High-Frequency Voltage-Injection Methods and Observer Design for Initial Position Detection of Permanent Magnet Synchronous Machines

The information of the initial rotor position is essential for smooth startup and robust control of permanent magnet synchronous machines (PMSMs). RoTating Voltage Injection (RTVI) methods in the stationary reference frame have been commonly adopted to detect the initial rotor position at standstill without any position sensors. However, although the Pulsating sqUare-wave Voltage-Injection (PUVI) method performs better in estimation time and accuracy, it is rarely used because the estimation result may converge to the q-axis. In this paper, this fault convergence is avoided by modifying the initial states of the position observer, and the PUVI method can finally be used for the robust initial rotor position detection. Modified signal processing techniques are proposed for both RTVI and PUVI methods for better implementations in fixed-point processors and easier observer gain designs. Detailed comparisons between these two methods are provided. Furthermore, two position estimation observers, i.e., the proportional-integral observer and the extended state observer are compared, and their parameter tuning methods are studied as well. Both simulation and experimental results are provided for verifications.