FOC Inverter Prototype

Field Oriented Control (FOC) motor controller development for solar racing applications

FOC Inverter Prototype Development

Colaboarators: Dashiel Matlock

Project Overview

This project focuses on developing a Field Oriented Control (FOC) inverter prototype for our solar racing team’s electric motor system. Our goal is to create a robust and efficient motor controller using modern control techniques like Park and Clarke transforms combined with classical PI control strategies.

More details on current setup: https://github.com/MSU-Solar/motor_controller_schip

Current Progress

We’ve achieved several key milestones in our development process:

  1. Successfully implemented basic FOC functionality using the FNA25060 Intelligent Power Module (IPM)
  2. Currently transitioning to an STM32-based development kit for improved performance and reliability
  3. Working on implementing Park and Clarke transforms for more precise motor control
  4. Developing a classical PI controller implementation for robust speed and torque control

Technical Implementation

The Field Oriented Control strategy we’re developing offers several advantages for our solar racing application:

  • More efficient torque control compared to traditional methods
  • Better dynamic response for varying load conditions
  • Improved overall system efficiency, crucial for solar racing
  • Reduced torque ripple for smoother operation

Next Steps

Our upcoming development focuses on:

  • Implementing advanced control algorithms on the STM32 platform
  • Optimizing the PI controller parameters for our specific application
  • Developing comprehensive testing procedures for validation
  • Creating a more compact and efficient PCB design

Technical Details

The control system utilizes the following transforms:

  1. Clarke Transform: Converts three-phase currents (ia, ib, ic) to two-phase orthogonal currents (iα, iβ)
  2. Park Transform: Converts stationary frame quantities to rotating frame (id, iq)
  3. PI Control: Implements closed-loop control for both d-axis and q-axis currents

Acknowledgments

This project is part of our solar racing team’s ongoing efforts to improve vehicle efficiency and performance. Special thanks to all team members contributing to this development.