Optimal sliding mode control for DFIM electric marine thruster

In this paper, an electric naval propulsion system based with a Doubly Fed Induction Machine and two Voltage Source Inverters is proposed. So, in this propeller motor architecture the DFIM is fed by Stator and Rotor Voltage Source Inverters (VSIs). To produce more efficient and environmentally-friendly ships, a certain number of new concepts have been developed. So, the main idea of this study is to guarantee an optimal power management of the propulsion system to improve ship efficiency ensuring both compliance with environmental constraints and lower energy consumption. The proposed method is focused on the power consumed evaluation of the proposed propulsion system. Several control techniques are analyzed in order to define a best DFIM control law assuring lower losses for VSIs and CO2 emission. Saber simulation and experimental verifications allow to validate the proposed system performances.