Should ΔΣ modulators used in AC motor drives be adapted to the mechanical load of the motor?

We consider the use of ΔΣ modulators in ac motor drives, focusing on the many additional degrees of freedom that this option offers over Pulse Width Modulation (PWM). Following some recent results, we show that it is possible to fully adapt the ΔΣ modulator Noise Transfer Function (NTF) to the rest of the drive chain and that the approach can be pushed even to a fine adaptation of the NTF to the specific motor loading condition. We investigate whether and to what extent the adaptation should be pursued. Using a representative test case and extensive simulation, we conclude that a mild adaptation can be beneficial, leading to Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) improvements in the order a few dB, while the advantage pushing the adaptation to the load tracking is likely to be minimal. © 2012 IEEE.