Methods and apparatus for open loop startup of a three-phase motor that reduces acoustic noise. During rotor alignment of the motor, there is a maximum level for a phase current to the motor. After the rotor alignment, open loop motor startup is performed during which the phase current has a first slope. At a selected time, such as when a frequency of the phase current reaches a first threshold, the phase current transitions to a second slope.

A controller is adapted to be coupled to a brushless direct current (DC) motor and includes an analog-to-digital converter (ADC), a computing device, and a driver. The ADC is configured to receive an analog back electromotive force (BEMF) waveform from the brushless DC motor and sample the analog BEMF waveform to produce a digital BEMF waveform. The computing device is coupled to the ADC and is configured to receive the digital BEMF waveform and determine a position and a speed of the rotor based on the digital BEMF waveform. The driver is coupled to the ADC and the computing device and is configured to receive the position and the speed of the rotor and provide a drive signal based on the position and the speed of the rotor of the brushless DC motor.

A controller is adapted to be coupled to a brushless direct current (DC) motor and includes an analog-to-digital converter (ADC), a computing device, and a driver. The ADC is configured to receive an analog back electromotive force (BEMF) waveform from the brushless DC motor and sample the analog BEMF waveform to produce a digital BEMF waveform. The computing device is coupled to the ADC and is configured to receive the digital BEMF waveform and determine a position and a speed of the rotor based on the digital BEMF waveform. The driver is coupled to the ADC and the computing device and is configured to receive the position and the speed of the rotor and provide a drive signal based on the position and the speed of the rotor of the brushless DC motor.

Provided is a magnetic pole position detection device with which it is possible to shorten the detection time of the initial magnetic pole position of the rotor of a synchronous motor. A magnetic pole position detection device that detects the magnetic pole position of the rotor of the synchronous motor, the magnetic pole position detection device comprising an excitation command unit that excites the synchronous motor while changing the current phase of the excitation current from a preset initial value, and a torque zero determination unit that determines whether the torque generated by the rotor has reached zero, the excitation command unit: continuously executing an operation for exciting the synchronous motor using, as the current phase of the excitation current, a value obtained with a subtraction process for subtracting, from the initial value, a phase angle corresponding to the cumulative value of the movement amount of the rotor from the starting point of excitation at the initial value of the current phase, during the period after the synchronous rotor was excited at the initial value of the current phase until the torque is determined to have reached zero; and acquiring, as the magnetic pole initial position, the value obtained with the subtraction process when the torque is determined to have reached zero.

Provided is a magnetic pole position detection device with which it is possible to shorten the detection time of the initial magnetic pole position of the rotor of a synchronous motor. A magnetic pole position detection device that detects the magnetic pole position of the rotor of the synchronous motor, the magnetic pole position detection device comprising an excitation command unit that excites the synchronous motor while changing the current phase of the excitation current from a preset initial value, and a torque zero determination unit that determines whether the torque generated by the rotor has reached zero, the excitation command unit: continuously executing an operation for exciting the synchronous motor using, as the current phase of the excitation current, a value obtained with a subtraction process for subtracting, from the initial value, a phase angle corresponding to the cumulative value of the movement amount of the rotor from the starting point of excitation at the initial value of the current phase, during the period after the synchronous rotor was excited at the initial value of the current phase until the torque is determined to have reached zero; and acquiring, as the magnetic pole initial position, the value obtained with the subtraction process when the torque is determined to have reached zero.

A converter controller configured to control a firing phase of a converter includes an integral element integrating a deviation of DC current from a current command value and generates a voltage command value of output voltage of the converter by performing control calculation of the deviation. In a first mode of performing commutation of an inverter by intermittently setting DC current to zero, the converter controller sets DC current to zero for a predetermined pause time by narrowing a phase control angle simultaneously with a commutation command for the inverter. When the control calculation is resumed immediately after the pause time, the converter controller uses a control amount calculated in control calculation immediately before the pause time as a preset value of the integral element immediately after the pause time.

A converter controller configured to control a firing phase of a converter includes an integral element integrating a deviation of DC current from a current command value and generates a voltage command value of output voltage of the converter by performing control calculation of the deviation. In a first mode of performing commutation of an inverter by intermittently setting DC current to zero, the converter controller sets DC current to zero for a predetermined pause time by narrowing a phase control angle simultaneously with a commutation command for the inverter. When the control calculation is resumed immediately after the pause time, the converter controller uses a control amount calculated in control calculation immediately before the pause time as a preset value of the integral element immediately after the pause time.

A method for sensorless control of an electric motor implemented in a variable speed drive including: determining a control voltage to be applied to the motor; injecting a high frequency signal to the control voltage to obtain an excitation voltage, wherein one or more frequencies of the high frequency signal varies with time; applying the excitation voltage to the motor; measuring a current signal induced in the motor by the excitation voltage, wherein the current signal comprises a fundamental current, induced by the control voltage, and a disturbance current, induced by the high frequency signal; and demodulating the current signal.

A method for sensorless control of an electric motor implemented in a variable speed drive including: determining a control voltage to be applied to the motor; injecting a high frequency signal to the control voltage to obtain an excitation voltage, wherein one or more frequencies of the high frequency signal varies with time; applying the excitation voltage to the motor; measuring a current signal induced in the motor by the excitation voltage, wherein the current signal comprises a fundamental current, induced by the control voltage, and a disturbance current, induced by the high frequency signal; and demodulating the current signal.

The method for controlling a rotating electric machine according to the invention comprises a step of controlling the phase currents of the machine by means of a full-wave control (C). According to the invention, the full-wave control (C) is generated via a pulse width modulated signal of which the signal frequency is greater than an electric frequency of the machine. According to another feature, ascending or descending fronts (24, 25) of the pulse width modulated signal are synchronised with first and second crossings of first and second angular switching thresholds (S1, S2) by an electric position (θ) of the machine and a duty ratio (α) of the pulse width modulated signal is periodically refreshed to the signal frequency.