Predictive Control of Power Electronics Systems

Abstract

Bridging the gap between modern control methods and power electronics, this course focuses on model predictive control methods for power electronics systems. This course targets power electronics as well as control students.

Objective

- Knowledge of modern time-domain control methods applied to three-phase converters and their corresponding loads. These control methods include model predictive control (MPC) and deadbeat control. - Understanding of optimized pulse patterns and techniques to achieve fast closed-loop control. - Ability to derive suitable mathematical models. - Knowledge of and experience in optimization techniques to solve the underlying mixed-integer and quadratic programs. - Appreciation of the advantages and disadvantages of the different control methods.

Content

- Review of mathematical modelling and time-domain control methods (particularly MPC and deadbeat control). - Direct MPC with reference tracking (finite control set MPC). Derivation of mathematical models of three-phase power electronics systems, formulation of the control problem, techniques to solve the one-step and the multi-step horizon problems using branch and bound techniques. - MPC with optimized pulse patterns (OPPs). Computation of OPPs, formulation of fast closed-loop controllers and methods to solve the underlying quadratic programming problem. - Indirect MPC with pulse width modulation (PWM). Formulation of the MPC problem, imposition of hard and soft constraints, techniques to solve the quadratic program in real time and application to modular multilevel converters. - Summary of recent research results and activities. - Matlab / Simulink exercises to enhance the understanding of the control concepts.

Resources