Traction Drive Control with PI State Controller and Kalman Filter - First Experimental Results

Abstract Torque oscillations occur in poorly damped drive trains of electrical high-speed locomotives due to the stochastic wheel-rail-contact. These reduce the life time of mechanical components. High-dynamic torque control and single-fed traction motors enable a new control concept based on a state controller while taking the mechanical system into account It shifts the poles of both natural oscillations in the negative real direction and increases the damping. As the control concept should not need more sensors than the conventional speed controlled AC drive, the missing states have to be reconstructed by an observer or a filter. Simulation results with deterministic and stochastic load torques show that the state controller with Kalman filter reduces both oscillations of natural torsion and thereby increases the lifetime of mechanical components in the drive train. Also first experimental results from a special test stand are presented.