Current Optimization-Based Fault-Tolerant Control of Standard Three-Phase PMSM Drives

A standard three-phase motor drive means a typical two-level voltage source inverter fed three-phase motor drive without any auxiliary circuits. Without fault-tolerant control, common open-circuit faults will cause the breakdown of the standard three-phase motor drives. Although the torque pulsation is theoretically inevitable under the open-circuit faults of standard three-phase motor drives, it's still meaningful to improve the fault-tolerant capability of standard three-phase drives to prolong the reliable operation. In this article, a current optimization based fault-tolerant control is proposed to minimize the proportion of torque loss for standard three-phase permanent-magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) drives under open-phase fault and open-switch fault conditions. Firstly, a two-mode current control is designed to minimize the proportion of torque loss without changing the mathematical model of the faulty motor. Secondly, a three-mode current control is proposed and combined with adjustment of pulse width to tolerate the open-switch faults. Instead of removing the faulty inverter leg directly, the remaining healthy switch in the faulty inverter leg is still utilized. In this way, the damage from torque pulsation can be relieved in the aspect of both frequency and intensity. Finally, the validity of the proposed fault-tolerant control is verified by experiments.