Performance estimation of interior permanent-magnet brushless motors using the voltage-driven flux-MMF diagram

The flux-magnetomotive force (flux-MMF) diagram, or "energy conversion loop," is a powerful tool for computing the parameters of saturated interior permanent-magnet brushless motors, especially when the assumptions underlying classical dq theory are not valid, as is often the case in modern practice. Efficient finite-element computation of the flux-MMF diagram is possible when the motor current is known a priori, but in high-speed operation the current regulator can lose control of the current waveform and the computation becomes "voltage-driven" rather than "current-driven." This paper describes an efficient method for estimating the motor performance-average torque, inductances-by solving the voltage-driven problem. It presents experimental validation for a two-pole brushless interior permanent-magnet motor. The paper also discusses the general conditions under which this method is appropriate, and compares the method with alternative approaches.