Motor-drive Applications Research Articles

Common Architectures and Devices for Current Source Inverter in Motor-Drive Applications: A Comprehensive Review

When compared to the much more common voltage-source inverter (VSI), the current-source inverter (CSI) is rarely used for variable speed drive applications, due to its disadvantages: the need of a constant DC-link current, typically realized with a front-end converter, and the need for reverse-voltage blocking (RVB) devices, typically implemented with in-series diodes. This limits the overall efficiency of the architecture. This paper investigates latest progress of the CSI research, with the aim of demonstrating why CSI could come back in the near future. Different architectures based on modern wide-bandgap (WBG) switches are analyzed, with an emphasis on why CSI can be advantageous compared to VSI.

Critical Analysis on Multilevel Inverter Designs For Renewable Energy Grid

Multilayer Inverter technologies have recently gained popularity as a cost-effective option for a number of engineering uses utilizing renewable sources of energy. This arrangement has a few noteworthy properties, including a lower hardware complexity, reduced switching losses, a smaller number of switches, and a better output voltage/current waveform. The reduction of total harmonic distortion is the most important requirement in multilayer inverters. Focus on the benefits; MLI technologies, including industrial equipment depending on a multilayer inverter architecture, have seen great growth. A review of traditional MLI and newly developed MLI is covered in this work. These seem to be the most extensively used power electronic devices in purposes such as motor-drive applications, solar as well as wind power MLIs, and in distribution Grids. With valuable references, this study broadly compares several types of MLIs and their appropriate uses in terms of the number of layers used,the number of switches, and Total Harmonic Distortion.

FPGA-Based Controller for a Permanent-Magnet Synchronous Motor Drive Based on a Four-Level Active-Clamped DC-AC Converter

This paper proposes a closed-loop control implementation fully-embedded into an FPGA for a permanent-magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) drive based on a four-level active-clamped converter. The proposed FPGA controller comprises a field-oriented control to drive the PMSM, a DC-link voltage balancing closed-loop control (VBC), and a virtual-vector-based modulator for a four-level active-clamped converter. The VBC and the modulator operate in consonance to preserve the DC-link capacitor voltages balanced. The FPGA design methodology is carefully described and the main aspects to achieve an optimal FPGA implementation using low resources are discussed. Experimental results under different operating conditions are presented to demonstrate the good performance and the feasibility of the proposed controller for motor-drive applications.

Editorial: Special Issue on Wide Bandgap Power Devices and Their Applications, 2014

The papers in this special issue cover the following topics: survey and device related topics; reliability; modeling; packaging and modules; high-temperature aspects; gate and base drivers and aspects on switching speed; cascode circuits; dc-dc converters; resonant and soft-switching converters, matrix converters; and grid-side and motor-drive applications.

A PLC-Based Method for Data Transmission Over a Pulsewidth-Modulated Network

The use of power networks as a communication medium is currently under development. Power line communication (PLC) is a recent technology that allows interconnecting high-speed multimedia equipment while using the conventional domestic electric network. This paper deals with the use of this technology over pulsewidth-modulation (PWM) networks in motor-drive applications. The originality stands on the frontier of two distinct domains-communication and energy. First, the performance of the PLC technology conceived for domestic applications is evaluated when used over a PWM network. Operating limits and main difficulties encountered are underlined. Based on the requirements of the PWM network, new PLC modems are developed and tested. Experimental results presented in this paper show the capacity of these modems to overcome the hostile environment due to the inverter and to guarantee reliable communication over the PWM network.

Motor Overvoltage Limitation by Means of a New EMI-Reducing PWM Strategy for Three-Level Inverters

Pulsewidth-modulated (PWM) voltage-source inverters are known to provoke high-frequency disturbances in motor-drive applications, particularly when long cables are used. Indeed, the parasitic elements of the cable, along with steep voltage transitions due to semiconductor switchings, are responsible for the conducted electromagnetic emissions and high overvoltages on the motor terminals. Therefore, several specific PWM schemes have been proposed in order to reduce these phenomena without requiring large passive filters. However, strategies that reduce common-mode currents (mainly conducted electromagnetic emissions) tend to increase the overvoltages generated on the motor. This paper focuses on a new PWM strategy that reduces the common-mode currents generated by three-level inverters. It provides a control algorithm that makes sure that the motor overvoltages never exceed those of conventional strategies while improving the electromagnetic-compatibility performance of the drive.

Integrated MOSFET Inverter Module for Low-Power Drive System

This paper introduces a new MOSFET inverter module for driving small brushless dc motors used in fans and water-pump applications. The proposed power module integrates six MOSFETs and three dedicated gate-driving high-voltage integrated circuits (HVICs) in a transfer-molded full-pack package. It provides optimized loss and epoxy molding compound characteristics by using particularly designed MOSFET and dedicated HVIC. This paper describes the package design, the MOSFET, and the HVIC of the proposed module used in motor-drive applications, where power dissipation, electromagnetic interference, and noise immunity are primary concerns.

Current regulation for surface permanent-magnet synchronous motor drives using integrated current sensors in low-side switches

A new synchronous-frame current-regulator configuration for a surface permanent-magnet machine is presented, which utilizes incomplete phase-current measurements from the integrated pilot current sensors to deliver an attractive regulator performance. Since the pilot current sensors are directly integrated into the power switching devices, they provide opportunities to reduce the cost, size, and weight of the three-phase inverters by eliminating the dedicated current sensors in the motor-drive applications. However, a three-phase inverter equipped with these sensors in the three low-side switches cannot measure the complete load-current waveforms, requiring the development of this new current-regulator algorithm. An autotuning method is described that significantly reduces the sensitivity of the regulator to errors in the estimated machine parameters. Experimental results are provided to verify the appealing performance characteristics of the proposed regulator

Neural speed filtering for sensorless induction motor drives

Effective sensorless dynamic speed estimation is desirable for both speed sensorless motor-drive applications and for on-line induction motor condition monitoring and assessment. In this paper, a sensorless neural adaptive speed filter is developed for induction motors running off a voltage source inverter. The filter is demonstrated by comparisons with experimental speed measurements and spectral speed estimates. In addition to nameplate information required for the initial set-up, the proposed neural speed filter uses only measured motor currents and voltages. Initial training of the speed filter is accomplished off-line, using rotor slot harmonic-based speed estimates. The developed speed filter is tested on data from a healthy motor and motor with 4 broken rotor bars. The resulting speed filtering accuracy compares favorably with speed estimation results reported in the literature. The study demonstrates the feasibility of neural adaptive speed filters for effective inverter-fed induction motor speed estimation, without explicit use of motor model parameters and speed measurements.

Some Aspects of Power Transistor Inverter Design

The safe operation of large power transistors in motor-drive applications often requires the use of snubber networks. The design of these networks depends upon the type of device being used and upon the circuit configuration. Some operating experience with a monolithic Darlington device is reported. The importance of controlling the switching losses in these devices by the use of snubber capacitors is indicated. It is shown that these capacitors produce side effects in a variable-voltage, variable-frequency inverter which can lead to overcurrent conditions in the transistors. These currents can be controlled by the use of snubber chokes. But the chokes, which are usually included primarily to limit reverse recovery currents in the free-wheel diodes, must be designed according to a different criterion to achieve this. It is suggested that `thermal feedback? should be provided for power transistors in order that they may operate at a safe and stable temperature.