Nonlinear predictive controller for a permanent magnet synchronous motor drive

A nonlinear predictive controller (NPC) for a permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) is proposed in this paper. Its objective is high performance tracking of the rotor speed trajectory while maintaining the d-axis component of the armature current at zero. The load torque and the mismatched parameters are considered to be unknown perturbations. To ensure robustness against these perturbations, a disturbance observer is designed using a new gain function, and integrated into the control law. The combination of the nonlinear predictive controller and the disturbance observer works as a nonlinear controller. The overall closed-loop system is proved to be globally asymptotically stable depending on the design parameters. The validity of the proposed controller was tested by simulations. Satisfactory results were obtained with respect to the tracking of the speed trajectory and disturbance rejection.