Control of a linear permanent magnet brushless DC motor via exactlinearization methods

The author develops a position controller for permanent magnet brushless DC motors (PMBDCMs) which systematically determines control laws for operation in both the transient and steady-state with consideration of reluctance force. The controller design is based on a differential geometric approach which assists the motor in overcoming its inherent deficiencies, such as effects of torque ripples and reluctance torque. This is achieved by transforming the nonlinear state equations into an exact linear model. Computer simulations of the resulting closed-loop system were performed to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed control laws. Simulation results of the control variables were injected into the actual nonlinear system in an experimental open-loop setup to validate the design procedure     

Analysis and development of a low-cost permanent magnet brushless DC motor drive for PV-array fed water pumping system

This paper deals with the analysis and development of a permanent magnet brushless DC (PMBLDC) motor drive coupled to a pump load powered by solar photovoltaic (PV) array for water pumping system. A simple low-cost prototype controller has been designed and developed without current and position sensors which reduces drastically the overall cost of the drive system. This controller is used to test the dynamic behavior of the PMBLDC motor drive system. The mathematical model of the system is developed with a view to carry out a comparison between experimental and simulated response of the drive system. A simple filter circuit incorporated in between PV-array and an inverter to reduce ripples and to improve the performance of the PV-array. The necessary computer algorithm is developed to analyze the performance under different conditions of varying solar insolation for a pump load.     

Modeling and experimental verification of the performance of a skewmounted permanent magnet brushless DC motor drive with parameterscomputed from 3D-FE magnetic field solutions

This paper contains a comparison between actual laboratory-measured performance of a brushless DC motor drive system, with skewed permanent magnet mounts on its rotor, and two computer-simulated motor drive system performance characteristics. These simulated motor drive system performance results were once obtained using motor parameters computed from rigorous three dimensional-finite element (3D-FE) magnetic field solutions detailed in two companion papers and once obtained using motor parameters from more conventional 2D-FE magnetic field solutions. The comparison demonstrates that 3D-FE based motor parameters lead to drive system performance simulations which are much closer to test results for this type of brushless DC drives with skewed permanent magnet mounts. Torque ripples computed from 3D-FE based and 2D-FE based motor parameters are also included. The results clearly show advantages to basing the drive system simulations on 3D-FE computed motor parameters     

Design analysis of permanent magnet DC motors with differingarmature, magnet and yoke lengths

A modified magnetic circuit method and a 2-D finite element procedure are presented here for the analysis of DC permanent magnet motors with differing armature, magnet and yoke lengths including nonlinear material behavior of steel and permanent magnet. A 12 V, 120 W motor is analyzed through these methods and compared with experimental results of a prototype sample. In case of finite element analysis, commutation effects and short chording of the armature winding are treated appropriately, and cogging torque and voltage ripple are predicted     

The operation of permanent magnet DC motors powered by a commonsource of solar cells

In a photovoltaic water-pumping system, the solar cell array is usually designed to power a single motor-load pump. Several water-pumping systems of the same or different types that are in close proximity to each other can be powered by separate solar cell arrays (sources) for each one, or, alternatively, by a common solar cell source for all the water pumping systems. The authors introduce a procedure for comparing the performances of these two setups. One system includes a permanent magnet DC motor and a volumetric pump, and the other a permanent magnet DC motor and a centrifugal pump. The comparison was also done for the same systems when a maximum-power point tracker (MPPT) was included for both the separate and the common solar cell source. It is shown, for example, that in systems not including MPPTs the total performance of the two motor-pumps in the common source system is improved as compared to the performance of the two motor-pumps when they are powered separately by individual sources     

Analysis of a current-regulated brushless DC drive

Current-regulated brushless DC machines are used in a wide variety of applications including robotics, actuators, electric vehicles, and ship propulsion systems. When conducting system analysis of this or any other type of drive, average-value reduced-order models are invaluable since they provide a means of rapidly predicting the electromechanical dynamics and are readily linearized for control system synthesis. In this paper, a highly accurate average-value reduced-order model of a hysteresis current-regulated brushless DC drive is set forth. In so doing it is demonstrated that the drive exhibits five distinct operating modes. The physical cause of each of these modes is explained and a mathematical model for each mode is set forth. The mathematical models are verified both experimentally and through the use of computer simulation. It has been found that the model set fourth herein is on the order of 300 times faster than a detailed computer simulation in calculating electromechanical transients     

Modeling of effects of skewing of rotor mounted permanent magnetson the performance of brushless DC motors

A method for computation of the parameters and performance of permanent-magnet brushless DC motor drives is developed in which the concept of skewing is implemented through the geometries of permanent magnet mounting on the rotor and not through the usual skewing of the armature slots. This technique of permanent-magnet mounting eliminates the 2-D axial symmetry in the resulting magnetic fields. This difficulty is overcome by the use of multiple cross-sectional 2-D finite-element field computations, coupled with a concept of an artificial mutual-coupling inductance between the armature phase windings and the rotor-mounted permanent magnets for induced EMF and torque computations. The computed induced EMF waveforms, motor phase winding current waveforms, and other performance characteristics are found to be in excellent agreement with test data obtained using a 1.2 hp, 120 V brushless DC motor drive system     

齿槽形状对永磁风力发电机温度场分布的影响

以影响发电机温度场分布的齿槽结构为研究对象,基于变工况下的实测值,采取有限元数值模拟法,开展功率为400 W的不同齿槽结构的永磁风力发电机温度场研究。首先,按照测试方案并运用FLIR红外热成像仪采集梨形槽、扇形槽、斜肩圆底槽3种结构发电机在不同工况下的动态温度场,将测试温度值整理后,通过meshgrid(x,y)函数和surf(x,y,z)函数相结合,分别绘制出不同槽型的定子沿径向随负载值大小和位置变化的三维曲面;其次,以所测温度值为计算载荷和边界条件,模拟出不同齿槽结构的温度场;最后,对比分析测试和计算温度场的分布规律,以二者一致且有效的规律为依据,找出产热低、散热强的最优齿槽结构。     

Three dimensional magnetic field computation by a coupledvector-scalar potential method in brushless DC motors with skewedpermanent magnet mounts-the formulation and FE grids

A three dimensional finite element (3D-FE) method for the computation of global distributions of 3D magnetic fields in electric machines containing permanent magnets is presented. The formulation of this 3D-FE method including 3D permanent magnet modeling, which is based on a coupled magnetic vector potential-magnetic scalar potential (CMVP-MSP) approach, is given. The development of the necessary 3D-FE grids and algorithms for the application of the method to an example brushless DC motor, whose field is three dimensional due to the skewed permanent magnet mounts on its rotor, is also given here. A complete set of results of application of the method to the computation of the global 3D field distributions and associated motor parameters under no-load and load conditions are detailed in a companion paper     

Three dimensional magnetic field computation by a coupledvector-scalar potential method in brushless DC motors with skewedpermanent magnet mounts-the no-load and load results

The coupled magnetic vector potential-magnetic scalar potential (CMVP-MSP) method of computation of 3D magnetic fields by finite elements (3D-FE) is applied here to a brushless DC motor with skewed permanent magnet mounts on its rotor. Results of the CMVP-MSP and 3D-FE computation of the magnetic field and associated motor parameters (EMFs and armature inductances) are detailed in this paper. These results demonstrate vividly the three dimensional nature of the computed flux distributions, caused by the torque ripple reduction design employing skewed magnet mounts on the rotor. Experimental evidence supporting the validity of the BD-FE field computations, through comparison between computed and measured armature EMF waveforms is also provided in this paper     

Numerical investigation and optimization of the thermal performance of a brushless DC motor

A computational study of a brushless DC motor is presented to determine the thermo-flow characteristics in the windings and bearings under the effects of heat generation. The rotation of the rotor blades drives an influx of ambient air into the rotor inlet. The predicted inflow rates were higher at the front inlet than at the rear inlet due to non-uniform pressure distribution. A recirculation zone appeared in the tiny interfaces between windings. The poor cooling performance was caused by flow separation near the groove threshold by the inclination angle of the bearing groove and by a relatively slow velocity near the bearing and between windings. Based on these results, design parameters for the inlet location and geometry, and for the bearing groove geometry, were determined and optimized to enhance the cooling performance up to 24%.     

Cooling of a permanent magnet electric motor with a centrifugal impeller

This paper presents a thermal fluid analysis on the air cooling of a permanent magnet electric motor with a centrifugal impeller. A numerical model is developed for the heat transfer and fluid flow process. The flow rates of the cooling air are also experimentally measured. The agreement between the numerical model prediction and experimental data is reasonably good. Detailed structures of the cooling flow are presented. Convection heat transfer on the surface of the armature is quantified. Comments on the application of the motor architecture are given. Design modifications are proposed for performance improvements.     

Operating modes of the brushless DC motor with a 120° inverter

An analysis of the brushless DC motor with a 120° inverter is presented. It is shown that the brushless DC motor-120° inverter system has several distinct operating modes. The status of the motor phase current in which the inverter transistors are not conducting (gated off) is used to classify the modes of operation. These modes are identified and their relationship to the speed and the advance in the firing angle is established     

A finite element technique for calculating the magnet sizes andinductances of permanent magnet machines

A method for calculating the magnet size, and the direct and quadrature axis reactances of permanent magnet synchronous machines, using the finite-element method is presented. In this method the machine is modeled by its equivalent d-q representation of armature MMF and the appropriate reactances are calculated from the magnetic energy in the magnetic field. This is in contrast to the conventional approach of using an abc phase current model, solving the model and then converting the resulting quantities to respective d -q-o quantities. The method is applied to a permanent magnet motor design     

Fault analysis of a PM brushless DC Motor using finite element method

Three-phase trapezoidal back-EMF permanent magnet (PM) machines are used in many applications where the reliability and fault tolerance are important requirements. Knowledge of the machine transient processes under various fault conditions is the key issue in evaluating the impact of machine fault on the entire electromechanical system. The machine electrical and mechanical quantities whose transient behaviors are of importance under fault conditions include the voltages and currents of the coils and phases, the electromagnetic torque, and the rotor speed. Experimental test based on true machines for such a purpose is impractical for its high cost and difficulty to make. Computer simulation based on the finite element method has shown its effectiveness in fault study in this paper. Before the finite element model was used to perform simulations under fault conditions, it was validated by test data under normal conditions. Three types of fault conditions-single-phase open circuit fault, phase-to-phase terminal short-circuit, and internal turn-to-turn short-circuit have been studied.     

Determination of magnetic field constant of DC permanent magnet motor powered by photovoltaic for maximum mechanical energy output

The DC permanent magnet motor coupled with centrifugal pump has the better matching when directly powered by photovoltaic (PV) array. The important parameter of DC permanent magnet (DC PM) motor is magnetic field constant. The method for the determination of optimum magnetic field constant of DC PM motor, when powered by PV, has been obtained, and its analysis has been carried out for different magnetic field constants. It has been found that the maximum output is available at the output-energy-weighted average value of magnetic field constant. The parameter, magnetic field constant, should be properly selected during the design of DC PM motor in order to extract the maximum power from PV array.     

Nonlinear control of a permanent magnet synchronous motor withdisturbance torque estimation

This paper introduces a sensorless nonlinear control scheme for controlling the speed of a permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) driving an unknown load torque. The states of the motor and disturbance torque are estimated via an extended nonlinear observer avoiding the use of mechanical sensors. The control strategy is an exact feedback linearization law, with trajectory tracking evaluated on estimated values of the PMSM states and the disturbance torque. The system performance is evaluated by simulations     

Torque ripple analysis of a PM brushless DC motor using finite element method

Three-phase permanent magnet brushless DC motors are widely used. As a function of the rotor position, the torque produced by these machines has a pulsating component in addition to the DC component. This pulsating torque has a fundamental frequency corresponding to six pulses per electrical revolution of the motor. The shape of the torque waveform and, thus, the frequency content of the waveform can be influenced by several factors in the motor design and construction. This paper addresses the various factors that influence the torque waveshape. It is shown that in addition to the basic induced electromotive force (EMF) waveshape, the magnetic saturation in the stator core, and the accuracy in the skewing are also key factors in determining the torque waveshape. Computer simulation using finite element technique has been conducted to study the torque waveform. Simulation results successfully duplicated the torque waveforms measured in experiments under different excitation currents.     

Influence of stator structure on electromechanical parameters of torus-type brushless DC motor

Five torus-type brushless DC motors, each with a different version of the stator core structure have been analyzed in the paper. The first one is a slotless stator core and the four others have the space between the adjacent coils of stator winding filled with the material made either of iron powder composite or laminated iron. An analysis of the motor performance is based on a three-dimensional (3-D) field motor model as well as on the circuit model of the inverter + motor set supplied from the battery. The toothed stator core versions show a significant increase of the average torque, and also an increase of torque ripple caused mainly by the rise of cogging torque. The analysis based on the simulation results is backed by measurements carried out on the prototype of slotless stator version of the motor.