Flexible control for a six-phase machine

1. A method for controlling a six-phase machine configured as a combination of two three-phase machines, comprising:

implementing, by a controller, a first control method to control all six phases in the six-phase machine together;

operating the two three-phase machines in a phase-shifted condition in which windings of the two three-phase machines are shifted by a phase value;

determining, by the controller:

whether a fault exists in the six-phase machine, and

which one of the two three-phase machines is experiencing the fault;

in response to determining that the fault exists in the six-phase machine, implementing, by the controller, a second and different control method to control respective three phases in each of the two three-phase machines individually,

wherein implementing the second control method comprises disabling one of the two three-phase machines that is experiencing the fault and applying the second control method to the remaining one of the two three-phase machines that is not experiencing the fault, and

wherein implementing the second control method comprises referencing a new phase value such that the remaining one of the two three-phase machines is operated under the same phase-shifted condition as before the occurrence of the fault.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first control method utilizes a first pair of currents having d-axis and q-axis components and a second pair of currents having harmonic components.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the second control method utilizes the first pair of currents having the d-axis and q-axis components.

4. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having instructions embodied therewith, the instructions executable by a processor to cause the processor to perform the method according to claim 1 .