Torque Ripple Minimization Technique of Position Sensorless BLDC Motor for Variable Speed Drives

Abstract

Brushless Direct Current (BLDC) motors are advantageous because of their higher efficiency, higher speed operations and higher power density. Industrial applications demand BLDC motors free from torque ripple. The torque ripple is due to the unequal commutation period between the energised phase and unenergized phase current. It is a perilous problem in sensorless BLDC drive as it leads to speed oscillations, acoustic noise, serious faults, and vibration in machines. The torque ripple can be reduced either by improving motor design parameter or by improving the motor control strategy. This paper proposes a Proportional Integral (PI) controller-based control scheme for a cuk converter driven sensorless BLDC motor to reduce the torque ripple. The proposed scheme invokes Zero Crossing Point (ZCP) detection with back emf sensing approach. The presence of inductor reduces the ripple in the input and output currents. The performance of the strategy is verified using MATLAB R2018a Simulink for different operating conditions of a BLDC drive and the results prove that the recommended scheme decreases the torque ripple compared to the conventional scheme.