AI Techniques in Power Electronics

and Drives

A K Kapoor
 What is artificial intelligence?
A. It is the science and engineering of making intelligent machines,
especially intelligent computer programs. It is related to the similar
task of using computers to understand human intelligence, but AI does
not have to confine itself to methods that are biologically observable.
Q. Yes, but what is intelligence?
A. Intelligence is the computational part of the ability to achieve goals
in the world. Varying kinds and degrees of intelligence occur in people,
many animals and some machines.
Q. Isn't there a solid definition of intelligence that doesn't depend on
relating it to human intelligence?
A. Not yet. The problem is that we cannot yet characterize in general
what kinds of computational procedures we want to call intelligent. We
understand some of the mechanisms of intelligence and not others.
 Q. Is intelligence a single thing so that one can ask a yes or no
question Is this machine intelligent or not??
A. No. Intelligence involves mechanisms, and AI research has
discovered how to make computers carry out some of them and not
others. If doing a task requires only mechanisms that are well
understood today, computer programs can give very impressive
performances on these tasks. Such programs should be considered
``somewhat intelligent''.
Q. Isn't AI about simulating human intelligence?
A. Sometimes but not always or even usually. On the one hand, we
can learn something about how to make machines solve problems by
observing other people or just by observing our own methods. On the
other hand, most work in AI involves studying the problems the world
presents to intelligence rather than studying people or animals. AI
researchers are free to use methods that are not observed in people or
that involve much more computing than people can do.
 Q. What about IQ? Do computer programs have IQs?
A. No. IQ is based on the rates at which intelligence develops in
children. It is the ratio of the age at which a child normally makes a
certain score to the child's age. The scale is extended to adults in a
suitable way. IQ correlates well with various measures of success or
failure in life, but making computers that can score high on IQ tests
would be weakly correlated with their usefulness. For example, the
ability of a child to repeat back a long sequence of digits correlates well
with other intellectual abilities, perhaps because it measures how
much information the child can compute with at once. However, digit
span is trivial for even extremely limited computers.
However, some of the problems on IQ tests are useful challenges for AI.
 Q. Does AI aim to put the human mind into the computer?
A. Some researchers say they have that objective, but maybe they are
using the phrase metaphorically. The human mind has a lot of
peculiarities, and I'm not sure anyone is serious about imitating all of
them.
Q. Are computers fast enough to be intelligent?
A. Some people think much faster computers are required as well as
new ideas. My own opinion is that the computers of 20 years ago were
fast enough if only we knew how to program them. Of course, quite
apart from the ambitions of AI researchers, computers will keep
getting faster.
 Q. What about parallel machines?
A. Machines with many processors are much faster than single
processors can be. Parallelism itself presents no advantages, and
parallel machines are somewhat awkward to program. When extreme
speed is required, it is necessary to face this awkwardness.
Q. What about making a child machine that could improve by
reading and by learning from experience?
A. This idea has been proposed many times, starting in the 1940s.
Eventually, it will be made to work. However, AI programs haven't yet
reached the level of being able to learn much of what a child learns
from physical experience. Nor do present programs understand
language well enough to learn much by reading.
Q. Might an AI system be able to bootstrap itself to higher and higher
level intelligence by thinking about AI?
A. I think yes, but we aren't yet at a level of AI at which this process can
begin.
 WHAT IS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI)?

HUMAN BRAIN WITH BIOLOGICAL NEURAL NETWORK HAS NATURAL INTELLIGENCE ABILITY TO LEARN,
PLAN, REASON AND COMPREHEND

GOAL OF AI PLANTING HUMAN INTELLIGENCE IN COMPUTER SO THAT A COMPUTER CAN THINK

INTELLIGENTLY LIKE HUMAN BEING

CAN A COMPUTER REALLY THINK AND TAKE INTELLIGENT DECISION?

COMPUTER INTELLIGENCE FAR INFERIOR TO NATURAL INTELLIGENCE. HOWEVER, IT HELPS TO SOLVE

COMPLEX PROBLEMS

AI TECHNIQUES ARE USED EXTENSIVELY IN

INDUSTRIAL PROCESS CONTROL

GEOLOGY
MEDICINE
INFORMATION MANAGEMENT
MILITARY SYSTEM
SPACE TECHNOLOGY, etc.
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) CLASSIFICATION

EXPERT SYSTEM (ES)

FUZZY LOGIC (FL)

ARTIFICIAL NEURAL NETWORK (ANN)

OR NEURAL NETWORK (NNW)

GENETIC ALGORITHMS (GA)

WHAT IS INTELLIGENT CONTROL ?

CONTROL AND ESTIMATION BASED ON ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

OFTEN DEFINED AS:

- LEARNING CONTROL

- SELF-ORGANIZING CONTROL

- SELF-ADAPTIVE OR ADAPTIVE CONTROL

NEEDS POWERFUL DSP

 PWM improved bandwidth performance of power circuits

Therefore, advanced control algorithms found widespread

applications in power electronics and drives !

Control
Classic
Digital
State-Space
Stochastic
Intelligent Control (AI Based Approach)
AI Applications

AI applications are driven by the fact that knowledge

needed to solve the problem is incomplete
The source of the information maybe unknown at the
current time the solution is devised
The environment might be changing and cannot be
anticipated through analytical design.
AI systems are designed under an open systems approach
allowing continuous refinement and acquisition of new
knowledge

AI - Artificial Intelligence encompasses a

number of technologies
Expert Systems

Traditional approach to AI
Knowledge is represented at a symbolic level through the
development of powerful data structures and algorithms
Declarative languages, such as Prolog, states information about
structures, instead of describing manipulation of such data.
The introduction of MYCIN in 1972, an expert system capable of
diagnosing illnesses, drove a lot of attention of scientific community
to applications in industrial fields.
 Elements of an Expert System
Knowledge Base
Inference engine
User Interface

Knowledge is organized in the form of a

set of IF .THEN ELSE rules.

An ES is often called a rule based system

IF phase a output voltage is zero AND
Qn collector voltage is high THEN Qn
gate is open

Matrix of rule base

Frame/Sub-frame based structure of knowledge base
 EXPERT SYSTEM SHELL

An ES shell provides a software environment (i.e., a development system) for

designing an ES program. It provides an efficient and user-friendly software
platform to the knowledge engineer for building an ES program.

The developed program for a user or client can be consulted within the shell or
exported to a compatible computer for consultation.

A number of PC-based commercial ES shells are available (such as GURU, PC

PLUS, ART, EXSYS, etc.), and hardly anybody builds an ES program from ground
zero unless it is very specialized in nature
The interface of the shell with external
programs is shown in Figure. A limited
amount of data, logical, and arithmetic
capabilities can be directly embedded in
the ES program, but for a larger amount
of data, such as product catalogue
information, database files should be
constructed.

With the help of dBASE functions, the

shell can obtain, change, add, remove,
or print information from the database.
The spreadsheets can also be consulted
from the shell. For complex calculations Shell interface with external files
for ES program development
 Shell Features
A good shell should have the features
summarized as follows:

Highly interactive environment for

program development and testing
Good debugging and value verification
aids
Easy access to external databases and
programs
Shell interface for solving a
Ability to incorporate graphic files mathematical program
Mechanism to handle uncertainty or fuzziness from both the developer and
from the end-user
Ability to explain in English (or other natural languages) why the system is
asking for
information and how it reached a conclusion
Windows-oriented interface with extensive on-line help
 Comprehensive rule entry language that is similar to English or
another natural language
Full screen editor
Efficient meta-rules for sophisticated rule control
Frame capability that allows the knowledge base structure to be
divided into logically different but related segments
Ability to trigger actions, such as reading instruments and
updating displays
Additional means (other than inferencing and prompting) to
evaluate and set parameter values
Ability to extend knowledge base through the use of user-
defined LISP functions
ES program development flow chart
 DESIGN METHODOLOGY
At the beginning, a problem must be analyzed in sufficient detail to
justify whether it deserves to be solved by an ES program. A
conventional algorithmic program may be sufficient. Also, FL or ANN,
which are both described in later chapters, can also be considered for
solving the problem, if necessary.
A systematic procedure for building an ES program is usually given in
the manual of the shell being used. The discussions so far on the ES
principles and the shell can be applied to the design of an ES.
In the case of a complex project, it is advisable to write a simple demo
program first to get confidence. A summary of the design procedure is
as follows:
 Collect all the information or knowledge related to the problem and
organize it in the form of matrices, charts, etc. It is assumed that the
domain expert and knowledge engineer are the same person.
Select a suitable software language for the program. Most off-line
programs can be based on LISP or its dialect. Real-time DSP-based
controls should be based on the C language. Often, a LISP-based shell
can directly generate a C-based program.
Select a suitable PC-based shell from those available on the market.
Analyze the knowledge part and partition it into a number of
hierarchical frames. For a simple problem, only one frame is adequate.
Define the properties of the frames as demanded by the shell.
Determine the parameters of each frame and define their properties as
guided by the shell.
Write the rules in each frame in ARL and define their properties.
 Plan all the pictures or artwork related to the project and prepare graphic
files.
Organize all the data, statements, and catalog information in the form of
database files.
Design the user dialog to get consultation data.
Design HELP or explanatory information for the user.
Develop other external programs and their interface, if necessary, and
integrate with the knowledge base.
Debug and test the complete program (which may have to be done in
several stages).
Finally, generate the client program on CD-ROM and deliver. The
inference engine is automatically loaded in the client program.
APPLICATIONS
ES technology has now practically reached the mature state.
Unfortunately, its application in the power electronics and drives areas is
very limited, although vast potential exists for more extensive
applications.
Applications of ES in Power Electronics
PI Control tuning of a drive
Fault diagnosis
Selection of Commercial ac drive product
Configuration Selection, Design, and Simulation of a drive System.
 Selection of ac drive
With the help of an ES, a semi-skilled user can select a drive product best
suited for his or her application. In a general case, the user determines his or
her application needs and then consults a company application or sales
engineer to decide the product to be purchased. The application engineer.
with his or her knowledge of drive technology and company products, makes
some calculations, consults the catalogue, and then recommends the
appropriate drive. For a large company, there may be a general applications
engineer, who after preliminary consultation, may direct the user to the
respective application engineer with expertise in induction motor drives or
synchronous motor drives. In an ES, the application engineer's expertise and
product catalogues may be implanted in the knowledge base. The knowledge
can be partitioned into frames. The user holds a conversation with the ES
and supplies all the relevant application information. Based on the dialog,
the knowledge and database are searched, and then the appropriate product
is recommended. The user may have power electronics expertise and
indicate a choice of an induction or synchronous machine or a voltage-fed or
current-fed inverter
 This user may also select a power device and have a preference for a
particular company's product. The program may give a default
recommendation on all these aspects, explaining
the basis of its recommendations. A typical rule in ARL may be

IF :: MOTOR = CAGE-ROTOR-INDUCTION-MOTOR AND

APPLICATION = PUMP AND
LINE VOLTAGE = 230-V AND
PHASE = THREE AND
POWER = 20-HP AND
SPEED REVERSAL = NO
THEN:: PRODUCT = COMPANY X- TYPE-53J-TFY
 Simplified flow dig. For drive product selection
 Flow Chart for the Design
 Configuration Selection
The selection of an ac drive configuration involves the selection of a suitable type of drive
motor, the type of the power converter topology, and the type of control from the
application specifications supplied by the user. The user is asked to furnish the type of the
application, such as pump, fan, elevator, electric vehicle, etc. The other inputs from the user
could be his or her preference for the type of machine, converter, and control, the
application needs for speed reversal, regenerative braking, line DPF, line harmonic current
distortion, acoustic noise, control loops (position, speed, torque), acceleration/deceleration
needs, etc. Figure on the next slide shows a simplified selection tree for drive configuration
where converters are assumed to be of the voltage-fed type and the bold enclosures indicate
that indirect vector-controlled induction motor drive is under consideration. Each drive
configuration has special characteristics, and the recommendation will depend on the
matching of these characteristics with the user's needs. If the user inputs are contradictory,
the knowledge base will identify them and flag the user. Within the constraints, a
knowledgeable designer can also inject his or her own preferences.
AC drive configuration selection tree
 Converter Design
Once the machine ratings are known and the line supply conditions are given, the converter system
design can be automated with the help of a knowledge base. Figure on the next slide shows the
converter system with an indirect vector-controlled drive considered. The design of the converter
system can be resolved into the design of a diode rectifier in the front end, a PWM IGBT-based inverter
associated with polarized RC snubbers, and a dc link electrolytic filter capacitor. A dynamic brake can
be used in the dc link, but is not considered here. Once the devices are selected, the conduction and
switching losses of the power devices are calculated, and based on the thermal model, the heat sink
sizes are also determined. Finally. the circuit of the designed converter system with a table of
designated components is displayed on the screen. Again. the characteristics and design equations for
the rectifier, inverter. filter, and snubber are embedded in the knowledge base with the help of rules
and parameters.
The catalogue information regarding power semiconductors, capacitors, and snubber components is
stored in the database. All the graphical information should be converted into equations or a lookup
table. Two sample rules can be given as :
Rule 1: IF:: (supply-input-volt is known)
THEN:: (power_igbt_bvceo) = (fix(2.15*supply-input volt))
AND snub_d_piv = (fix(2.15*supply-input-volt) and snub-c- volt = (fix(2.15*supply-input- volt))
Rule 2: IF :: (motor-max-power-rating is known and supply-input-volt is known)
THEN :: (ID-AV = (motor-max-power-rating/((0.85*0.85)* 0.95)* 1.414235)*supply-input- volt)
Rule 1 determines the voltage ratings of the IGBT, snubber diode, filter capacitor, and
snubber capacitor from the line voltage rating and Rule 2 calculates maximum average dc link
current from the motor power and line voltage rating. It is assumed that motor efficiency = 85%,
inverter efficiency = 95 %t, and minimum line voltage = 85 %.
Converter system with indirect vector controlled drive
 Control Design and Simulation Study
Once the converter and machine designs are complete, the remaining tasks are the
control design and system simulation study with the help of an ES. The objectives of the
simulation study are:
Verify that all voltages and currents are within the safe limit of the converter and
machine.
Iterate the R and C components of the snubber so that turn-on peak current and turn-off
peak voltage are within the desired limits.
Design the real-time control software in the C language so that after compiling, it can be
directly downloaded to the experimental drive system.
Tune the P-I gains for the feedback loops.

The design of a complete ac drive for a certain application is a complex task due to a
number of constraints and trade-offs the designer has to make in the various stages of
the design. In the traditional approach, the power electronics engineer with the
expertise of drive technology designs the system using paper, pencil, calculator, CAD
programs, and component catalogues. He or she then simulates the system and
optimizes performance with the iteration of circuit and control parameters. A laboratory
breadboard is then built to verify performance before finally building the prototype. In
this application of an ES, the expertise of the drive design is embedded in the knowledge
base to help a semi-skilled designer automate the drive configuration selection.
ES based design and simulation of vector controlled drive
 ADVANCES AND TRENDS IN FL APPLICATIONS

Broadly, AI based intelligent control and estimation techniques are to play

significant role in power electronics and motor drives

Fuzzy control possibly provides the best robust performance in nonlinear

feedback system with parameter variation and load torque disturbance

FL will play increasing role in on-line fault diagnostics and fault -tolerant control

Applications of fl are yet very limited in power electronics and drives area

Fuzzy logic is competitive to neural network in input-output mapping (fuzzy

control can be implemented by neural network)

Fuzzy dynamical model development need of plants, such as arc furnace, steel
melting converter, etc.

Fuzzy plant parameter and state` estimation

Problem of availability of large functional ASIC chip for fuzzy control

Genetic Algorithms
Computational models based on the Theory of Evolution

Genes embed the problem features.

Through mathematical operations describing fitness, reproduction and mutation

the computer finds better solutions to evolve species which adapt to their
environments