ELECTRICAL DRIVES:

An Application of Power Electronics

CONTENTS
Power Electronic Systems
Modern Electrical Drive Systems
Power Electronic Converters in Electrical Drives
:: DC and AC Drives
Modeling and Control of Electrical Drives

Power Electronic Systems

What is Power Electronics ?
A field of Electrical Engineering that deals with the
application of power semiconductor devices for the
control and conversion of electric power

Input
Source
- AC
- DC
- unregulated

Reference

Power
Electronics
Converters

Controller

sensors
Load
Output
- AC
- DC

POWER ELECTRONIC
CONVERTERS the
heart of power a power
electronics system

Power Electronic Systems

Why Power Electronics ?

Input
Source
- AC
- DC
- unregulated

Reference

sensors

Power
Electronics
Converters

Controller

IDEALLY
Load
LOSSLESS !
Output
- AC
- DC

Power Electronic Systems

Why Power Electronics ?
Other factors:

Improvements in power semiconductors fabrica

Power Integrated Module (PIM), Intelligent

Power Modules (IPM)

Decline cost in power semiconductor

Advancement in semiconductor fabrication

ASICs

Faster and cheaper to implement

complex algorithm

FPGA

DSPs

Power Electronic Systems

Some Applications of Power Electronics :
Typically used in systems requiring efficient control and conversion of
electric energy:
Domestic and Commercial Applications
Industrial Applications
Telecommunications
Transportation
Generation, Transmission and Distribution of electrical energy
Power rating of < 1 W (portable equipment)
Tens or hundreds Watts (Power supplies for computers /office equipment)
kW to MW : drives
Hundreds of MW in DC transmission system (HVDC)

Modern Electrical Drive Systems

Classic Electrical Drive for Variable Speed Application :

Bulky

Inefficient

inflexible

Modern Electrical Drive Systems

Typical Modern Electric Drive Systems
Electric Motor

Power Electronic Converters

Electric Energy
- Unregulated -

POWER IN

Electric Energy
- Regulated -

Power
Electronic
Converters

Moto
r

feedback
Reference

Controller

Electric
Energy

Mechanical
Energy

Loa
d

Modern Electrical Drive Systems

Example on VSD application
Variable Speed Drives

Constant speed
valve
Supply

motor

pump

Power out
Power
In

Power loss
Mainly in valve

Modern Electrical Drive Systems

Example on VSD application
Variable Speed Drives

Constant speed
valve
Supply

motor

Supply

pump

PEC

Power out
Power
In

motor

pump

Power out
Power
In

Power loss
Mainly in valve

Power loss

Modern Electrical Drive Systems

Example on VSD application
Variable Speed Drives

Constant speed
valve
Supply

motor

Supply

pump

PEC

Power out
Power
In

motor

pump

Power out
Power
In

Power loss
Mainly in valve

Power loss

Modern Electrical Drive Systems

Example on VSD application
Electric motor consumes more than half of electrical energy in the US

Fixed speed

Variable speed

Improvements in energy utilization in electric motors give large

impact to the overall energy consumption
HOW ?
Replacing fixed speed drives with variable speed drives
Using the high efficiency motors
Improves the existing power converterbased drive systems

Modern Electrical Drive Systems

Overview of AC and DC drives

DC drives: Electrical drives that use DC motors as the prime mover

Regular maintenance, heavy, expensive, speed limit
Easy control, decouple control of torque and flux
AC drives: Electrical drives that use AC motors as the prime mover
Less maintenance, light, less expensive, high speed
Coupling between torque and flux variable spatial angle
between rotor and stator flux

Modern Electrical Drive Systems

Overview of AC and DC drives
Before semiconductor devices were introduced (<1950)
AC motors for fixed speed applications
DC motors for variable speed applications
After semiconductor devices were introduced (1960s)
Variable frequency sources available AC motors in variable
speed applications
Coupling between flux and torque control
Application limited to medium performance applications
fans, blowers, compressors scalar control
High performance applications dominated by DC motors
tractions, elevators, servos, etc

Modern Electrical Drive Systems

Overview of AC and DC drives
After vector control drives were introduced (1980s)
AC motors used in high performance applications elevators,
tractions, servos
AC motors favorable than DC motors however control is
complex hence expensive
Cost of microprocessor/semiconductors decreasing predicted
30 years ago AC motors would take over DC motors

Modern Electrical Drive Systems

Overview of AC and DC drives

Power Electronic Converters in ED Systems

Converters for Motor Drives
(some possible configurations)

DC Drives

DC Source

AC Source

DC-ACDC
AC-DC

AC Drives

AC-DCDC

DC Source

AC Source

DC-DC
AC-DCAC
Const.
DC

Variable
DC

AC-AC

NCC

FCC

DC-AC

DC-DCAC

Power Electronic Converters in ED Systems

Converters for Motor Drives

Configurations of Power Electronic Converters depend on:

Sources available
Type of Motors
Drive Performance - applications
- Braking
- Response
- Ratings

Power Electronic Converters in ED Systems

DC DRIVES
Available AC source to control DC motor (brushed)
AC-DC

AC-DCDC

Uncontrolled Rectifier
Control
Controlled Rectifier
Single-phase
Three-phase

Single-phase
Three-phase

Control
DC-DC Switched mode
1-quadrant, 2-quadrant
4-quadrant

Power Electronic Converters in ED Systems

DC DRIVES
AC-DC
400
200
0

+
50Hz
1-phase

Vo

Vo

2Vm
cos

Average voltage
over 10ms

-200
-400
0.4

0.405

0.41

0.415

0.42

0.425

0.43

0.435

0.44

0.405

0.41

0.415

0.42

0.425

0.43

0.435

0.44

10

0
0.4

500

50Hz
3-phase

+
Vo

-500

3VL L ,m
Vo
cos

Average voltage
over 3.33 ms

0.4

0.405

0.41

0.415

0.42

0.425

0.43

0.435

0.44

0.405

0.41

0.415

0.42

0.425

0.43

0.435

0.44

30
20
10

0
0.4

Power Electronic Converters in ED Systems

DC DRIVES
AC-DC
2Vm

+
50Hz
1-phase

Vo

Vo

2Vm
cos

Average voltage
over 10ms

90o

180o

90o

180o

2Vm

3VL L,m

50Hz
3-phase

+
Vo

Vo

3VL L ,m
cos

Average voltage
over 3.33 ms

3VL L ,m

Power Electronic Converters in ED Systems

DC DRIVES
AC-DC

ia

Vt

+
3-phase
supply

Vt

Q2

Q1

Q3

Q4

- Operation in quadrant 1 and 4 only

Ia

Power Electronic Converters in ED Systems

DC DRIVES
AC-DC

3phase
supply

+
3-phase
supply

Vt

Q2

Q1

Q3

Q4

Power Electronic Converters in ED Systems

DC DRIVES
AC-DC

R1

F1
3phase
supply
+

Va

F2

R2

Q2

Q1

Q3

Q4

Power Electronic Converters in ED Systems

DC DRIVES
AC-DC
Cascade control structure with armature reversal (4-quadrant):

iD

ref +
_

Speed
controlle
r

iD,ref +
_

iD,ref
iD,

Current
Controlle
r

Armature
reversal

Firing
Circuit

Power Electronic Converters in ED Systems

DC DRIVES
AC-DC-DC

control

Power Electronic Converters in ED Systems

DC DRIVES
AC-DC-DC

DC-DC: Two-quadrant Converter

Va

T1

D1
ia

Vdc

T2

D2

Q2

Q1

Ia

+
Va
-

T1 conducts va = Vdc

Power Electronic Converters in ED Systems

DC DRIVES
AC-DC-DC

DC-DC: Two-quadrant Converter

Va

T1

D1
ia

Vdc

T2

D2

Q2

Q1

Ia

+
Va
-

D2 conducts va = 0

Va

T1 conducts va = Vdc

Eb

Quadrant 1 The average voltage is made larger than the back emf

Power Electronic Converters in ED Systems

DC DRIVES
AC-DC-DC

DC-DC: Two-quadrant Converter

Va

T1

D1
ia

Vdc

T2

D2

Q2

Q1

Ia

+
Va
-

D1 conducts va = Vdc

Power Electronic Converters in ED Systems

DC DRIVES
AC-DC-DC

DC-DC: Two-quadrant Converter

Va

T1

D1
ia

Vdc

T2

D2

Q2

Q1

Ia

+
Va
-

T2 conducts va = 0

Va

D1 conducts va = Vdc

Eb

Quadrant 2 The average voltage is made smallerr than the back emf, thus
forcing the current to flow in the reverse direction

Power Electronic Converters in ED Systems

DC DRIVES
AC-DC-DC

DC-DC: Two-quadrant Converter

2vtri

+
vA

vc

Vdc

vc

Power Electronic Converters in ED Systems

DC DRIVES
AC-DC-DC

DC-DC: Four-quadrant Converter

leg A

Q1

leg B

+Va

Vdc

Positive current
va = Vdc

when Q1 and Q2 are ON

Q4

D3

D1

D4

D2

Q3

Q2

Power Electronic Converters in ED Systems

DC DRIVES
AC-DC-DC

DC-DC: Four-quadrant Converter

leg A

Q1

leg B

+Va

Vdc

Q4

D3

D1

D4

Positive current
va = Vdc

when Q1 and Q2 are ON

va = -Vdc

when D3 and D4 are ON

va = 0

when current freewheels through Q and D

D2

Q3

Q2

Power Electronic Converters in ED Systems

DC DRIVES
AC-DC-DC

DC-DC: Four-quadrant Converter

leg A

Q1

leg B

+Va

Vdc

Q4

D3

D1

D4

Positive current
va = Vdc

when Q1 and Q2 are ON

va = -Vdc

when D3 and D4 are ON

va = 0

when current freewheels through Q and D

D2

Q3

Q2

Negative current
va = Vdc

when D1 and D2 are ON

Power Electronic Converters in ED Systems

DC DRIVES
AC-DC-DC

DC-DC: Four-quadrant Converter

leg A

Q1

leg B

+Va

Vdc

Q4

D3

D1

D4

Positive current

D2

Q3

Q2

Negative current

va = Vdc

when Q1 and Q2 are ON

va = Vdc

when D1 and D2 are ON

va = -Vdc

when D3 and D4 are ON

va = -Vdc

when Q3 and Q4 are ON

va = 0

when current freewheels through Q and D

va = 0

when current freewheels through Q and D