Self-Sensing Control of a PMSM Used for an Automotive Application with a Novel Rotor Position Estimator Based on the Back-Electromotive Force

This paper presents a novel rotor position estimation method used for a permanent magnet synchronous machine (PMSM) at medium to high speeds. Through the direct evaluation of the stator voltage differential equation by means of online optimisation of a defined error function, highly responsive dynamics can be achieved. The estimation is performed synchronous to the pulse-width-modulation (PWM) period and uses two current samples per PWM period, which allows the estimation to be implemented on a commercial converter. The estimator is evaluated in simulations and experiments using a machine designed for automotive traction applications.