A new sensorless speed control structure for PMSM using reference model

In the paper a new sensorless control structure for the PMSM drive is presented. Such a structure is especially recommended for speed in the range of single revolutions per second (excluding standstill). The method uses a back EMF observer for position estimation. However, there is no need to estimate the speed. This is a big advantage because of possible irregularity of estimated back EMF in this speed range, which makes the calculation of speed difficult or impossible. The proposed structure is similar to the model following control, but the reference model attempts to track the motor operating point. The main idea is to utilize as a reference a model of the whole drive, including speed and current controllers and motor model. Such a model produces reference voltage for the real inverter. However, an extra unit – called rotator – is needed to provide precise control of direct axis current, which is sensitive to the improper position of the voltage vector. The rotator acts as a kind of compensator for error of position estimation.