Model predictive control for electrical machines with multiple sets of windings

1 . A method for controlling an electrical converter, the electrical converter comprising at least two converter branches connected in parallel to at least two winding systems of an electrical machine, the method comprising:

determining an average flux reference from a reference torque and an estimated torque, which is determined from measured currents and measured voltages and/or reconstructed voltages in the winding systems;

determining at least one difference flux reference from at least one difference current reference;

determining a winding flux reference for each winding system from the average flux reference and the at least one difference flux reference by adding and/or subtracting the at least one difference flux reference to the average flux reference;

determining switching commands for each converter branch from the winding flux reference and an estimated winding flux for the winding system, which is connected to the respective converter branch, wherein the estimated winding flux is determined from the measured current and the measured voltages and/or the reconstructed voltages in the winding system, and wherein the winding flux reference and the estimated winding flux are provided to a dedicated model predictive controller for the respective converter branch, which determines the switching commands; and

applying the switching commands to each converter branch.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the switching commands are determined from optimized pulse patterns, which are loaded from a look-up table, and/or

the switching commands are determined online during operation of the electrical converter, and/or

switching instants of the switching commands are moved to minimize a flux error, which is a difference between an optimal winding flux trajectory, determined from the winding flux reference and the estimated winding flux.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the switching commands for each converter branch are determined independently from the switching commands of at least one other converter branch.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the average flux reference and the at least one difference flux reference are determined in a rotating reference frame, and/or

the winding flux references are determined in the rotating reference frame and transformed into a stationary reference frames, and/or

an angle of the winding flux reference is calculated in the stationary reference frame.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein;

the at least one difference flux reference is determined from the at least one difference current reference by multiplication with an estimated stator winding inductance for each winding system.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining at least one difference current from measured currents in the at least two winding systems and determining a difference current error by subtracting the difference current from the difference current reference;

low-pass filtering the difference current error and/or PI controlling the difference current error; and

adding the low-pass filtered and/or PI controlled difference current error to the difference current reference.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:

an amplitude of the average flux reference is determined from a look-up table based on the reference torque, and/or

the amplitude of the average flux reference is low-pass filtered.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:

an amplitude of the average flux reference is limited within predefined limits.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:

an angle of the average flux reference is determined from a look-up table based on an amplitude of the average flux reference and the reference torque, and/or

a torque error, which is a difference between the reference torque and the estimated torque, is low-pass filtered and/or PI controlled and added to the reference torque.

10 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

when an amplitude of the winding flux reference of a winding system exceeds a limit, limiting an amplitude of the average flux reference and/or an amplitude of the difference flux reference amplitude, such that an amplitude of a recalculated winding flux reference stays below the limit.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:

each converter branch is configured converting three-phase electrical quantities with a fundamental voltage, current and frequency into three-phase electrical quantities with another fundamental voltage, current and frequency,

each converter branch comprises a rectifier, a DC-link and an inverter, and/or

opposite to the electrical machine, each converter branch is connected to a secondary winding of a transformer.

12 . A computer program for controlling an electrical converter, the electrical converter comprising at least two converter branches connected in parallel to at least two winding systems of an electerical machine, which, when executed by a processor, is configured to;

determine an average flux reference from a reference torque and an estimated torque, which is determined from measured currents and measured voltages and/or reconstructed voltages in the winding systems;

determine at least one difference flux reference from at least one difference current reference;

determine a winding flux reference for each winding system from the average flux reference and the at least one difference flux reference by adding and/or subtracting the at least one difference flux reference to the average flux reference;

determine switching commands for each converter branch from the winding flux reference and an estimated winding flux for the winding system, which is connected to the respective converter branch, wherein the estimated winding flux is determined from the measured current and the measured voltages and/or the reconstructed voltages in the winding system, and wherein the winding flux reference and the estimated winding flux are provided to a dedicated model predictive controller for the respective converter branch, which determines the switching commands; and

apply the switching commands to each converter branch.

13 . A controller for controlling an electrical converter configured to:

determine an average flux reference from a reference torque and an estimated torque, which is determined from measured currents and measured voltages and/or reconstructed voltages in winding systems;

determine at least one difference flux reference from at least one difference current reference;

determine a winding flux reference for each winding system from the average flux reference and the at least one difference flux reference by adding and/or subtracting the at least one difference flux reference to the average flux reference;

determine switching commands for each converter branch from the winding flux reference and an estimated winding flux for the winding system, which is connected to the respective converter branch, wherein the estimated winding flux is determined from the measured current and the measured voltages and/or the reconstructed voltages in the winding system, and wherein the winding flux reference and the estimated winding flux are provided to a dedicated model predictive controller for the respective converter branch, which determines the switching commands; and

apply the switching commands to each converter branch.

14 . An electrical converter, comprising:

the controller according to claim 13 ; and

at least two converter branches connected in parallel to at least two winding systems of an electrical machine.