaging, and linearization of the torque loop containing the proposed controller followed by simulation and experimental results are presented. The proposed controller is shown to be capable of reducing the torque ripple and maintaining a constant switching frequency.