Collaborative Research: Smart Coils for AC Motors

AC电动机驱动器广泛用于许多移动中的能量技术（例如，电动车辆和工业或医疗机器人）来控制机械方案的速度或位置。业界一直在为这些高性能交流电机驱动器寻求轻量、高效和可靠的解决方案。半导体材料的最新进展使电气工程师能够设计具有更高效率和功率密度的超快开关和电机驱动系统。然而，超快开关可能会对电机定子绕组绝缘造成严重的电压应力，从而缩短电机寿命并最终导致意外停机。这项合作研究将通过开发智能线圈技术来解决这种可靠性问题。由于所提出的技术避免了传统的笨重和有损滤波器，它将提高高性能电机驱动系统的紧凑性。在本项目中，还将合作开发创新的教育模块，以激励未来的本科生和研究生继续在电力电子和电机驱动器中应用控制理论的教育和职业生涯。本项目旨在开发用于交流电机驱动器的智能线圈技术。设想的智能线圈技术将使电机绕组的浪涌阻抗根据驱动器产生的电压脉冲的锐度自适应地变化，电压脉冲沿着电缆传播并到达电机端子。超快宽带隙半导体开关技术的不断发展通过最小化无源元件和冷却装置的尺寸来提高AC电机驱动器的效率和功率密度。然而，所产生的电压脉冲的尖锐度会在电缆中引起反射波，并在电机端子处引起过电压。智能线圈技术可以缓解由反射波现象引起的过电压应力，而与电力电缆的长度无关。与使用笨重和有损耗的无源滤波器来减轻反射波现象的传统方法不同，智能线圈技术将使交流电机与新兴的宽带隙快速开关驱动器更加兼容。这项技术还可以带来更多高效率、高功率密度和高可靠性的电动动力系统。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

AC motor drives are widely utilized in many on-the-move energy technologies (e.g., electric vehicles and industrial or medical robots) to control the speed or position of a mechanical scheme. The industry is constantly seeking lightweight, efficient, and reliable solutions for these high-performance AC motor drives. Recent advancements in semiconductor materials have enabled electrical engineers to design ultrafast switches and motor drive systems with higher efficiency and power density. However, the ultrafast switches can cause severe voltage stress on the motor stator winding insulation, reducing the motor lifetime and eventually leading to unexpected shutdowns. This collaborative research will address such reliability concerns through developing the technology of smart coils. Since the proposed technology avoids the conventional bulky and lossy filters, it will advance the compactness of high-performance motor drive systems. In this project, innovative educational modules will also be collaboratively developed to inspire prospective undergraduate and graduate students to pursue education and careers in applications of control theories in power electronics and motor drives.This project aims to develop the technology of smart coils for AC motor drives. The envisioned smart coil technology will make the surge impedance of the motor windings adaptively vary by the sharpness of the voltage pulses which are produced by a drive, travel along cables, and reach the motor terminals. The evolving technology of ultrafast wide bandgap semiconductor switches enhances the efficiency and power density of AC motor drives by minimizing the size of passive components and cooling apparatuses. However, the sharpness of the generated voltage pulses can induce reflected waves in the cable and overvoltages at the motor terminals. The smart coil technology can mitigate the overvoltage stress caused by the reflected wave phenomena regardless of the length of the power cables. Unlike conventional approaches for mitigating reflected wave phenomena that use bulky and lossy passive filters, the smart coil technology will enable AC motors much more compatible with the emerging wide bandgap-based fast-switching drives. This technology can also lead to more electric powertrains with high efficiency, high power density, and high reliability.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.