2nd Int'l Conf.

on Electrical Engineering and Information & Communication Technology (ICEEICT) 2015

Jahangimagar University, Dhaka-I 342, Bangladesh, 21-23 May 2015

BLDC Motor Controller for Regenerative Braking

Adnan Mohammad; Md. Ziaur Rahman Khan
Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET)
Dhaka, Bangladesh
Adnanmohammadl@hotmail.com

Abstract- Design of a controller for Regenerative Braking in a
Brushless DC (BLDC) Motor is presented. The patterns of the
switching pulses of the BLDC motor are described in terms of
Boolean equations. The controller circuit is designed using the
developed Boolean equations. This circuit plays a major role in
motoring and regenerative action on BLDC motors. Necessary
simulation is performed in PSIM. A cost analysis for the
construction of controller circuit is also included here. This
circuit can be useful for electric vehicles.
Keywords- BLDC motor, regenerative braking, motoring action,
boolean equations, hall sesnsors.
I. INTRODUCTION
Different switching techniques are applied on inverter to
perform motoring and regenerative modes of operation for
BDLC motors [2-5]. The switching signals are based on the
output of three hall sensors used to detect the position of rotor
in BLDC motor [2-6].
This work focuses on the switching pulse generation to
design a controller to operate the three phase inverter which
will operate the BLDC motor in energy regenerative mode and
motoring mode. The six switching pulses are described in
terms of six equations which can be considered as a unique and
flexible way to design controller circuit for energy regeneration
of BLDC motor.

Electric Cars use the energy stored in the batteries for Here, the switching signals are represented in terms of
vehicle propulsion. Electric motors are used there to provide a Boolean equations. In mathematics and mathematical logic,
clean and safe alternative to the internal combustion engine. Boolean algebra is the subarea of algebra in which the values
The electric vehicles have faster acceleration but shorter of the variables are the truth values true and false, usually
distance range than conventional engines [1]. Now a day's denoted 1 (High) and 0 (Low) respectively [16].
Brushless DC (BLDC) Motor is becoming an attractive choice There are total six input variables and six outputs.
for electric vehicles due to their higher speed ranges, higher Representation of switching patterns in terms of Boolean
efficiency, and better speed versus torque characteristics, long equations makes it easier to design the controller circuit. Whole
operating life and noiseless operation [1]. This motor retains operations can be easily described and sectored based on these
the characteristics of a dc motor but eliminates the commutator Boolean equations.
and the brushes is called a brushless dc motor. The
commutation is done electronically. II. OPERATING PRINCIPLE OF BLDC MACHINE AND
CONTROLLER DESIGN
Regenerative braking provides an effective way of
extending the driving range of electric vehicles. The
regenerative brake is an energy recovery mechanism which
slows down a motor by converting its kinetic energy into
electrical energy while braking [1-6]. The motor consumes
energy in motoring mode and drive the vehicle and during
braking it runs as generator and charges the battery.
Regenerative braking is sometime realized by using the
additional energy storing components (ultra-capacitor pack) to
absorb the instantaneous braking energy [7-15] . This scheme
requires additional switches and sensors to detect the charging
state of ultracapacitors. Additional discharge circuits are
required for avoiding overcharge before the brake. Thus the Fig. I. Equivalent circuit of BLDC motor including the inverter circuit
whole system becomes complicated, moreover, due to the high Fig.1 shows the equivalent circuit of BLDC motor and
price of ultra-capacitor pack; the cost of the controller becomes inverter circuit which drives the motor [2]. R represents the
high for this approach [1]. In some cases a bidirectional DC­ resistance of BLDC motor, Lrepresents the inductance and C is
DC power converter is used for boosting control in
the capacitance. In Fig.l ea, eb and ec are the back emfs of
regenerative braking [2,9]. Since the back electromotive force motor. There are six switches (SJ to S6) including freewheeling
(BEMF) is much lower than the battery's terminal voltage, it diodes across them.
needs to be boosted for charging the battery pack. The boost
action on the back emf of BLDC motor can be performed by
controlling the sequence and width of switching pulses which
drive the three phase inverter to operate the BLDC motor [2-6].

978-1-4673-6676-2115/$31.00 ©2015 IEEE

Authorized licensed use limited to: INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY DELHI. Downloaded on March 22,2024 at 10:01:41 UTC from IEEE Xplore. Restrictions apply.
 (a)

(b)
Fig. 3. Equivalent circuit of BLDC motor for regenerative braking

Fig. 3 describes regenerative modes of operation for BLDC

motor [2-3]. When, S3 and S2 are at ON state current flows
from source to the motor ('a' to 'h'). Energy stored in the
inductor during ON state of the switches is returned back to
source via Dl and D4 at OFF state of switches (S3 and S2).
The directions of current Uab) are opposite in these two modes
of operation.

(b)
Fig. 2. Equivalent circuit of BLDC motor for motoring operation

Fig. 2 describes motoring modes of operation for BLDC

motor [2-3]. There are total six states of operation in one
complete cycle of 360° [2-3]. Each state is 60°. Fig.2 shows
one state of operation. When, Sl and S4 are at ON state current
flows from source to the motor. When Sl is at OFF state
current circulates among the motor, S4 and D2. In both of the
described switching states current flows in the same direction
('a' to 'h').

Fig. 5(a). Backemf and output of hall sensors

(a)

Authorized licensed use limited to: INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY DELHI. Downloaded on March 22,2024 at 10:01:41 UTC from IEEE Xplore. Restrictions apply.
 01 In this paper these switching signals will be represented in
terms of Boolean equations. One complete cycle is divided into

0 mu six parts for better understanding.

03- TABLE 1. STATES OF CONTROL SIGNALS FOR MOTORING OPERATION

mu
Interval HI H2 H3 sl s3 s5 82 84 86

0 I H L H L L H L H L

05 II H L L H L L L H L

H H L H L L L L H

D ruJJ1]
TTl

0 IV L H L L H L L L H

Q2 V L H H L H L H L L

VI L L H L L H H L L

Q4 Table I shows the states of switching signals for motoring

modes of operation based on Fig. 5. H represents high and Lis
for low. HI, H2 and H3 are outputs of hall sensors. There are
0 six intervals and each interval is 60°. In this motoring action
Q6 there are total four inputs, HI, H2 , H3 and PWM signal for
motoring mode (PWMm).There are total six outputs (sl, s3, s5,
S2, S4 andS6) for six switches. From Table I the following
0 Boolean equations can be expressed for motoring modes,
Fig. S(b). Motoring mode switching signal
sl = HI.H3 (1)
01
s3=HI.H2 (2)

0 11111111111 s5=H2.H3 (3)

S2=HI.H3 (4)
03-
(5)
1111111111
S4=HI.H2

0 S6=H2 .H3 (6)

05 A PWM signal is used to generate proper signals (Fig. 5)

for SI, S3 and S5.

0 1111111111 SI=sI. (PWMm) (7)

Q2 S3=s3.(PWMm) (8)

0 1111111111 S5=sS. (PWMm)

Where, PWMm is the pulse width modulated signal for

(9)

Q4 motoring modes. These Boolean expressions are obtained from

Table I. It is important to note that, the frequency of PWMm is

0
1111111111 greater than the frequency of outputs of hall sensors.

TABLE II. STATES OF CONTROL SIGNALS FOR REGENERATIVE MODE OF

Q6 OPERATION

0 11111 111111 Interval HI

H
H2 H3

H
sl s3

H
s5 s2 s4 s6

H
I L L L L L

IT H L L L H L H L L
Fig. 5(c). Energy regenerative mode switching signal
1lI H H L L L H H L L
Fig. 5 describes all states and modes of operations [2-3]. It
shows the back emf ( eab, ebc and eca) , output of hall sensors (HI, IV L H L L L H L H L
H2 and H3) and switching pulses (for SI to S6) for both modes V L H H H L L L H L
of operations. The operating modes can be selected using a
VI L L H H L L L L H
control signal.

Authorized licensed use limited to: INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY DELHI. Downloaded on March 22,2024 at 10:01:41 UTC from IEEE Xplore. Restrictions apply.
 Table II shows the states of switching signals for q5 -
C.H2.H3.(PWMm) C.H2.H3.(PWMr)
regenerative modes of operation based on Fig. 5. H represents
q2
high and L is for low. H1, H2 and H3 are outputs of hall C.H1.H3 C.HI.H3.(PWMr)
sensors. In this regenerative action there are total four inputs, q4
C.H1.H2 C.H1.H2.(PWMr)
H1, H2 , H3 and PWM signal for motoring mode (PWMr). q6
There are total six outputs (s1, s3, s5, s2, s4 and s6) for six C.H2.H3 C .H2.H3.(PWMr)

switches. From Table II the following Boolean equations can

be expressed for motoring modes,
Table IV shows the summery of combined equations which
sl=HI.H3 (10) are based on (4) to (9) and (16) to (21). Finally, the combined
Boolean equations can be formed using OR operator (+).
s3 = H1.H2 (11)
(12) QI=C.HI.H3.(PWMm)+C.Hl.H3.(PWMr) (22)
s5 = H2.H3
-
s2=H1.H3 (13) Q3= C.HIH2.(PWMm) +C.H1.H2.(PWMr) (23)

s4 = H1.H2 (14) Q5=C.H2.H3.(PWMm)+ C.H2.H3.(PWMr) (24)

s6= H2.H3 (15) -
Q2=C.HI.H3+C.HI.H3.(PWMr) (25)
A PWM signal is used to generate proper signals (Fig. 5)
for S1, S3, S5, S2, S4 and S6. Q4 =C.HI.H2 +C.HI.H2.(PWMr) (26)
SI=sl .(PWMr) (16) Q6=C.H2.H3+C.H2.H3.(PWMr) (27)
S3=s3.(PWMr) (17) Based on (22) to (27) a controller circuit will be shown for
S5=s5.(PWMr) (18) simulation in the next section.
S2=s2.(PWMr) (19) III. NECESSARY S IMULATION
S4 =s4.(PWMr) (20) There are total six input variables in the developed Boolean
equations and six outputs.
S6 = s6.(pWMr) (21)
Where, PWMr is the pulse width modulated signal for TABLE V. INPUT AND OUTPUTS OF CONTROLLER CIRCUIT

regenerative braking modes. These Boolean expressions are Input Variables Output
obtained from Table II. It is important to note that, the
HI Output of hall sensor QI Signal for switch SI
frequency of PWMr is greater than the frequency of hall
sensors. H2 Output of hall sensor Q3 Signal for switch S3

The equations are developed based on Fig. 5 for separate H3 Output of hall sensor Q5 Signal for switch S5

cases. In this paper (4)-(9) represent motoring modes of PWMm Pulse signal for Q2 Signal for switch S2
operation and (16) to (21) represents regenerative modes of motoring action
operation. These can be combined using one control signal. PWMr Pulse signal for Q4 Signal for switch S4
regenerative action
TABLE TIT. THE CONTROL SIGNAL
C Control signal Q6 Signal for switch S6
C State of Operation

1 Motoring
Table V specifies the inputs and outputs of the Boolean
0 Regenerative Braking equations which can be used to develop very simple controller
circuit.

Table III introduces a control signal to combine both

analyses. The motoring action takes place when C is High (1)
and regenerative braking occurs when C is Low (0). Now (4)
to (9) and (16) to (21) can be combined including the control
signal.

TABLE IV. COMBINED EQUATIONS

Switch Motoring action for C=l Regenerative action for C=O

ql
C.H1.H3.(PWMm) C.Hl.H3.(PWMr)
Fig. 6. Outputs of hall sensors
q3
C.HI.H2.(PWMm) C.H1.H2.(PWMr) Fig. 6 shows the pattern of outputs of hall sensors [2-3].
They have a phase difference of 1200 and each one has a pulse

Authorized licensed use limited to: INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY DELHI. Downloaded on March 22,2024 at 10:01:41 UTC from IEEE Xplore. Restrictions apply.
 width of 180°. The generation of hall sensor signals is related
with the back emfs of BLDC motors. The three back emfs (eab'
ebc and eca) have 120° phase difference (Fig.5). For every phase
the output of hall sensor is high for positive portion of back
emf (Fig. 5). HI corresponds to eab, H2 with ebc and H3 with
eca·
Fig. 7 (a) and (b) show the controller circuit which is
formed based on (22) to (27). Table V shows necessary detail
of inputs and outputs for the controller circuits. In this
simulation the outputs of hall sensors are equivalently
represented using three pulse signal sources which have a
phase difference of 120° (Fig.6).
Fig. 7 (c) shows the outputs of the controller circuits.
According to the design, when the control signal (C) is high (1)
the pattern of switching becomes for motoring mode of
operation. This matches with the expected outputs as shown in
Fig. 5 (Motoring mode switching signal). When the control
signal (C) is low (0), the pattern of switching becomes for
regenerative mode of operation. This also matches with the
expected outputs as shown in Fig. 5 (Energy regenerative mode
switching signal).

TABLE VI. COMPONENTS AND PROBABLE PRICE FOR CONTROLLER CIRCUIT

Fig. 7 (a). The controller block
Serial Logic Gate Quantity

I. 3 input AND gate 12

2. 2 input AND gate 9

3. 2 input OR gate 6

4. NOT gate 4

Serial Logic Gate Price ($)/ Quantity Total ($)

Piece

I. 74LS11 : Triple 3-input 0.25 4 1

AND Gate

2. 74LS08 : Quad 2-input 0.25 3 0.75

AND Gate

3. 74LS32 : Quad 2-input OR 0.25 2 0.5

Gate
Fig. 7 (b). The controller circuit in PSIM
4. 74LS04 : Hex Inverter 0.25 1 0.25

Net Total ($) 2.50

Table VI shows the quantities of logic gates used to

construct the controller circuit. It also shows a cost chart for the
circuit [17]. Only $ 2.5 will be enough to construct the circuit.

IV. CONCLUSION

A controller circuit for the BLDC motor is presented using

the Boolean equations for regenerative and motoring modes of
operation. Expressing the behaviors in terms of Boolean
equations makes it simpler to understand the requirements to
construct controller circuit. Finally a cost calculation for the
controller design is shown. This cost effective solution can be
used in the electric rickshaw and other electric vehicles to save
some of the energy lost during braking.

REFERENCES

[1] Bo Long, Shin Teak Lim, Ji Hyoung Ryu and Kil To Chong, "Energy­
Regenerative Braking Control of Electric Vehicles Using Three-Phase
Brushless Direct-Current Motors," Energies, vol. 7, pp. 99-114, January
2014.

[2] M.-J. Yang, H.-L. Jhou , B.-Y. Ma and K.-K. Shyu, "A Cost-Effective
Fig. 7 (c). Outputs and control command of the controller in PSIM Method of Electric Brake With Energy Regeneration for Electric
Vehicles," IEEE Transactions onlndustrial Electronics, vol. 56, issue 6,
pp. 2203 - 2212,June 2009.

Authorized licensed use limited to: INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY DELHI. Downloaded on March 22,2024 at 10:01:41 UTC from IEEE Xplore. Restrictions apply.
 [3] M.K Yoong,Y.H. Gan,O.D. Oan,C.K. Leong,Z.Y. Phuan,B. K. Cheah
and K.W. Chew,"Studies of regenerative braking in electric vehicle," in
2010 IEEE Conference onSustainable Utilization and Development in
Engineering and Technology (STUDENT), Nov. 2010,pp. 40-45.
[4] P.B. Bobba and K.R. Rajagopal, "Compact regenerative braking scheme
for a PM BLDC motor driven electric two-wheeler,"in 2010 Joint
International Conference onPower Electronics, Drives and Energy
Systems (PEDES) & 2010 Power India,Dec. 2010, pp. 1-5.
[5] C.-H. Chen,W.-C. Chi and M.-Y. Cheng, "Fine particles, thin films and
exchange anisotropy," in 2011 IEEE Ninth International Conference
onPower Electronics and Drive Systems (PEDS), Dec. 2011, pp. 631-
636.
[6] X. Nian, F. Peng and H. Zhang, "Regenerative Braking System of
Electric Vehicle Driven by Brushless DC Motor," IEEE Transactions on
Industrial Electronics,vol. 61,issue 10,pp. 5798 - 5808,Oct. 2014.
[7] A. Lahyani, P. Venet, A. Ouermazi, and A. Troudi,
"Batterylsupercapacitors combination in uninterruptible power supply
(UPS)," IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics, vol. 28, pp. 1509-
1522,2013.
[8] A. Kuperman,I. Aharon,S. Malki,and A,Kara,"Design of a semiactive
battery-ultracapacitor hybrid energy source," IEEE Transactions on
Power Electronics,vol. 28,pp. 806-815,2013.
[9] R. Priewasser, M. Agostinelli, C. Unterrieder, S. Marsili, and M.
Huemer, "Modeling, control, and implementation of DC-DC converters
for variable frequency operation," IEEE Transactions on Power
Electronics,vol. 29,pp. 287-301,2014.
Authorized licensed use limited to: INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY DELHI. Downloaded on March 22,2024 at 10:01:41 UTC from IEEE Xplore. Restrictions apply.
[10] S. Lu, K. A. Corzine, and M. Ferdowsi, " A new battery/ultracapacitor
energy storage system design and its motor drive integration for hybrid
electric vehiclee, " IEEE Trans. Veh. Technol., vol. 56,no. 4, pp. 1516-
1523,Jul. 2007.
[II] M. Ortuzar, 1. Moreno, and J. Dixon, "Ultracapacitor-based auxiliary
energy system for an electic vehicle: Implementation and evaluation,"
IEEE Trans. Ind. Electron.,vol. 54,no. 4,pp. 2147-2156,Aug. 2007.
[12] S. Lu, K. A. Corzine, and M. Ferdowsi, "A unique ultracapacitor direct
integration scheme in multilevel motor drives for large vehicle
propulsion," IEEE Trans. Veh. Technol., vol. 56, no. 4, pp. 1506-1515,
Jul. 2007.
[13] S.M. Kim and S.K. Sui, "Control of rubber tyred gantry crane with
energy storage based on supercapacitor bank," IEEE Trans. Power
Electron.,vol. 21,no. 5,pp. 1420-1427,Sep. 2006.
[14] 1. Wang, B. Taylor, Z.O. Sun, and D. Howe, "Experimental
characteristics of a supercapacitor-based electrical torque-boost system
for downsized ICE vehicle," IEEE Trans. Veh. Technol., vol. 56, no. 6,
pp. 3674-3681,Nov. 2007.
[15] P. Thounthong,S. Rael,and B. Davat. " Control strategy of fuel cell and
supercapacitor association for distributed generation system," IEEE
Trans. Ind. Electron.,vol. 55,no. 6,pp. 3225-3233,Dec. 2007.
[16] Boolean algebra (2015, Feburary 09). [Online]. Available:
http: //en.wikipedia.orgiwikilBoolean_algebra
[17] 74LS Series - Futurlec (2015, February 09). [Online]. Available:
http: //www.futurlec.com/IC74LSOOSeries.shtml