Analyse et conception de moteurs synchrones chemisés à commutation électronique

The number of brushless DC (BLDC) motor applications has increased significantly, essentially due to reduced costs of semiconductors and permanent magnets, but also because of the emergence of new control strategies, such as closed-loop and sensorless control. Among the different electric drives, the heating circulation pump is a typical application which could greatly benefits from new BLDC technologies. Nowadays, the majority of low power heating circulation pumps is driven by AC induction motors. Despite of its low efficiency (< 20% for a single phase motor and < 50% for a three phase motor), this kind of motor is still used widely, because of its inherent simplicity since no electronic driver is needed. When a regulation is necessary (for example pressure, flow regulation), this advantage disappears. The aim of this work is a systematic analysis of the circulating pump motor. One solution is investigated in particular: the pump with a sealed BLDC motor. The following points are analysed in details: An analytical method to calculate the flux density distribution is tailored for motors with an important gap, as the sealed motors or slotless motors. The analysis of the electromagnetic characteristics for brushless DC motors shows the similarity of the various brushless DC motors. The calculation of tube losses determines their influence on the energetic balance of the motor. The determination of the acoustical motor noise shows the influence of the different modes of phases switching. The thermal aspects which take into account the motor environment are examined from the theoretical and practical point of view. The synthesis of these points results in a concept for the design and optimisation of BLDC motors; a series of pump prototype have been designed. For the heating circulation pump, the replacement of the AC induction motor with a brushless DC motor makes it possible to double the global installation efficiency. This solution is very promising from an energising aspect as well as an economical one and contributes to electrical energy savings, essential in this end of century.

Innovative standstill position detection combined with sensorless control of synchronous motors

Jan Persson

Sensorless control of PMSM's (Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motors) has occupied scientists for a long time. The result of this research is becoming widely accepted by the industry due to its low cost and reliability. However, the majority of today's motor drives are still equipped with some kind of position sensor. The reason is that sensorless control still have several limitations and is usually more complex than a traditional motor control. A new method to estimate the standstill position of PMSM's is presented. The method is based on the anisotropic properties of permanent magnets and is therefore referred to as MAM (Magnetic Anisotropy Method). The proposed method is independent of any ferromagnetic material and can therefore be used in many types of ironless PMSM's where standard methods fail. The MAM method is tested on a linear ironless motor, and measurement results from a "stripped" rotative motor without any supporting ferromagnetic material are also presented. Furthermore, it is shown in this thesis how Extended Kalman filters can be used to estimate the rotor position, and especially how the robustness and dynamic response of the overall control algorithm can be improved by using identification experiments and optimization algorithms. Some basic modelling of PMSM's are also presented. The modelling process is focused on techniques which are suitable for observers such as Extended Kalman filters. To show the versatility of the method, experimental results from two different motor types are presented. The first is a linear ironless motor while the second is a Hybrid Stepper Motor (HSM). Amongst other things it will be shown how the HSM can be transformed into a highly dynamic brushless DC motor without the drawbacks that is usually associated with HSM's. The linear ironless motor is used to demonstrate that it is possible to achieve good and robust position control without using a direct position sensor. Many different simulation and experimental results are presented for both the HSM and the linear ironless motor. The experiments are deliberately chosen to show both steady-state and dynamic operation of the proposed algorithm. The robustness of the overall algorithm is also analysed, considering unknown external load torque and motor parameters.

EPFL2005

Sensorless Position Control of Piezoelectric Ultrasonic Motors

Markus Flückiger

This dissertation considers mechatronic systems driven by piezoelectric ultrasonic motors (PUM). The focus is set on optimal system design and sensorless position control. Mechatronic industry faces the challenge to deliver ever more efficient and reliable products while being confronted to increasingly short time to market demands and economic constraints driven by competition. Although optimal design strategies are applied to master this challenge, they do not entirely respond to the given circumstances, as often only local criteria are optimised. In order to obtain a globally optimal solution, the many subfunctions of a mechatronic system and their models must be interrelated and evaluated concurrently from the very beginning of the design process. In this context PUM have been used increasingly during the last decade for various positioning applications in the field of mechatronic systems, laboratory equipment, and consumer electronics where their performances are superior to conventional electromechanical drive systems based on DC or BLDC motors. The position of the mobile component must be controlled. In some cases open-loop control is a solution, but more often than not sensors are used as feedback device in closed-loop control. Sensors are expensive, large in size and add fragile hardware to the device that compromises its reliability. Thus, not only the superior performance is not fully exploited but also the economical feasibility of the PUM drive system is jeopardised. Replacing sensors by advanced control techniques is an approach to these problems that is well established in the field of BLDC motors. Those sensorless control strategies are not directly transferrable, because of the fundamentally different working principles of PUM. Hence, the research of sensorless closed-loop position control techniques applicable to PUM and their validation with digitally controlled functional models is the very topic of this thesis. We propose a dedicated design methodology to this statement of the problem. A core model of the mechatronic system is conceived as general and simple as possible. It then develops for the different interrelated views reflecting the mechanical, electromechanical, drive electronic, sensorial and digital control functions of the global system. Each one becoming more specific and detailed in this process, the different views still enable mutual constraint adjustments and the dynamic integration of results from the other views during the design process. Starting with the stator of the PUM, a view describes the mechanical displacement. An electric equivalent model is written such that power input from the drive electronics is related to the mechanical energy transmitted to the mechanics. The resulting differential equations are solved by the finite element method (FEM). Position feedback configurations in the mobile part of the PUM are modelled analytically in order to be implemented in digital control and their electrical implications are updated to the stator model. In this way, sensors do not necessarily materialise physically any more, but are distributed among the mechanical configuration, the drive electronics and the digital controller. With respect to the sensor data, the controller is not simply receiving finalised data on the measured system parameter, but rather implements the sensor itself in software. Finally, the position detection performance obtained with the aforementioned design methodology was evaluated with the example of mechatronic locking devices actuated by custom-made as well as OEM motors. Functional models of motors, electronics and digital controllers were used to identify the limits of the proposed methods, and suggestions for further research were deduced. These results contribute to the development of robust sensorless position controllers for PUM.

EPFL2010

Sensorless Position Control of Piezoelectric Ultrasonic Motors

Markus Flückiger

EPFL2010

Innovative standstill position detection combined with sensorless control of synchronous motors

Jan Persson

EPFL2005