Multi-phase synchronous motors: Minimum dissipation fault-tolerant controls

Multi-phase electrical motors offer high reliability thanks to their capability to operate safely even in case of faults such the loss of one or more phases. This paper presents a new vectorial approach that allows to obtain the optimal current references for a multi-phase permanent magnet synchronous motor under open-phase fault condition. The approach is as general as possible: the proposed control law can be used for any shape of the rotor flux, for a generic odd number of phases and in presence of one or more phase failures. The presented control ensures to obtain the desired torque without ripple, minimizing the dissipation, even in fault condition. Some simulation results validate the proposed control law.