10/14/2022

Brushless DC Motors
A conventional DC motors suffers from the following two major
problems:
(i) They require more maintenance and need to replace brushes
periodically
(ii) Their operating voltage and speed is limited because of
commutation difficulties
Thus, a motor that retains the characteristics of a DC motor but
eliminates the commutator and brushes is called a brushless DC
motor.
The brushless DC motors are equipped with electronic circuits and
devices which perform the same function as that of a mechanical
commutator.

Brushless DC Motors
 It consists of a multi-phase
winding wound on a non-salient
stator and a permanent magnet
(PM) rotor.
 The required voltage is applied to
the individual phase winding
through a sequential switching
operation such that the necessary
commutation is achieved to
impart rotation to the motor.
 The necessary switching
operation is achieved by using
electronic circuit and devices such
as transistors, thyristors, etc.

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Brushless DC Motors
Advantages
(i) Require little or no maintenance
(ii) Have longer operating life
(iii) Less losses, more operating efficiency
(iv) No sparking, hence can be used in the vicinity of combustible fluids and gases.
(v) These are very reliable and efficient (efficiency is more than 75%).
(vi) They are capable to run at very high speeds (more than 40000 rpm)
Disadvantages
(i) More expressive then conventional DC motors
(ii) Additional electronic circuit and devises are required that increases the
overall size of the machine
Application
Due to high reliability and low maintenance these motors find their applications
in aerospace industry.
satellites, gyroscope and high efficiency robotic system. These motors are also
suitable for artificial heart pumps, disc drives, video recorders and biomedical
fields.

Type of Brushless DC Motors

Unipolar BLDC Motor
 three stator armature windings (P1, P2, and P3) that are separated
from one another by 120. The rotor is a permanent magnet.
 Each of the armature windings is switched electronically through a
solid-state device (Q1, Q2, or Q3).
 if we switch Q1, the current i1 flows through P1, which causes the
rotor to align itself with the magnetic field generated by P1 (the north
pole of the rotor is aligned with the south pole of the stator).
 if we switch P2 after the rotor moves 120, the south pole of P2
pushes away the south pole of the rotor toward P3.
 After another 120, P3 is activated, which causes the rotor to be
pushed toward P1.

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Type of Brushless DC Motors

Type of Brushless DC Motors

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Type of Brushless DC Motors

Bipolar BLDC Motor
 For bipolar systems, the circuit can change the magnetic polarity of
the windings. This bipolar drive system produces higher torque (or
power).

Type of Brushless DC Motors

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Type of Brushless DC Motors

let us consider any three consecutive periods (e.g., 0–60, 60–120, and
1208–1808). During the first period, the magnitude of the flux of each
phase (which is proportional to the current) is

Assume that the negative current creates flux that moves into the pole,
and the positive current reverses the direction of the flux.

Type of Brushless DC Motors

Similarly, for the second period (60–120), the fluxes are

The total airgap flux is the phasor sum of all fluxes present in the airgap.

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Type of Brushless DC Motors

For the third period (120–180), the magnitudes of the fluxes are

During the third period, the total flux in the airgap is

Type of Brushless DC Motors

By examining the above equations
o Magnitude of the total flux in the airgap is constant and equal to
o The flux in this case is rotating in the counter clockwise direction.
o Since the rotor magnet is aligned with the total airgap flux, the rotor is
also rotating in the counter clockwise direction.
o To rotate the motor in the clockwise direction, swap the switching
sequence of any two legs of the converter.