Model Predictive Pulse Pattern Control

Abstract

Industrial applications of medium-voltage drives impose increasingly stringent performance requirements, particularly with regard to harmonic distortions of the phase currents of the controlled electrical machine. An established method to achieve very low current distortions during steady-state operation is to employ offline calculated optimized pulse patterns (OPP). Achieving high dynamic performance, however, proves to be very difficult in a system operated by OPPs. In this paper, we propose a method that combines the optimal steady-state performance of OPPs with the very fast dynamics of trajectory tracking control. A constrained optimal control problem with a receding horizon policy, i.e., model predictive control (MPC), is formulated and solved. Results show that the combination of MPC with OPPs satisfies both the strict steady-state as well as the dynamic performance requirements imposed by the most demanding industrial applications. The estimation of the fundamental components of the machine variables separately from their respective harmonic components is not required. As a result, complicated structures such as observers can be avoided, contrary to state-of-the-art methods. A further advantage of the MPC method is the use of a receding horizon policy, which provides feedback and a high degree of robustness.Index Terms-AC motor drives, model predictive control (MPC), optimized pulse patterns (OPPs), pulsewidth modulation, trajectory tracking control.

Model Predictive Control for Power Converters and Drives: Advances and Trends

“…This idea was tested in a 11.6 kW prototype, later, the concept was evaluated in a 48 MW industrial-scale pilot plant, where the dc-link current as well as the rectifier and inverter firing angles were controlled [125]. A new MPC strategy called Model Predictive Pulse Pattern Control (MP 3 C) was presented in [126] for industrial applications with medium voltage drives. The technique combines MPC with Optimized Pulse Patterns (OPP) and considers the penalization of flux error and changes of switching instants in the cost function.…”

Model Predictive Switching Pattern Control for Current-Source Converters With Space-Vector-Based Selective Harmonic Elimination

“…Whereas, since the torque and flux are directly regulated, the distortion of stator current is not taken into consideration in this scheme. To minimize the THD of the stator current for a given switching frequency, model predictive pulse pattern control (MP3C) is proposed in [15]. A prediction horizon of multi-steps in time is used, and the switching instants of the pulse pattern are shifted, such that a stator flux error is corrected within this horizon.…”

“…Though a maximum limitation of load current error needs to be defined, it has more significant physical meaning, and is easier to be selected, in comparison with a weighting factor. Last but not least, MPSPC only uses a one-step or horizon-one prediction, not like the multistep predictions in [14][15][16]. The one-step prediction leads to a simple structure, and reduces the complexity of the proposed scheme.…”

Fundamental switching frequency optimal pulsewidth modulation of medium voltage cascaded seven-level inverter

“…In case of high performance drives which are subjected to frequent transient conditions, SOP technique should be combined with stator flux trajectory tracking method [15]. Also, a new technique known as model predictive pulse pattern control (MP 3 C) which combines SOP with MPC technique has been proposed for high performance drives [16].…”