Research on Startup Process for Sensorless Control of PMSMs Based on I-F Method Combined with an Adaptive Compensator

Speed control of permanent magnet synchronous motors (PMSMs) without position sensors is preferable in some applications due to cost and mounting space concerns. For applications in which the operating speed is relatively stable, the dynamic performance and efficiency demands of PMSMs are not severe during the startup process. Under such circumstances, a sensorless controller based on back electromotive force (EMF) estimation combined with a simple startup strategy is a suitable solution. In this paper, an I-f (current-frequency) startup method and a sliding mode observer are adopted to develop a sensorless control system, and the startup process which employs the I-f method is analysed in detail. Based on the analysis, this paper proposes a simple and robust startup strategy with an adaptive compensator to realize the smooth transition from I-f control to EMF-based control. The proposed strategy allows quick startup from standstill under different load conditions without initial position estimation. Furthermore, the strategy does not introduce any additional control coefficients, and none of the original control coefficients need to be adjusted. The strategy is suitable for both surface and interior PMSMs, and a test bench based on an interior PMSM is built to validate its properties. The experimental results show that the motor can smoothly accelerate from standstill to its rated speed in less than 2 s in both loaded and non-loaded situations, and the transition between the two sensorless control methods does not cause any large speed or current fluctuations.