Sensorless BLDC Motor Control for Long Oil Pipelines Inspection Robot

The development of increasingly complex robotic systems is accompanied by the need for compactness in their composition, in order to improve their performance and meet design requirements. In the case of remotely operated robots on long oil pipelines, there are severe space restraints. With this limitation, the use of sensorless DC motors becomes a key point, reducing harness complexity and increasing robustness. Besides the ease of assembly and maintenance, reducing harness is an important factor in terms of feasibility, due to connector limitations. Thus, the more motors present in the robot, the more advantageous this approach becomes. This research presents practical results for sensorless controlling of Maxon EC-4pole motor, using TMS320F28027F MCU, based on Field Oriented Control (FOC) applied to a pipeline inspection robot. As for results, it was able to control the motor immersed in oil with hydraulic pressure of 250 bar at speeds of up to 6000 rpm.