scispace - formally typeset
Search or ask a question

Showing papers in "IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics in 2009"


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Active disturbance rejection control is proposed, which is motivated by the ever increasing demands from industry that requires the control technology to move beyond PID, and may very well break the hold of classical PID and enter a new era of innovations.
Abstract: Active disturbance rejection control (ADRC) can be summarized as follows: it inherits from proportional-integral-derivative (PID) the quality that makes it such a success: the error driven, rather than model-based, control law; it takes from modern control theory its best offering: the state observer; it embraces the power of nonlinear feedback and puts it to full use; it is a useful digital control technology developed out of an experimental platform rooted in computer simulations ADRC is made possible only when control is taken as an experimental science, instead of a mathematical one It is motivated by the ever increasing demands from industry that requires the control technology to move beyond PID, which has dominated the practice for over 80 years Specifically, there are four areas of weakness in PID that we strive to address: 1) the error computation; 2) noise degradation in the derivative control; 3) oversimplification and the loss of performance in the control law in the form of a linear weighted sum; and 4) complications brought by the integral control Correspondingly, we propose four distinct measures: 1) a simple differential equation as a transient trajectory generator; 2) a noise-tolerant tracking differentiator; 3) the nonlinear control laws; and 4) the concept and method of total disturbance estimation and rejection Together, they form a new set of tools and a new way of control design Times and again in experiments and on factory floors, ADRC proves to be a capable replacement of PID with unmistakable advantage in performance and practicality, providing solutions to pressing engineering problems of today With the new outlook and possibilities that ADRC represents, we further believe that control engineering may very well break the hold of classical PID and enter a new era, an era that brings back the spirit of innovations

4,530 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The aim is to provide a contemporary look at the current state of the art in IWSNs and discuss the still-open research issues in this field and to make the decision-making process more effective and direct.
Abstract: In today's competitive industry marketplace, the companies face growing demands to improve process efficiencies, comply with environmental regulations, and meet corporate financial objectives. Given the increasing age of many industrial systems and the dynamic industrial manufacturing market, intelligent and low-cost industrial automation systems are required to improve the productivity and efficiency of such systems. The collaborative nature of industrial wireless sensor networks (IWSNs) brings several advantages over traditional wired industrial monitoring and control systems, including self-organization, rapid deployment, flexibility, and inherent intelligent-processing capability. In this regard, IWSN plays a vital role in creating a highly reliable and self-healing industrial system that rapidly responds to real-time events with appropriate actions. In this paper, first, technical challenges and design principles are introduced in terms of hardware development, system architectures and protocols, and software development. Specifically, radio technologies, energy-harvesting techniques, and cross-layer design for IWSNs have been discussed. In addition, IWSN standards are presented for the system owners, who plan to utilize new IWSN technologies for industrial automation applications. In this paper, our aim is to provide a contemporary look at the current state of the art in IWSNs and discuss the still-open research issues in this field and, hence, to make the decision-making process more effective and direct.

1,595 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The feasibility and great potential of FCS-MPC due to present-day signal-processing capabilities, particularly for power systems with a reduced number of switching states and more complex operating principles, such as matrix converters are found.
Abstract: This paper presents a detailed description of finite control set model predictive control (FCS-MPC) applied to power converters Several key aspects related to this methodology are, in depth, presented and compared with traditional power converter control techniques, such as linear controllers with pulsewidth-modulation-based methods The basic concepts, operating principles, control diagrams, and results are used to provide a comparison between the different control strategies The analysis is performed on a traditional three-phase voltage source inverter, used as a simple and comprehensive reference frame However, additional topologies and power systems are addressed to highlight differences, potentialities, and challenges of FCS-MPC Among the conclusions are the feasibility and great potential of FCS-MPC due to present-day signal-processing capabilities, particularly for power systems with a reduced number of switching states and more complex operating principles, such as matrix converters In addition, the possibility to address different or additional control objectives easily in a single cost function enables a simple, flexible, and improved performance controller for power-conversion systems

1,554 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A simple and low-computational-cost modulation technique for multilevel cascaded H-bridge converters based on geometrical considerations considering a unidimensional control region to determine the switching sequence and the corresponding switching times is presented.
Abstract: Multilevel cascaded H-bridge converters have found industrial application in the medium-voltage high-power range. In this paper, a generalized modulation technique for this type of converter based on a multidimensional control region is presented. Using the multidimensional control region, it is shown that all previous modulation techniques are particularized versions of the proposed method. Several possible solutions to develop a specific implementation of the modulation method are addressed in order to show the potential possibilities and the flexibility of the proposed technique. In addition, a feedforward version of this technique is also introduced to determine the switching sequence and the switching times, avoiding low harmonic distortion with unbalanced dc voltages. Experimental results are shown in order to validate the proposed concepts.

941 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The improvements and the new techniques proposed in the last decade are analyzed in depth and compared in order to highlight the qualities and defects of each.
Abstract: In this paper, the authors present an extended survey on the evolution and the modern approaches in the thermal analysis of electrical machines. The improvements and the new techniques proposed in the last decade are analyzed in depth and compared in order to highlight the qualities and defects of each. In particular, thermal analysis based on lumped-parameter thermal network, finite-element analysis, and computational fluid dynamics are considered in this paper. In addition, an overview of the problems linked to the thermal parameter determination and computation is proposed and discussed. Taking into account the aims of this paper, a detailed list of books and papers is reported in the references to help researchers interested in these topics.

823 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A small-signal analysis is presented in order to analyze the system stability, which gives rules to design the main control parameters, and results are presented, showing the feasibility of the proposed controller.
Abstract: In this paper, the control strategy for a flexible microgrid is presented. The microgrid presented here consists of several line-interactive uninterruptible power supply (UPS) systems connected in parallel. The control technique is based on the droop method to avoid critical communications among UPS units. Thus, a flexible microgrid is obtained to operate in either grid-connected or islanded mode. A small-signal analysis is presented in order to analyze the system stability, which gives rules to design the main control parameters. Simulation and experimental results are presented, showing the feasibility of the proposed controller.

758 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A novel model predictive control scheme is proposed that keeps the motor torque, the stator flux, and (if present) the inverter's neutral point potential within given hysteresis bounds while minimizing the switching frequency of the inverters.
Abstract: This paper focuses on direct torque control (DTC) for three-phase AC electric drives. A novel model predictive control scheme is proposed that keeps the motor torque, the stator flux, and (if present) the inverter's neutral point potential within given hysteresis bounds while minimizing the switching frequency of the inverter. Based on an internal model of the drive, the controller predicts several future switch transitions, extrapolates the output trajectories, and chooses the sequence of inverter switch positions (voltage vectors) that minimizes the switching frequency. The advantages of the proposed controller are twofold. First, as underlined by the experimental results in the second part of this paper, it yields a superior performance with respect to the industrial state of the art. Specifically, the switching frequency is reduced by up to 50% while the torque and flux are kept more accurately within their bounds. Moreover, the fast dynamic torque response is inherited from standard DTC. Second, the scheme is applicable to a large class of (three-phase) AC electric machines driven by inverters.

746 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This paper presents a single-phase cascaded H-bridge converter for a grid-connected photovoltaic (PV) application that offers other advantages such as the operation at lower switching frequency or lower current ripple compared to standard two-level topologies.
Abstract: This paper presents a single-phase cascaded H-bridge converter for a grid-connected photovoltaic (PV) application The multilevel topology consists of several H-bridge cells connected in series, each one connected to a string of PV modules The adopted control scheme permits the independent control of each dc-link voltage, enabling, in this way, the tracking of the maximum power point for each string of PV panels Additionally, low-ripple sinusoidal-current waveforms are generated with almost unity power factor The topology offers other advantages such as the operation at lower switching frequency or lower current ripple compared to standard two-level topologies Simulation and experimental results are presented for different operating conditions

728 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Voltage-oriented PI control of three-phase grid-connected pulsewidth-modulation rectifiers with LCL filters is addressed and an experimentally determined LCL filter transfer function is shown, which shows a lower resonance peak as expected from commonly used filter models.
Abstract: Voltage-oriented PI control of three-phase grid-connected pulsewidth-modulation rectifiers with LCL filters is addressed. LCL filters require resonance damping. Active resonance damping is state of the art to face the problem, but it is still under investigation because of the manifold solutions. It is often realized using many sensors and/or complex control algorithms. In contrast, pure PI control requires only one set of current sensors, and its implementation and design are rather simple and well known from the L filter control. PI control has already been shown to be a suitable solution also for LCL filters, but there are limitations. These are investigated in this paper. System stability is analyzed with respect to different ratios of LCL filter resonance and control frequencies. The latter are important parameters for system design and control. Both line and converter current control are analyzed. For a certain range of frequency ratios, the voltage-oriented PI control gives stable performance without additional feedback, but for ratios outside this range, stable operation is impossible. Experimental tests validate the theoretical results. In addition, an experimentally determined LCL filter transfer function is shown in this paper, which shows a lower resonance peak as expected from commonly used filter models.

697 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This paper proposes transformerless dc-dc converters to achieve high step-up voltage gain without an extremely high duty ratio and develops a prototype circuit to verify the performance.
Abstract: Conventional dc-dc boost converters are unable to provide high step-up voltage gains due to the effect of power switches, rectifier diodes, and the equivalent series resistance of inductors and capacitors. This paper proposes transformerless dc-dc converters to achieve high step-up voltage gain without an extremely high duty ratio. In the proposed converters, two inductors with the same level of inductance are charged in parallel during the switch-on period and are discharged in series during the switch-off period. The structures of the proposed converters are very simple. Only one power stage is used. Moreover, the steady-state analyses of voltage gains and boundary operating conditions are discussed in detail. Finally, a prototype circuit is implemented in the laboratory to verify the performance.

694 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The steps to follow in the optimized design of an ICPT system and the results obtained in their application to the four most common compensation topologies are shown, pointing out the best one in terms of minimum copper mass and proper stability conditions.
Abstract: Although the use of inductively coupled power transfer (ICPT) systems for electric vehicle battery charge presents numerous advantages, a detailed design method cannot be found in the literature. This paper shows the steps to follow in the optimized design of an ICPT system and the results obtained in their application to the four most common compensation topologies, pointing out the best one in terms of minimum copper mass and proper stability conditions. A new design factor K D is proposed to select the optimum configuration for each topology. Finally, the theoretical results are validated on a 2-kW prototype with a 15-cm air gap between coils.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A novel control for voltage-source inverters with the capability to flexibly operate in grid-connected and islanded modes based on the droop method, which uses some estimated grid parameters such as the voltage and frequency and the magnitude and angle of the grid impedance.
Abstract: This paper proposes a novel control for voltage-source inverters with the capability to flexibly operate in grid-connected and islanded modes. The control scheme is based on the droop method, which uses some estimated grid parameters such as the voltage and frequency and the magnitude and angle of the grid impedance. Hence, the inverter is able to inject independently active and reactive power to the grid. The controller provides a proper dynamics decoupled from the grid-impedance magnitude and phase. The system is also able to control active and reactive power flows independently for a large range of impedance grid values. Simulation and experimental results are provided in order to show the feasibility of the control proposed.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This paper presents a single-phase five-level photovoltaic inverter topology for grid-connected PV systems with a novel pulsewidth-modulated (PWM) control scheme that offers much less total harmonic distortion and can operate at near-unity power factor.
Abstract: This paper presents a single-phase five-level photovoltaic (PV) inverter topology for grid-connected PV systems with a novel pulsewidth-modulated (PWM) control scheme. Two reference signals identical to each other with an offset equivalent to the amplitude of the triangular carrier signal were used to generate PWM signals for the switches. A digital proportional-integral current control algorithm is implemented in DSP TMS320F2812 to keep the current injected into the grid sinusoidal and to have high dynamic performance with rapidly changing atmospheric conditions. The inverter offers much less total harmonic distortion and can operate at near-unity power factor. The proposed system is verified through simulation and is implemented in a prototype, and the experimental results are compared with that with the conventional single-phase three-level grid-connected PWM inverter.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A new and simple control scheme using predictive control for a two-level converter using a model of the system to predict the behavior of the output voltage for each possible switching state is presented.
Abstract: The use of an inverter with an output LC filter allows for generation of output sinusoidal voltages with low harmonic distortion, suitable for uninterruptible power supply systems. However, the controller design becomes more difficult. This paper presents a new and simple control scheme using predictive control for a two-level converter. The controller uses the model of the system to predict, on each sampling interval, the behavior of the output voltage for each possible switching state. Then, a cost function is used as a criterion for selecting the switching state that will be applied during the next sampling interval. In addition, an observer is used for load-current estimation, enhancing the behavior of the proposed controller without increasing the number of current sensors. Experimental results under linear and nonlinear load conditions, with a 5.5-kW prototype, are presented, verifying the feasibility and good performance of the proposed control scheme.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Simulation and experimental results show that the proposed adaptive control scheme for the permanent-magnet synchronous motor speed-regulation system achieves a better speed response in the presence of inertia variations.
Abstract: Considering the variations of inertia in real applications, an adaptive control scheme for the permanent-magnet synchronous motor speed-regulation system is proposed in this paper. First, a composite control method, i.e., the extended-state-observer (ESO)-based control method, is employed to ensure the performance of the closed-loop system. The ESO can estimate both the states and the disturbances simultaneously so that the composite speed controller can have a corresponding part to compensate for the disturbances. Then, considering the case of variations of load inertia, an adaptive control scheme is developed by analyzing the control performance relationship between the feedforward compensation gain and the system inertia. By using inertia identification techniques, a fuzzy-inferencer-based supervisor is designed to automatically tune the feedforward compensation gain according to the identified inertia. Simulation and experimental results both show that the proposed method achieves a better speed response in the presence of inertia variations.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A high-power high-efficiency wireless-power-transfer system using the class-E operation for transmitter via inductive coupling has been designed and fabricated using the proposed design approach.
Abstract: In this paper, a high-power high-efficiency wireless-power-transfer system using the class-E operation for transmitter via inductive coupling has been designed and fabricated using the proposed design approach. The system requires no complex external control system but relies on its natural impedance response to achieve the desired power-delivery profile across a wide range of load resistances while maintaining high efficiency to prevent any heating issues. The proposed system consists of multichannels with independent gate drive to control power delivery. The fabricated system is compact and capable of 295 W of power delivery at 75.7% efficiency with forced air cooling and of 69 W of power delivery at 74.2% efficiency with convection cooling. This is the highest power and efficiency of a loosely coupled planar wireless-power-transfer system reported to date.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A dynamical electrical array reconfiguration strategy is applied on the photovoltaic generator of a grid-connected PV system based on a plant-oriented configuration in order to improve its energy production when the operating conditions of the solar panels are different.
Abstract: This paper applies a dynamical electrical array reconfiguration (EAR) strategy on the photovoltaic (PV) generator of a grid-connected PV system based on a plant-oriented configuration, in order to improve its energy production when the operating conditions of the solar panels are different. The EAR strategy is carried out by inserting a controllable switching matrix between the PV generator and the central inverter, which allows the electrical reconnection of the available PV modules. As a result, the PV system exhibits a self-capacity for real-time adaptation to the PV generator external operating conditions and improves the energy extraction of the system. Experimental results are provided to validate the proposed approach.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The state of the art of recent developments in SMC systems with SC is provided, examining key technical research issues and future perspectives.
Abstract: Sliding-mode control (SMC) has been studied extensively for over 50 years and widely used in practical applications due to its simplicity and robustness against parameter variations and disturbances. Despite the extensive research activities carried out, the key technical problems associated with SMC remain as challenging research questions due to demands for new industrial applications and technological advances. In this respect, soft computing (SC) is a rather recent development in intelligent systems which has provided alternative means for adaptive learning and control to overcome the key SMC technical problems. Substantial efforts in integration of SMC with SC have been placed in recent years with various successes. In this paper, we provide the state of the art of recent developments in SMC systems with SC, examining key technical research issues and future perspectives.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A portable solar PV system that effectively eliminates both of the aforementioned problems is described and proven and is capable of simultaneously maximizing the power generated by every PV cell in the PV panel.
Abstract: Solar photovoltaic (PV) arrays in portable applications are often subject to partial shading and rapid fluctuations of shading. In the usual series-connected wiring scheme, the residual energy generated by partially shaded cells either cannot be collected (if diode bypassed) or, worse, impedes collection of power from the remaining fully illuminated cells (if not bypassed). Rapid fluctuation of the shading pattern makes maximum power point (MPP) tracking difficult; generally, there will exist multiple local MPPs, and their values will change as rapidly as does the illumination. In this paper, a portable solar PV system that effectively eliminates both of the aforementioned problems is described and proven. This system is capable of simultaneously maximizing the power generated by every PV cell in the PV panel. The proposed configuration consists of an array of parallel-connected PV cells, a low-input-voltage step-up power converter, and a simple wide bandwidth MPP tracker. Parallel-configured PV systems are compared to traditional series-configured PV systems through both hardware experiments and computer simulations in this paper. Study results demonstrate that, under complex irradiance conditions, the power generated by the new configuration is approximately twice that of the traditional configuration. The solar PV system can be widely used in many consumer applications, such as PV vests for cell phones and music players.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A neural-network-based terminal sliding-mode control (SMC) scheme is proposed for robotic manipulators including actuator dynamics that alleviates some main drawbacks in the linear SMC while maintains its robustness to the uncertainties.
Abstract: A neural-network-based terminal sliding-mode control (SMC) scheme is proposed for robotic manipulators including actuator dynamics. The proposed terminal SMC (TSMC) alleviates some main drawbacks (such as contradiction between control efforts in the transient and tracking errors in the steady state) in the linear SMC while maintains its robustness to the uncertainties. Moreover, an indirect method is developed to avoid the singularity problem in the initial TSMC. In the proposed control scheme, a radial basis function neural network (NN) is adopted to approximate the nonlinear dynamics of the robotic manipulator. Meanwhile, a robust control term is added to suppress the modeling error and estimate the error of the NN. Finite time convergence and stability of the closed loop system can be guaranteed by Lyapunov theory. Finally, the proposed control scheme is applied to a robotic manipulator. Experimental results confirm the validity of the proposed control scheme by comparing it with other control strategies.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Some current trends and challenges of state-of-the-art technologies in the development of remote laboratories in several areas related with industrial electronics education are identified and discussed.
Abstract: Remote laboratories have been introduced during the last few decades into engineering education processes as well as integrated within e-learning frameworks offered to engineering and science students. Remote laboratories are also being used to support life-long learning and student's autonomous learning activities. In this paper, after a brief overview of state-of-the-art technologies in the development of remote laboratories and presentation of recent and interesting examples of remote laboratories in several areas related with industrial electronics education, some current trends and challenges are also identified and discussed.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A predictive control algorithm that uses a state-space model of an induction machine with time-varying components improving the accuracy of state prediction and a high degree of flexibility is obtained with the proposed control technique due to the online optimization algorithm.
Abstract: In this paper, we present a predictive control algorithm that uses a state-space model. Based on classical control theory, an exact discrete-time model of an induction machine with time-varying components is developed improving the accuracy of state prediction. A torque and stator flux magnitude control algorithm evaluates a cost function for each switching state available in a two-level inverter. The voltage vector with the lowest torque and stator flux magnitude errors is selected to be applied in the next sampling interval. A high degree of flexibility is obtained with the proposed control technique due to the online optimization algorithm, where system nonlinearities and restrictions can be included. Experimental results for a 4-kW induction machine are presented to validate the proposed state-space model and control algorithm.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Simulation and experimental results demonstrate the performance of three different methods made to derive reference currents for a DSTATCOM, an instantaneous reactive power theory, a synchronous reference frame theory, and a new Adaline-based algorithm.
Abstract: In this paper, a Distribution STATic COMpensator (DSTATCOM) is proposed for compensation of reactive power and unbalance caused by various loads in distribution system. An evaluation of three different methods is made to derive reference currents for a DSTATCOM. These methods are an instantaneous reactive power theory, a synchronous reference frame theory, and a new Adaline-based algorithm. The Adaline-based algorithm is an adaptive method for extracting reference current signals. These schemes are simulated under MATLAB environment using SIMULINK and PSB toolboxes. Simulation and experimental results demonstrate the performance of these schemes for the control of DSTATCOM.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The implementation of novel active-damping techniques on dc/dc converters has been shown and the proposed active- damping method is used to overcome the negative impedance instability problem caused by the CPLs.
Abstract: Multi-converter power electronic systems exist in land, sea, air, and space vehicles. In these systems, load converters exhibit constant power load (CPL) behavior for the feeder converters and tend to destabilize the system. In this paper, the implementation of novel active-damping techniques on dc/dc converters has been shown. Moreover, the proposed active-damping method is used to overcome the negative impedance instability problem caused by the CPLs. The effectiveness of the new proposed approach has been verified by PSpice simulations and experimental results.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The guidelines for the proper joint design of the compensation network (which is able to cancel out the PV voltage oscillations) and of the main MPPT parameters are provided in this paper.
Abstract: In double-stage grid-connected photovoltaic (PV) inverters, the dynamic interactions among the DC/DC and DC/AC stages and the maximum power point tracking (MPPT) controller may reduce the system performances. In this paper, the detrimental effects, particularly in terms of system efficiency and MPPT performances, of the oscillations of the PV array voltage, taking place at the second harmonic of the grid frequency are evidenced. The use of a proper compensation network acting on the error signal between a reference signal provided by the MPPT controller and a signal that is proportional to the PV array voltage is proposed. The guidelines for the proper joint design of the compensation network (which is able to cancel out the PV voltage oscillations) and of the main MPPT parameters are provided in this paper. Simulation results and experimental measurements confirm the effectiveness of the proposed approach.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This paper introduces a new iterative design procedure of L and LCL filters for low-voltage active-front-end PWM two-level voltage source converters using the analytical expression of the converter harmonic voltages by Bessel functions.
Abstract: This paper introduces a new iterative design procedure of L and LCL filters for low-voltage active-front-end PWM two-level voltage source converters. The analytical expression of the converter harmonic voltages by Bessel functions is applied to design the filter parameters for defined maximum grid current harmonics. Different filter designs are derived for various resonance frequencies and inductance split factors of LCL filter. The minimum amount of stored energy of passive components is used to select a final filter design. A voltage-oriented control scheme, including active damping, is applied in the (400 V and 50 kVA) experimental setup. Both simulation and experimental investigations are presented to verify the accuracy of the filter design procedure. Finally, the steady state and transient performance of the active front end with different LCL filters are depicted.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A new control strategy for a doubly fed induction generator (DFIG) under unbalanced network voltage conditions and simultaneous elimination of torque and total active power oscillations has been achieved.
Abstract: This paper presents a new control strategy for a doubly fed induction generator (DFIG) under unbalanced network voltage conditions. Coordinated control of the grid- and rotor-side converters (GSC and RSC, respectively) during voltage unbalance is proposed. Under an unbalanced supply voltage, the RSC is controlled to eliminate the torque pulsation at double supply frequency. The oscillation of the stator output active power is then compensated by the active power output from the GSC, to ensure constant active power output from the overall DFIG generation system. In order to provide precise control of the positive- and negative-sequence currents of the GSC and RSC, a current control scheme consisting of a proportional integral (PI) controller and a resonant (R) compensator is presented. The PI plus R current regulator is implemented in the positive synchronous reference frame without the need to decompose the positive- and negative-sequence components. Simulations on a 1.5-MW DFIG system and experimental tests on a 1.5-kW prototype validate the proposed strategy. Precise control of both positive- and negative-sequence currents and simultaneous elimination of torque and total active power oscillations have been achieved.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The importance of power electronics, the recent advances of power semiconductor devices, converters, variable-frequency AC drives, and advanced control and estimation techniques will be reviewed briefly.
Abstract: Power electronics technology has gone through dynamic evolution in the last four decades. Recently, its applications are fast expanding in industrial, commercial, residential, transportation, utility, aerospace, and military environments primarily due to reduction of cost, size, and improvement of performance. In the global industrial automation, energy conservation, and environmental pollution control trends of the 21st century, the widespread impact of power electronics is inevitable. It appears that the role of power electronics on our society in the future will tend to be as important and versatile as that of information technology today. In this paper, the importance of power electronics will be discussed after a brief historial introduction in the beginning. Then, the recent advances of power semiconductor devices, converters, variable-frequency AC drives, and advanced control and estimation techniques will be reviewed briefly. Unlike a traditional technology survey paper, the number of figures is kept intentionally small in favor of the text within the length constraint of this paper. The prognosis of different areas will be highlighted wherever possible based on the author's own knowledge and experience. In conclusion and future scenario, the trend of power electronics and motor drives along with some possible research and development areas will be highlighted.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The main contribution is a comprehensive and detailed description of the controller design process that points out the most critical aspects and also gives some practical hints for implementation.
Abstract: This paper deals with a model predictive control (MPC) algorithm applied to electrical drives The main contribution is a comprehensive and detailed description of the controller design process that points out the most critical aspects and also gives some practical hints for implementation As an example, the MPC is developed for a permanent-magnet synchronous motor drive Speed and current controllers are combined together, including all of the state variables of the system, instead of keeping the conventional cascade structure In this way, the controller enforces both the current and the voltage limits Both simulation and experimental results point out the validity of the design procedure and the potentials of the MPC in the electrical drive field

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Simulation and experimental results show that all three controllers meet LVRT requirements, although different system performance is found for each control approach, and controller selection depends on the system constraints and the type of preferred performance features.
Abstract: Low-voltage ride-through (LVRT) requirements demand wind-power plants to remain connected to the network in presence of grid-voltage dips. Most dips present positive-, negative-, and zero-sequence components. Hence, regulators based on symmetrical components are well suited to control grid-connected converters. A neutral-point-clamped topology has been considered as an active front end of a distributed power-generation system, following the trend of increasing power and voltage levels in wind-power systems. Three different current controllers based on symmetrical components and linear quadratic regulator have been considered. The performance of each controller is evaluated on LVRT requirement fulfillment, grid-current balancing, maximum grid-current value control, and oscillating power flow. Simulation and experimental results show that all three controllers meet LVRT requirements, although different system performance is found for each control approach. Therefore, controller selection depends on the system constraints and the type of preferred performance features.