CONTROL OF ELECTRIC DRIVES WITH HIGH SWITCHING FREQUENCY OPERATION CAPABILITIES: ENVISIONING FUTURE PROSPECTS

Abstract

Industrial drives are currently of great relevance considering the technological challenges associated with climate change mitigation. Current technologies use silicon devices with switching frequencies around 10 kHz. However, new wide bandgap (WBG) devices are expected to replace these technologies and allow operation at switching frequencies of 100 kHz or higher. This may have implications for how control algorithms for electrical drives are implemented. In this perspective paper the authors analyse and discuss the implications of high frequency operation on control, and predict the possible widespread use of hysteretic controllers suitable for operating in such switching regimes.