Numerical Simulation and Experimental Verification of Fractional-Order PI^λ Controller for Solar PV Fed Sensorless Brushless DC Motor using Whale Optimization Algorithm

Abstract

This article presents a novel Whale Optimization Algorithm (WOA) approach for optimal tuning of Fractional-Order Proportional Integral and integral-order Controller (FOPI^λ) is used to solar Photo-Voltaic (PV) fed sensorless speed control of Permanent Magnet Brushless DC (PMBLDC) motor under the various operating condition such as (i) speed change by set speed command signal, (ii) solar PV output voltage variations, (iii) varying load conditions, (iv) integrated conditions, and (v) controller parameters uncertainty. The PMBLDC motor is remarkably robust speed control against the uncertainties, Solar PV output power fluctuation, external load disturbances, the nonlinearity characteristics, and poor controllability. To overcome this above limitation, optimization algorithms are proposed namely Bat Algorithm (BA), Grey Wolf Optimization (GWO), and WOA optimized FOPI^λ controllers. To develop a MATLAB 2019a/Simulink model of FOPI^λ controller for Solar PV-fed sensorless speed control of PMBLDC motor using BA, GWO, and WOA and corresponding numerical simulation results are carried out under various working conditions. It shows the effectiveness of the proposed controllers is completely verified by comparing the above three intelligent optimization techniques. It is evident that out of these three intelligent controllers, the WOA-optimized FOPI^λ controller for solar PV-fed sensorless speed control of PMBLDC motor gives enhanced performance by minimizing the time domain parameters, performance indices error, convergence time, control efforts, cost function, mean, and standard deviation.

Keywords:

• fractional-order PI^λ controller
• solar photovoltaic (PV)
• Whale Optimization Algorithm (WOA)
• sensorless brushless DC motor

Additional information

Notes on contributors

K. Vanchinathan

Kumarasamy Vanchinathan received Bachelor of Engineering in Electrical and Electronics Engineering in 2007 and completed Master of Engineering in Power Electronics and Drives in 2009. He completed Doctor of Philosophy under the Faculty of Electrical Engineering by Anna University Chennai in 2019. Also, he is working as an Associate Professor in the Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering of Velalar College of Engineering and Technology, Erode, Tamil Nadu, India. Areas of interest are advanced electric drives, intelligent controllers, modern power converters and smart grid.

K. R. Valluvan

KarumanchettyThottam Ramasamy Valluvan received BSc (Physics) from Madras University in 1982, BTech (Electronics Engg.) from Madras Institute of Technology, Anna University in 1985, PG Diploma in Electronics Design Technology from Indian Institute of Science in 1986, ME (Computer Science & Engg.) from Bharathiar University in 2001. He was awarded PhD by Anna University in 2009. He is currently Professor in the Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering, Velalar College of Engineering and Technology, Erode, Tamil Nadu, India. His areas of interest are embedded systems, neuro-fuzzy systems, power quality improvement and energy conservation.

C. Gnanavel

Chinnaraj Gnanavel obtained his Bachelor Engineering Degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering in 2007 and completed Master Engineering in Power Electronics and Drives in 2010. He completed Ph.D in Electrical Engineering under Anna University, Chennai. Presently he is working as an Assistant Professor in Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering of AMET Deemed to be university, Chennai. Areas of interest are renewable energy sources and power electronics drives.

C. Gokul

Chandrasekaran Gokul received his BE degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from Anna University, India in 2008 and M.E degree in VLSI Design from Government College of Technology Coimbatore, India in 2010. He completed is Ph.D. degree in the information and Communication in Anna University, Chennai. Also, he is working as an Associate Professor in the Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering of Velalar College of Engineering and Technology, Erode, Tamil Nadu, India. His research interests are VLSI design and testing and electric vehicle.