A method for determining a rotor frequency and/or a rotor angle of a rotor of a reluctance machine, in particular without an amortisseur, is disclosed. The reluctance machine has a stator with a stator winding and the rotor has a magnetically anisotropic rotor core. The method includes applying a temporal sequence of voltage pulses to the stator winding, determining a sequential pulse response of a current flowing in the stator winding, the current being generated as a result of the voltage pulses and a flux being generated from the voltage pulses as a result of the magnetically anisotropic rotor core, and determining the rotor frequency and/or the rotor angle based on the measured sequential pulse response of the electric current by using an evaluating device.

A method for determining a rotor frequency and/or a rotor angle of a rotor of a reluctance machine, in particular without an amortisseur, is disclosed. The reluctance machine has a stator with a stator winding and the rotor has a magnetically anisotropic rotor core. The method includes applying a temporal sequence of voltage pulses to the stator winding, determining a sequential pulse response of a current flowing in the stator winding, the current being generated as a result of the voltage pulses and a flux being generated from the voltage pulses as a result of the magnetically anisotropic rotor core, and determining the rotor frequency and/or the rotor angle based on the measured sequential pulse response of the electric current by using an evaluating device.

Methods and apparatus for determining a position of a rotor in motor, such as a three-phase motor by determining first and second ones of sectors in which a first one of the magnetic poles of the rotor may be positioned by driving phase pairs with complementary signals and examining a voltage of a floating one of the phases. Embodiments can further include driving first and second currents towards the first and second ones of the sectors and analyzing a time for each of the first and second currents to reach a threshold to identify which of the first and second ones of the sectors is aligned with the first one of the magnetic poles of the rotor.

A drive device of a synchronous motor includes a power converter that drives the synchronous motor by sequentially applying positive and negative voltages to respective phases of the synchronous motor; a current detection unit that detects a phase current; and a magnetic pole position estimation unit estimating a magnetic pole position of a rotor based on the phase current. The magnetic pole position estimation unit acquires maximum and minimum values of the phase current while the synchronous motor is stopped, calculates a first magnetic pole position from a subtracted value of an absolute value of the maximum and minimum values, calculates a second magnetic pole position from an added value of the absolute value of the maximum and minimum values, discriminates a polarity of a magnet of the rotor, and estimates an initial magnetic pole position of the rotor from the polarity and the second magnetic pole position.

Unique systems, methods, techniques and apparatuses of a synchronous reluctance machine (SynRM) control are disclosed. One exemplary embodiment is a control device structured to operate a converter coupled to a synchronous reluctance machine and receive measurements of current. The device comprises a converter controller structured to detect a power supply restoration, operate the converter so as to transmit a series voltage vectors relative to the stationary reference frame to the stator of the synchronous reluctance machine, receive current measurements following the transmission of each of the voltage vectors, estimate the rotor position using the characteristics of the voltage vector and the received current measurements corresponding to at least one voltage vector, estimate the rotor speed using the characteristics of the voltage vectors and the received current measurements corresponding to at least two voltage vectors, and operate the converter so as to apply voltage to the stator.

A system and method for torque compensation in a switched reluctance (SR) machine disposed on a machine is disclosed. The system may comprise a SR machine, an inverter and a controller. The controller is in operable communication with the inverter and is configured to determine a commanded main current associated with energization by a main current of a first portion of the plurality of windings for a controlling phase, and determine a commanded parasitic current associated with energization by a parasitic current of a second portion of the windings in a non-controlling phase. The controller is further configured to determine an offset current based on the commanded parasitic current, and determine a target current based on a first sum of the commanded main current and the offset current, and command the inverter to actuate the target current in the first portion of the windings during the controlling phase.

A system and method for sensing rotor position of a three-phase permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) includes a controller coupled with the PMSM and causing a plurality of voltage pulses to be applied thereto. A timer and/or an analog-to-digital converter is coupled with the PMSM and measures a plurality of values (measured values) from a three-phase inverter coupled with the PMSM. Each measured value may correspond with one of the plurality of voltage pulses and includes a current value or time value corresponding with an inductance of the PMSM. One or more logic elements calculates, based on the measured values and on one or more position algorithms, a position of a rotor of the PMSM relative to a stator of the PMSM. The system is configured to calculate the position of the rotor when the rotor is in a stopped configuration and when the rotor is in a rotating configuration.

A system and method for sensing rotor position of a three-phase permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) includes a controller coupled with the PMSM and causing a plurality of voltage pulses to be applied thereto. A timer and/or an analog-to-digital converter is coupled with the PMSM and measures a plurality of values (measured values) from a three-phase inverter coupled with the PMSM. Each measured value may correspond with one of the plurality of voltage pulses and includes a current value or time value corresponding with an inductance of the PMSM. One or more logic elements calculates, based on the measured values and on one or more position algorithms, a position of a rotor of the PMSM relative to a stator of the PMSM. The system is configured to calculate the position of the rotor when the rotor is in a stopped configuration and when the rotor is in a rotating configuration.

A system includes a driver monitor system configured to receive information about driver operation, a relationship table comprising information about an expected relationship between driver operation and a preload force, and a driver controller configured to control a driver in response to the information about driver operation and according to the relationship table. A method of managing a preload force includes providing a first component, providing a second component for compression against the first component, operating a driver to move the first component into contact with the second component, monitoring an operation of the driver, and determining an expected preload force in response to the operation of the driver.

A system includes a driver monitor system configured to receive information about driver operation, a relationship table comprising information about an expected relationship between driver operation and a preload force, and a driver controller configured to control a driver in response to the information about driver operation and according to the relationship table. A method of managing a preload force includes providing a first component, providing a second component for compression against the first component, operating a driver to move the first component into contact with the second component, monitoring an operation of the driver, and determining an expected preload force in response to the operation of the driver.