Flatness-based control in successive loops for gas-compressors actuated
by IMs and PMSMs
Abstract
The article proposes a novel solution to the control problem of
centrifugal gas compressors which are driven by three-phase induction
motors (IMs) and three-phase permanent magnet synchronous motors
(PMSMs), through a novel flatness-based control scheme which is
implemented in successive loops. By re-arranging state variables and by
splitting suitably the state vector of the IM-driven gas-compressor and
of the PMSM-driven gas compressor into subsystems one arrives at writing
the associated state-space models in the triangular (strict feedback)
form. For the latter state-space description it is possible to solve the
control and stabilization problem using chained control loops. The
state-space model of the IM-driven gas-compressor and of the PMSM-driven
gas-compressor is decomposed into cascading subsystems which satisfy
differential flatness properties. For these subsystems virtual control
inputs are computed, capable of inverting their dynamics and of
eliminating the associated tracking error. The control inputs which are
actually applied to the complete nonlinear form of the IM-actuated
gas-compressor and of the PMSM-actuated gas compressor are computed from
the last subsystem of the chained state-space description. These control
inputs incorporate in a recursive manner all virtual control inputs
which were computed from the individual subsystems included in the
initial state-space equation. The control inputs that should be applied
to the nonlinear system so as to assure that all state vector elements
will converge to the desirable setpoints are obtained at each iteration
of the control algorithm by tracing backwards the subsystems of the
chained state-space model. The method is of proven global stability and
ensures fast and accurate tracking of the reference setpoints by the
state variables of the IM-driven gas compressor and of the PMSM-driven
gas compressor.