1. Introduction
The integrated electric drive system (IEDS) is one of the core components of electric vehicles, widely promoted for its high power density, high efficiency, compact size, and low cost. Its mechanism analysis and application research have attracted increasing attention [
1]. The IEDS typically consists of a drive motor, motor controller, and gear transmission system [
2], eliminating components such as the longitudinal driveshaft and couplings. A splined structure rigidly connects the motor rotor to the transmission system. Torque ripple from the motor increases dynamic loads in the transmission system, inducing torsional vibrations [
3]. The coupling between torsional and planar vibrations further complicates the system’s dynamic behaviors. However, there is still a lack of multi-dimensional electromechanical coupling dynamic models for the IEDS, posing challenges for optimizing its noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH) performance. Therefore, studying the dynamic characteristics of the IEDS with electromechanical coupling and developing suppression strategies for torque ripple is of great significance.
In terms of transmission system dynamics, most scholars focused on the influence of nonlinear excitations such as time-varying meshing stiffness, meshing damping, transmission errors, tooth backlash, bearing stiffness, and bearing damping on system vibration [
4,
5,
6,
7,
8]. With the increase in degrees of freedom (DOFs), studies have shifted from pure torsional to torsional–planar coupled vibrations. Initial models considered only torsional dynamics to analyze parameter effects on the vibration behavior of the system [
9,
10]. Hua et al. [
11] proposed a transmission system model with 86-DOF based on the Timoshenko beam theory by discretizing the gear shaft and incorporating gear meshing stiffness, meshing damping, and loaded transmission error. The results indicated that gear meshing excitation dominates at higher motor speed. Mo et al. [
12] proposed a 16-DOF model of the IEDS, considering bending–torsional–axial–pendular coupling dynamics, and integrated it with the vertical dynamics model of the vehicle. Dong et al. [
13] developed a 24-DOF bending–torsional–axial–pendular dynamic model for a double-helical gear transmission system, considering time-varying meshing stiffness, tooth backlash, damping, comprehensive transmission error, and external load excitation. The study focused on the impact of backlash and other factors on the system’s amplitude–frequency response characteristics.
In addition to the internal excitations of the transmission system, the output characteristics of the motor have been identified as major excitation sources. Spatial harmonics arising from motor manufacturing deviations and temporal harmonics resulting from nonlinearities in motor control systems collectively induce superimposed effects on electromagnetic torque. This combined action serves as the primary source of the torque ripple.
Regarding the electromechanical coupling characteristics of the IEDS, Yi et al. [
14] developed a mathematical model of a multi-stage electric gear transmission system by considering the motor’s electromagnetic behavior and the gearbox’s torsional–translational vibrations. Electromagnetic torque was used as a coupling variable to analyze system dynamics. Liu et al. [
15] proposed a trajectory-based method that reduces system dimensionality while maintaining stability. Through modal analysis, they revealed the relationship between system stability and resonance. Hu et al. [
16,
17] built an electromechanical coupling dynamic model of the IEDS considering inverter dead-time, voltage drops, and system nonlinearities. They studied the impact of harmonic torque on system performance and dynamic behavior under various conditions and proposed a harmonic torque suppression strategy. Chen et al. [
18] focused on a permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) drive system, considering the effect of torsional angle on magnetomotive force, and clarified the relationship between motor structural parameters and torsional vibrations. Fang et al. [
19] analyzed the influence of current harmonics on electromagnetic force and the interaction between electromagnetic force harmonics, gearbox behavior, and system vibrations. Results indicated that electromagnetic force and gear meshing force are dominant contributors to system vibrations. Chen et al. [
20] proposed a torsional vibration identification method and an active harmonic current injection strategy to suppress vibration, although planar vibrations were not included in the model. Bai et al. [
21] investigated the effects of multiple internal excitations and parameters on system dynamics, but did not consider motor harmonics. Fan et al. [
22] analyzed the influence of internal excitation on vibration characteristics. The results showed that under variable load or speed conditions, electromagnetic effects caused by electromagnetic stiffness and damping introduced new vibration modes to the system, which may lead to low-frequency torsional vibration. Ge et al. [
23] considered nonlinear factors such as stator slotting, pole distribution, and magnetic saturation, and developed an improved equivalent magnetic network model for PMSM under non-stationary conditions. The multi-physical coupling vibration characteristics of the electric drive system were analyzed. The results indicated that electromagnetic damping and stiffness have a certain attenuation effect on the impact experienced by the main and auxiliary gear pairs.
In summary, the driving motor leads to electromagnetic excitation. Torque ripple induced by current harmonics is a major contributor to torsional vibrations. Moreover, the coupling of different vibration modes enriches the dynamic response of the IEDS. Therefore, suppressing harmonic currents is essential for reducing torque ripple and achieving effective vibration mitigation in the system.
Torque ripple suppression (TRS) techniques for PMSMs generally fall into two categories: structure-based design and control strategy-based methods [
24]. Structure-based TRS focuses on optimizing motor topology, such as employing skewed slots [
25], increasing rotor skew steps [
26], designing alternative permanent magnet shapes [
27], or changing stator winding configurations [
28]. However, these approaches often incur high development costs, offer limited generalizability, and are unsuitable for motors already in service. As a result, control strategy-based TRS methods are more widely adopted [
24]. Extracting harmonic currents and feeding them into a PI controller to generate compensation values is a commonly used method for harmonic suppression [
29,
30]. Some scholars designed improved repetitive controllers to suppress current harmonics caused by the nonlinear characteristics of inverters [
31,
32]. Zhang et al. [
33] proposed a segmented phase-compensated adaptive proportional–integral resonant controller, which reduces computational load and improves system stability while maintaining harmonic suppression performance. Wu et al. [
34] proposed a control strategy called quasi-proportional resonant sliding mode control. Based on the combination of current tracking error and the compensation term of the 6th harmonic component, a current error proportional resonant sliding mode control surface is formed to enhance the harmonic suppression capability of the system. Song et al. [
35] introduced an ATRS algorithm that combines a fuzzy quasi-proportional–resonant controller with sliding Fourier feedback control, reducing the number of parameters required in practical applications. While PR controllers offer strong harmonic targeting capabilities, they often need to be combined with other controllers to handle multiple harmonic orders effectively. Qian et al. [
36] constructed a dq-axis voltage prediction model using the deep belief network (DBN)—deep neural network (DNN) algorithm as the surrogate model, reducing the current harmonic components caused by the harmonic injection structure and PI control algorithm. Li et al. [
37] demonstrated that a suppression algorithm based on recurrent neural networks (RNNs) and decision fusion outperforms other methods in reducing the 5th and 7th harmonic currents.
Based on the above analysis and previous research background, it is evident that research integrating multi-dimensional vibration characteristics and suppression methods of the IEDS, considering both motor and transmission system dynamics, is limited. Neglecting electromechanical coupling or focusing solely on torsional vibration fails to accurately reflect the system’s dynamic response, impacting the design of effective vibration reduction strategies.
In order to address this issue, the IEDS mechatronic coupling torsional–plane 17-DOFs dynamic model is established in this paper, incorporating multiple excitation factors, and its dynamic response characteristics under different working conditions are analyzed. At the same time, an active harmonic control strategy is proposed to suppress the system vibration. The main contributions of this paper are listed as follows:
(1)
Section 2 presents a multi-DOF electromechanical coupling dynamic model of the electric drive system;
(2)
Section 3 validates the model through a bench test and investigates the system’s dynamic behavior under different conditions;
(3)
Section 4 proposes a harmonic current control (HCC)-based vibration suppression strategy. Simulation results confirm its effectiveness in suppressing multi-order current harmonics, reducing torque ripple, and improving the system’s NVH performance.
5. Conclusions
In this study, to accurately analyze the vibration characteristics of an integrated electric drive system, a torsional–planar dynamic model was developed that accounts for multiple excitation sources. The model’s accuracy was experimentally validated and used to analyze the system’s dynamic responses under various operating conditions. A coordinated control strategy was proposed to suppress current harmonics and reduce torque ripple.
(1) A mathematical model of a PMSM was established, incorporating inverter nonlinearities and current bias errors. Additionally, a 17-degree-of-freedom bending–torsional–axial coupled vibration model of the integrated electric drive system was constructed, considering various nonlinearities such as time-varying gear mesh stiffness, gear backlash, and meshing errors. The model achieved a validation accuracy of up to 98%.
(2) The dynamic responses under both steady-state and impact conditions were analyzed. It was demonstrated that both current harmonic excitation and gear meshing excitation coexist in the system’s internal variable responses. Furthermore, the interaction between axial z-direction vibration and gear meshing torque indicates a coupling relationship between torsional and planar vibration.
(3) The proposed coordinated control strategy exhibits strong robustness and effectively suppresses 1st, 6th, and 12th order harmonic currents. It reduces torque ripple by 45.1%, mitigates bearing impact loads, and achieves vibration reduction and improved transmission stability for the system.
(4) For practical application in vehicle platforms, factors such as real-time computational load, sensor deployment, and system integration need to be further considered. Although the proposed control strategy shows promising performance, its implementation may pose challenges related to hardware cost and compatibility with existing vehicle control architectures. Further validation on a full vehicle test platform is suggested to assess its effectiveness under realistic operating conditions.