Estimating rotor operational parameter

Abstract

Provided is a method of estimating a rotor operational parameter of an electrical machine including multiple winding sets wound to have a phase-shift between winding sets, the rotor operational parameter including rotor position and/or rotor speed, the method including: deriving, for each winding set, a preliminary rotor operational parameter based on a current and a voltage of the respective winding set; calculating for at least two winding sets and for at least one predefined harmonic, a rotor operational parameter harmonic correction term based on the preliminary rotor operational parameter of at least two winding sets; calculating for at least one winding set, a corrected rotor operational parameter based on the preliminary operational parameter of this winding set and the rotor operational parameter harmonic correction term of this winding set, wherein in particular the corrected rotor operational parameter has at least one predefined harmonic removed or at least attenuated.

Claims

1. A method of operating an electrical machine comprising multiple winding sets wound to have a phase shift between winding sets based on a rotor operational parameter, the rotor operational parameter including at least one of rotor position and rotor speed, the method comprising: deriving, for each winding set, a preliminary rotor operational parameter based on a current and a voltage of the respective winding set; calculating for at least two winding sets and for at least one predefined harmonic, a rotor operational parameter harmonic correction term based on the preliminary rotor operational parameter of at least two winding sets; calculating for at least one winding set, a corrected rotor operational parameter based on the preliminary operational parameter of this winding set and the rotor operational parameter harmonic correction term of this winding set, wherein the corrected rotor operational parameter has the at least one predefined harmonic removed or at least attenuated; and controlling the electrical machine based on the corrected rotor operational parameter calculated for the at least one winding set.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein calculating the rotor operational parameter harmonic correction term comprises: calculating a rotor position harmonic correction term based on a preliminary rotor position of at least two winding sets; and/or calculating a rotor speed harmonic correction term based on a preliminary rotor speed of the at least two winding sets.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein calculating the corrected rotor operational parameter comprises: calculating a corrected rotor position based on the preliminary rotor position of this winding set and the rotor position harmonic correction term of this winding set; and/or calculating a corrected rotor speed based on the preliminary rotor speed of this winding set and the rotor speed harmonic correction term of this winding set.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least two winding sets include the winding set for which the respective correction term is calculated and at least one other winding set.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the calculation of the rotor position harmonic correction term is further based on the winding set phase shift.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one predefined harmonic to be attenuated in the corrected rotor operational parameter include the harmonic h_0=2π/(nγ), wherein n is the number of winding sets and γ is the winding set phase shift between the winding sets.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one predefined harmonic to be attenuated in the corrected rotor operational parameter include the harmonic h_k=2π/(nγ)(1+2k/(n−1)), wherein n is the number of winding sets and γ is the winding set phase shift between the winding sets, k is an integer equal or larger than 0.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one predefined harmonic comprises a first predefined harmonic and at least one second predefined harmonic, wherein the first predefined harmonic h_1 to be attenuated in the harmonic corrected rotor operational parameter is h_1=2π/(nγ)(1+2k_1/(n−1)), wherein the second predefined harmonic h_2 to be attenuated in the harmonic corrected rotor operational parameter is h_2=2π/(nγ)(1+2k_2/(n−1)), wherein n is the number of winding sets and γ is the winding set phase shift between the winding sets, k_1, k_2 are integers equal or larger than 0, wherein k_1 is not equal to k_2, wherein: the electrical machine has three winding sets, wherein the winding set phase shift is 20°, wherein k-_1=0 and k_2=1, wherein the first harmonic is the 6.sup.th harmonic and the second harmonic is the 12.sup.th harmonic.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the electrical machine has two winding sets, wherein a first winding set phase shift is 30° and at least one predefined harmonic of the first winding set includes the 6.sup.th harmonic and/or wherein a second winding set phase shift is 90° and at least one predefined harmonic of the second winding set includes the 2.sup.nd harmonic.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the electrical machine has three winding sets, wherein a first winding set phase shift is 20° and first and second predefined harmonics of the first winding set are the 6.sup.th and 12.sup.th harmonics and/or wherein a second winding set phase shift is 40° and first and second predefined harmonics of the second winding set are the 6.sup.th and 12.sup.th harmonics.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the electrical machine has four winding sets, wherein a first winding set phase shift is 15° and a first predefined harmonic of the first winding set is the 6.sup.th harmonic and/or wherein a second winding set phase shift is 15° and a second predefined harmonic of the second winding set is the 12.sup.th harmonic.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein a stator of the electrical machine is configured as a fractional slot multiple winding set stator, wherein a concentrated winding topology or distributed winding topology, wherein the electrical machine comprises a rotor having permanent magnets.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein controlling based on the corrected rotor operational parameter calculated for the at least one winding set includes changing the rotor position and/or rotor speed.

14. An arrangement for controlling an electrical machine comprising multiple winding sets wound to have a phase shift between winding sets based on a rotor operational parameter, the rotor operational parameter comprising at least one of rotor position and rotor speed, the arrangement comprising: a processor adapted: to derive, for each winding set, a preliminary rotor operational parameter based on a current and a voltage of the respective winding set; to calculate for at least two winding sets and for at least one predefined harmonic, a rotor operational parameter harmonic correction term based on the preliminary rotor operational parameter of at least two winding sets; to calculate for at least one winding set, a corrected rotor operational parameter based on the preliminary operational parameter of this winding set and the rotor operational parameter harmonic correction term of this winding set; and to control the electrical machine based on the corrected rotor operational parameter calculated for the at least one winding set.

15. A controller for controlling an electric generator of a wind turbine, the controller comprising: the arrangement according to claim 14; and at least one control element receiving as input the harmonic corrected rotor operational parameter.

16. The arrangement according to claim 15, wherein the at least one control element is configured to adjust the rotor position and/or rotor speed based on the received harmonic corrected rotor operational parameter.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

(1) Some of the embodiments will be described in detail, with reference to the following figures, wherein like designations denote like members, wherein:

(2) FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a generator system including a controller for controlling the electric generator according to an embodiment of the present invention;

(3) FIG. 2 schematically illustrates the controller illustrated in FIG. 1 comprising an arrangement for estimating a rotor operational parameter according to an embodiment of the present invention;

(4) FIG. 3 illustrates a graph showing rotor operational parameters as estimated by embodiments of the present invention;

(5) FIG. 4 illustrates a simulation result validating the estimation method; and

(6) FIG. 5 illustrates simulation results validating the estimation method.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(7) Embodiments of the present invention are now described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Embodiments of the invention are not restricted to the illustrated or described embodiments. The illustration in the drawings is in schematic form.

(8) The generator system 1 schematically illustrated in FIG. 1 comprises an electrical machine 3 and a controller 5 according to an embodiment of the present invention for controlling the electric generator 3. The controller 5 comprises an arrangement 7 for estimating a rotor operational parameter of an electrical machine comprising multiple winding sets wound to have a phase-shift between winding sets and at least one control element 9 which receives as input the corrected rotor operational parameter 11,13 for at least one winding set. In general corrected rotor operational parameter may include the corrected rotor position θ1{circumflex over ( )} (11) of the first winding set and the corrected rotor position θ2{circumflex over ( )} (12) of the second winding set as well as the corresponding rotor speed ω1{circumflex over ( )}, ω2{circumflex over ( )} (13, 14).

(9) The electrical machine 3 illustrated in FIG. 1 is an electrical machine comprising two winding sets namely having a first winding set 15 including wires wound in coils 15a, 15b, 15c and including a second winding set 17 namely formed by wires and coils 17a, 17b, 17c. In particular, the two winding sets are three-phase winding sets each providing a phase A, a phase B and a phase C. As can be appreciated from FIG. 1, the two winding sets 15, 17 are phase-shifted relative to each other by an electrical angle of 30°. The electrical machine 3 further comprises permanent magnets 19 mounted at a rotor 21, for example an outer rotor.

(10) The arrangement 7 comprises a not explicitly illustrated processor which is adapted to receive (measured) currents 23 and currents 25 from the first winding set 15a, 15b, 15c and the second winding set 17a, 17b, 17c, respectively and further also receives a reference voltages 27 and 29 for the first winding set 15 and the second winding set 17, respectively.

(11) Based on the currents 23, 25 and voltages 27, 29, the arrangement 7 derives for each corresponding winding set a preliminary rotor operational parameter (namely preliminary rotor position and preliminary rotor speed) based on currents 23, 25 and the voltages 27, 29. Furthermore, the arrangement 7 is arranged to calculate for the two winding sets 15a, 15b, 15c and 17a, 17b, 17c, and for at least one predefined harmonic, for example a 6.sup.th harmonic, a rotor operational parameter harmonic correction term (as will be described in detail below) based on the preliminary rotor operational parameters of the two winding sets. Furthermore, the arrangement 7 is adapted to calculate a corrected rotor operational parameter, namely the corrected rotor position θ1{circumflex over ( )}, θ2{circumflex over ( )} for the two winding sets 15, 17 as well as the corrected rotor speed ω1{circumflex over ( )}, ω2{circumflex over ( )} for the two winding sets as is also labelled with reference signs 11, 12, 13, 14.

(12) The controller 5 outputs control signals 32, 34. Thereby, the control signal 32 may for example be supplied to a respective first converter 35 being connected with the first winding set 15a, 15b, 15c. The control signal 34 may for example be supplied to a second converter 37 being connected with the second winding set 17a, 17b, 17c, as is illustrated in FIG. 1.

(13) FIG. 2 illustrates the controller 5 in more detail in particular in an implementation of two separate but interacting controller portions 31, 33. However, the controller 5 may also be implemented as a single controller. The controller 5 as illustrated in FIG. 2 comprises a first controller portion 31 controlling the first winding set 15a, 15b, 15c and comprises a second controller portion 33 controlling the second winding set 17a, 17b, 17c by generating and supplying respective control signals 32 and 34.

(14) The controller 5 comprises an arrangement 7 which is configured having a first arrangement portion 7a and a second arrangement portion 7b. The arrangement portions 7a receives the current 23 and the voltage 27 of the first winding set 15a, 15b, 15c and the arrangement portion 7b receives the current 25 and the voltage 29 of the second winding set 17a, 17b, 17c. From the respective current and voltage of each winding set, the respective arrangement portion 7a, 7b computes a preliminary rotor operational parameter which is denoted below by θ1, ω1 (39) for the first winding set and θ2, ω2 (41) for the second winding set. These preliminary rotor operational parameters (39, 41) are erroneous in that they contain higher harmonic contents.

(15) For correcting for this harmonic error, the arrangement portions 7a, 7b calculate respective rotor operational parameter harmonic correction terms denoted below by θ.sub.1,6{circumflex over ( )}, θ.sub.2,6{circumflex over ( )}, wherein the second index indicates the harmonic to be attenuated. Based on the preliminary rotor operational parameters and the respective harmonic correction term, the arrangement portions 7a, 7b calculate the respective corrected rotor operational parameters, namely the corrected rotor position 11 (also denoted as θ1{circumflex over ( )}) of the first winding set and the corrected rotor speed 13 (also denoted as ω1{circumflex over ( )}) of the first winding set. The arrangement portion 7b thereby calculates the corrected rotor position 12 of the second winding set and the corrected rotor speed 14 of the second winding set. Thereby, the arrangement portions 7a, 7b are communicatively coupled in order to allow exchange of the preliminary rotor operational parameter 39 of the first winding set (including in particular preliminary rotor position and preliminary rotor speed) and exchanging the preliminary rotor operational parameter 41 of the second winding set (including also preliminary rotor position and preliminary rotor speed).

(16) The corrected rotor position and rotor speed 11, 13 of the first winding set is input to several control elements, for example a modulation control element 43 which calculates based on voltages Vd1, Vq1 of the first winding set current references Id1_ref which is supplied to a current controller for the d-component of the current, i.e. element 45. Also, element 45 may receive the corrected rotor parameters 11, 13 of the first winding set. A DC link controller 47 calculates a reference Iq1_ref of a q-component of a current which is together with the measured q-component of the current Iq1 is supplied to a current controller 48 of the q-component. The current controllers 45, 48 output respective components Vd1, Vq1 of a voltage which are supplied to a voltage collector 49. The voltage collector may receive further inputs of voltages from other functions 51. The voltage collector 49 may also receive the corrected rotor parameters 11, 13 and derives therefrom voltage references which are supplied to a pulse width modulation module 53 which finally derives therefrom the converter control signal 32 for example including pulse width modulation signals which are supplied to gates of controllable switches within the first converter 35 (see FIG. 1).

(17) The second controller portion 33 is similarly arranged as the first controller 31 and also correspondingly uses the corrected rotor operational parameters 12, 14 of the second winding set 17a, 17b, 17c in several control elements.

(18) It should be understood that the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1 only exemplarily describes the estimation method using a dual winding FSCW electrical machine 3 with 30° phase-shift for attenuating the 6.sup.th harmonic in position and speed.

(19) As is illustrated in FIG. 2, the controller is implemented in two distinct controller portions 31, 33 with the ability to communicate with each other for exchanging the preliminary rotor operational parameter 39, 41. Alternatively, the controller 5 may be implemented as a single controller. In the generator 3 illustrated in FIG. 1, the dominant harmonic would be 6f, thus the position estimates from both systems are given by (defining the preliminary rotor position and preliminary rotor speed):
θ.sub.1=θ.sub.0+θ.sub.1,6
θ.sub.2=θ.sub.0+30+θ.sub.2,6
wherein θ.sub.0 is a saw tooth signal free of harmonics varying between 0 and 360°. It is noted that the preliminary rotor position (e.g. included in the signals 39 and 41 in FIG. 2) contain a 6th harmonic which may therefore be described as,
θ.sub.1,6=A.sub.6 sin(6ωt+ϕ)
θ.sub.2,6=A.sub.6 sin(6ωt+ϕ+π)
θ.sub.2,6=−θ.sub.1,6
Thereby, a rotor operational parameter harmonic correction term may be calculated as:

(20) ${\hat{\theta }}_{1,6}=\frac{{\theta }_1-{\theta }_2-30}{2}$

(21) Based on this correction term and the preliminary rotor operational parameter, namely the preliminary rotor position, the following corrected rotor position may be calculated:
{circumflex over (θ)}.sub.1=θ.sub.1−{circumflex over (θ)}.sub.1,6
{circumflex over (θ)}.sub.2=θ.sub.2+{circumflex over (θ)}.sub.1,6

(22) Similarly, the 6.sup.th harmonics in speed may be calculated and employed for harmonic cancellation:

(23) ${\hat{\omega }}_{1,6}=\frac{{\omega }_1-{\omega }_2}{2}$${\hat{\omega }}_{2,6}=-{\hat{\omega }}_{1,6}$

(24) From that harmonic correction term, the corrected rotor speed may be derived.

(25) The compensation term (or correction terms) derived above are exemplarily given for the 6f cancellation in position and speed. The 6f is the predefined harmonic in this example.

(26) FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 illustrate simulation results validating the estimation method. Thereby, the abscissas 55 in FIGS. 3, 4, 5 indicate the time, while the ordinates 57, 59, 61 indicate the angle, the angle error and the speeds, respectively. In FIG. 3, the curve 63 indicates the preliminary rotor position of the first winding set, the curve 65 indicates the preliminary rotor position of the second winding set and the curve 67 indicates the corrected rotor position of the first winding set.

(27) In FIG. 4, the curve 64 indicates the error in the rotor position of the preliminary rotor position of the first winding set, the curve 66 indicates the error in the preliminary rotor position of the second winding set and the curve 68 indicates the error in the corrected rotor position of the first winding set. It can be seen that the angle error of the estimation 68 of the rotor position of the first winding set is very small. Thereby, an effective cancellation of the dominant 6.sup.th harmonic is achieved.

(28) In FIG. 5, the curve 69 indicates the preliminary rotor speed as derived using the first winding set, the curve 71 indicates the preliminary rotor speed as derived using the second winding set and the curve 73 indicates the corrected rotor speed of the rotor. It can be seen that the rotor speed 73 does comprise only a very attenuated 6.sup.th harmonic and is different from the preliminary rotor speeds 69, 71 as were conventionally estimated as rotor speed.

(29) The method may be generalized for an arbitrary phase-shift and an arbitrary number of windings. Thereby, the method may be employed by any combination of phase-shift (γ) and number of windings (n) with the first, dominant harmonic (h_0) to cancel given by: h_0=2π/(nγ), with n equal or larger than 2.

(30) An equation considering also the higher order harmonics being cancelled becomes more complex being derived as an example for a multiple three-phase machine: h_k=2π/(nγ) (1+2π/(n−1)), with k equal or larger than 0. Therefore, in the dual FSCW design with 30° phase-shift, apart from 6f ripple other harmonics such as 18f and 30f, etc. may also be removed from the estimated position and speed.

(31) In case that is desirable for the 2f ripple to be removed from position and speed, the dual three-phase machine may be designed to have a phase shift of 90-degree. Other ripples such as 6f and 10f, etc. can be eliminated too. The method can also be extended easily for an arbitrary number of windings, provided that a given phase shift (γ) between winding sets is respected.

(32) Some of the examples are:

(33) 1) For a triple three-phase machine, in which there is a 20 deg (or 40 deg) electrical phase shift between the systems, the 6f and 12f ripples in the estimated speed and position may be removed by using the three preliminary estimated angles and some manipulations,

(34) $\{\begin{array}{c}{\theta }_1={\theta }_0+{\theta }_{1,6}+{\theta }_{1,12}\\ {\theta }_2={\theta }_0+20+{\theta }_{2,6}+{\theta }_{2,12}\\ {\theta }_3={\theta }_0+40+{\theta }_{3,6}+{\theta }_{3,12}\end{array}\mathrm{Where}\{\begin{array}{c}{\theta }_{1,6}=A_6\sin \left(6\omega t\right)\\ {\theta }_{2,6}=A_6\sin \left(6\omega t-120\right)\\ {\theta }_{3,6}=A_6\sin \left(6\omega t-240\right)\end{array}\{\begin{array}{c}{\theta }_{1,12}=A_{12}\sin \left(12\omega t\right)\\ {\theta }_{2,12}=A_{12}\sin \left(12\omega t+120\right)\\ {\theta }_{2,13}=A_{12}\sin \left(12\omega t+240\right)\end{array}$

(35) It should be noted that the initial angle in the harmonic angle is assumed to be zero, but can be any value without affecting the end results.

(36) The angle that is 6f and 12f ripple-free can be derived as follows,
θ.sub.0=⅓[θ.sub.1+(θ.sub.2−20)+(θ.sub.3−40)]
and the ripple in angle may be derived as,
(θ.sub.1,6+θ.sub.1,12)=θ.sub.1−θ.sub.0

(37) The generator speed and its content of 6f and 12f ripple can be derived in a similar manner.

(38) A quadruple three-phase machine may be designed such that two phase-shifts may be used for cancellation of 6f and 12f harmonics. The estimation of ripples in speed and position could be done by dividing the systems into two pairs.

(39) A general formula for deriving respective corrected rotor operational parameters can be derived for a list of harmonics to be attenuated and which can then be cancelled for a given machine design.

(40) Embodiments of the present invention may enable to arrive at estimations of rotor position and rotor speed having higher accuracy wherein in particular harmonics are attenuated. Thereby, improvement of overall control performance may be achieved. Furthermore, additional filters may be avoided which may simplify the design and further may increase the robustness. The method may be applicable or adapted for estimation of rotor position/speed in other multiple three-phase machines or machines having a different number than three phases.

(41) Although the present invention has been disclosed in the form of preferred embodiments and variations thereon, it will be understood that numerous additional modifications and variations could be made thereto without departing from the scope of the invention.

(42) For the sake of clarity, it is to be understood that the use of “a” or “an” throughout this application does not exclude a plurality, and “comprising” does not exclude other steps or elements.