Position Sensing Errors in Synchronous Motor Drives

Non-ideal position estimation results in degraded performance of synchronous motor drive systems due to reduction of the average capability of the drive as well as torque harmonics of different orders. The signature and extent of the performance degradation is further dependent, quite significantly, on the current control architecture, i.e., feedforward or feedback control, employed. This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of non-idealities or errors in position estimation and their effects on the control performance of synchronous motor drives. Analytical models capturing the error in various signals caused by position sensing errors in the drive system for different control architectures are presented and are validated with simulation and experimental results on a prototype permanent magnet synchronous motor drive

Self-commissioning of interior permanent- magnet synchronous motor drives with high-frequency current injection

In this paper, a simple and robust method for parameter estimation at rotor standstill is presented for interior permanent magnet (IPM) synchronous machines. The estimated parameters are the stator resistance through dc test, the dq inductances using high-frequency injection, and the permanent magnet flux by means of a closed-loop speed control maintaining rotor stationary. The proposed method does not require either locking the rotor or additional/special power supplies. The validity of the suggested method has been verified by implementation on two IPM motor prototypes. Finally, the estimated parameters have been compared against results obtained through finite-element simulations and with machine magnetic characterization, separately performed, to validate the method's effectiveness. Saturation and cross-saturation effects are taken care of through amplitude modulation and cross-axis current application, respectively

Position estimation delays in signal injection-based sensorless PMSM drives

The causes of position estimation delays and their effects on the sensorless control of permanent magnet synchronous motor drives are investigated. The position of a permanent magnet synchronous machine is estimated via the injection of high frequency voltage signals. The delays under investigation are due to the digital implementation of the control algorithm and to the digital filters adopted for decoupling the inspection signals from the fundamental components of the stator current measures. If not correctly modeled and compensated, such delays can reduce the performance of the control scheme. Experimental results are provided, proving the accuracy of the modeling approach and the effectiveness of the related compensation strateg

Discrete-Time Observer Design for Sensorless Synchronous Motor Drives

This paper deals with the speed and position estimation of interior permanent-magnet synchronous motor (IPM) and synchronous reluctance motor (SyRM) drives. A speed-adaptive full-order observer is designed and analyzed in the discrete-time domain. The observer design is based on the exact discrete-time motor model, which inherently takes the delays in the control system into account. The proposed observer is experimentally evaluated using a 6.7-kW SyRM drive. The analysis and experimental results indicate that major performance improvements can be obtained with the direct discrete-time design, especially if the sampling frequency is relatively low compared to the fundamental frequency. The ratio below 10 between the sampling and fundamental frequencies is achieved in experiments with the proposed discrete-time design.Peer reviewe

Comparison of Induction and PM Synchronous motor drives for EV application including design examples

Three different motor drives for electric traction are compared, in terms of output power and efficiency at the same stack dimensions and inverter size. Induction motor (IM), surface-mounted permanent-magnet (PM) (SPM), and interior PM (IPM) synchronous motor drives are investigated, with reference to a common vehicle specification. The IM is penalized by the cage loss, but it is less expensive and inherently safe in case of inverter unwilled turnoff due to natural de-excitation. The SPM motor has a simple construction and shorter end connections, but it is penalized by eddy-current loss at high speed, has a very limited transient overload power, and has a high uncontrolled generator voltage. The IPM motor shows the better performance compromise, but it might be more complicated to be manufactured. Analytical relationships are first introduced and then validated on three example designs and finite element calculated, accounting for core saturation, harmonic losses, the effects of skewing, and operating temperature. The merits and limitations of the three solutions are quantified comprehensively and summarized by the calculation of the energy consumption over the standard New European Driving Cycl

Analysis and design of a position observer with stator-resistance adaptation for PMSM drives

This paper deals with reduced-order observers with stator-resistance adaptation for motion-sensorless permanent-magnet synchronous motor drives. An analytical solution for the stabilizing observer gain and stability conditions for the stator-resistance adaptation are derived. The proposed observer design is experimentally tested using a 2.2-kW motor drive; stable operation at very low speeds under different loading conditions is demonstrated.Peer reviewe

EFFICIENCY AND RELIABILITY ENHANCEMENT OF MULTIPHASE SYNCHRONOUS MOTOR DRIVES

Multiphase electric machines are attractive in comparison with three-phase ones due to advantages such as fault-tolerant nature, smaller rating per phase and lower torque ripple. More specifically, the machines with multiple three-phase windings are particularly convenient, because they are suitable for standard off-the-shelf three-phase dc/ac converter modules. For instance, they are becoming a serious option for applications such as electric vehicles and wind turbines. On the other hand, in these applications, operation at low power is often required for long time intervals; hence, improving the efficiency under such conditions is highly desired and could save a significant amount of energy in the long term. This dissertation proposes a method to enhance the efficiency of electric drives based on multiple three-phase windings at light load. The number of active legs is selected depending on the required torque at each instant. To ensure that the overall efficiency is effectively optimized, not only the converter losses, but also the stator copper losses, are taken into account. Experimental results verify the theoretical outcomes. Surface-mounted permanent-magnet synchronous motors (SPMSMs) require a position measurement to ensure a high-performance control. To avoid the cost and maintenance associated to position sensors, sensorless methods are often preferred. The approaches based on high-frequency signal injection are currently a well-established solution to obtain an accurate position estimation in SPMSMs. These techniques can be roughly divided into two groups: those based on sinusoidal or on square-wave high-frequency signals. The main drawback of the former is the limitation on the response speed, due to the presence of several low-pass filters (LPFs). On the other hand, the latter methods are sensitive to deadtime effects, and high-frequency closed-loop current control is required to overcome it. This dissertation proposes to improve the sensorless strategies based on sinusoidal high-frequency injection by simplifying the scheme employed to extract the information about the position error. Namely, two LPFs and several multiplications are removed. Such simplification does not only reduce the computational complexity, but also permits to obtain a faster response to the changes in the angle/speed, and hence, a faster closed-loop control. Experimental results based on a SPMSM prove the enhanced functionality of the proposed method with respect to the previous ones based on high-frequency sinusoidal signal injection

Neural-Network Vector Controller for Permanent-Magnet Synchronous Motor Drives: Simulated and Hardware-Validated Results

This paper focuses on current control in a permanentmagnet synchronous motor (PMSM). The paper has two main objectives: The first objective is to develop a neural-network (NN) vector controller to overcome the decoupling inaccuracy problem associated with conventional PI-based vector-control methods. The NN is developed using the full dynamic equation of a PMSM, and trained to implement optimal control based on approximate dynamic programming. The second objective is to evaluate the robust and adaptive performance of the NN controller against that of the conventional standard vector controller under motor parameter variation and dynamic control conditions by (a) simulating the behavior of a PMSM typically used in realistic electric vehicle applications and (b) building an experimental system for hardware validation as well as combined hardware and simulation evaluation. The results demonstrate that the NN controller outperforms conventional vector controllers in both simulation and hardware implementation

Application of space vector modulation in direct torque control of PMSM

The paper deals with an improvement of direct torque control method for permanent magnet synchronous motor drives. Electrical torque distortion of the machine under original direct torque control is relatively high and if proper measures are taken it can be substantially decreased. The proposed solution here is to combine direct torque control with the space vector modulation technique. Such approach can eliminate torque distortion while preserving the simplicity of the original method

Model-Free Predictive Control for Reluctance Synchronous Motor Drives

Study of the Model Free Predictive schemes act to solve the problem of the stagnation. Optimization of the forced anti-stagnation process. Description and implementation of an improved MF scheme, characterized by an indirect reconstruction of the current variations with a triplet of variation