This paper presents a modification to the classical Model Predictive Control (MPC) algorithm and its application to active power filters. The proposed control is able to retain all the advantages of a finite control set MPC while improving the generated waveforms harmonic spectrum. In fact, a modulation algorithm, based on the cost function ratio for different output vectors, is inherently included in the MPC. The cost function-based modulator is introduced and its effectiveness on reducing the current ripple is demonstrated. The presented solution provides an effective and straightforward single loop controller, maintaining an excellent dynamic performance despite the modulated output and it is self-synchronizing with the grid. This promising method is applied to the control of a shunt active filter for harmonic content reduction through a reactive power compensation methodology. Significant results obtained by experimental testing are reported and commented, showing that MPC is a viable control solution for active filtering systems.

This paper presents a new speed finite control set model predictive control algorithm, which has been applied to a permanent-magnet synchronous motor driven by a matrix converter (MC). This method replaces the classical cascaded control scheme with a single control law that controls the motor currents and speed. Additionally, unlike classical MC modulation methods, the method allows direct control of the MC input currents. The performance of the proposed work has been verified by simulation studies and experimental results.

This paper presents a novel Oversampling DeadBeat (OS-DB) current control approach for Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motors (PMSMs) drives capable of operating at a controller sampling frequency multiple of the power converter switching frequency. Model based controllers suffer form heavy computational demand and performance degradation due to parameters uncertainties. The proposed controller concurrently with FPGA implementation permits to achieve a constant switching frequency and an optimal current ripple along with a high current loop bandwidth and robust behaviour to parameters variation. A disturbance observer has been added to the proposed controller in order to compensate for the converter voltage distortions. The proposed control strategy is tested through both simulations and experiments.

This paper investigates the feasibility of a sensorless field-oriented control combined with a finite-control set model predictive current control (FCS-MPC) for an interior permanent-magnet synchronous motor. The use of an FCS-MPC makes the implementation of most of the existing sensorless techniques difficult due to the lack of a modulator. The proposed sensorless algorithm exploits the saliency of the motor and the intrinsic higher current ripple of the FCS-MPC to extract position and speed information using a model-based approach. This method does not require the injection of additional voltage vectors or the periodic interruption of the control algorithm and consequently it has no impact on the performance of the current control. The proposed algorithm has been tested in simulation and validated on an experimental setup, showing promising results.

A new method for electrical motor drive self-commissioning, with elastic couplings and backlash, is presented. The heuristic algorithm particle swarm optimization (PSO) has been used for the identification and optimization of parameters. Initially, a model-based identification procedure is performed to evaluate the parameters of the system. Then, the parameters of a proportional-integral-derivative (PID)-based controller are optimized by using a time-domain performance criterion. Experimental results, obtained by testing three different laboratory permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) drive prototypes, are also presented to confirm the validity of the proposed approach.

This paper presents a versatile tool for development, control and testing of power electronics converters. In the last decade, many different expensive off-the-shelf tools for rapid prototyping and testing have been developed and commercialised by few market players. Recently, the increasing diffusion of low cost, Do It Yourself targeted development tools gained market shares previously controlled by conventional players. This trend has been driven by the fact that, despite their lower performances, many of these low cost systems are powerful enough to develop simple power electronics systems for learning and teaching purposes. This paper describes a control platform developed within the University of Nottingham, targeting at the market and application segment in between the expensive off-the-shelf control boards and the low cost emerging systems. The platform is based on the Microzed evaluation board, equipped with the Xilinx Zynq System-on-Chip. Its flexibility, features and performances will be addressed and examples of how they are being experimentally validated on different rigs will be provided.