Sensorless Position Estimation using a Search based Online Commissionable Method (SONIC)

This paper presents an innovative method for the rotor position estimation of Surface Mounted Permanent Magnet Synchronous Machines at low/zero speed conditions. The proposed algorithm is based on an iterative search of position dependent saliency maps commissioned online. The method is also applicable to machines with non-ideal sinusoidal saliencies. Experimental results for saliency mapping at different injection angles in the stationary frame are presented. The performance of the observer at low and zero speed is also evaluated.