In this paper, a control scheme for multiphase induction motor drives is presented and assessed. This control scheme ensures the operation of a multiphase drive under an open-circuit phase fault that can occur in one or more phases at the same time. A fault-tolerant control strategy is developed. The mathematical analysis is based on the space vector representation of the multiphase system and is valid either in transient or steady-state operating conditions. The feasibility of the drive is verified by means of experimental tests carried out on a prototype of seven-phase induction motor.

One of the most attractive features of multiphase machines is the fault-tolerant capability due to the higher number of phases. Different postfault control strategies based on hysteresis, proportional integral (PI)-resonant, and predictive techniques have been recently proposed. They all proved their capabilities to withstand fault situations and to preserve the fundamental component of the air-gap field, while achieving minimum losses, maximum torque per ampere, and reducing torque vibrations. Nonetheless, due to their recent introduction, no thorough study has yet appeared comparing the performance of these controllers. In this paper, two open-phase fault-tolerant control schemes are experimentally compared in a real five-phase induction machine. The controllers being compared are based on PI-resonant and predictive control techniques, respectively. The experiments include pre- and postfault situations. Obtained results show that both control methods offer nearly the same performance. When compared, predictive control provides faster control response and superior performance at low-speed operation but is found to be less resilient to fault detection delays and to have higher current ripple. Regarding the controller implementation, it is shown that the transition from prefault to postfault operation involves modeling the nonlinear effects observed when an open-phase fault occurs for the predictive controller and proper retuning of the PI trackers for the PI-resonant controller, to ensure postfault operation.

The high-order harmonics of the magnetic field can be used in some typologies of multiphase machine to improve the torque density. However, maximizing the torque capability depends on the thermal, voltage, and current constraints of the machine and the inverter. In this paper, a rotor-flux-oriented control scheme, which is capable of exploiting the maximum torque at any speed, is presented for multiphase induction motor drives. Below the base speed, the torque improvement is obtained by adding a third harmonic component to the fundamental component of the air-gap magnetic field. At high speeds, the amplitude of the field harmonics is progressively reduced to ensure the widest possible operating speed range. The validity of the proposed control scheme is confirmed by experimental tests.

This paper is focused on the current quality of matrix converter controlled by space vector modulation (SVM) feeding inductive loads. The analysis carried out in this paper leads to the determination of the optimal use of zero vectors, i.e., the switching pattern leading to the minimum rms value of the load current ripple. The optimization of the switching pattern is based on the graphical analysis of the loci described by the ripple of the current vector in the alpha- beta reference frame. As a result, a set of analytical relationships that allow the online calculation of the duty cycles of the zero vectors is presented. Finally, simulation and experimental results confirm that the current ripple of the proposed modulation strategy is lower than that of traditional SVM strategies and, in some cases, with a reduced number of commutations.

The interest in using the matrix converter (MC) for motor drive applications and energy conversion systems is steadily increasing due to its main advantage of performing a direct coupling between two three-phase alternating current sources without the need of an intermediate direct current bus. This characteristic, together with the presence of inductance-capacitance input filters and the feedforward compensation of the input voltage variations, might yield unstable operation in electrical drives. In this paper, a theoretical analysis of MCs based on a large-signal model is presented with the aim to show which parameters may affect the stability and to explain the reason of this phenomenon. The theoretical analysis is supported by several experimental tests carried out on an MC prototype