The 2010 International Power Electronics Conference

Stabilization of Position Sensor-less Control for

Low-Inductance and High-Speed PMSM with
Reduced Order Flux Observer
O.Hikone*, H.kubota*, K.matsuse* and I.Miki*
* Graduate School of Science and Technology, Meiji University,1-1-1 Higashimita, Tamaku, Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan

Abstract-- This paper presents position sensor-less

control of low-inductance and high-speed permanent
magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) drives. The
proposed method estimates flux from a reduced order
observer and estimates pole position with estimated
flux. For low-inductance PMSM, current detection is
difficult, because the current varies rapidly.
Therefore, pole position estimation with the measured
current is difficult. This paper proposes a sensor-less
method with the reference current instead of the
measured current.

I. INTRODUCTION Fig. 1. Current wave-forms on d-q axis

Permanent magnet synchronous motors (PMSM) are

Solving this problem, we propose a position sensor-less
characterized by small size, easy maintenance and high
control method using the not real current but reference
efficiency. So PMSMs are employed widely, such as
current to obtain the average current value.
elevators and hybrid electric vehicles. Speed control of
PMSMs requires mechanical sensors, such as rotary
encoders or resolvers because it needs pole position. II. STRUCTURE OF REDUCED ORDER FLUX OBSERVER
However, for improvement of the reliability, the limited The stator voltage equation of PMSM is following
space, and reducing cost, sensor-less control is equation (1) in stationary, α-β frame.
demanded. Therefore, several sensor-less control have ªvα º ª R + pLd ω ( Ld − Lq )º ªiα º
been proposed. (1)-(5) «v » = «− ω ( L − L ) R + pLd »¼ «¬iβ »¼
¬ β¼ ¬ d q
High speed drives are used for machine tools,
ª− sin θ º
compressors and fans. The conventional drives have + Eex « »
multiplying gears. However, from high quality, high ¬ cos θ ¼
efficiency, and easy maintenance, high speed motors are Eex = {( Ld − Lq )(ωid − iq ) + ωφ } (1)
where
required. For low inductance and high speed PMSM
R : stator resistance
described in this paper, current detection is difficult, Ld : d-axis stator inductance
because the current varies rapidly as shown in Fig. 1. Lq : q-axis stator inductance
Solving this problem, a method adding inductances ȁ : electrical rotor angular velocity
between the inverter and motor is proposed.(4) But Ǿ : flux linkage by permanent magnet
additional inductances need more cost and space. p: differential operator, d/dt
A reduced order flux observer is used for position
In the steady state, equation (1) becomes equation
sensor-less control of PMSM. Comparing a full order
(2).
observer, reduced order observer needs less calculation
time. Therefore, this method is suitable for high speed
motor.
This estimation method approximates the current
derivative value at zero on d-q frame as usual.(4)(5) For
this reason, current ripple could be the disturbance.

978-1-4244-5393-1/10/$26.00 ©2010 IEEE 1412

 The 2010 International Power Electronics Conference

ªvα º ª R + pLd ω ( Ld − Lq )º ªiα º ª− sin θ º

«v » = «− ω ( L − L ) R + pL » «i » + ωΛ « »
¬ β¼ ¬ d q d ¼¬ β ¼ ¬ cos θ ¼
(2)
  where ȁ:constant
When λα = Λ cos θ , λ β = Λ sin θ are defined,
ª− sin θ º ª− ωλβ º (3)
Eex « »=« »
¬ cosθ ¼ ¬ ωλα ¼
is expressed, and equation (2) becomes equation (4).
ªvα º ª R + pLd ω ( Ld − Lq )º ªiα º ª− ωλ β º (4)
«v » = «− ω ( L − L ) +
R + pLd »¼ «¬iβ »¼ «¬ ωλα »¼
¬ β¼ ¬ d q

Fig. 2. Block diagram of proposed position sensor-less control

Therefore, the state equation is written by equation system

(5). reference current. Entire block diagram is shown in Fig.

2. In Fig. 2, the reference current on d-q frame is
ª i º ªA A12 º ª i º ª B1 º transformed into the α-β frame and is used as input value
p « » = « 11 »« » + « 0 »v
λ
¬ ¼ ¬ 0 A 22 ¼ ¬λ ¼ ¬ ¼ of the reduced order flux observer.
(5)
y=i The estimation pole position is delayed by the sampling
time. Therefore, it is compensated by equation (13).
A11 = − R / Ld I + ω ( Ld − Lq ) / Ld J , A12 = −ω / Ld J ,
θ i = θ + ωτ           (13)
A22 = ωJ , B1 = 1/ Ld I
where
τ: sampling time
where θi: compensated position
ª1 0º ª0 − 1º (6)
I =« » ,J = « »
¬0 1 ¼ ¬1 0 ¼
IV. EXPERIMENTAL RESULT.
From (6), a reduced order flux observer of PMSM is
Motor parameters are shown in Table 1. The rated
written by equation (7). speed of the tested PMSM is 20000[min-1] at

λˆ = ( A22 − KA12 )λˆ − K ( A11i + B1v − i) (7) 1333[Hz] and inductance is very small, 7.0[μH]. A
K is the observer gain written by equation (8). PWM inverter with MOSFETs is used for driving
K = g1 I + g 2 J (8) PMSM and the PWM carrier frequency is 10.0[kHz].
We tested in high speed range, 20000[min-1] and low
The characteristic equation of the observer is written speed range, 2000[min-1].
by equation (9). Experimental results are shown below.
s 2 + (2 g 2ω / Ld ) s + Fig. 3. shows U phase current waveforms measured by
(9)
an oscilloscope in high and low speed ranges. Current
ω 2{( g 2 / Ld ) 2 + 1 + 2 g1 / Ld + ( g1 / Ld ) 2} = 0
ripple by the PWM switching is observed.
The pole of observer is written by equation(10). Fig. 4. shows results of the measured and reference
s = − g 2ω / Ld ± ω ( g1 / Ld + 1) j         (10) current on α axis in high and low speed range. Waveform
The observer gain is obtained by equation (11). of the measured current has the much ripple especially in
(11) low speed range,.
g1 = αLd , g 2 = βLd
Fig. 5. shows the estimated flux, λαҏ and λβ. Flux is
where α,β : coefficient estimated by the measured or reference current in low and
The pole position, θ, is calculated from λα and λβҏas high speed range. Ripple of the estimated flux is observed
followsҏ. especially in low speed range.
λβ Fig. 6. shows the ripple component of the estimated
θ = tan −1 (12) position by using the measured or reference current in
λα high and low speed range. The ripple component is

Table 1. Motor constants

III. POSITION SENSOR-LESS CONTROL OF PMSM Rate power 300[W]
Rate speed 20000[min-1] at 1333[Hz]
Usually, the measured current value is used for the
R 0.0932[Ω]
reduced order flux observer. As previously explained,
however, current ripple could be the disturbance. So we Ld 6.8[μH]
propose the position sensor-less control method using the Lq 7.0[μH]
poles 8

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(a)2000[min-1] (a)Measured current type at 2000[min-1]

(b)20000[min-1] (b)Reference current type at 2000[min-1]

Fig. 3. U phase current wave-forms

(c)Measured current type at 20000[min-1]

(a)2000[min-1]

(d)Reference current type at 20000[min-1]

Fig. 5 Estimated flux
(b)20000[min-1]
Fig. 4. Measured current and comand current wave-forms on
α axis

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(a)Masured current type at 2000[min-1]
(b)Reference current type at 2000[min-1]
(c)Measured current type at 20000[min-1]
(d)reference current type at 20000[min-1]
Fig. 6. Rippl component of estimated position
obtained in thePLL(Phase Locked Loop) block in Fig. 2.
Observer using the reference current reduces ripple
compared to that using the measured current in high and
low speed range. Flux estimation using the reference
current is suitable for position estimation of a low
inductance PMSM.
Fig. 7. shows the result of estimated position.
Estimated position agrees with the real position well.
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The 2010 International Power Electronics Conference
Fig. 7. Estimated position
V. CONCLUSIONS
This paper presented the influence of the measured
current ripple into the reduced order flux observer and
proposed a method to stabilize the position sensor-less
control system with the reference current. The position
estimation by using the reference current stabilize the
sensor-less control system of high speed and low
inductance PMSMs. The validity of the proposed method
is verified experimentally.
REFERENCES
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Application Society Conference, IEE
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