A method and apparatus control a power converter (20) of an
AC motor drive
system (10). The method and apparatus: generate a field current regulating
signal to control a field current component flowing from the power converter (20) to the
AC motor (30), thereby achieving field
current regulation; generate a torque current regulating
signal to control a torque current component flowing from the power converter (20) to the
AC motor (30), thereby achieving torque
current regulation, the torque
current regulation having
lower priority than the field current regulation; and execute a close-loop
field weakening control scheme, which generates a
field weakening control command as a function of the difference between a torque current regulation
voltage demand and
voltage available for torque current regulation. The field current regulating
signal is adjusted in accordance with the
field weakening control signal to selectively reduce back EMF of the AC motor (30), thereby enabling the step of generating a toque current regulating signal to achieve a toque current component needed to drive the AC motor (30) at a desired speed despite a limitation on
DC voltage available to the power converter (20).