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One of the major issues with pulsewidth modulation (PWM) is that considerable conducted emissions will be generated from power electronics converters. Random modulations are considered one of the viable solutions to reduce conducted electromagnetic interference (EMI) without adding bulky passive filtering components. Literature that investigates the application of such techniques in active front end (AFE) drives is limited. In this article, a novel random switching frequency PWM (RSF-PWM) is proposed for a grid-tied AFE drive to suppress conducted emissions. The statistical behavior of switching frequency is based on uniform distribution. Simulation and experiments are carried out on a 10-hp AFE drive. Results demonstrate that the proposed RSF-PWM can effectively reduce conducted EMI by approximately 20 dB within low-frequency range, compared with conventional constant switching frequency PWM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a combinational-logic-based approach for identifying faults that could occur in the drivetrain of an electric vehicle (EV). A real-time simulation model of an EV is used to study the behavior of available sensor signals and control commands, with specific measured quantities, during vehicle operation. Those quantities could be, but are not limited to, mean values of the phase currents, DC bus current, traction motor speed (if available), in addition to control command quantities. Focus is given to these quantities which are abundant in vehicle inverters and controllers for no added sensing costs. Those quantities carry information of offsets and disturbances that could occur under faulty operating conditions compared to nominal operation, and are thus observed and studied under these conditions. Using such information, a method is developed using simple combinational logic and thresholds to diagnose a fault occurring at any time during a vehicle drive cycle. By combining features of measured quantities that behave similarly irrespective of when the fault occurs during a driving cycle, the proposed method is fault-time-insensitive. The proposed method is presented and validated by real-time simulations to capture over 20 different faults injected at different drive cycle times and in different drivetrain components—electric machine, inverter, transmission, and sensors. Results show that the proposed method is able to robustly and successfully diagnose different faults irrespective of when would they occur. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vector-controlled induction motor drives include several design and control variables that affect power losses. Flux may be weakened to reduce machine losses; switching and conduction losses in the inverter are affected by the flux ripple and current hysteresis bands. This paper combines the machine and inverter to investigate the effects of various control variables on the total system power loss. Both indirect field-oriented control and direct torque control are evaluated. Power losses considered include semiconductor switching and conduction losses and machine core and copper losses. Magnetic saturation is taken into account. A 1.5-hp system is simulated and experimentally tested to find minimum-loss operating points for various control variable combinations. Experimental results show that the operating point for minimum system-level power loss is slightly different from that for minimum machine power loss, but both can yield significant energy savings. The results presented here suggest that, for efficient system operation, control aspects should be utilized and integrated into motor drive designs. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper highlights key contributions in extremum seeking (ES) control and ripple correlation control (RCC). Maximum power point tracking (MPPT) utilizing the 120-Hz inherent inverter ripple is shown to be developed in the early 1980s. Even though that specific MPPT development did not explicitly mention ES control, the analysis presented there shows otherwise. RCC stability and operating properties are also addressed where the fundamental difference between RCC and popular ES control methods is the perturbation source. Since RCC utilizes inherent switching ripple in power electronics, the high ripple frequency leads to fast RCC convergence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]