Multi-Winding Motor Predictive Flux Control Without Low-Pass Filtering

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current control methods for electrical converters with multiple three-phase windings face challenges in distinguishing fundamental current components from ripple, leading to suboptimal torque control and increased harmonic distortion, particularly in medium-voltage drives where low-pass filtering limits controller gain and allows for suboptimal optimized pulse patterns.

Innovation Solution

The implementation of model predictive pulse pattern control (MP3C) that controls instantaneous flux along a reference trajectory defined by the converter's pulse pattern, allowing for discontinuous switching angles and eliminating the need for low-pass filtering, while extending flux-based control to electrical machines with multiple three-phase windings by calculating average and difference flux references and translating them into winding flux references for each system.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If low-pass filtering is applied to extract fundamental current component, then current ripple is reduced, but controller gain is limited and drive dynamic performance deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefundamental current component extractionVSAvoiddrive dynamic performance
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The invention extracts only the necessary information (fundamental current component) through appropriate sampling at specific time instants, rather than applying low-pass filtering to the entire signal. This allows obtaining the fundamental component without the performance degradation caused by filtering.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The sampling time instants are pre-determined based on the switching pattern to coincide with moments when only the fundamental current component is present at the converter terminals. This preliminary positioning of sampling points eliminates the need for filtering and preserves dynamic performance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Stability of the object's composition

If switching angles of OPPs evolve smoothly without discontinuities, then control stability is maintained, but OPP optimality deteriorates resulting in higher current ripple

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveswitching angle continuityVSAvoidcurrent ripple minimization
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The invention transitions from static, continuous switching angle evolution to dynamic switching angle selection that can change discontinuously between different modulation intervals. This allows the switching angles to be optimized independently in each interval based on current operating conditions, achieving better ripple performance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The switching angles are optimized periodically at each modulation index interval, allowing discontinuous jumps between intervals. Each periodic optimization cycle independently determines the optimal switching angles for that specific operating range, improving overall performance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

3Productivity

If MP3C is applied to electrical machines with multiple sets of windings, then control performance is improved, but control complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetorque control speedVSAvoidcontrol system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The control of multiple winding systems is segmented into independent model predictive controllers for each winding, with each controller handling its own flux reference trajectory. This modular segmentation manages complexity by treating each winding independently while achieving coordinated control through shared flux references.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

A universal flux-based control framework is applied that works for both single-winding and multi-winding machines. The same MP3C principles and algorithms are used across all winding systems, providing a unified multi-functional control approach that reduces overall system complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentEP4304079A9Model predictive control for electrical machines with multiple sets of windings
Publication Date: 2024.05.22 ABB (SCHWEIZ) AG
  • EP4304079A9 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4304079A9 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4304079A9 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A method for controlling an electrical converter (14) comprises: determining an average flux reference ψS,avrefγavref from a reference torque (Tref) and an estimated torque (T̂), which is determined from measured currents (iSabc,I, iSabc,II) and measured voltages (vSabc,I, vSabc,II) and/or reconstructed voltages (v̂Sabc,I, v̂Sabc,II) in the winding systems (20a, 20b); determining at least one difference flux reference ψS,diffrefγdiffref from at least one difference current reference iSdq,diffref; determining a winding flux reference ψS,IrefγIrefψS,IIrefγIIref for each winding system (20a, 20b) from the average flux reference ψS,avrefγavref and the at least one difference flux reference ψS,diffrefγdiffref by adding and/or subtracting the at least one difference flux reference ψS,diffref,γdiffref to the average flux reference (ψS,avref, γavref); determining switching commands (uabc,I, uabc,II) for each converter branch (14a, 14b) from the winding flux reference ψS,Iref,∡ψS,Iref,ψS,IIref,∡ψS,IIref and an estimated winding flux (ψ̂S,I, ψ̂S,I, ψ̂S,II, ψ̂S,II) for the winding system (20a, 20b), which is connected to the respective converter branch (14a, 14b), wherein the estimated winding flux (ψ̂S,I, ψ̂S,I, ψ̂S,II, ψ̂S,II) is determined from the measured current (iSabc,I, iSabc,II) and the measured voltages (vSabc,I, vSabc,II) and/or the reconstructed voltages (v̂Sabc,I, v̂Sabc,II) in the winding system (20a, 20b), and wherein the winding flux reference (ψS,Iref,∡ψS,Iref,ψS,IIref, ∡ψS,IIref) and the estimated winding flux (ψ̂S,I, ψ̂S,I, ψ̂S,II, ψ̂S,II) are provided to a dedicated model predictive controller (52) for the respective converter branch (14a, 14b), which determines the switching commands (uabc,I, uabc,II); and applying the switching commands (uabc,I, uabc,II) to each converter branch (14a, 14b).