Project Leader: MIMOUNI Med Faouzi
Summary and Objectives
The research conducted within this project focuses on two main domains:
(1) Control, supervision, and operation of industrial systems equipped with three-phase or multiphase synchronous and asynchronous machines, and
(2) Contribution to renewable energy management, from production to consumption.
(2) Contribution to renewable energy management, from production to consumption.
The project is structured around two main research axes:
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Axis 1: Strategies for the Control of Multiphase Electrical Machines
The first part of this project aims to develop control strategies for healthy and faulty operating modes dedicated to induction and permanent magnet synchronous multiphase machines.
Multiphase machines are highly regarded in many fields requiring high service continuity, such as marine systems, railway traction, petrochemical industries, avionics, and automotive applications.
As machine power increases, challenges arise in both the static converters and the machines themselves. Power switches integrated into converters must handle high currents, often requiring multiple parallel structures. To reduce switching currents, voltage must be increased, but this leads to high voltage gradients, accelerating insulation aging in coil windings.
Multiphase machines provide an attractive alternative, reducing stress on both switches and windings by splitting power across several phases, thus lowering commutation voltages and enhancing reliability — even allowing operation with one or more faulty phases.
The main research topics in this axis include:
- Modeling, control, and fault diagnosis of a five-phase induction motor,
- Robust control, fault diagnosis, and detection of a five-phase permanent magnet synchronous motor,
- Modeling and minimum-energy control of a five-phase induction motor,
- Modeling and control of two five-phase asynchronous machines powered by a single inverter.
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Axis 2: Intelligent Approaches for the Optimization of Multi-Source Renewable Energy Systems
This second axis focuses on environmental preservation through renewable energy systems.
The depletion of fossil fuels and growing economic challenges have significantly renewed interest in renewable energy sources in recent years. In Tunisia, energy strategies have become a national priority, aiming to integrate 30% renewable energy by 2030.
This project contributes to these national goals by improving energy efficiency, reducing costs, enhancing the energy balance, and promoting innovative energy technologies. The research supports government and industrial partners such as the Ministry of Agriculture, the Tunisian Electricity and Gas Company (STEG), and other energy-related sectors.
Given Tunisia’s strong commitment to sustainable development and environmental protection through solar and wind power, significant efforts are being made to develop multi-source power generation systems. These hybrid systems reduce fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.
However, to make them competitive, there is a need to develop advanced control and supervision systems to manage production, storage, and distribution efficiently.
The project’s work program focuses on the following aspects:
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Modeling:
Development of a generic modeling platform for the entire energy conversion chain (turbine, generator, converter, photovoltaic panels, batteries, etc.), taking into account climatic variability and nonlinearities. -
Control Strategies:
Development of real-time energy management strategies based on artificial intelligence algorithms to ensure grid stability under all conditions. These include MPPT-type algorithms to extract maximum power and stochastic control for global energy optimization within microgrids. -
Online Diagnostics and Fault-Tolerant Control:
Validation and evaluation of control strategies under both normal and degraded conditions. Intelligent supervision and diagnostic systems will be developed to detect, isolate, and reconfigure faults, ensuring continuous service. -
Simulation and Experimental Validation:
Initial validation will be done through simulation, followed by the implementation of a multi-source conversion chain connected to the grid or operating in stand-alone mode — particularly for rural electrification and pumping applications.
The specific research topics to be addressed include:
- Modeling and intelligent control of a multi-source renewable energy system connected to the electrical grid,
- Design of a high-reliability microgrid based on renewable energies (modeling, control, and energy management under healthy and faulty modes),
- Design, modeling, and control of a smart microgrid minimizing leakage currents,
- Control, management, and optimization of a multi-source renewable energy pumping system.