An integrated controller-estimator technique for vector control and speed estimation in PMSM drive

This study presents an integrated controller and estimator technique, using a stationary reference frame (αβ) system, for a surface permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) drive system. This paper aims to develop an improved sensorless vector control where the Field Oriented Control (FOC) method and the speed estimation are performed together, as opposed to being separate functions in the conventional method for a PMSM drive. In the proposed technique, current control and motor speed - rotor position estimations are performed based on current sensor feedback only. The speed is estimated from αβ-currents of the motor, thereby eliminating the need for speed sensor. The current control loop of the vector control is implemented using αβ-currents instead of dq-currents. The main advantages of this proposed approach are reduced circuitry and simple control configuration. The key benefits include reduction of sensors, controller complexity, computing complexity, and cost. The proposed integrated approach is theoretically investigated and simulated for the PMSM drive model. Using the Opal-RT configuration, the performance is also assessed in real-time. The proposed control strategy shows promise in meeting the closed-loop drive system's speed tracking requirements. A comparison of the simulation results between the conventional and proposed models validates the effectiveness of the proposed technique for speed control applications. When compared to the conventional control method, the proposed model's performance improved in terms of different transient levels, speed responses and evaluation metrics.