Application of Genetic Algorithms to the Online Tuning of Electric Drive Speed Controllers

Tuning of electric drive speed controllers is complicated by nonlinearities. Usual practice obtains controller settings with conventional linear analysis methods and then tunes the settings using trial-and-error methods during commissioning. An alternative approach, using genetic algorithms for the online tuning, is proved experimentally to optimize the drive's response efficiently. These settings are critically dependent on operating point. Index Terms--Electric drives, genetic algorithms, speed control, tuning.