A Comparative Analysis of Pulsating Carrier Injection vs. Extended Kalman Filter Injection-Based Sensorless Control

Sensorless control for electrical drives is still a challenge in the low-speed and standstill region. Solutions that inject a high frequency signal in order to generate position dependent harmonics are well known for their good performance in this particular speed range. The possibility to combine signal injection techniques with model-based observers could be a solution for sensorless control over the whole speed range. In this paper, a pulsating vector carrier signal injection is used with two different estimation methods. First method is based on the commonly used filtering and demodulation associated to the pulsating carrier method, and for the second method, an injection-based Extended Kalman Filter is proposed in order to estimate the rotor position. This two methods are analysed, we concentrate on: parameter tuning, transitory response and noise attenuation. The analysis is supported by experimental measurements obtained on a salient-pole permanent magnet synchronous machine. The results show the satisfactory performance of both methods and the potential to use the proposed injection-based Extended Kalman Filter from standstill to the high-speed region.