Sensorless Rotor Position Estimation and Control for a Three-Stage Synchronous Starter-Generator

The three-stage synchronous generator is widely use on aircraft due to its reliability. Reducing component weight has consistently been a pivotal focus in aircraft development. Consequently, the integration of a starter-generator system is expected to contribute significantly toward achieving this objective. By proposing a controller with startup and generation functionalities that does not alter the original generator design, this approach facilitates the direct expansion of existing systems to include startup capabilities, thereby enabling more rapid integration and application. There is a trend to employ starter function to further reduce the volume and weight of the electric system which is important for an aircraft. In this paper, a three-stage starter generator control circuit and a multi-physic simulation model is provided to verify the application of a sensorless rotor position estimation and field-oriented control method.