RCEEE - Electric Machines and Drives_GK
Research in the area of Electric Machines and Drives commenced at Liverpool John Moores University in 1992. Over the years a number of research projects in various sub-areas have been completed. For more information please use links “About the Research in the Area” and “Projects” in the menu on the left.
Since the turn of the millennium the major focus of the research has been on development of novel topologies for multi-motor AC drive applications. The work was funded by the EPSRC through two consecutive standard research grants:
“A new concept for multidrive systems: Independent control of a set of motors supplied from a common inverter”, GR/R64452/01, 01 June 2002 – 31 May 2005
and
“Parallel-connected multi-drive systems with reduced number of inverter legs and independent vector control”, EP/C007395/1, 01 December 2005 – 30 November 2007.
Original multi-motor drive systems, based on utilisation of multiphase machines (with more than three phases), have been developed. These are based on the application of a single multiphase voltage source inverter as the supply and rely on an opportune connection of multiphase stator windings of the machines of the group in either series or parallel. By using appropriate vector control algorithms it becomes possible to control the machines completely independently although there is a single source of power supply.
Another topology, using a number of three-phase machines supplied from a multi-leg voltage source inverter, has also been developed. Again, it is possible to independently control all the motors of the group, while achieving a saving in the required number of inverter legs compared to the standard solution where each three-phase machine is supplied from its own three-phase voltage source inverter.
