A new scheme for sensorless induction motor control drives operating in low speed region

A novel simple stator resistance estimation technique for high-performance induction motor drives is proposed. It makes use of a synchronously revolving reference frame aligned with the stator current vector, so that the resistance can be straightforwardly derived from the mathematical model of the induction motor. A sensorless direct field orientation scheme is employed to validate the proposed solution, with the drive operating in the critical area of low speeds. A combination of two observers is used: a Kalman filter observer to estimate the rotor flux, and a MRAS observer for speed estimation. The stator resistance estimator alleviates the usual performance degradation of MRAS-based drives at low speeds, caused by the thermal drift of stator resistance. Computer simulations, including realistic disturbances, show high effectiveness of the described approach. (c) 2006 IMACS. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.