Electric controls for a high-performance EHA using an interior permanent magnet motor drive

A controller for a high-performance electrohydrostatic actuator (EHA) has been developed using an interior permanent magnet (IPM) synchronous motor to produce the servo motion. The buried-magnet design of the IPM motor yields a combination of desired characteristics including high efficiency, robust rotor construction, and wide operating speed range. Power converter size has been minimized by using insulated-gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) power switches combined with high-voltage integrated circuit (HVIC) gate drivers in phase-leg power modules. Experimental results for the demonstrator motor-controller hardware rated at 12 hp (continuous) are presented which confirm the attractive performance characteristics of the IPM motor drive.<>