Closed-loop Control of DC Drives with

Controlled Rectifier

Solid State Drives 1

 Closed Loop Control of DC Drives
• Closed loop control is when the firing angle is
varied automatically by a controller to achieve
a reference speed or torque
• This requires the use of sensors to feed back
the actual motor speed and torque to be
compared with the reference values
Reference + Output
signal Controller Plant signal


Sensor

Solid State Drives 2

 Closed Loop Control of DC Drives

Feedback loops may be provided to satisfy one

or more of the following:
Protection
Enhancement of response – fast response with small
overshoot
Improve steady-state accuracy
Variables to be controlled in drives:
Torque – achieved by controlling current
Speed
Position

Solid State Drives 3

 Closed Loop Control of DC Drives
• Cascade control structure
– Flexible – outer loops can be added/removed depending on control
requirements.
– Control variable of inner loop (eg: speed, torque) can be limited by limiting its
reference value
– Torque loop is fastest, speed loop – slower and position loop - slowest

Solid State Drives 4

 Closed Loop Control of DC Drives
• Cascade control structure:
– Inner Torque (Current) Control Loop:
• Current control loop is used to control torque via armature
current (ia) and maintains current within a safe limit
• Accelerates and decelerates the drive at maximum permissible
Torque
current and torque during transient operations (Current)
Control Loop

Solid State Drives 5

 Closed Loop Control of DC Drives
• Cascade control structure
– Speed Control Loop:
• Ensures that the actual speed is always equal to reference speed *
• Provides fast response to changes in *, TL and supply voltage (i.e. any
transients are overcome within the shortest feasible time) without
exceeding motor and converter capability

Speed
Control
Loop
Solid State Drives 6
 Closed Loop Control with Controlled
Rectifiers – Two-quadrant
Current
• Two-quadrant Three-phase Controlled Control Loop

Rectifier
DC Control
Speed Motor Drives
Loop

Solid State Drives 7

 Closed Loop Control with Controlled
Rectifiers – Two-quadrant
• Actual motor speed m measured using the tachogenerator (Tach) is
filtered to produce feedback signal mr
• The reference speed r* is compared to mr to obtain a speed error signal
• The speed (PI) controller processes the speed error and produces the
torque command Te*
• Te* is limited by the limiter to keep within the safe current limits and the
armature current command ia* is produced
• ia* is compared to actual current ia to obtain a current error signal
• The current (PI) controller processes the error to alter the control signal
vc
• vc modifies the firing angle  to be sent to the converter to obtained the
motor armature voltage for the desired motor operation speed
Solid State Drives 8
 Closed Loop Control with Controlled
Rectifiers – Two-quadrant
• Design of speed and current controller (gain and time
constants) is crucial in meeting the dynamic
specifications of the drive system
• Controller design procedure:
1. Obtain the transfer function of all drive subsystems
a) DC Motor & Load
b) Current feedback loop sensor
c) Speed feedback loop sensor
2. Design current (torque) control loop first
3. Then design the speed control loop
Solid State Drives 9
 Transfer Function of Subsystems –
DC Motor and Load
• Assume load is proportional to speed
TL  BLm
• DC motor has inner loop due to induced emf magnetic coupling,
which is not physically seen
• This creates complexity in current control loop design

Solid State Drives 10

 Transfer Function of Subsystems –
DC Motor and Load
• Need to split the DC motor transfer function between m and Va
ωm s  ωm s  Ia s 
  (1)
Va s  Ia s  Va s 
• where
ωm s  Kb (2)

Ia s  Bt 1  sTm 

Ia s  1  sTm  (3)
 K1
Va s  1  sT1 1  sT2 

• This is achieved through redrawing of the DC motor and load block diagram.
Back
Solid State Drives 11
 Transfer Function of Subsystems –
DC Motor and Load
• In (2),
J
- mechanical motor time constant: Tm  (4)
Bt

- motor and load friction coefficient: Bt  B1  BL (5)

• In (3), B
K1  2 t
K b  Ra Bt (6)
2
1  Ra Bt  1  Ra Bt   Ra Bt K b 
2
1 1
 ,              (7)
T1 T2 2  La J  
4  La J   JLa JLa 

Note: J = motor inertia, B1 = motor friction coefficient, Back

BL = load friction coefficient
Solid State Drives 12
 Transfer Function of Subsystems –
Three-phase Converter
• Need to obtain linear relationship between control signal vc
and delay angle  (i.e. using ‘cosine wave crossing’ method)
1  vc  (8)
  cos  
 Vcm 
where vc = control signal (output of current controller)
Vcm = maximum value of the control voltage
• Thus, dc output voltage of the three-phase converter

3 3  1 vc  3 VLL, m
Vdc  VLL, m cos   VLL, m cos cos   vc  K r vc (9)
   Vcm   Vcm

Solid State Drives 13

 Transfer Function of Subsystems –
Three-phase Converter
Gain of the converter
3 VL L, m 3 2V V
Kr    1.35 (10)
 Vcm  Vcm Vcm
where V = rms line-to-line voltage of 3-phase supply
Converter also has a delay
1 60 1 1 1
Tr      (11)
2 360 f s 12 f s

where fs = supply voltage frequency

Hence, the converter transfer function
(12)
Kr
G r s  
1  sTr  Back

Solid State Drives 14

 Transfer Function of Subsystems –
Current and Speed Feedback
Current Feedback
Transfer function: H c
No filtering is required in most cases
If filtering is required, a low pass-filter can be included (time
constant < 1ms).
Speed Feedback
Transfer function:
K
G ω s   (13)
1  sT 
where K = gain, T = time constant
Most high performance systems use dc tacho generator and low-
pass filter
Filter time constant < 10 ms

Solid State Drives 15

 Design of Controllers –
Block Diagram of Motor Drive
Current
Speed Control
Control Loop
Loop

Control loop design starts from inner (fastest) loop to

outer(slowest) loop
Only have to solve for one controller at a time
Not all drive applications require speed control (outer loop)
Performance of outer loop depends on inner loop
Solid State Drives 16
 Design of Controllers–
Current Controller
DC Motor
Controller Converter & Load

K 1  sTc 
PI type current controller: G c s   c (14)
sTc
Open loop gain function:
 K1 K c K r H c 
GH ol s   
1  sTc 1  sTm  (15)

 Tc  s 1  sT1 1  sT2 1  sTr 
From the open loop gain, the system is of 4th order (due to 4 poles
of system)
Solid State Drives 17
 Design of Controllers–
Current Controller
• If designing without computers, simplification is needed.
• Simplification 1: Tm is in order of 1 second. Hence,
1  sTm   sTm (16)
Hence, the open loop gain function becomes:
 K1 K c K r H c 
GH ol s   
1  sTc 1  sTm 

 Tc  s1  sT1 1  sT2 1  sTr 


 K1 K c K r H c  1  sTc sTm 

 T c  s1  sT1 1  sT2 1  sTr 
GH ol s   K
1  sTc 
where K 
K1 K c K r H cTm
(17)
1  sT1 1  sT2 1  sTr  Tc
i.e. system zero cancels the controller pole at origin.
Solid State Drives 18
 Design of Controllers–
Current Controller
• Relationship between the denominator time constants in (17):
Tr  T2  T1
• Simplification 2: Make controller time constant equal to T2
Tc  T2 (18)
Hence, the open loop gain function becomes:

GH ol s   K
1  sTc 
1  sT1 1  sT2 1  sTr 
K
1  sT2 
1  sT1 1  sT2 1  sTr 
K KK K HT
GH ol s   where K  1 c r c m
1  sT1 1  sTr  Tc
i.e. controller zero cancels one of the system poles.
Solid State Drives 19
 Design of Controllers–
Current Controller
• After simplification, the final open loop gain function:
K
GH ol s   (19)
1  sT1 1  sTr 
where K1K c K r H cTm
K
(20) Tc

GH ol s 
• The system is now of 2nd order. G cl s  
1  GH ol s 
• From the closed loop transfer function: ,
1  sT1 1 equation
the closed loop characteristic sTr   K is:
 2  T1  Tr  K  1
T1Tr s  s   
or when expanded becomes:   T1Tr  T1Tr 
(21) Solid State Drives 20
 Design of Controllers–
Current Controller
• Design the controller by comparing system characteristic
equation (eq. 21) with the standard 2nd order system
equation: s 2  2 n s  n2

• Hence,  T1  Tr 
 
K 1  T1Tr 
n 
2
(22)   (23)
T1Tr K 1
2
T1Tr
• So, for good dynamic performance =0.707
– Hence equating the damping ratio to 0.707 in (23) we get

Solid State Drives 21

  T1  Tr 
 
 T1Tr 
0.707  Squaring the equation on both sides
K 1
2
T1Tr
2 2 2
  T1  Tr    T1  Tr   T1  Tr 
       
  T1Tr    T1Tr   1   T1Tr 
0.5     0.5  K 1 K 1
 2 K 1  2x2x 2x
 T T  T1Tr T1Tr
 1 r 
2
 T1  Tr 
  2
 T1Tr   T1  Tr  T1Tr T1  Tr 2
K 1   K  1     K  1 
 TT X
2
 1r  2 2T1Tr
22
T1Tr
 2
 T1  Tr 
  2
 T1Tr   T1  Tr  T1Tr T1  Tr 2
K 1   K  1     K  1 
 TT X
2
 1r  2 2T1Tr
T1Tr

An approximation K >> 1 & T1  Tr Which leads to

2
T1 T1
K 
2T1Tr 2Tr
Equating above expression with (20) we get the gain of current
controller
K1 K c K r H cTm T1 T1Tc  1 
 Kc   
Tc 2Tr 2Tr K K H T
 1 r c m
Back

23
 Design of Controllers–
Current loop 1st order approximation
• To design the speed loop, the 2nd order model of current loop
must be replaced with an approximate 1st order model
• Why?
• To reduce the order of the overall speed loop gain function

2nd order
current loop
model
Solid State Drives 24
 Design of Controllers–
Current loop 1st order approximation
• Approximated by adding Tr to T1  T3  T1  Tr

1st order
approximation
of current loop
• Hence, current model transfer function is given by:
K c K r K 1Tm 1
Ia s 

Tc 1  sT3 

Ki (24)
Ia s 
*
1
K K
c r 1 K H T
c m 1 
1  sTi 
Tc 1  sT3  Full derivation a
vailable here.
Solid State Drives 25
 Design of Controllers– Current Controller
• After simplification, the final open loop gain function:
K K K1 K c K rTm
GH ol s    Where K
1  sT1 1  sTr  1  sT1  Tr   s 2T1Tr Tc

K
GH ol s   Since T1  Tr  T3
1  sT3   s 2T1Tr

K
and since T1  Tr Therefore GH ol s  
1  sT3

Solid State Drives 26

 Design of Controllers–
Current loop 1st order approximation
where T3 (26)
Ti 
1  K fi

K fi 1
Ki  (27)
H c 1  K fi 

K1K c K r H cTm
K fi  (28)
Tc
• 1st order approximation of current loop used in speed loop
design.
• If more accurate speed controller design is required, values of
Ki and Ti should be obtained experimentally.

Solid State Drives 27

 Design of Controllers–
Speed Controller
DC Motor
& Load

1st order
approximatio
n of current
loop

K s 1  sTs 
• PI type speed controller: G s s  
(29) sTs

• Assume there is unity speed feedback:

H (30)
G ω s   1
1  sT 
Solid State Drives 28
 Design of Controllers–
Speed Controller
DC Motor
& Load

1st order
approximatio
1 n of current
loop

Open loop gain function:

 K B K s Ki 
GHs   
1  sTs 

 t s  s1  sTi 1  sTm 
B T (31)

From the loop gain, the system is of 3rd order.

If designing without computers, simplification is needed.
Solid State Drives 29
 Design of Controllers–
Speed Controller
• Relationship between the denominator time constants in (31):
Ti  Tm (32)
• Hence, design the speed controller such that:
Ts  Tm (33)
The open loop gain function becomes:
K K K 
GHs    B s i 
1  sTs 
 BtTs  s 1  sTi 1  sTm 


 K B K s Ki  1  sTm 

 B T
t s  s 1  sTi 1  sTm 
K K K K
GHs   where K   B s i
s 1  sTi  BtTs
i.e. controller zero cancels one of the system poles.
Solid State Drives 30
 Design of Controllers–
Speed Controller
• After simplification, loop gain function:
K (34)
GHs  
s1  sTi 
K B K s Ki
where K 
BtTs
(35)
GHs 
• The controller is now of 2nd order. G cl s  
1  GHs 
• From the closed loop transfer function: ,
s1  sTequation
the closed loop characteristic i   K
is:

 2  1  K 
Ti s  s   
or when expanded becomes:   Ti  Ti (36)
Solid State Drives 31
 Design of Controllers–
Speed Controller
• Design the controller by comparing system characteristic
equation with the standard equation:
s 2  2 n s  n2
• Hence:
2 n 
(37)

n 2  (38)

• So, for a given value of :

– use (37) to calculate n
– Then use (38) to calculate the controller gain KS
Solid State Drives 32
 Closed Loop Control with Field
Weakening – Two-quadrant
Motor operation above base speed requires field
weakening
Field weakening obtained by varying field winding
voltage using controlled rectifier in:
single-phase or
three-phase
Field current has no ripple – due to large Lf
Converter time lag negligible compared to field time
constant
Consists of two additional control loops on field circuit:
Field current control loop (inner)
Induced emf control loop (outer)
Solid State Drives 33
Closed Loop Control with Field
Weakening – Two-quadrant
Field weakening

Solid State Drives 34

 Closed Loop Control with Field
Weakening – Two-quadrant
Field weakening

Field
current
controller
(PI-type)

Estimated machine -
induced emf
Induced emf
dia Induced emf Field current
e  Va  Ra ia  La reference
controller
reference
dt Solid State Drives
(PI-type with
35
limiter)
 Closed Loop Control with Field
Weakening – Two-quadrant
• The estimated machine-induced emf is obtained from:
dia
e  Va  Ra ia  La
dt
(the estimated emf is machine-parameter sensitive and must be adaptive)
• The reference induced emf e* is compared to e to obtain the induced emf
error signal (for speed above base speed, e* kept constant at rated emf
value so that   1/)
• The induced emf (PI) controller processes the error and produces the field
current reference if*
• if* is limited by the limiter to keep within the safe field current limits
• if* is compared to actual field current if to obtain a current error signal
• The field current (PI) controller processes the error to alter the control
signal vcf (similar to armature current ia control loop)
• vcf modifies the firing angle f to be sent to the converter to obtained the
motor field voltage for the desired motor field flux
Solid State Drives 36
 Closed Loop Control with Controlled
Rectifiers – Four-quadrant
• Four-quadrant Three-phase Controlled
Rectifier DC Motor Drives

Solid State Drives 37

 Closed Loop Control with Controlled
Rectifiers – Four-quadrant
• Control very similar to the two-quadrant dc motor drive.
• Each converter must be energized depending on quadrant of operation:
– Converter 1 – for forward direction / rotation
– Converter 2 – for reverse direction / rotation
• Changeover between Converters 1 & 2 handled by monitoring
– Speed
Inputs to
– Current-command
‘Selector’ block
– Zero-crossing current signals
• ‘Selector’ block determines which converter has to operate by assigning
pulse-control signals
• Speed and current loops shared by both converters
• Converters switched only when current in outgoing converter is zero (i.e.
does not allow circulating current. One converter is on at a time.)
Solid State Drives 38
 References
• Krishnan, R., Electric Motor Drives: Modeling, Analysis and
Control, Prentice-Hall, New Jersey, 2001.
• Rashid, M.H, Power Electronics: Circuit, Devices and
Applictions, 3rd ed., Pearson, New-Jersey, 2004.
• Nik Idris, N. R., Short Course Notes on Electrical Drives,
UNITEN/UTM, 2008.

Solid State Drives 39

 DC Motor and Load Transfer Function -
Decoupling of Induced EMF Loop
• Step 1:

• Step 2:

Solid State Drives 40

 DC Motor and Load Transfer Function -
Decoupling of Induced EMF Loop
• Step 3:

• Step 4:

Back
Solid State Drives 41
 Cosine-wave Crossing Control for
Controlled Rectifiers
Input voltage Vm
to rectifier 0  2 3 4

Cosine voltage Cosine wave compared with

Vcm control voltage vc
vc
Vcmcos() = vc

 vc 
Results of   cos 1  
comparison  Vcm 
trigger SCRs

Output voltage
of rectifier 

Back
Solid State Drives 42
 Design of Controllers–
Current loop 1st order approximation

K c K r K 1Tm 1 K fi 1
Ia s 

Tc 1  sT3  
H c 1  sT3 
Ia s 
*
K c K r K 1 H cTm 1 1  K fi
1
1
Tc 1  sT3  1  sT3 
K fi K fi 1
Hc H c 1  K fi 
Ki
  
1  sT3  K fi  T3  1  sTi 
1  s 

 1  K fi 
Back
Solid State Drives 43
 220
Go to x10  7.09
310.5
Go to
Go to

Go to