Improvements on experimental modeling of the losses in induction machine with Taguchi orthogonal plan

Maximum efficiency of induction generators is a significant issue of renewable energy applications since resource is limited and sometimes because of expensive technology. This paper presents a modeling method of iron, copper and mechanical losses in an induction machine based on the design of experiments and Taguchi orthogonal plans. The model involves several parameters such as rotor speed (slip), switching frequency, supply voltage, supply frequency and the modulation index of the inverter. Temperature remains under control in order to get rid of resistance variations. The resulting loss model will be the starting point of a future online efficiency optimization, as the operating point of the induction generator will be set as thanks MPPT systems (Maximum Power Point Tracking). In many cases and particularly in developing countries, no information is provided on the electrical machines. Consequently, a simple method is required for on-site parameter identification especially if the computing resources are limited. Taguchi method is simple, well-known for reducing number of experiments and for improving model accuracy.