Parameter insensitive sensorless control of single-controllable-switch-based switched reluctance motor drive

Elimination of rotor position sensors mechanically coupled with the rotor shaft is attractive to variable speed drives primarily due to increased system reliability and cost reduction. In this regard, search for a simple and robust position sensorless control has been intensified in past few years specifically for low-cost, high-volume applications such as home appliances. This paper describes a new parameter insensitive position sensorless control for switched reluctance motor (SRM) drives satisfying such a need in this market segment. Two consecutive switch-on times of the controllable switch in hysteresis current control are compared to estimate the rotor position and speed. The proposed sensorless control algorithm is very simple to implement since it does not depend on extensive computation or any additional hardware. In addition, the proposed method is robust in that its dynamic performance is least affected by system parameter variations. The proposed approach is demonstrated on a single-controllable-switch-converter-driven SRM with two-phases that lends itself to a system with low cost and compact packaging which comes close to the intended applications. Analysis and simulation results followed by experimental verification are presented to demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed sensorless control method.