Sensorless Control Algorithm of BLDC Motors with

Current Model

Je-Wook Park, Woo-Young Ahn and Jang-Mok Kim Byung-Moon Han

Dept. of Electrical Engineering Dept. of Electrical Engineering
Pusan National University Myungji University
Busan, South Korea Seoul, South Korea

Abstract— This paper proposes a new sensorless control method depends on the pre-set threshold value which causes
algorithm of BLDC(Brushless DC) motors with current model the reliability problem of the sensorless control algorithm.
based on the 120 degree conduction mode. The rotor speed and This paper proposes a new sensorless control algorithm of
the position can be estimated by using the current model of
BLDC motors with current model based on the 120 degree
BLDC motor which is modified version of the conventional
current model of PMSM(Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor)
conduction mode. The sensorless control algorithm with
sensorless method. The rotor position and the speed can be current model is already presented previously based on the
obtained by using the difference of the actual current and the vector control [10]. This method has good performance in
model current. The position error caused by the parameter wide speed range and high reliability because the estimated
errors of the current model, current distortion at commutation position is continuously updated according to the difference of
points and nonideal trapezoidal shape of back-EMF is also the model and actual current. Therefore, this method is applied
compensated by using simple PI controller and the feedback loop to the BLDC motor to enhance the performance and the
of the real current. The validity of the proposed sensorless reliability of the sensorless control algorithm.
control algorithm is verified through several experiments.
The current model is modified based on the 120 degree
Index Terms—Component, formatting, style, styling, insert. conduction mode and the effect of the current distortion at the
(key words) commutation points is also compensated. This method doesn’t
require additional hardware circuit and the validity of the
I. INTRODUCTION proposed sensorless control algorithm is verified through
The rotor position sensors of BLDC motor including hall several experiments.
sensors and encoders have some disadvantages such as drive
cost, reliability and the drive volume. To solve these problems,
II. ROTOR POSITION ESTIMATION
many sensorless control algorithms have been studied to
control BLDC motors without rotor position sensors. The The equivalent circuit of BLDC motor and a PWM inverter
conventional back-EMF based methods have narrow operating are shown in Fig. 1.
range because it isn’t easy to detect the back EMF at low speed The voltage equation of a BLDC motor is shown in (1).
and additional hardware circuit is required [1]-[5]. The flux
linkage estimation methods [6], [7] use measured voltages and Va   R 0 0  i a 
currents for calculating the flux linkage. The position V    0 R 0  i 
correction and estimation are obtained by using the estimated  b   b 
flux linkage. However, this method has an accumulated Vc   0 0 R  ic 
(1)
estimation error at low speeds because of the large integration  L 0 0  i a  e a 
d
  0 L 0  ib   eb 
time period. The freewheeling current method [8] estimates the
rotor position by using the freewheeling currents of the open dt
phase. The zero crossing point of the freewheeling current is in  0 0 L  ic  ec 
the middle of the commutation point. However, for where
implementation of this method, six comparators have to be R : phase resistance
installed to detect the freewheeling currents and six isolated L : LS – LM
power sources are required for the reference signal of each
LS : inductance of each phase
comparator. The torque constant estimation method uses the
ratio of the back-EMF and the rotor speed as a position LM : mutual Inductance
estimation signal [9]. This method has wide operating range Va,Vb and Vc : phase voltages
because the ratio of the back-EMF and the rotor speed is ia, ib and ic : phase currents
constant in all speed range. However, the performance of this ea, eb and ec : back-EMFs of each phase

978-1-4673-4569-9/13/$31.00 ©2013 IEEE 1648

 PWM Inverter BLDCM em (n  1)
 m (n  1)   m (n)  T (10)
ia R L  ea Ke

However, the estimated position by using (10) has error
ib R L  e b because the parameter errors of the current model, current
Vdc N distortion at commutation points and nonideal trapezoidal
ec shape of back-EMF is not considered.
ic R L  

III. POSITION ERROR COMPENSATION

Fig. 1. The PWM inverter and equivalent circuit of BLDCM.
In 120°conduction mode, the current is distorted during
commuation periods because the current of activating phase is
For the 120° conduction mode, only two phases are delayed by time constant of the BLDC motor, but the
activated. Thus, the voltage equation of BLDC motor can be deactivated phase current is eleminated immidiately through
simplified as (2) [9]. freewheeling diode as shown in Fig. 2. Moreover, the back
di EMF is not ideally trapezoidal, the current is sharply increased
V  Ri  L  e (2)
dt near the commutation point.
e e
V  max( Va ,Vb ,Vc ) , i  max( ia , ib , ic ) , e  u l
2
where eu and el are back-EMFs of upper and lower activated
phases. ia ib
Rearranging (2) for derivative of the current, (3) can be
obtained.
di 1
 V  Ri  e (3)
dt L
where
d ic
e  K e ,  
dt
Ke : back EMF constant
Two-phase Commutation
conduction period
For computer-based control, the difference equation of
Fig. 2. Current waveforms of the two-phase conduction and commutation
current can be expressed as (4). period.
di
i(n  1)  i(n)  T (4)
dt
where, n and T are sampling number and period, respectively. To explain the current distortion caused by position error,
From (3) and (4), the sampled current can be expressed as (5). the on-period and off-period is difined for each phase. The on-
T period is the first quarter of the 120° conducting region and the
i(n  1)  i(n)  V  Ri(n)  e (5)
L off-period is the last quarter of the 120° conducting region as
Therefore, the model current im(n+1) can be obtained as
shown in Fig. 3.
follows.
T
im (n  1)  i(n)  V  Ri(n)  em  (6)
L Va
Taking difference between (5) and (6), following relation
can be obtained.
T
i(n  1)  i(n  1)  im (n  1)   e  em  (7)
L Vb
From (7), the estimated back-EMF em(n+1) can be obtained
as (8).
L
em (n  1)  em (n)  im (n) (8) Vc
T
The rotor speed and the position can be estimated as (9) and
B On C Off A On B Off C On A Off B On
(10) respectively.
e (n  1) Fig. 3. The PWM inverter and equivalent circuit of BLDCM.
m  m (9)
Ke

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 If the estimated position is ahead of the actual position, the where i* is the current command from the output of the speed
current increases in every on-periods because the back-EMF of controller.
the BLDC motor is low at the on-period. On the other hand, if The position error can be obtained by using
the estimated position is behind of the actual position, the PI(proportional-Integeral) controller expressed as (12).
current increases in every off-periods because the back-EMF is
low at the off-period. 
  [ K pierr  Ki ierr dt] (12)
Therefore, to obtain the position error by using phase where ∆Ө is the position error, Kp and Ki are PI gain of the
currents, the current error must be difined considering on-off position error compensator.
period as (11). The overall block diagram of the proposed sensorless
On period : ierr  i *  i control algorithm for BLDC motors is shown in Fig.4.
(11)
Off period : ierr  (i *  i)

v PWM Inverter
bc
Position
Speed Controller Current Regulator v v
wm* V*
ba
i*(n+1)
ac

PI V*
+ PI
+ v v
ca ab
- - *
wm i(n+1) V v
cb

*
V (n+1) T im(n+1)
L em(n+1) 1 wm 1
+ L + - T Ke s + Ө
- - + +
- ia
i(n+1) -

MAX
R z-1
i(n) i(n+1) -
em(n) em(n) ib
z-1
Current-Reference Model
i*(n+1)
Current Error
ierr PI
i(n+1) Calculation ∆Ө
Ө
Position Error Compensation
BLDCM Hall Sensor
Proposed Sensorless Control Block
(Monitoring)

Fig. 4. Overall block diagram of the proposed sensorless control algorithm.

position and the phase current. The position error is maximum

IV. EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS
25° and the phase current is distorted because of this error.
The specification of the implemented BLDC motor is given
Fig. 6 shows the experimental results of the proposed
in Table I. The hall sensors are installed in the BLDC motor for
sensorless control algorithm with the position error
a comparison of the actual and the estimated position.
compensation. The straight increase of the speed at the
transient state of Fig, 5(a) show that the good performance of
TABLE I. PARAMETERS OF THE BLDC MOTOR
the position estimation in the transient state. Fig. 5(b) shows
Rated Voltage 24[V] Poles 10 the comparison of the estimated position and the actual
Rated Torque 0.4[Nm] Stator Resistance 0.5[] position and the phase current. The maximum position error is
Rated Speed 2,500[r/min] Stator Inductance 1.13[mH] 2° and the phase current has no distortion.
Rated Power 100[W] Torque Constant 0.0083[Nm/A] Fig. 7 shows the rotor speed and the phase current when the
0.1[Nm] step load torque is given. The load torque is given to
the BLDC motor from a loaded motor at 0.2[sec] as shown in
Fig. 5 shows the experimental results of the proposed
Fig. 7(a). The rotor speed is decreased to about 2,000[rpm] and
sensorless control algorithm without position error
the phase current is increased when the step load torque is
compensation. Fig. 5(a) shows the speed response and phase
given to the BLDC motor. The rotor speed restored 2,500[rpm]
current. The rotor speed has ripple because of the position error
within 0.7[sec]. Fig. 7(b) and (c) shows the estimated position
and the phase current contains large ripple component. Fig. 5(b)
and three phase currents at S1 and S2 of Fig. 7(a), respectively.
shows the comparison of the estimated position and the actual
The phase currents have good shape both of no load and the
0.1[Nm] load condition.

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 2,500 Speed command
2,500
Speed command Rotor speed

Rotor speed
S1 S2
1,500
[rpm]
ia
[rpm]
0 Current reference 2

5
-2

Load torque injection

-5 [A]
Phase current [A] [sec]
0 0.5
(a)
[sec]
0 1
(a)
S1
Estimated position Actual position 6
6

1
1 Estimated Position
[sector] 2 [sector]
Current reference
2

-2
-2 ia ib ic
Phase current [A]
[A]
[msec]
0 (b) 10
[msec]
0 (b) 1
Fig. 5. Sensorless control without position error compensation. (a) Speed
command, rotor speed, current reference and phase current. (b)
comparison of actual and estimated position and phase current. 6 S2

2,500
1 Estimated Position
Speed command [sector]
2
Rotor speed

[rpm]
0 Current reference
-2
5
ia ib ic [A]

-5 [msec]
0 (c) 1
Phase current [A]
Fig. 7. Sensorless control on the external load disturbance. (a) The rotor
[sec]
0
(a)
1 speed and the phase currents. (b)The estimated position and the three
phase currents at no load. (c) The estimated position and the three phase
Estimated position Actual position
6
currents.

V. CONCLUSION
1 This paper proposed a new sensorless control algorithm for
Current reference
[sector] BLDC motor based on the current model. The current model of
2 BLDC motor is proposed .to estimated rotor position with
difference of the model and actual current. The position error
caused by parameter errors, current distortion at the
-2 commutation point and the shape of back-EMF is also
Phase current [A]
compensated by using a PI controller and the difference of the
0
[msec]
(b) 10 current reference and actual current. This method doesn’t
require additional hardware circuit and has good reliability in
Fig. 6. Sensorless control with position error compensation. (a) Speed
command, rotor speed, current reference and phase current. (b)
wide operating range because the continuous position angle
comparison of actual and estimated position and phase current.

1651
 can be obtained. The validity of the proposed method was
verified through several experiments.
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