Modeling of a five-phase induction motor drive with a faulty phase

Fault-tolerance capability is one of the most attractive characteristics of multiphase machines for industrial applications. Resent research has proven that post-fault ripple-free operation is possible as long as the reference currents generate a smoothly rotating magnetomotive force (MMF). However, the power converter and multiphase machine behaviour and interaction during different types of faults has been hardly studied, modelled and verified. This work analyses the behaviour of a real five-phase induction machine when a fault appear in one phase of the power converter. Two cases are considered, an open-phase fault condition where a power leg of the converter is disconnected, and an open-phase fault condition where the free-wheel diodes continue working. Two models are also presented based on PSIM and SIMULINK for the analytical study of the system under the fault conditions, and verified comparing the obtained results with the real case.