On Sensorless Induction Motor Drives: Sliding-Mode Observer and Output Feedback Controller

In this paper, a sensorless output feedback controller is designed in order to drive the induction motor (IM) without the use of flux and speed sensors. First, a new sliding-mode observer that uses only the measured stator currents is synthesized to estimate the speed, flux, and load torque. Second, a current-based field-oriented sliding-mode control is developed so as to steer the estimated speed and flux magnitude to the desired references. A stability analysis based on the Lyapunov theory is also presented in order to guarantee the closed-loop stability of the proposed observer-control system. Two experimental results for a 1.5-kW IM are presented and analyzed by taking into account the unobservability phenomena of the sensorless IM.