Electronically Controlled Drives

Module code: EG4221

This module will provide a theoretical and practical treatment of the complete electronic drive system; (including conventional dc drives as well as modern ac drives) including the mechanical part, the electrical machine, the power converter and the control. We will provide the necessary skills for those students wishing to pursue a career in industrial drives. This nodule consists of lectures, continually assessed projects and CAD simulations. We will look in particular at:

• High power circuits (application of thyristors and GTOs, appropriate analysis for phase angle control, pwm pattern generation for harmonic minimisation, the dc link converter, current and voltage-fed types, bi-directional power flow, use of moderns devices, IGBTs and MOSFETs etc.).
• Electric motor drives (application of high power semiconductors, speed and torque control, stator and rotor control, generation and breaking, flux vector control, control of dc machines, brushless dc motors, stepper motors, switched reluctance motors, design of low cost electronically controlled drives for high volume manufacture etc.).
• Operation and characteristics of a complete electronically controlled motor drive.
• Differences between open and closed loop feedback control. The effect of feedback control in the drive system, and its critical importance in some drives for stable operation.