Efficiency Optimal Control for AC Drives with PWM Inverters

For electrical drives using pulsewidth modulation (PWM) inverters and ac motors, methods for efficiency optimal control (EOC) have been developed. They are based on the most complete motor models, including such features as rotor skin effect. Furthermore, new solutions for selected harmonic elimination (SHE) are given. These new solutions come close to EOC. Also, it has been found that EOC solutions (although basically load-dependent as opposed to SHE) do not vary much with the motor used or the motor model applied. Even using a simple R-L series circuit as motor model does not change the solutions much. It is found that using the solutions gained from such a simple model is not more than two points off the real optimum based on a very complete motor model. (For this definition, the absolute harmonic loss minimum is given as zero points, the overall maximum as 100 points with a linear scale in between.) Therefore, one can use one EOC solution for all motors with sufficient accuracy, or, as second best solution, the new form of SHE. Therefore, the EOC solution can be judged load-independent. The implementation by microprocessor-based systems is as easy for other PWM methods. EOC for three and five switching angles per quarter period is discussed, as well as the new solutions for SHE for up to nine angles.