A Control System for Electric Drives is Developed at the REC Ural
Frequency converters control the speed of the electric drive in production. However, in open-loop control schemes, the accuracy of controlling a variable such as speed may not be sufficient. Russian scientists collaborate with the Research and Development Center "Privodnaya Tekhnika" LLC propose creating special laws for controlling the frequency converter. The project is one of the main projects of the Ural Interregional Research and Education Center.
Modern automated production is impossible without an electric drive. This high-tech system sets in motion almost all the mechanisms in industrial enterprises, such as rolling mills, traction mechanisms, winches, and mud pump drives. Semiconductor (transistor) frequency converters control the speed of an AC electric drive. In domestic production, speed maintenance is possible only by using sensors, and in sensorless systems, the problem of precise speed and torque control has not been solved yet. To improve the capabilities of existing domestic control systems for valve converters, scientists at South Ural State University propose to use control systems for complex transistor frequency converters with new control algorithms.
"The task of synthesizing control systems for transistor frequency converters, which provide improved control and reliability indicators, is relevant and requires a top-priority solution. We intend to apply special frequency-pulse-width modulation of the carrier frequency in the new control system. We will use the adaptive models of electromagnetic processes as observers of the estimated feedback variables," said the Project Manager Maxim Grigoriev.
The project on control systems for a complex transistor converter with further production of a wide range of converter equipment based on new control principles is one of the main projects included in the portfolio of the Ural Interregional Research and Education Center "Advanced production technologies and materials". The purpose is to improve energy consumption and performance reliability.
The Department of Electric Drive and Mechatronics is working on the project in collaboration with the Scientific and Technical Center Drive Equipment, the leading company in the Chelyabinsk region, which occupies a leading position among manufacturing and engineering companies in the country. Privodnaya Tekhnika specializes in the implementation of automation and electric drive systems in metallurgy, mechanical engineering, oil and gas, and other industries.
"Our company has been cooperating with the SUSU Department for 20 years, and all the leaders are its graduates. Being engaged in the development of modern converting technology, we often encounter problems that can only be solved in close cooperation with scientific organizations. This project is no exception. It will allow us to catch up with Western giants in terms of the technological effectiveness and functionality of our converters, and together with new circuit solutions developed by our specialists, we will be able to bring Russian converter technology to a fundamentally new level," said representatives of the Scientific and Technical Center "Privodnaya Tekhnika". In the course of the project, the participants of the work will propose algorithms for controlling the electromagnetic torque, as well as a system for automatically tuning the circuits for its regulation and excitation.
The project will improve the quality indicators of frequency converters in terms of accuracy characteristics. In addition, a significant improvement in system reliability is expected by reducing failures when operating in short circuit modes (torque brake). The development will compete with modern Western solutions in their markets and establish high-tech exports. Large companies are interested in the results of the work—Rosneft, Mechel Group, JSC Ural-Siberian Industrial Company, and others. The project is to complete in 2023.
South Ural State University is a university of digital transformations, where innovative research is carried out in most priority areas for science and technology development. Following the strategy of scientific and technological development of the Russian Federation, the university focuses on the development of large scientific interdisciplinary projects in the field of the digital industry, materials science, and ecology.
In 2021, SUSU won the competition under the Priority 2030 program. The university performs the functions of the regional project office of the Ural Interregional Scientific and Educational Center of the world level (UMNOC). Ural Interregional Research and Education Center "Advanced Production Technologies and Materials".
Provided by South Ural State University