Integration of model-predictive control in medium and high-voltage power electronics products: An industrial perspective on gaps and progress required

Model predictive control (MPC) technologies could deliver numerous benefits for power electronic converters and their applications. However, a varying degree of effort is required to integrate such technologies into industrial products. Moreover, the degree of complexity associated with the problem formulation and associated constraints, is linked to a number of unclear benefits for the industrial acceptance of such powerful yet inadequately appreciated control techniques by industry engineers. Translating the benefits of taking into account increased input control parameters for a more accurate and robust control against the classical single-input single-output Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID) control is a serious challenge when one wishes to integrate such technologies in industrial products. The paper discusses MPC development steps across the spectrum of research, technology development and product development to contribute to the understanding of the challenges that need to be addressed to adopt such technologies into industrial products. The case of Medium-Voltage (MV) motor drives and High-Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) power transmission are considered in the paper. Both steady state and dynamic performance benefits are considered in the discussion and a number of potential paths to address the still limited commercial acceptance of such technologies are presented.