Sensorless Load Torque Control of BLDC Machine

2021 IEEE Conference of Russian Young Researchers in Electrical and Electronic Engineering (ElConRus) | 978-1-6654-0476-1/20/$31.00 ©2021 IEEE | DOI: 10.1109/ElConRus51938.2021.9396477

Fuad S. Al-Mahturi Dmitry V. Samokhvalov Ahmed I. Jaber

Dep. of Robotics and Automation of Dep. of Robotics and Automation of Dep. of Robotics and Automation of
Industrial Systems Industrial Systems Industrial Systems
Saint Petersburg Electrotechnical Saint Petersburg Electrotechnical Saint Petersburg Electrotechnical
University “LETI” University “LETI” University “LETI”
St. Petersburg, Russia St. Petersburg, Russia St. Petersburg, Russia
m-ph-2011@hotmail.com dmitry.samokhvalov@gmail.com jabersatt@gmail.com

Denis M. Filatov Dmitriy M. Filippov

Dep. of Robotics and Automation of Dep. of Computer Engineering and
Industrial Systems Modeling
Saint Petersburg Electrotechnical V.I. Vernadsky Crimean Federal
University “LETI” University
St. Petersburg, Russia Simferopol, Russia
filippov.dm@cfuv.ru

Abstract— Vector control of an induction motor with torque The proposed methods for creating a test bench are
control function eliminates the need for a torque sensor, which expensive due to the high cost of torque sensors and the
reduces the cost of the system and simplifies the design of the complexity of the construction of the mechanical parts.
electromechanical part of the load stand. This approach is
applicable to study the characteristics of a BLDC machine In this paper, a load test bench for sensorless torque control
operating in both motor and generator modes. A mathematical of BLDC motor is proposed. As a load, an induction motor fed
model of a BLDC machine, loaded by an induction motor fed by by frequency converter (FC) operating in the torque control
frequency converter is built in the SimInTech dynamic modeling mode is used.
environment. Speed-torque curve of BLDC machine is obtained.
Comparison of the values of the characteristic points with the The torque of an induction motor (IM) is set using an
motor specification data proves the correctness of the analog signal coming to the FC from a programmable logic
mathematical model and the adequacy of the results. controller (PLC).
Due to the absence of torque sensor and the simplicity of
Keywords—BLDC machine; loading test bench; sensorless the mechanical construction, the creation of the proposed load
torque control; induction motor; frequency converter; speed-
bench is not laborious and does not require large funds for
torque curves
implementation. To study the proposed method, a
I. INTRODUCTION mathematical model was built using the dynamic modeling
environment SimInTech.
To determine the efficiency of a Brushless DC Machine
(BLDCM) when evaluating the effectiveness of various II. TEST BENCH SETUP
methods of motor control, it is necessary to measure the torque
The block diagram of the BLDCM loaded by an induction
delivered on the shaft.
electric motor (IM) fed by frequency converter (FC) with the
There are various methods of measuring the load torque, torque control function is shown in Fig. 1.
which is part of the type tests (when obtaining mechanical
The BLDCM under test is mounted on a strong frame,
characteristics, determining the efficiency) [1] and is carried
which is attached to the base frame of a loading induction
out in the study of BLDCM parameters measurement. In this
motor (IM) ST80LB. The BLDCM shaft is connected to the
case, for example, inductive or strain gauge sensors are used.
induction motor shaft using an elastic cam backlash-free
In [2], a test bench is considered, consisting of two coupling SJC.
asynchronous motors powered by static frequency converters,
one of which is investigated, and the other is load.
In [3] two different methods for measuring the torque of
high-speed synchronous motors, one of which is based on the
use of an eddy current brake, and the second is based on the
use of inertial mass are proposed.
In devices using strain gauges to measure torque, the main
difficulty is transmitting data on the resistance of sensitive
elements from a rotating shaft; therefore, in [4] it is proposed to Fig. 1. Block diagram of an experimental setup for studying the
use a digital radio channel to simplify data transmission. characteristics of BLDC machine.

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 IM is supplied by the FC connected to a three-phase AC where, Isd2, Isq2 USd2, USq2 – stator currents and voltages
source. The torque reference signal is fed to the analog input of Laplace transforms of IM stator in a rotating coordinate system,
the FC from the programmable logic controller (PLC). Lm2– magnetizing inductance, which takes into account that
The accuracy of the torque stabilizing, according to the part of the flux that is coupled to the stator and to the rotor and
characteristics declared by the FC manufacturer, is ± 5% at an participates in the creation of torque, Lr– rotor self-inductance,
output frequency from 10 Hz. To ensure high accuracy, it is Ls2– stator self-inductance, Rs2– stator phase resistance, ωe–
necessary to carry out the autotuning procedure of the FC with
no-load rotation [5]. synchronous speed, ω2– rotor speed, ψr– rotor flux linkage,
Zp2– number of pole pairs of IM.
III. MATHEMATICAL MODEL OF A BRUSHLESS DC
MACHINE LOADED BY AN INDUCTION MACHINE BLDM and IM shafts are rigidly coupled to each other and
rotate in the same direction (ω1= ω2= ω), but directions of the
If we assume that the phase stator windings have the same shafts torques are opposite to each other: Т1 – Т2=0.
resistance and inductance, and also neglect losses in steel and
in bearings, then the BLDC model can be described by the An IM creates a load torque on the BLDCM shaft, trying to
system of equations in the Laplace transforms: rotate it in the direction opposite to the direction of its torque.
Under the load torque Т2 the mechanical rotor speed of
  1/ (3Rs1 )  BLDCM changes. Resulting speed corresponds to the overall
 I A1 ( p) =   [2U A1 − U B1 − U C1 + ψ f Z p1ω1 ( EB1 + EC1 − 2 E A1 )], mechanical speed of BLDCM and IM rotors:
  Tp + 1 
  1 / (3Rs1 ) 
 I B1 ( p ) =   [2U B1 − U A1 − U C1 + ψ f Z p1ω1 ( E A1 + EC1 − 2 EB1 )], (1) α + β = χ. 1 (1) (1)


 Tp + 1  ω=
J1 + J 2  (T1 − T2 )dt (3)
 I ( p ) =  1 / (3Rs1 )  [2U − U − U + ψ Z ω ( E + E − 2 E )],
 C1   C1 A1 B1 f p1 1 A1 B1 C1
 Tp + 1  where, Т1, Т2 – BLDCM and IM torques on a shaft, J1, J2 –

Te1 ( p ) = ψ f Z p1 ( I A1 E A1 + I B1 EB1 + I C1 EC1 ), BLDCM and IM rotor and shaft moment of inertia, ω–
where, T = (Ls1 – Lm1)/Rs1– electromagnetic time constant of mechanical speed of BLDCM and IM rotors.
the BLDCM stator phase; IA1, IB1, IC1– phase currents The direction of rotation of the system corresponds to the
Laplace transforms; UA1,UB1, UC1 – phase voltages Laplace direction of the highest torque. At Т1 ˃ Т2 the direction of the
transforms; ψf -- flux linkage of the rotor and phase winding; AD speed will coincide with the direction of the torque of the
BLDCM as can be seen from equation (1).
EA1, EB1, EC1 – EMF, induced in the phase windings,
Laplace transforms; Zp1— number of pair pole of BLDCM; In accordance with the mathematical description of
BLDCM and IM, the mathematical model of a BLDCM
ω1-- mechanical rotor speed; Те1– electromagnetic torque; loaded by an IM with a torque control function is implemented
Rs1-- stator phase resistance; Ls1-- stator phase inductance, using the dynamic modeling environment SimInTech. as
Lm1– mutual inductance; p– derivative operator. shown in fig. 2.

Under the assumption that the losses in steel are

insignificant compared to active losses, then the T-shaped
equivalent circuit of an IM can be used. In this case, IM can be
described by the system of equations in the Laplace transforms
[6]:

 Lr L pψ
 pI sd 2 = 2
(U sd 2 − I sd 2 Rs 2 − m 2 r ) + ωe I sq 2 ,
 L L
r s2 − Lm2 Lr
 Lr L ωψ
 pI sq 2 = 2
(U sq 2 − I sq 2 R2 s − m 2 e r ) − ωe I sq 2 ,
 Lr Ls 2 − Lm 2 Lr
 1 Fig. 2. Model of BLDCM loaded by IM drive with a torque control function.
 pψ r = ( Lm 2 I sq 2 − ψ r ), (2) α + β = χ. (1) (1)
 TR
To study the proposed sensorless control method of the
 L BLDCM load torque, the BLDCM SOK86BLS125 data [7]
ωe ( p) = Z p 2 ω2 + m 2 I sq 2 ,
 ψ r TR
were used as the input parameters of the mathematical model.
 This parameters are given in table 1.
3Z L
Te 2 ( p) = p 2 m 2 ψ r I sq 2 ,
 2 Lr

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 TABLE I. BLDCM SOK86BLS125 PARAMETERS [7] from the mathematical model, and the dots show the distinctive
Parameter Symbol Value Units points taken from the BLDCM specification.
rating power Pnom 0.66 kW The resulting speed at these three points are 4315, 3000,
1550 rpm, respectively. The correspondence of these points to
rating torque Те1_nom 2.1 N.m
the datasheet of the BLDCM (in table 1) confirms the
Maximum torque Те1_max 6.3 N.m correctness of the simulation results.
rating speed ω1_nom 3000 rpm
ω1_max-
rotor speed at maximal torque 1550 rpm
torque
No-load rotor speed, ω1_no- ω1_no-load 4315 rpm
load
rating voltage Un 48 V

Number of pairs pole Zp1 4 -

phase resistance Rs1 0.16 Ω

phase inductance Ls1 0.3 mH

Flux linkage ψf 0.02 Wb

EMF coefficient Се 11.5 V/(krpm)

Fig. 3. Speed-torque curve of the tested BLDCM
Moment of inertia J 0.00024 kg*m2

The parameters of the electric motor, which is used as a

load motor, are given in table 2.

TABLE II. IM ST80LB PARAMETERS [8]

Parameter Symbol Value Units

Nominal power Pnom 1.10 kW

Nominal rotor speed ω2 2000 rpm

Nominal voltage Un 330 V

Number of pairs pole Zp2 4 -

Stator resistance Rs2 4.50 Ω

Fig. 4. Changing the speed of BLDCM when setting the torque to IM.
Rotor resistance Rr 2.53 Ω

Stator self-inductance Ls2 5.08 mH The graph of the change in the speed of the BLDCM when
the torque step is set, equaled to the rated torque, is shown in
Rotor self-inductance Lr 8.58 Wb Fig. The transient process takes 0.35 s to reach the set torque
Magnetizing inductance Lm 1.23 V/(krpm) value, which is explained by the inertia of the BLDCM and IM
rotors.
Moment of inertia J 25e-4 kg*m2
V. CONCLUSION
In practice, the parameters of IM fed by a FC can be The article considers sensorless torque control of a
obtained by auto-tuning, which is provided for most frequency brushless DC machine using a load device based on a vector-
converters. controlled induction motor and a torque control function.
IV. SIMULATION RESULTS A mathematical model of the electromechanical system
"brushless DC machine loaded by an asynchronous machine" is
The speed values of the BMPT were obtained for different
obtained.
values of the torque specified in the FC: from zero (no-load
speed) to the maximum torque. The obtained pairs of values of A mathematical model of a brushless DC machine with an
speed and torque give the Speed-Torque characteristics of the electric drive of an asynchronous machine is obtained.
BLDCM, which is shown in Fig. 3.
As a result of mathematical modeling, the values of the
As seen from Fig. 3, the BLDCM speeds are obtained for speed of the brushless DC machine were obtained for various
the torque range from 0 to 7 N.m. There are three distinctive values of the load torque: from zero (no-load speed) to the
points in this range: no-load speed, rating speed and speed at maximum torque.
maximum torque. These points are used to verify the
simulation results. The trend line shows the results obtained

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 There are three distinctive points on the speed-torque curve [3] Pierre-Daniel, Yves P, Torque Measurement Methods for Very High
(idle speed, rated speed and speed at maximum torque), the Speed Synchronous Motors, IEEE International Conference on
Electrical Machines, Vilamoura, 2008. Стр. 1-5.
comparison of which with the engine data table proved the
[4] Gaponov V.L, Gurinov V.V., Dudnik V., Torque measurement on rotary
adequacy of the developed mathematical description. shaft, Izvestia DGTU. 2012. № 1, issue 2, 25–32 p. (in russian)
The proposed method of sensorless torque control can be [5] Varispeed F7, Vector Control Frequency Inverter, User’s Manual. Cat.
used to create an inexpensive and simple design load stand for № TOE-S616-55.2-OY, URL: YASKAWA/Omron. URL:
http://www.rakurs.su/.
studying the characteristics of a contactless DC machine.
[6] Kalachev Y.N, SimInTech simulation in an electric drive, Understanding
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