Fault-Tolerant Operation of an Open-End Winding Five-Phase PMSM Drive with Inverter Faults

Abstract

Multi-phase machines are known for their fault-tolerant capability. However, star-connected machines have no fault tolerance to inverter switch short-circuit fault. This paper investigates the fault-tolerant operation of an open-end five-phase drive, i.e. a multi-phase machine fed with a dual-inverter supply. Open-circuit faults and inverter switch short-circuit faults are considered and handled with various degrees of reconfiguration. Theoretical developments and experimental results validate the proposed strategies.