Power Converter Tuning

This example shows how to use Simulink® Design Optimization™ to optimize the current controller parameters of a 3-phase thyristor converter. The model uses blocks from Simscape™ and Simscape Electrical™.

The 3-phase thyristor is controlled by a pulse-width modulator with variable phase angle computed by a PI controller. The PI Current Regulator gains are tuned to track the reference DC current and limit oscillations.

Open the power_demo model using the command below and run the simulation. The simulation produces an unoptimized current variation of the DC motor and the initial data for optimization.

open_system('power_demo')

Double-click the Scope block to view the unoptimized current response. Note that two phases of the 3-phase source current and the output voltage of the DC motor are also displayed in this block.

Double-click the Current Regulation Specs block to view constraints on the output current of the DC motor.

You can launch the Response Optimizer using the Apps menu in the Simulink toolstrip, or the sdotool command in MATLAB®. You can launch a pre-configured optimization task in the Response Optimizer by first opening the model and by double-clicking on the orange block at the bottom of the model. From the Response Optimizer, press the Plot Model Response button to simulate the model and show how well the initial design satisfies the design requirements.

We start the optimization by pressing the Optimize button from the Response Optimizer. The plot is updated to indicate that the design requirements are now satisfied.

The plot now shows the final optimized current response.