Design of Experiments in electrical engineering: Applications in control and modeling

This paper describes the Design of Experiment method (DoE) and its application to control and modeling in electrical engineering at a reduced experimental cost. Principles of this statistical based method are briefly recalled. DoE is a powerfull tool experimental onsite method for tuning the large number of parameters involved in a PID like fuzzy controller. Thanks to this method, designing a fuzzy logic controller becomes as simple as designing a PID after only one open loop step input. A 1kW DC/DC Buck converter and a 5kW PMSM are considered for experimental validations. DoE can also be used for modeling purposes. The objective is to define accurate models for lifetime estimation of insulation systems in electrical machines after a limited number of tests. Accelerated aging tests are achieved just above the Partial Discharge Inception Voltage (PDIV) and model is provided with confidence intervals. Tests on other experimental points show good accuracy.