There are many fields where operating a motor at a desired speed with little or no speed variation due to torque disturbance is required. For example, engine characterization requires operation at a selected speed. In a cold engine test system, an electronic motor drive is used to rotate an engine under test at a desired speed for purposes of, for example, engine design optimization, engine cylinder leakage characterization, etc. However, the engine under test exerts undesirable periodic torque disturbances on the motor shaft due to the engine cylinder compression/cam linkage interaction. The periodic torque disturbances are harmonically related to the rotational speed of the engine cam shaft and crank shaft and cause the actual engine speed to vary, which is not desirable for the characterization being done. Other areas that may produce periodic mechanical torque disturbances include rolling mills, rotary and reciprocal pumps, coilers and uncoilers, etc. Periodic torque disturbances may also occur due to the electrical distortion caused in power electronic driven motor drives resulting from, for example, the dead time between phase leg switching events.
Several techniques have been developed to reduce the effects of periodic torque disturbance. Raising the bandwidth of the drive speed loop can lower the resulting engine speed variation, but does not remove it entirely. Another technique adds a disturbance torque observer to the speed loop to decouple and minimize the speed variation. However, error of the acceleration estimate term of the observer often leads to non-ideal decoupling and speed variation.
Another technique is referred to in literature as a repetitive controller. This technique has several drawbacks. One drawback is that it does not learn or compensate for the phase of each harmonic of interest. The repetitive controller has infinite gain (i.e., integral action) at every multiple of the harmonic of interest and “learns” the magnitude. The same amplitude of correction is applied to the harmonic of interest and each of its multiples. In an actual system, each multiple of a harmonic may require a different amplitude for its compensation. In order for the repetitive controller to work properly, the compensation for harmonic multiples not of interest must be removed. One method is by performing a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT), removing the bins containing the multiples not of interest and performing an inverse FFT, which is a cumbersome process. Additionally, the repetitive controller in many instances becomes unstable, which results in online learning of harmonics being precluded.
Another application for harmonic regulation is one where the harmonic torque disturbance is deliberately introduced to the system. Such applications include, for example, test stands where the electric motor must simulate the torque pulsations inherent in an internal combustion engine for the purpose of testing transmissions, alternators, air conditioners, pumps and other equipment. The usual method has been to use a torque profile which is mapped to the position of the simulated engine crank. This method has the disadvantage of not having good control at higher frequencies as a result of the limited bandwidth of the basic control algorithm.
Described herein is, among other things, a harmonic disturbance regulator, which was conceived to minimize and/or eliminate the mentioned problems.
The harmonic regulator regulates to commanded values, including zero, a plurality of individual harmonics in a system having and/or requiring periodic disturbances. For each harmonic being regulated, a feedback signal representing the harmonic being regulated is transformed from a source reference frame to a harmonic reference frame of the harmonic being regulated to form a qd feedback signal. The qd feedback signal is subtracted from the commanded value for the harmonic to form a qd error signal and is regulated. The regulated qd signal is transformed to a destination reference frame to form a compensation signal and the compensation signal is added to a control signal to form a qd control signal that drives each harmonic being regulated towards its commanded value.
The angle used to transform the feedback signal to the harmonic reference frame is derived by multiplying the phase of the feedback signal in the source frame by the harmonic number of the harmonic being regulated and setting the harmonic angle to the modulo 2π value of the resulting value. Similarly, the angle used to transform the regulated signal to the destination reference frame is derived from the modulo 2π of the phase of the feedback signal multiplied by the harmonic number subtracted by a difference value equal to destination harmonic number minus the source harmonic number.
In one embodiment, the system has an engine that is rotated over a speed range and when the engine speed goes below a predetermined value, the PI regulator used to regulate the qd signal is latched by zeroing the error signal, thereby keeping and the q and d values of the qd signal at the values that they were at prior to the engine speed going below the predetermined value
Additional features and advantages will be made apparent from the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying figures.
The accompanying drawings incorporated in and forming a part of the specification illustrate several aspects of the harmonic regulator described herein, and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the harmonic regulator. In the drawings:
a-9e are simulated waveforms that illustrate an example of regulating a first harmonic in conjunction with a second harmonic;
a-10e are expanded views of the waveforms of
a-11e are simulated waveforms that illustrate an example of regulating a second harmonic in conjunction with the first harmonic of
a-12e are expanded views of the waveforms of
a-19h illustrate input voltage, input voltage harmonics, input current, input current harmonics, output voltage, output voltage harmonics, output current, and output current harmonics data taken at approximately 60 Hz, 150 Hp without the harmonic damping of
a-20h illustrate input voltage, input voltage harmonics, input current, input current harmonics, output voltage, output voltage harmonics, output current, and output current harmonics data taken at approximately 60 Hz, 150 Hp with the harmonic damping of
a-21h illustrate input voltage, input voltage harmonics, input current, input current harmonics, output voltage, output voltage harmonics, output current, and output current harmonics data taken at approximately 60 Hz, 150 Hp with the harmonic damping of
a-22h illustrate input voltage, input voltage harmonics, input current, input current harmonics, output voltage, output voltage harmonics, output current, and output current harmonics data taken at approximately 60 Hz, 100 Hp with the harmonic damping of
a-23h illustrate input voltage, input voltage harmonics, input current, input current harmonics, output voltage, output voltage harmonics, output current, and output current harmonics data taken at approximately 60 Hz, 50 Hp with the harmonic damping of
a and 25b illustrate input current and input current harmonics data taken with an autotransformer connected to 250 Hp motor drives at an input current of approximately 150 amperes RMS;
a and 26b illustrate input current and input current harmonics data of one of the drives taken with an autotransformer connected to 250 Hp motor drives at an input current of approximately 250 amperes RMS; and
a and 27b illustrate total input current and total input current harmonics data at approximately the same power level of
While the harmonic regulator will be described in connection with certain embodiments, there is no intent to limit it to those embodiments. On the contrary, the intent is to cover all alternatives, modifications and equivalents as included within the spirit and scope of the harmonic regulator as defined by the appended claims.
The harmonic regulator described herein regulates or eliminates harmonics that cause periodic torque disturbances. Referring initially to
The drive/controller 102 can be of any form. The drive/controller 102 typically includes some form of computer readable media. Computer readable media can be any available media that can be accessed by the drive/controller 102 and can include both volatile and nonvolatile media, removable and non-removable media. For the description that follows, the drive/controller 102 shall be in the form of a qd type of controller where the main control loops are used in the qd reference frame, also known as the dq reference frame. Turning now to
The harmonic regulator 206 regulates one or more selected harmonics to specified values, which can be zero, by outputting a control signal that is added to the qds control signal when switch 208 is activated. While switch 208 is shown, in one embodiment the harmonic regulator 206 is directly connected to summer 210. The harmonic regulator 206 contains a plurality of individual harmonic regulators 300n (see
Turning now to
Note that at low engine speeds, harmonics can be difficult to discern due to the “crowding” of harmonics due to the low fundamental frequency of the system at low speed. In one embodiment, when the engine speed drops below a predetermined speed, the PI block is latched and the qd values are kept to their values that were at or above the predetermined speed (step 712—see
Turning now to
Turning now to
Note that other forms of harmonics can also be regulated with the harmonic disturbance regulator. For example, voltage or current harmonics of a motor drive inverter dc bus and at the input and output connections of motor drive inverters can be reduced using the techniques described herein. Turning now to
It is well known that a conventional motor drive with a six pulse diode rectifier front end deriving its power from a three-phase source without any significant input inductance has a total harmonic distortion (THD) of 31%. Turning now to
a-19h illustrate data taken at approximately 60 Hz, 150 Hp without harmonic damping. In
a-20h illustrate data taken at approximately 60 Hz, 150 Hp with harmonic damping enabled and bus current being estimated. In
a-21h illustrate data taken at approximately 60 Hz, 150 Hp with harmonic damping and bus current being measured. In
a-22h illustrate data taken at approximately 60 Hz, 100 Hp with harmonic damping and bus current being measured. In
a-23h illustrate data taken at approximately 60 Hz, 50 Hp with harmonic damping and bus current being measured. In
It can be seen that the current harmonics are reduced with the use of the harmonic damping with either the input bus current being measured or estimated. Harmonics could potentially be reduced even further using the invention in conjunction with other harmonic mitigation techniques such as, for example, using filters or using autotransformers such as those shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,049,921 and 5,455,759 and in the article entitled “Cost effective Multi-Pulse Transformer Solutions for Harmonic Mitigation in AC Drives” by Gary L. Skibinski, all of which are hereby incorporated in their entireties.
For example, using a transformer such as that described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,049,921 in a drive configuration test (see
From the foregoing, it can be seen that periodic torque disturbances can be regulated with the harmonic disturbance regulator described herein. The transformation into the harmonic reference frame allows a controller to effectively operate on dc rather than time variant signals. This isolates the controller from time variant waveforms and therefore minimizes the limitation of controller frequency response and phase shift on torque and speed.
The use of the terms “a” and “an” and “the” and similar referents in the context of describing the invention (especially in the context of the following claims) are to be construed to cover both the singular and the plural, unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context. The terms “comprising,” “having,” “including,” and “containing” are to be construed as open-ended terms (i.e., meaning “including, but not limited to,”) unless otherwise noted. Recitation of ranges of values herein are merely intended to serve as a shorthand method of referring individually to each separate value falling within the range, unless otherwise indicated herein, and each separate value is incorporated into the specification as if it were individually recited herein. All methods described herein can be performed in any suitable order unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context. The use of any and all examples, or exemplary language (e.g., “such as”) provided herein, is intended merely to better illuminate the invention and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the invention unless otherwise claimed. No language in the specification should be construed as indicating any non-claimed element as essential to the practice of the invention.
Preferred embodiments of this invention are described herein, including the best mode known to the inventor for carrying out the invention. Variations of those preferred embodiments may become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading the foregoing description. The inventor expects skilled artisans to employ such variations as appropriate, and the inventor intends for the invention to be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein. Accordingly, this invention includes all modifications and equivalents of the subject matter recited in the claims appended hereto as permitted by applicable law. Moreover, any combination of the above-described elements in all possible variations thereof is encompassed by the invention unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context.
This patent application is a continuation-in-part of co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/552,333, filed on Oct. 24, 2006, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 11552333 | Oct 2006 | US |
Child | 11872134 | US |