Enhanced Power-Sharing Control Algorithm for Dual-Inverter-Fed Open-End-Winding Induction Motor in Hybrid Electric Vehicles

The usage of hybrid energy systems in an electric vehicle (EV) has become more popular in the last few years. The hybrid energy system is composed of more than one source: fuel cell (FC) as the main energy source and supercapacitor (SC) and/or battery as a backup energy source. Through this hybridization, the efficiency of the motoring and regenerative braking activities can be enhanced. The basic and usual configuration of the system is that the multi-power sources are connected to a single power converter that feeds the induction motor (IM). This structure is characterized by the implementation of many passive elements that make the system bulky and complex. The open-end winding induction motor (OEWIM) configuration makes the system structured with enhanced reliability, efficiency, redundancy, and power quality compared to the traditional configuration. In this paper, the OEWIM configuration is proposed and the power management between the DC sources is also included. The paper also discusses voltage saturation concerns and their effects with respect to driving performance. This paper is aimed to introduce an enhanced power-sharing control algorithm that works mainly on the input voltage saturation of the motor stator winding. This algorithm either respects the power-sharing between the DC sources and saturates such input voltage into low levels, or it halts the initial power-sharing and recomputes a new one to allow higher input voltage for high-speed conditions. The induction motor is controlled using a field-oriented torque method (FOC) that also realizes such an algorithm.