Sensorless control of permanent-magnet synchronous motor in automotive applications: Estimation of the angular position

In this paper, the problem of designing a position and speed observer for non-salient permanent-magnet synchronous machines (PMSMs) used in automotive applications is addressed. The proposed nonlinear observer relies on stator current and voltage measurements and generates exactly the position estimate. These estimations are then used in the field-oriented torque control scheme achieving a global asymptotic convergence of the torque to its desired time-varying reference. The sensorless control is then implemented on a vehicle benchmark application which consist on a shuttle system. The theory is verified via experimental results.