Operating point dependent variable switching point predictive current control for PMSM drives

This contribution presents a direct model predictive current control approach that achieves favorable performance during transients while minimizing the torque and current ripples at steady-state operation by increasing the granularity at which switching can be performed. To meet the control goals, an optimization problem is solved in real-time that decides whether only one discrete voltage space vector or a combination of two is selected. In the latter case, a variable switching point, i.e., a time instant within the control interval at which the converter switches change state, is computed. The proposed method is advantageous, e.g., for electric drives in machine tools, in which, depending on the operating point, fast dynamics and a low torque ripple are important. The approach is evaluated at the example of a two-level voltage source inverter driving a permanent magnet synchronous machine.