Performance enhancement of sensorless induction motor drive using modified direct torque control techniques for traction application

In recent scenarios, induction motors are used in many different fields due to their small size, advanced technology, and capacity to handle large amounts of power. One of the annoying downsides of conventional AC traction drive systems is the engine's speed and the uncertainty of the ripple content. The goal of the proposed work is to use various control techniques to analyze and enhance the performance of two five-phase induction motors that are supplied in parallel via an inverter. The control techniques are scalar control, six-step voltage type source inverter (VSI), space vector modulation (SVM) based VSI inverter, field-oriented control, model reference adaptive system-based field-oriented control (FOC), direct torque control (DTC), direct torque control -SVM, model reference adaptive system based direct torque control-SVM for traction application. The modified space vector modulation-based induction motor (IM) sensorless drive is realized together with a comparison of several control strategies. It makes use of direct torque control approaches with a model reference adaptive system (MRAS). An IM is designed, and performances are analyzed in high-speed and low-speed regions. Two bogies sets were considered in the closed-loop scheme, tested under parameter variations and in low-speed areas. The simulation result examined the most significant control methods for an IM fed by an inverter for electric traction applications. The performance of the torque in terms of reduced torque ripple in the IM drive is analyzed. The proposed direct torque control technique will reduce torque harmonic ripple by 100 % under the steady-state condition. Under a change in a parameter, the torque harmonic ripple is decreased by 99 %. For the IM drive, the hardware implementation of the advanced control approaches is examined. • Design and development of a five-phase induction motor for traction application. • Design and implementation of space vector modulation-based voltage source inverter. • Parameter estimation of a five-phase induction motor using a model reference adaptive system for sensorless induction motor drive. • Space vector modulation-based induction motor sensorless drive is built, and various control strategies are compared.