Filter for a Brushless DC Motor

Abstract

A filter for use with a brushless DC motor to filter a signal received from a floating terminal of the brushless DC motor, wherein the filter is configured such that a time delay introduced by the filter to the signal received from the floating terminal is equal to the time taken for a rotor of the motor to rotate through an angle equal to half of a commutation step of the motor.

Claims

1. A filter for use with a brushless DC motor to filter a signal received from a floating terminal of the brushless DC motor, wherein the filter is configured such that a time delay introduced by the filter to the signal received from the floating terminal is equal to the time taken for a rotor of the motor to rotate through an angle equal to half of a commutation step of the motor.

2. A filter according to claim 1 wherein the filter is a programmable digital filter.

3. A filter according to claim 2 wherein the filter is a first order digital filter, with a difference equation of the form $V_{f_n}\approx V_{f_{n-1}}+\frac{\delta .Math..Math.t}{\mathrm{RC}}\left[V_i-V_{f_{n-1}}\right],$ where: V.sub.i is a measured voltage at the floating terminal; V.sub.f is the filtered voltage at the floating terminal; δt is the elapsed time between each sample of the measured voltage; and RC is a filter time constant required to achieve the time delay equal to the time taken for the rotor to rotate through an angle equal to half of a commutation step.

4. A filter according to claim 3 wherein the filter time constant RC is calculated according to the equation $\mathrm{RC}=\frac{k}{\mathrm{MotorElectricalSpeed}},$ where k is a constant.

5. A filter according to claim 4 wherein the value of the constant k is 0.095.

6. A filter according to claim 1 wherein the filter is implemented in software.

7. A filter according to claim 1 wherein the brushless DC motor is a three phase brushless DC motor.

8. A filter according to claim 7 wherein the commutation step of the motor is 60 degrees and the time delay introduced by the filter is equal to the time taken by the rotor to rotate through an angle of 30 degrees.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Embodiments of the invention will now be described, strictly by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:

[0018] FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of a known three-phase brushless DC motor; and

[0019] FIG. 2 is a schematic representation of a system for driving a brushless DC motor incorporating a filter according to the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0020] Referring first to FIG. 2, a system for driving a brushless DC motor is shown generally at 200, and comprises a brushless DC motor 210 (which may be, for example, a brushless DC motor of the kind described above and illustrated in FIG. 1) and a controller 220, which is operative to control the operation of the motor 210 by energising pairs of electromagnets of a stator of the motor 210 in accordance with a predetermined sequence.

[0021] The motor 210 has a plurality (for example three) of terminals 212, 214, 216, each of which is connected to a respective electromagnet of the stator of the motor 210. Each terminal 212, 214, 216 is connected (directly or indirectly) to the controller 220 so as to receive signals issued by the controller 220 in order to energise the respective electromagnet at the appropriate time.

[0022] Each terminal 212, 214, 216 is also connected to an input of a respective filter 222, 224, 226, and each filter 222, 224, 226 has an output that is connected to the controller 220. Alternatively, only a single filter may be provided, with the terminals 212, 214, 216 being selectively connected to an input of the filter, e.g. by a multiplexer, when that terminal is not being used to energise a respective electromagnet of the stator.

[0023] The filter(s) 222, 224, 226 provide a connection between the motor 210 to the controller 220 that enables the controller 220 to detect the zero-crossing point in the voltage output by the floating terminal 212, 214, 216 (i.e. the terminal which is not currently being used to energise an electromagnet of the stator). In response to detection of the zero-crossing point the controller 220 generates appropriate signals to energise the next two pairs of electromagnets according to the predetermined sequence, to ensure continuous rotation of the rotor of the motor 210.

[0024] The purpose of the filter(s) 222, 224, 226 is to filter the voltage detected at the terminal 212, 214, 216 to which the filter 222, 224, 226 is connected, in order to provide to the controller 220 a signal from which environmental electrical noise has been eliminated or at least greatly attenuated, to facilitate detection of the zero-crossing points in the signal.

[0025] Additionally, the filters(s) 222, 224, 226 are configured with a much larger time delay than is used in prior art devices, in order to delay the signal from the terminal 212, 214, 216 by a time equal to the time taken by the rotor to rotate though half a commutation step. For example, in a three phase BLDC motor where the commutation step is 60 degrees, the time delay introduced by the filter(s) 222, 224, 226 is equal to the time taken for the rotor to rotate through 30 degrees. As soon as the zero-crossing point in the delayed signal is detected by the controller 220, it can issue a signal to cause the next pair of electromagnets to be energised according to the predetermined sequence. Thus, commutation can occur efficiently, without additional delay components being required.

[0026] In order for commutation to occur accurately over the entire speed range of the motor 210, the duration of the time delay introduced by the filters 222, 224, 226 must be reconfigurable. To this end, the filters 222, 224, 226 are implemented as programmable filters.

[0027] For example, the filters 222, 224, 226 may be implemented in software as first order digital filters, with a difference equation of the form

[00003]$V_{f_n}\approx V_{f_{n-1}}+\frac{\delta .Math..Math.t}{\mathrm{RC}}\left[V_i-V_{f_{n-1}}\right],$

where:
V.sub.i is the measured voltage at the floating terminal;
V.sub.f is the filtered voltage at the floating terminal;
δt is the elapsed time between each sample of the measured voltage; and
RC is the filter time constant required to achieve the time delay equal to the time taken for the rotor to rotate through half of a commutation step.

[0028] The optimal value for RC for any given speed can be found using the expression

[00004]$\mathrm{RC}=\frac{k}{\mathrm{MotorElectricalSpeed}},$

where k is a constant that can be found empirically and is dependent upon the shape of the back EMF waveform for the particular motor. For example, a value of k=0.095 was found to be optimal for typical trapezoidal motor waveforms.

[0029] For a six commutation per electrical revolution BLDC motor, the filtered voltage can be estimated using the expression

[00005]$V_{f_n}\approx V_{f_{n-1}}+\frac{\delta .Math..Math.t}{6.Math.{\mathrm{kT}}_c}\left[V_i-V_{f_{n-1}}\right],$

where T.sub.c is the motor commutation time.

[0030] The filters 222, 224, 226 facilitate effective suppression of environmental electrical noise, whilst also permitting accurate zero-crossing detection and efficient commutation, without requiring additional delay components. Thus, the filter of the present invention enables brushless DC motors to be used efficiently in more electrically noisy environments than has hitherto been possible.

[0031] Although the invention has been described in the context of a three phase brushless DC motor, it will be appreciated that the principles described herein are equally applicable to other brushless DC motor types. Additionally, a specific example of a first order programmable digital filter has been given, but it will be appreciated that any suitable filter configuration could equally be used to implement the filters 222, 224, 226.