Comparison of the Current Harmonic Pollution of Asynchronous Motor Drives With Field Oriented Control and Direct Torque Control

Asynchronous motor drives are the most common form of controlled electromechanical conversion, including railway traction. While many studies compared the dynamic performance of different control methods, a comparison on the impact of power quality and electromagnetic compatibility is often lacking. This paper compares the two most common control methods for traction application: field-oriented control, and direct torque control, by their impact on harmonic distortions of current. The comparison is done on simulations of mathematical models in steady state for the harmonic decomposition via the Fast Fourier Transform to determine the total harmonic distortion.