Electric drive
ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING - UNESA
Electric drive 2
Electric drive is an electromechanical system
(mechatronic system) intended to set into motion
technological equipment.
It consists of an electric motor (motors), a transfer
mechanism, an electrical energy converter, and
a control system
The control system consists of a microcontroller
with data connection interfaces, data channels
(data network), sensors and actuators
A generalized structure of the electric drive is
shown in Fig. 4.1. In general, the main task of the 3
electric drive is the motion control of mechanisms
An electric drive is an automatic control system
with a number of feedbacks where different
automatic control principles, such as error driven
feedback control, model based control, logical
binary control, or fuzzy logic control methods, are
used.
Depending on a particular technical solution and
selected control principle, different sensors for
measuring of currents, voltages, velocity,
acceleration, torque etc. in an electric drive are
used.
Generalized structure of an electric 4
drive
Microprocessor technique 5
enables us to apply different control methods in
today’s control systems, including control of
electric drives
In the drive controller, the signal processors with
inbuilt analogue-digital converters, timers, pulse-
width modulators and other devices, which
simplify drive control, are commonly used.
Integration of devices 6
and functions
Microprocessor techniques make it possible to solve
all control tasks, like energy conversion between the
drive and the converter, protection and tasks
connected with the sequence logic of a
technological pro
Because of this, a microcontroller is a complex
control device, which is realized by the computer
control, programmable controller functions and
supervision of the process.
A drive controller is programmed and controlled by
help of commands and subprograms of special
functions
A controller guarantees a flexible speed regulation
and motor protection.
Software solutions 7
Today’s theories published will be realized as
software of devices.
Controller software includes a number of
contemporary control methods, like adaptive
control, model based control etc. Vector control
of AC-drives was a technical novelty ten years
ago, but today this method is largely used in
frequency converters.
Economic considerations 8
A situation may arise when functional qualities of
a drive controller and completeness of the
interface are not harmonized.
To reduce the price market, compelled producers
often simplify the interface of converters.
Therefore the number of control buttons and
decimal places of sign-number display must be
reduced to 3.
To display the large variety of drive controller
states (different faults, signals etc.), every segment
of the 7-segment digit indicator could be used to
display coded information.
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It will be very inconvenient for the operator of the
drive equipment to acquire this very special
coding.
Power converters with the most intelligent user
interface can communicate in common national
languages understandable for everyone.
In this case, all the useful information about the
drive and technological machines can be
displayed on the PC screen.
Different functional diagrams about energy
consumption, technological cycles, amount of
production etc. can be used.
But, unfortunately this software may be more
expensive than the converter hardware.
New sensors and optical 10
data connection
Today the numeric control of electric drives is
widely used and the traditional analogue sensors
will be replaced with the new digital sensors for
measuring of speed and position.
To measure the position, the sensors may be the
pulse sensors as well as the code sensors.
Another problem is measuring of voltages and
currents with high harmonic components
particularly when the control information is
required very quickly, but the filtration of the
signals is very complicated and slow.
Electric Drive with DC 11
Machines
For some reasons, today the term DC drive is not
clear.
First, the operating principle of the electric
machine assumes periodic commutation of the
current of the winding; because of this, the
current of the winding is actually AC current.
Second, DC machines with a mechanical
commutator today are rarely used. Instead, brush-
less DC motors (DC motor with a semiconductor
commutator) are used. In terms of construction a
brush-less DC motor is similar to an AC
synchronous motor fed from the frequency
converter
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Third, the AC network feeds the electric drives
and a supply converter rectifies the voltage of the
motor
Supply converters of DC and AC drives consist of
rectifiers
Armature windings of a DC motor are
commutated depending on the revolutionary
angle of the armature.
Such a principle can be used to control the
synchronous machines too. This is just one
difference between the DC and the types of
motors.
Principal Scheme of a DC 13
drive
Soft start of induction 14
motors
Today most commonly used electric motor is an
induction motor.
As compared to other electrical machines,
induction motor is reliable, durable in hard
conditions and needs little current maintenance.
Because of this, induction motors are
economically efficient.
For a long time, induction motors were known as
electric machines difficult to control and were
used only in electric drives with constant speed.
Induction motors are mainly used to set into
motion general purpose machines, like fans,
compressors, pumps and other machines, like disc
saws, wood planes.
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These machines operate in a continuous duty
regime, but to optimize processes and save
energy, speed or torque control is often
necessary.
Problems of starting, braking and protection of
induction machines may be solved by help of
power electronics and microprocessor techniques
using soft starters.
The progress of power semiconductor techniques,
microelectronics calculation techniques and
other technologies make it possible to develop an
operating regime optimizing soft starters to control
the induction motors.
Earlier, induction motors caused a number of
problems. 16
For example, high power induction motor start was a
problem.
With direct on-line start of the induction motor, the
stator current increases up to seven times over the
rated value, causing high current peaks in the
electrical power lines.
Starting current of an induction motor does not
depend on the motor load and is a constant value
for each motor.
Relative starting current Istart /Irated is provided on the
motor nameplate and commonly it is 4-7 times
higher than Irated.
In long power lines with high resistance, starting of a
high power induction motor causes an essential
voltage drop on other consumers.
Thereby the starting torque of the induction motor is
relatively small as compared to the DC motor
17
Because of this, the duration of the starting
process is so long when the load and moment of
inertia are large (heavy start).
This causes essential heating of motor windings
and is dangerous to the insulation when
protection devices are not used.
As different firm the DC motor, the torque of
which increases proportionally when the load
increases, the mechanical characteristic of the
induction motor (relation between torque and
velocity) is non-linear.
The mechanical characteristics of the induction
motor are characterized by maximum or
breakdown torque
Soft starters are intended for smooth starting and 18
stopping (without current peak and with adjusted
acceleration) of an induction motor and
reducing of energy consumption on the variable
load, specially if the load is smaller than the rated
load.
By using soft starters it is also possible to control the
braking of the induction motor.
Some of soft starters allow DC-braking, short time
low speed operation or jogging and controllable
linear braking ramps by help of a tachogenerator.
A soft starter is a thyristor-based AC voltage
regulator, where thyristors are controlled by help
of a microcontroller
Due to a microcontroller, soft starter performs
relatively complicated functions.
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For example, with voltage regulation it is possible
to decrease the starting current peak, to choose
duration of acceleration and deceleration ramps
and to optimize energy consumption (power
factor) on a variable load.
A microprocessor system of a soft starter is
operating as a starting and protecting system.
Protection functions are as follows: adjusted over-
current limit, protection against input or output
phase interruption (circuit break), short circuit of
thyristor, heat sink overheating, wrong frequency
of feeding voltage and troubleshooting of a
microprocessor
Frequency-controlled 20
electric drives
Many problems arise with velocity control of an
induction and a synchronous motor.
It is well known that the best way of speed control
of a squirrel cage induction motor and a
synchronous motor is variation of frequency of the
supply voltage.
Frequency control is traditionally intended to
adjust motor torque, speed or motor shaft position
(rotating angle) by help of closed or open loop
control circuits, provided output voltage and
frequency change relatively slowly and motor
operates in a continuous duty.
