On Control of the Auxiliary Current Space Vector of Dual Three-Phase Permanent Magnet Motors

Worldwide, researchers in the field of multiphase drives are striving to meet the industrial demand for simpler and reliable control architectures. These systems, often proposed for high-power and safety-critical applications, such as power generation, ship propulsion and hybrid-electric aircraft, benefit from the additional control degrees of freedom and internal redundancy provided by the increased number of phases. This results in higher power density, efficiency, and reliability. However, the increased complexity of the drive architecture and control algorithm poses a challenge to the adoption of multiphase solutions in industrial applications. This paper aims to address this challenge by analyzing a dual three-phase machine with two pairs of Proportional-Integral (PI) regulators, which is considered the simplest multiphase architecture and control. One PI regulator manages the fundamental current space vector, as in a traditional three-phase system, while the other regulates the auxiliary vector space introduced by the additional phases. This paper presents and compares strategies for controlling the auxiliary current vector, and validates the results through simulations and preliminary experimental tests.