Among all control methods for induction motor drives, Direct Torque Control (DTC) seems to be particularly interesting being independent of machine rotor parameters and requiring no speed or position sensors. The DTC scheme is characterized by the absence of PI regulators, coordinate transformations, current regulators and PWM signals generators. In spite of its simplicity, DTC allows a good torque control in steady state and transient operating conditions to be obtained. However, the presence of hysteresis controllers for flux and torque could determine torque and current ripple and variable switching frequency operation for the voltage source inverter. This paper is aimed to analyze DTC principles, the strategies and the problems related to its implementation and the possible improvements.

This paper presents novel bi-converter structure to supply the Doubly Fed Induction Machine (DFIM). Two Voltage Source Inverters (VSI) feed the stator and rotor windings. The outputs of two VSI are combined electro-mechanically in the machine and, as a result, novel features can be obtained. For example, for high power drive applications, this configuration use two inverters dimensioned for a half of the DFIM power. A new Dual-Direct Torque Control scheme is developed with flux model of DFIM. Two Switching Tables (ST) linked to VSI are defined for stator and rotor flux vector control. Experimental and simulation results confirm good dynamic behaviour in the four quadrants of the speed-torque plane. Moreover, experimental results show the correct flux vector control behaviour and speed tracking performances.

Maximum Torque Control (MTC) is a new method applied for control of induction motor drives. The drive is controlled by dc voltage supplying a converter in the range below nominal speed and by a field that weakens for a speed range above the nominal speed. As a consequence, the control is quite similar to the control of a classical separately excited dc motor. This control method could be explained as a kind of sim- plification of Direct Torque Control (DTC), because the switching scheme is the same as for the DTC, but the variable responsible for a torque control is constantly set for “torque increase”. This kind of control of induction motor drive is simpler than DTC because torque values need not be estimated. The proposed control method offers very good performance for 3-phase induction motors and requires smaller switching frequency in comparison to DTC and Field Oriented Control (FOC). The application of the con- trol is widely demonstrated for a 3-phase 315 kW, 6 kV motor drive by use of computer simulation.

The Synchronous Reluctance Machine (SynRM) is an electrical machine in which the useful electromagnetic torque is produced due to rotor saliency. Its high power- and torque-to-mass ratio and very good efficiency make it a cheap and simple alternative for permanent magnet or induction motors, e.g. in electromobility applications. However, because of magnetic nonlinearities, the rotational speed and torque control of a SynRM is a nontrivial task. In the paper, a control algorithm based on a Hamiltonian mathematical model is presented. The model is formulated using measurement results, obtained by the drive controller. An algorithm is tested in the drive system consisting of a SynRM with the classical rotor and a fast prototyping card. The drive dynamic response in transient states is very good, but the proposed algorithm does not ensure the best efficiency after steady state angular velocity is achieved.

Modern induction motor (IM) drives with a higher degree of safety should be equipped with fault-tolerant control (FTC) solutions. Current sensor (CS) failures constitute a serious problem in systems using vector control strategies for IMs because these methods require state variable reconstruction, which is usually based on the IM mathematical model and stator current measurement. This article presents an analysis of the operation of the direct torque control (DTC) for IM drive with stator current reconstruction after CSs damage. These reconstructed currents are used for the stator flux and electromagnetic torque estimation in the DTC with space-vector-modulation (SVM) drive. In this research complete damage to both stator CSs is assumed, and the stator current vector components in the postfault mode are reconstructed based on the DC link voltage of the voltage source inverter (VSI) and angular rotor speed measurements using the so-called virtual current sensor (VCS), based on the IM mathematical model. Numerous simulation and experimental tests results illustrate the behavior of the drive system in different operating conditions. The correctness of the stator current reconstruction is also analyzed taking into account motor parameter uncertainties, especially stator and rotor resistances, which usually are the main parameters that determine the proper operation of the stator flux and torque estimation in the DTC control structure.