Asynchronous motors are nowadays used in many electrical drives, both in industrial and other applications. Although robust in design, their mathematical models can be quite complex, due to differential equations that are hard to solve. For this reason, simulation programs are used to develop the control system, as they give us the insight into various operating states of the machine, even those that are not measurable; additionally, they allow the validation of implemented control algorithms.
In this thesis MATLAB Simulink was used for simulating a voltage-controlled asynchronous motor with a squirrel cage (induction motor). The model is based on the two-axis d-q theory, which converts a three-phase model of a machine into two DC systems (during steady state operation). This is done by using the dq0 transformation that transforms three-phase currents and voltages into DC quantities which drastically simplifies the model.
Motor control is based on the indirect field-oriented control "FOC" method and is realized with cascade control, which is structured in two main control loops, with each having one subordinate loop. The first main loop controls the magnetizing current imR, with its subordinate loop controlling the stator current component iSd. The second main loop controls the speed of the rotor shaft. Its subordinate loop controls the stator current component iSq. Two PI controllers are used in main loops, while two PID controllers are used in subordinate loops to improve the stability of stator currents in the machine.
The presented model also allows me to analyse the impact of changing motor parameters. The focus was on the variation of the stator and rotor winding resistance and their effect on the dynamics of the machine. Changing the winding resistance leads to a change in winding time constants, which can lead to unstable operation of the drive due to the difference between the actual resistance from its estimated model value.
The control system ensures a stable operation of the machine in various operating points. The use of field-oriented control led to high model dynamics; therefore, the transitions between operating points were relatively quick. The increase of resistance (heating) had a positive effect on dynamics, though the control system worked adequately even with unrealistic increases of rotor and stator resistances. For a more realistic model, further development in the field of thermal analysis should be considered.
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