Module III:

Electric Propulsion unit:

Introduction to electric components
used in hybrid and electric vehicles,
Configuration and control of DC Motor
drives, Configuration and control of
Induction Motor drives
The electric motors used for
automotive applications should
have characteristics like high
starting torque, high power density,
good efficiency, etc.
The primary requirements of the electric traction drive for EVs
and HEVs are the following:
High torque density and power density
High starting torque
High Power
High efficiency over wide torque and speed range
Very wide speed ranges including constant torque and
constant power regions
High intermittent overload capacity
Reasonable cost
Reliability
High efficiency for regenerative braking
 Requirements from Traction Motors

• High torque density and high power density

• Wide speed range, covering low-speed creeping and high-speed cruising

• High efficiency over wide torque and speed ranges

• High intermittent overload capability for overtaking

• High reliability and robustness for vehicular environment

• Low acoustic noise

• Reasonable cost
 Various types of Electric Motors used
in Electric Vehicles
• DC Series Motor
• Brushless DC Motor
• Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor
(PMSM)
• Three Phase AC Induction Motors
• Switched Reluctance Motors (SRM)
 DC Series Motor
High starting torque capability of the DC Series motor
makes it a suitable option for traction application.
It was the most widely used motor for traction
application in the early 1900s.
The advantages of this motor are easy speed control and
it can also withstand a sudden increase in load.
All these characteristics make it an ideal traction motor.
The main drawback of DC series motor is high
maintenance due to brushes and commutators.
These motors are used in Indian railways. This motor
comes under the category of DC brushed motors.
DC machines are used in hybrid and electric vehicle technology because
of variable torque-speed control and wide range of operation.
DC machines provide ease of control but
they need commutator and brush maintenance,
efficiency is low and also power to weight ratio is low.

DC machines have been employed as for propulsion in

Peugeot Partner (1990),
Honda EV Plus(1997),
Berlingo (1995)
and PSA Peugeot-Citreon (France)
 Three Phase AC Induction Motors
• The induction motors do not have a high starting toque like DC
series motors under fixed voltage and fixed frequency operation.
• But this characteristic can be altered by using various control
techniques like FOC or v/f methods.
• By using these control methods, the maximum torque is made
available at the starting of the motor which is suitable for traction
application.
• Squirrel cage induction motors have a long life due to less
maintenance.
• Induction motors can be designed up to an efficiency of 92-95%.
• The drawback of an induction motor is that it requires complex
inverter circuit and control of the motor is difficult.
The induction machine has advantages over the other
electric machines used in electric and hybrid electric
vehicles.
For example, it has wide speed range, low cost,
ruggedness, reliable, and complete deenergization
because it has no brushes,
one piece rotor shaft inherently, availability,
and its safer operation in hazardous environment.
Therefore, it is best suited for the hybrid and electric
vehicles
 Induction machines are adopted in EVs, HEVs, and industry due to
its low cost, reliability, ruggedness, robustness, high torque during starting and
acceleration, high instant power, and wide range of speed of operation.
Moreover, induction machines are inherently de-excited with respect to
inverter fault hence highly recommended to be used in automobile industries for
precautionary measures
The power to weight ratio of induction machines is much higher than the DC machines
therefore they are small in size as well.

The induction machines also belong to the rotor and commutator less topology
Induction machines are extensively
used as a propulsion machine in hybrid and electric vehicles
applications.
Tesla Model (2012),
Honda Fit EV (2012),
Toyota RAV4 EV (2012),
Renault/Kangoo(1998),
BMW/X5 (Germany), Chevrolet (USA),Durango (USA), etc.
due to the simplicity, ruggedness, cheapness, low maintenance
cost, high dynamic performance, and availability of enough
starting torque and ability of acceleration, induction motor of
squirrel-cage type is used as a propulsion motor in series HEVs.
 In short, electric machine has to operate under the different driving cycles, varying
ambient temperatures, varying pay loads and varying operating temperatures
conditions in comparison to the industrial operation of an electric machine.
In traction applications, electric machine has to be operate in
different driving cycles. It may consists on number of frequent starts
and stops, acceleration and de-acceleration and cruising and low
speed intervals.
The electric machine has also supposed to be function under
different ambient (surrounding) temperatures throughout the year

The pay load on the vehicle is also continuously vary such as in

electric and hybrid car and passenger bus.

The operating temperature of an electric machine used in

electric and hybrid vehicle vary continuously over the entire period
of operation.
Three Phase AC Induction Motors

Not valid now

So in this method of speed control, torque reduces when supply voltage reduces. Hence this
method is used in applications where torque demand reduces with reduction in voltage.
Torque speed characteristics
Speed range is limited in this method of speed control.
This method is used for applications where load torque requirement reduces with reduction
in speed
Torque-speed curves at variable supply voltage
The above equation states that the flux φ will be constant if V1 and f are kept constant.
Torque-speed curves at variable stator frequency
Hence if maximum torque needs to be maintained constant at low
speeds, then (V / f) ratio must be increased
Torque-speed curves at constant V/f
MOSFET is used in low voltage and
low power inverters.
 IGBTs and power transistors are
used up to medium power levels.
 GTO and IGCT are used for high
power levels
VSI may be a six step inverter or a
PWM inverter
When VSI is operated as a six step inverter, the transistors are turned ON in the
sequence of their numbers with a time interval of T/6 seconds if T is the total time
period of one output cycle.
Frequency of the inverter output is varied by varying the time period (T) of one
cycle.
If the supply is dc, then a variable dc voltage is obtained by connecting a chopper
between input dc and the inverter
 Variable Voltage Variable Frequency Supply
PWM inverter fed induction motor drive

voltage and frequency can both be controlled in a pulse-width-modulated (PWM) inverter

Variable-voltage, variable-frequency (VVVF) induction motor drive

square wave
inverter

a controlled rectifier can be used to vary the dc link voltage, while a square wave inverter
can be used to change the frequency
If the input supply is ac, then a variable dc is obtained by
connecting a controlled rectifier between the input ac and the
inverter as shown

The output voltage waveform of a six step inverter is shown in Fig.

In a PWM inverter, it is possible to control the output voltage and frequency as well as the
harmonic content can be minimized.
The output voltage waveform of a PWM inverter is shown
The motors having high leakage inductance are used when a VSI is used to feed the induction
motors.
Three Phase Induction Motor Characteristic
Under Flux Oriented Control
 In scalar control method in which only the magnitude of the
control variables are controlled

In field oriented control technique, both the magnitude

and phase of the control variable are changed to control the
machine operation.
 Flux Oriented Control
• In permanent magnet motors, the magnets
contribute to the flux density B. Therefore,
adjusting the value of B in induction motors is
easy when compared to permanent magnet
motors.
• It is because in Induction motors the value of B
can be adjusted by varying the voltage and
frequency (V/f) based on torque requirements.
This helps in reducing the losses which in turn
improves the efficiency.
 Induction motors in EVs
• Tesla Model S is the best example to prove the high performance
capability of induction motors compared to its counterparts. By opting for
induction motors, Tesla might have wanted to eliminate the dependency
on permanent magnets.
• Even Mahindra Reva e2o uses a three phase induction motor for its
propulsion.
• Major automotive manufacturers like TATA motors have planned to use
Induction motors in their cars and buses.
• The two-wheeler manufacturer TVS motors will be launching an electric
scooter which uses induction motor for its propulsion.
• Induction motors are the preferred choice for performance oriented
electric vehicles due to its cheap cost.
• The other advantage is that it can withstand rugged environmental
conditions.
• Due to these advantages, the Indian railways has started replacing its DC
motors with AC induction motors.
 field (flux) weakening
• In specific applications such as propulsion
purpose, the induction motor has to operate
at speeds higher than the rated one,
the field (flux) weakening is required which
denotes the strategy by which
the motor's speed can be increased above the
rated speed
Vector Control or Field oriented
Control
• Vector Control
 Induction Motor dq model and
equivalent circuit

• Neglecting the rotor leakage inductance

It is necessary to maintain this orientation through out the
operation
Implementation in machine side
Control Side
Direct Vector Control
Advantages
The operating range of the induction motor can be divided into three regions: i) constant
torque region or base speed region, ii) constant power region or field weakening region I
and iii) constant slip frequency region or field weakening region II
Chopper Control of Separately Excited DC Motor
The chopper converts the fixed DC voltage to variable DC voltage.
Self-commutated devices (directly on or off devices via gate) like
MOSFET, IGBT, power transistors, GTO and IGCT are used for
making choppers because they can be commutated by low power
control signal and do not need commutation circuit.

The chopper was operated at high frequency due to which it

upgrade the motor performances by decreasing the ripple and
removing the discontinuous conduction. The most important
feature of chopper control is that the regenerative braking is
carried out at very low generating speed when the drive is fed
from a fixed voltage to low DC voltage.
First Quadrant or Type-A or Motoring Chopper
First Quadrant or Type-A or Motoring Chopper(waveform)
Current limit control is used in chopper. in current limit control,
the load current is allowed to vary between two given (upper and
lower) limits. The ON and OFF times of the chopper adjust
automatically, when the current increases beyond the upper limit
the chopper is turned off, the load current freewheels and starts
to decrease. When it falls below the lower limit the chopper is
turned ON. The current starts increasing in the load. The load
current ‘ia’ and voltage ‘va’ waveform are shown in figure .By
assuming proper limits of current, the amplitude of the ripple can
be controlled
The lower the ripple current, the higher the chopper frequency.
By this switching losses get increase. Discontinuous conduction
avoid in this case, The current limit control is superior one.
During ON-period of chopper (i.e.) duty interval,0≤t≤TON, motor
terminal voltage Va is a source voltage Vs and armature current
increases from ia1 to ia2
Main components of a hybrid electric
vehicle
Brushless DC motors are similar to AC synchronous motors.
The major difference is that synchronous motors develop a
sinusoidal back EMF, as compared to a rectangular, or trapezoidal,
back EMF for brushless DC motors. Both have stator created
rotating magnetic fields producing torque in a magnetic rotor.
outer rotor motor inner rotor motor

Rotor outside: Such is the case with brushless

The most common cylindrical style is
DC fan motors, without the shaft. This style of
with the rotor on the inside, above
construction may be short and stout. However,
right. This style of motor is used in
the direction of the magnetic flux is radial with
hard disk drives
respect to the rotational axis.

The commutation function may be performed by various shaft position sensors:

optical encoder, a magnetic encoder (resolver, synchro, etc), or Hall effect
magnetic sensors.
High torque pancake motors may have stator
coils on both sides of the rotor (figure above-
b).
Lower torque applications like floppy disk drive
motors suffice with a stator coil on one side of
the rotor, (Figure above-a). The direction of the
magnetic flux is axial, that is, parallel to the
axis of rotation.
 In short, electric machine has to operate under the different driving cycles, varying
ambient temperatures, varying pay loads and varying operating temperatures
conditions in comparison to the industrial operation of an electric machine.
In traction applications, electric machine has to be operate in
different driving cycles. It may consists on number of frequent starts
and stops, acceleration and de-acceleration and cruising and low
speed intervals.
The electric machine has also supposed to be function under
different ambient (surrounding) temperatures throughout the year

The pay load on the vehicle is also continuously vary such as in

electric and hybrid car and passenger bus.

The operating temperature of an electric machine used in

electric and hybrid vehicle vary continuously over the entire period
of operation.
The primary requirements of the electric traction drive for EVs
and HEVs are the following:
High torque density and power density
High starting torque
High Power
High efficiency over wide torque and speed range
Very wide speed ranges including constant torque and
constant power regions
High intermittent overload capacity
Reasonable cost
Reliability
High efficiency for regenerative braking
 Requirements from Traction Motors

• High torque density and high power density

• Wide speed range, covering low-speed creeping and high-speed cruising

• High efficiency over wide torque and speed ranges

• High intermittent overload capability for overtaking

• High reliability and robustness for vehicular environment

• Low acoustic noise

• Reasonable cost
DC – Direct Current DSPM – Doubly Salient Permanent Magnet
PM – Permanent Magnet FRPM – Flux Reversal Permanent Magnet
SR – Switched Reluctance FSPM – Flux Switching Permanent Magnet
BLAC – Brushless AC FC – Flux Controllable
BLDC – Brushless DC
i) constant torque region or base speed region, ii) constant power region or field
weakening region I and iii) constant slip frequency region or field weakening region II