Experimental Study on Dead-Time Induced Oscillations in a 100-kW Open-Loop Induction Motor Drive

This paper reports instability and oscillations in the stator current under light-load conditions in a practical 100-kW induction motor drive. Dead-time is shown to be a cause for such oscillations. This paper shows experimentally that these oscillations could be mitigated significantly with the help of a simple dead-time compensation scheme.

Reach task-associated excitatory overdrive of motor cortical neurons following infusion with ALS-CSF

Converging evidence from transgenic animal models of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and human studies suggest alterations in excitability of the motor neurons in ALS. Specifically, in studies on human subjects with ALS the motor cortex was reported to be hyperexcitable. The present study was designed to test the hypothesis that infusion of cerebrospinal fluid from patients with sporadic ALS (ALS-CSF) into the rat brain ventricle can induce hyperexcitability and structural changes in the motor cortex leading to motor dysfunction. A robust model of sporadic ALS was developed experimentally by infusing ALS-CSF into the rat ventricle. The effects of ALS-CSF at the single neuron level were examined by recording extracellular single unit activity from the motor cortex while rats were performing a reach to grasp task. We observed an increase in the firing rate of the neurons of the motor cortex in rats infused with ALS-CSF compared to control groups. This was associated with impairment in a specific component of reach with alterations in the morphological characteristics of the motor cortex. It is likely that the increased cortical excitability observed in the present study could be the result of changes in the intrinsic properties of motor cortical neurons, a dysfunctional inhibitory mechanism and/or an underlying structural change culminating in a behavioral deficit.

A Quick-Simulation Tool for Induction Motor Drives Controlled Using Advanced Space-Vector-Based PWM Techniques

Space-vector-based pulse width modulation (PWM) for a voltage source inverter (VSI) offers flexibility in terms of different switching sequences. Numerical simulation is helpful to assess the performance of a PWM method before actual implementation. A quick-simulation tool to simulate a variety of space-vector-based PWM strategies for a two-level VSI-fed squirrel cage induction motor drive is presented. The simulator is developed using C and Python programming languages, and has a graphical user interface (GUI) also. The prime focus being PWM strategies, the simulator developed is 40 times faster than MATLAB in terms of the actual time taken for a simulation. Simulation and experimental results are presented on a 5-hp ac motor drive.

Study on Rotor Current Waveforms in an Inverter-fed Induction Motor Drive During Overmodulation

Overmodulation introduces low-order harmonics in the output voltage of a voltage source inverter. This paper presents the effects of low-order harmonics in the stator voltage on the rotor currents of an induction motor. Rotor current waveforms are presented for various operating zones in overmodulation, including six-step mode. Harmonic spectra of stator and rotor currents are compared in six-step mode of operation. Pulsating torque is evaluated at various depths of modulation during overmodulation.

On existence of periodic solutions for stable interval plants with odd, sector type nonlinearities

In several systems, the physical parameters of the system vary over time or operating points. A popular way of representing such plants with structured or parametric uncertainties is by means of interval polynomials. However, ensuring the stability of such systems is a robust control problem. Fortunately, Kharitonov's theorem enables the analysis of such interval plants and also provides tools for design of robust controllers in such cases. The present paper considers one such case, where the interval plant is connected with a timeinvariant, static, odd, sector type nonlinearity in its feedback path. This paper provides necessary conditions for the existence of self sustaining periodic oscillations in such interval plants, and indicates a possible design algorithm to avoid such periodic solutions or limit cycles. The describing function technique is used to approximate the nonlinearity and subsequently arrive at the results. Furthermore, the value set approach, along with Mikhailov conditions, are resorted to in providing graphical techniques for the derivation of the conditions and subsequent design algorithm of the controller.

Speed control of brushed DC motor for low cost electric cars

As petrol prices are going up in developing countries in upcoming decades low cost electric cars will become more and more popular in developing world. One of the main deciding factors for success of electric cars specially in developing world in upcoming decades will be its cost. This paper shows a cost effective method to control the speed of low cost brushed D.C. motor by combining a IC 555 Timer with a High Boost Converter. The main purpose of using High Boost Converter since electric cars needs high voltage and current which a High Boost Converter can provide even with low battery supply.

A Seventeen-level Inverter With a Single DC-link For Motor Drives

In the present paper, a novel topology for generating a 17-level inverter using three-level flying capacitor inverter and cascaded H-bridge modules with floating capacitors. The proposed circuit is analyzed and various aspects of it are presented in the paper. This circuit is experimentally verified and the results are shown. The stability of the capacitor balancing algorithm has been verified during sudden acceleration. This circuit has many pole voltage redundancies. This circuit has an advantage of balancing all the capacitor voltages instantaneously by switching through the redundancies. Another advantage of this topology is its ability to generate all the 17 pole voltages from a single DC link which enables back to back converter operation. Also, the proposed inverter can be operated at all load power factors and modulation indices. Another advantage is, if one of the H-bridges fail, the inverter can still be operated at full load with reduced number of levels.

Nearly Constant Switching Frequency Hysteresis Current Controller with Fast Online Computation of Boundary for a 2-Level Induction Motor Drive

A nearly constant switching frequency current hysteresis controller for a 2-level inverter fed induction motor drive is proposed in this paper: The salient features of this controller are fast dynamics for the current, inherent protection against overloads and less switching frequency variation. The large variation of switching frequency as in the conventional hysteresis controller is avoided by defining a current-error boundary which is obtained from the current-error trajectory of the standard space vector PWM. The current-error boundary is computed at every sampling interval based on the induction machine parameters and from the estimated fundamental stator voltage. The stator currents are always monitored and when the current-error exceeds the boundary, voltage space vector is switched to reduce the current-error. The proposed boundary computation algorithm is applicable in linear and over-modulation region and it is simple to implement in any standard digital signal processor: Detailed experimental verification is done using a 7.5 kW induction motor and the results are given to show the performance of the drive at various operating conditions and validate the proposed advantages.

Hysteresis current controller for a general n-level inverter fed drive with online current error boundary computation and nearly constant switching frequency

A space vector-based hysteresis current controller for any general n-level three phase inverter fed induction motor drive is proposed in this study. It offers fast dynamics, inherent overload protection and low harmonic distortion for the phase voltages and currents. The controller performs online current error boundary calculations and a nearly constant switching frequency is obtained throughout the linear modulation range. The proposed scheme uses only the adjacent voltage vectors of the present sector, similar to space vector pulse-width modulation and exhibits fast dynamic behaviour under different transient conditions. The steps involved in the boundary calculation include the estimation of phase voltages from the current ripple, computation of switching time and voltage error vectors. Experimental results are given to show the performance of the drive at various speeds, effect of sudden change of the load, acceleration, speed reversal and validate the proposed advantages.

A VARIABLE SWITCHING FREQUENCY PWM TECHNIQUE FOR INVERTER-FED INDUCTION MOTOR TO ACHIEVE SPREAD SPECTRUM

Voltage Source Inverter (VSI) fed induction motors are widely used in variable speed applications. For inverters using fixed switching frequency PWM, the output harmonic spectra are located at a few discrete frequencies. The ac motordrives powered by these inverters cause acoustic noise. This paper proposes a new variable switching frequency pwm technique and compares its performance with constant switching frequency pwm technique. It is shown that the proposed technique leads to spread spectra of voltages and currents. Also this technique ensures that no lower order harmonics are present and the current THD is comparable to that of fixed switching frequency PWM and is even better for higher modulation indices.

A Low-Cost System for Measurement and Spectral Analysis of Motor Acoustic Noise

Workplace noise has become one of the major issues in industry not only because of workers’ health but also due to safety. Electric motors, particularly, inverter fed induction motors emit objectionably high levels of noise. This has led to the emergence of a research area, concerned with measurement and mitigation of the acoustic noise. This paper presents a lowcost option for measurement and spectral analysis of acoustic noise emitted by electric motors. The system consists of an electret microphone, amplifier and filter. It makes use of the windows sound card and associated software for data acquisition and analysis. The measurement system is calibrated using a professional sound level meter. Acoustic noise measurements are made on an induction motor drive using the proposed system as per relevant international standards. These measurements are seen to match closely with those of a professional meter.

Experimental Study on Dead-Time Induced Oscillations in a 100-kW Open-Loop Induction Motor Drive

This paper reports instability and oscillations in the stator current under light-load conditions in a practical 100-kW induction motor drive. Dead-time is shown to be a cause for such oscillations. This paper shows experimentally that these oscillations could be mitigated significantly with the help of a simple dead-time compensation scheme.

Co-benefits, trade-offs, barriers and policies for greenhouse gas mitigation in the agriculture, forestry and other land use (AFOLU) sector

The agriculture, forestry and other land use (AFOLU) sector is responsible for approximately 25% of anthropogenic GHG emissions mainly from deforestation and agricultural emissions from livestock, soil and nutrient management. Mitigation from the sector is thus extremely important in meeting emission reduction targets. The sector offers a variety of cost-competitive mitigation options with most analyses indicating a decline in emissions largely due to decreasing deforestation rates. Sustainability criteria are needed to guide development and implementation of AFOLU mitigation measures with particular focus on multifunctional systems that allow the delivery of multiple services from land. It is striking that almost all of the positive and negative impacts, opportunities and barriers are context specific, precluding generic statements about which AFOLU mitigation measures have the greatest promise at a global scale. This finding underlines the importance of considering each mitigation strategy on a case-by-case basis, systemic effects when implementing mitigation options on the national scale, and suggests that policies need to be flexible enough to allow such assessments. National and international agricultural and forest (climate) policies have the potential to alter the opportunity costs of specific land uses in ways that increase opportunities or barriers for attaining climate change mitigation goals. Policies governing practices in agriculture and in forest conservation and management need to account for both effective mitigation and adaptation and can help to orient practices in agriculture and in forestry towards global sharing of innovative technologies for the efficient use of land resources. Different policy instruments, especially economic incentives and regulatory approaches, are currently being applied however, for its successful implementation it is critical to understand how land-use decisions are made and how new social, political and economic forces in the future will influence this process.

Beadex Function in the Motor Neurons Is Essential for Female Reproduction in Drosophila melanogaster

Drosophila melanogaster has served as an excellent model system for understanding the neuronal circuits and molecular mechanisms regulating complex behaviors. The Drosophila female reproductive circuits, in particular, are well studied and can be used as a tool to understand the role of novel genes in neuronal function in general and female reproduction in particular. In the present study, the role of Beadex, a transcription co-activator, in Drosophila female reproduction was assessed by generation of mutant and knock down studies. Null allele of Beadex was generated by transposase induced excision of P-element present within an intron of Beadex gene. The mutant showed highly compromised reproductive abilities as evaluated by reduced fecundity and fertility, abnormal oviposition and more importantly, the failure of sperm release from storage organs. However, no defect was found in the overall ovariole development. Tissue specific, targeted knock down of Beadex indicated that its function in neurons is important for efficient female reproduction, since its neuronal knock down led to compromised female reproductive abilities, similar to Beadex null females. Further, different neuronal class specific knock down studies revealed that Beadex function is required in motor neurons for normal fecundity and fertility of females. Thus, the present study attributes a novel and essential role for Beadex in female reproduction through neurons.

Small-Signal Stability Analysis of an Open-loop Induction Motor Drive Including the Effect of Inverter Dead-Time

This paper demonstrates light-load instability in open-loop induction motor drives on account of inverter dead-time. The dynamic equations of an inverter fed induction motor, incorporating the effect of dead-time, are considered. A procedure to derive the small-signal model of the motor, including the effect of inverter dead-time, is presented. Further, stability analysis is carried out on a 100-kW, 415V, 3-phase induction motor considering no-load. For voltage to frequency (i.e. V/f) ratios between 0.5 and 1 pu, the analysis brings out regions of instability on the V-f plane, in the frequency range between 5Hz and 20Hz. Simulation and experimental results show sub-harmonic oscillations in the motor current in this region, confirming instability as predicted by the analysis.