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Electrimacs 2002, August 18 - 21 Real Time Simulation
RT-Lab Based Real-Time Simulation of a Direct
Field-Oriented Controller for an Induction Motor
M. A. Ouhrouche, Member, IEEE, N. Léchevin and S. Abourida
Abstract--Field-Oriented Control, introduced first by Blaschke
in 1972, allows high performance speed and torque response to
be achieved from an induction motor. When driven by a field-
oriented controller, an induction motor behaves like a separately
excited DC machine, which is, as its flux and torque are
controlled independently, traditionally and for a long time used
in electrical drives. Thanks to the advances of industrial
computers and DSP technologies, the field-oriented control
strategy for an induction motor can now be easily implemented
for real-time applications.
In this paper, the authors present a real-time PC-based
simulation of a direct field-oriented controller (DFOC) for an
induction motor using RT-LAB software packageTM1. The use of
a real-time simulator to achieve Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL)
simulation allows rapid prototyping of this kind of complex
system in particular, and the development and testing of
embedded systems in general. The implemented system
presented in this paper consists of an induction motor with its
static converter and speed, torque and flux controllers. These
controllers are designed to take into account the variations of the
rotor resistance.
Index Terms—Induction motor, Field-Oriented Control, Real-
Time Simulation, Rapid Prototyping, Hardware-in-the-Loop.
I. INTRODUCTION
N OWADAYS as a consequence of the important progress
realized in power electronics, induction machines driven
by static converters have become the most widely used
machines in variable speed applications, for reasons of cost,
size, reliability and efficiency. With the advances of industrial
computers and DSP technologies, control algorithms (vector
control, nonlinear control, robust and adaptive control…) can
now satisfactory be implemented for real-time applications.
Among these techniques, field-oriented control has emerged
as a powerful tool for high performance control of induction
machines [1]-[3]. This control strategy can provide the same
This work is supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Council
of Canada.
M. A. Ouhrouche is with the Department of Electrical Engineering,
University of Quebec at Chicoutimi, QC, Canada, G7H 2B1, (e-mail:
Mohand_Ouhrouche@uqac.ca )
N. Léchevin and S. Abourida are with OPAL-RT Technologies inc.,
Montreal , QC, Canada, H3K 1H6 (e-mail: nicolas.lechevin@opal-rt.com;
simon.Abourida@opal-rt.com )
TM1
Trademark of Opal-rt Technologies
TM2
Trademark of the MathWorks
Invited Session
performances as achieved from a separately excited DC
machines, and its main objective is, as in separately excited
DC machines, to independently control the produced torque
and the flux; this is done by choosing a d-q reference frame
rotating synchronously with the rotor flux space vector [1][3].
In Direct Field-Oriented Control (DFOC) strategy, both the
instantaneous magnitude and position of the rotor flux are
supposed to be available and known with high precision; i.e.:
directly measured or estimated using for example a nonlinear
state observer. The d-axis of the chosen reference frame is
then aligned and linked to the rotor flux space vector, so that
at constant flux and under unsaturated condition, the torque
varies linearly with the q-component of the stator current
space vector; also known as torque producing current.
A system consisting of a loaded induction motor driven by
a power electronics converter is a complex and nonlinear
system, and research on high level modeling and on new
converter topologies and control strategies (sensorless control,
control based on artificial intelligence…) is one of the major
field of interest of researchers in electrical drives; mainly in
electrical drives with induction machines. Thus performing
system-level testing, which is one of the major expenses in
developing a complex product, of this system in a
comprehensive and cost-effective manner [5], the need for
extensive real-time simulations is becoming an absolute
necessity. Also, the use of real-time simulations is an
effective manner for a rapid prototyping.
In this paper, the authors present a real-time PC-based
simulation of a direct field-oriented controller (DFOC) for an
induction motor using RT-Lab software packageTM1. This
software uses Matlab/Simulink TM2 as a front-end interface for
editing graphic models in block-diagram format, which are
afterwards used by RT-Lab to generate the necessary code for
real-time simulations on a single or more target processors
(Pentium and Pentium-compatible) [4]. The use of a real-time
simulator to achieve Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) simulation
allows rapid prototyping of this kind of complex system in
particular, and the development and testing of embedded
systems in general.
The implemented system presented in this paper consists of
an induction motor with its static converter and speed, torque
and flux controllers. These controllers are designed to take
into account the variations of the rotor resistance.
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II. ROTOR FLUX-ORIENTED CONTROL OF AN coefficient, J is the total rotor inertia and Tl is the load torque.
INDUCTION MOTOR In equation (2), p is the number of pole pairs.

Under rotor flux orientation, i.e.: the d-axis of the chosen As the control is done in the rotor flux field coordinate, all
reference frame is aligned and linked to the rotor flux space variables (voltages, currents and fluxes) in the stator-fixed
vector which rotates at ωe, the q-component of the rotor flux reference frame α−β are obtained using a simple
space vector ψrq is equal to zero, and ψrd = ψr. The induction transformation given below:
motor model established in the rotor flux field coordinate is
then given by:  xα   cos(θe ) −sin(θe )  xd 
x  =    (3)
 β sin(θe ) cos(θe )  xq 
  R 1 − σ Lm 
 − s +  I +ω I + ψ 

  σLs στr   sd e sq σL L τ r
  1 

 R  L
s r r
ω
 
σL
Vsd 
(1)  ψ rα 
I sd  
   −ω I −
 s + 1 − σ I − m r ψ   s  θ e = tan −1   (4)
d I sq   e sd  σLs στ  sq σL L τ r   1 V   ψ rβ
= r  s r r  + sq 
 
dt ψr   Lm 1   σLs 
   I − ψ   0 
ω
 r   τ sd τ r
r r   0  The Direct Field-Oriented Controller (DFOC) for an
  
( )
p2 Lm F p  induction motor implemented in this paper is given in Fig. 1.
 I ψ − ω − T 
 JLr sq r J r J l  The static converter feeding the machine is considered as a
 
high gain controller.

pL ψ
m r
(
Vs*α = G I s*α − I sα ) (5)
T = I
G(I )
(2)
e L sq Vs*α = *
sα − I sα (6)
r
In equation (1), σ is the coefficient of dispersion, τr is the As shown in Fig. 1, the rotor resistance variations are taken
rotor time-constant, ωr is the rotor speed, F is the damping into account and its profile of variations is given in Fig. 2. In

τr I sα I sβ

T e*
ω *
r
+ I sq* I s*α

- Te High
ω r
T(θe) Gain
Controller
I s*β
I sd*

Ψ r*
Ψr
θe
(x,y) τr
V s*β V s*α
ψrα
(r,θ)
ψrβ
Induction
Τe
I sα Motor
I sβ

Fig. 1. Bloc diagram of a Direct Field-Oriented Controller for an induction motor

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practice, the online tracking of this parameter can be done

using a suitable identification technique: for example the In Fig. 3, the real system is then the induction motor being
Extended Kalman Filter. Many published papers showed the the HIL component. The information exchange between the
effectiveness of this powerful technique [2]. real plant and the real time model of the controller is done via
a fast I/O interface.

IV. REAL-TIME SIMULATION OF A DFOC

FOR AN INDUCTION MOTOR

The system given in Fig. 1 is implemented first in Simulink

in block diagram format. After appropriate modifications, this
Simulink model is then opened and compiled with RT-Lab
software package. As there is no external hardware connected
to the model, the compiled model was executed in a free run
execution without synchronization to a real-time clock. This
procedure is used when the need is only for speeding the
execution [4].
The system is distributed over three CPU motherboards.
The first processor (slave #1) is dedicated for the induction
motor model. The second (slave #2) is dedicated for the direct
Fig. 2. Simulated variations of the rotor resistance field-oriented controller, and the third, which is the master, is
the processor dedicated for data acquisition. The two first
III. PC-BASED REAL-TIME SIMULATION processors are Pentium3 – 935 MHz with 256 Kbytes of
memory. The system of Fig. 1 is adapted to be compiled by
The need to reduce time to market and the increasing levels RT-Lab, and Fig. 4 below gives the resulting schematic block
of complexity of systems have made the importance of real- diagram.
time simulations fully recognized by design and test
engineers, particularly by those involved for example in the
design of complex systems for aerospace applications (aircraft
flight control, satellite control…). Indeed, Hardware-in-the-
Loop (HIL) requires real-time simulation that models an
embedded system or some parts of it [5]. For the case
presented in this paper, the DFOC can be considered as a part
of an embedded system consisting of the static converter
feeding the machine and its control. For example, for rapid
prototyping or testing the effectiveness of this controller, HIL
technique appears to be very useful.

PC Targets

Fig. 4. Modified Simulink graphic model of a DFOC for IM.

I/O
Real system
Fig. 5, Fig. 6 and Fig. 7 below give the details of slave #1,
slave #2 and the master block diagrams respectively.
Fig. 3. A Schematic platform for rapid prototyping and HIL
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Fig. 5. Details of the Slave #1 block diagram

Fig. 7. Details of the Master block diagram

V. SIMULATION RESULTS

As the size of the sampling time constitutes one of the

major constraints in real-time simulations, many tests have
been realized in this study and the value of 30 µs is found to
be the smallest one resulting in no overrun and with a time
factor equals to 1. The simulation results are given in Fig. 8
to Fig. 11.
As shown in Fig. 8, at t = 2 s, the reference speed is
changed from 150 rad/s to 200 rad/s (over-speed). At t = 3.5
s, the reference speed is changed from 200 rad/s to –100 rad/s
(reversal operation). The result clearly shows that the output
of the speed controller, which is made robust against the rotor
resistance variations, follows the imposed reference.

Fig. 6. Details of the Slave #2 block diagram

Fig. 8. Tracking rotor speed reference


Fig. 9 shows the response of the flux controller. The
interval between 2 s and 3.5 s corresponds to over-speed
region where the flux must be weakened. Fig. 10 shows the
torque producing current, and Fig. 11 gives the
α−β components of the stator voltage in the stationary
reference frame.
Fig. 9. Tracking rotor flux reference
Fig. 10. Torque producing current
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Fig. 11. Stator voltage space vector components
VI. CONCLUSION
We have presented in this paper a full-digital real-time
simulation of a direct field-oriented control for an induction
motor using a powerful and user-friendly real-time simulator:
RT-Lab software package. Real-time simulations are required
by HIL applications and their use allows rapid prototyping
and the development of embedded systems in a cost-effective
and repeatable manner. The next phase of this research work,
undertaken at the Laboratory for Identification and Control of
Electrical Machines LICEM-UQAC, is the integration of a
real induction motor as a HIL component for testing the
controller as an embedded system.
VII. REFERENCES
[1] F. Blaschke, "The Principal of Field-Orientation as Applied to the New
Transvektor Closed-Loop Control System for Rotating-Field Machines,"
Siemens Review XXXIX, (5), 1972, 217-219.
[2] M. A. Ouhrouche, "EKF-Based on-line Tuning of Rotor Time-Constant
in an Induction Motor Vector Control, " International Journal of Power
and Energy Systems, Vol. 20, No. 2, 2000, pp. 103-111.
[3] M. A. Ouhrouche, "Simulation of a Direct Field-Oriented Controller for
an Induction Motor Using Matlab/Simulink Software Package, " in the
Proceedings of the IASTED International Conference MS’2000, May
15-17, 2000, Pittsburgh, USA.
[4] S. Abourida, "Real-Time PC-Based Simulator of Electric Systems and
drives, " in the Proceedings of APEC’2002.
[5] J. A. Ledin, "Hard-Ware-in-the-Loop Simulation, "Embedded Systems
Programming.
[6] Opal-RT Technologies Inc., "RT-Lab User’s Guide, " v6.0, 2001.
[7] P. Baracos, G. Murere, C.A. Rabbath, W. Jin, “Enabling PC-Based HIL
Simulation for Automotive Applications, ”in the Proceedings of the
IEEE International Electric Machines and Drives Conference
(IEMDC’01), Cambridge, MA, 2001.
[8] M. Papini and P. Baracos, “Real-time simulation, control and HIL with
COTS computing clusters, ” in the Proceedings of the AIAA Modeling
and Simulation Technologies Conference, Denver, CO, August 2001
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VIII. BIOGRAPHIES
Mohand A Ouhrouche received his Diploma Ingénieur d’état from
Université de Béjaia, Algeria, in 1988. He received his M.A.Sc and Ph.D.
degrees, both in electrical engineering, from École Polytechnique de Montréal,
Canada, in 1992 and 1998 respectively. From 1993 to 1995 he worked as a
Research Assistant at École Polytechnique de Montréal on integration of
NUGS into the Hydro-Quebec’s distribution system. In 1997, he joined
Hydro-Quebec Research Laboratory (LTEE) as a Scientific Researcher. He
has been with the University of Quebec at Chicoutimi since December 1998,
where he is an associate professor of electrical engineering. His areas of
interests include Identification of Electric Machines, Power Quality, Power
Electronics and Real-time Control of Electrical Drives. Dr. Ouhrouche is a
registered engineer in the province of Quebec.
Simon Abourida received his M.A.Sc degree from École Polytechnique de
Montréal, Canada, in 1994. He worked for four years on Hydro-Quebec's
International Real-Time
Power System Simulator, where he was involved in the design, testing, and
commissioning phases at Mitsubishi facilities (Kobe, Japan).
Then, at Technologies M4, Mr. Abourida worked on the simulation and
design of motor controllers for Hybrid Electric Vehicle applications; now, he
is with Opal-RT Technologies as the Electromechanical Modeling &
Simulation Group Leader; he is involved in the design and testing of real-time
digital simulators and other related real-time applications.

Nicolas Léchevin received the B.E. degree from École Polytechnique de

l’Université de Nantes, France, the M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees from University
of Quebec, Trois-Rivières, Canada. He is now working for Opal-RT
technologies, Montréal, Canada as a consultant in electromechanical system
simulation. His research interests include control, estimation and numerical
simulation applied to robotics and electric power systems.