Modelling a new sensorless control strategy for brushless DC motors

A novel control strategy, applicable to brushless DC motors (BLDCMs), was investigated and modelled by an academic team in collaboration with NEC Electronics Europe GmbH. The company has recently developed a new microcontroller, based on a simple sensorless control principle of permanent magnet synchronous machines (PMSMs), which is equally applicable to BLDCMs. The use of the new microcontroller in drive systems was modelled by the research team at the university using a Visual C++ environment and was compared with a traditional control method for BLDCMs. Extensive simulations were carried out and the results validated the new control principle, which is simple to implement and cost effective if using the novel NEC Electronics Europe GmbH microcontroller. The performance obtained in comparison with the classical control method proves the novel control strategy to be at least as effective as classical one, at reduced cost, showing better stability at lower speeds in cvasi-stationary regimes, with low dynamics. Typical applications are in the white goods industry.