Performance Evaluation of FOC and FCS-MPCC Controlled PMSM Drives for Electric Vehicles

Environmental pollution problems occur with the increase in fossil fuel vehicles. Therefore, studies and incentives are increasing to enhance the use of electric vehicles (EVs), which are one of the alternative energy source vehicles. Permanent magnet synchronous motors (PMSMs) are widely preferred in EVs due to their high efficiency, simple structure, high torque and power density. The efficiency of inverters is one of the most important factors affecting the performance of EVs. With the developments in semiconductor technology, the use of multi-level inverter topologies, which provide higher quality power flow compared to traditional two-level inverters, is becoming widespread in EV applications. In this study, active neutral point clamped (ANPC) topology, one of the multi-level inverter topologies, was used to ensure suitable voltage for PMSM. The control of PMSM was carried out with two different control methods as field oriented control (FOC) and finite control-set model predictive current control (FCS-MPCC). Various analyses were realized under identical conditions, different speeds and loads, and finally the control methods were compared in terms of performance. According to the results obtained, it is seen that the FCS-MPCC method was better than the FOC method in terms of eliminating current and torque ripple. In addition, lower total harmonic distortion (THD) ratio was acquired in the MPCC method.