Smooth Reference Modulation to Improve Dynamic Response in Electric Drive Systems

Response overshoot is an undesired behavior that can be experienced by a dynamic system. Reduction of overshoot, without compromising the speed of the system response, increases the permissible operational range by enabling the system to operate closer to its limits. Previous work related to set point modulation proposed an effective strategy to improve set point tracking by temporarily modifying the set point based on the trend of the response and its proximity to the set point. However, this strategy is designed for solid-state units with no inertia and is not directly applicable to applications such as electric drive systems, in which frequent step changes in the set point may cause mechanical stress. This paper addresses this issue and proposes an alternate strategy based on continuous, rather than step, changes in the set point. The proposed approach is implemented for an electric drive system. Simulation and experimental results confirm the desirable dynamic performance of the proposed approach.