International Journal of Advanced Engineering Technology

E-ISSN 0976-3945

Review Article

A NOVEL MATLAB/ SIMULINK MODEL OF A SOFTSWITCHING CONVERTER FOR BRUSHLESS DC MOTOR DRIVES
Souvik Ganguli

Address for Correspondence

Assistant Professor, EIED, Thapar University, Patiala Email: souvik.ganguli@gmail.com ABSTRACT
Brushless DC motors have widely been used in industrial applications because of its low inertia, fast response, high power density, high reliability and maintenance-free operation. It is usually supplied by a hard-switching PWM inverter, which normally has low efficiency since the power losses across the switching devices are high. In order to reduce these losses, many soft switching inverters have so far been designed. Unfortunately, there are many drawbacks, such as high device voltage stress, large DC link voltage ripple and complex control scheme. This paper proposes a new IGBT based soft-switching converter for a brushless dc motor drive using Matlab Simulink. The simulation results truly justify the design. Moreover, the results like stator current, rotor speed, output torque and voltages are compared with the model without soft-switching techniques. KEYWORDS Brushless DC motor drive, Pulse Density Modulation (PDM), Pulse Width Modulated (PWM) Inverter, SoftSwitching, Zero-Voltage-Transition (ZVT).

INTRODUCTION The earliest work reported in the literature involved the speed control of a brushless DC motor using pulse density modulation (PDM) in a soft-switched inverter. The implementation of zero voltage switching and pulse density modulation enabled increased switching frequency, which allowed more precise inverter control. Moreover, MOS-controlled thyristors (MCTs) were used as the power semiconductor devices in the inverter [1]. Few years later, a DC-AC converter for variable AC drives using soft commutation technique was developed. The converter designed combined the advantages of a soft commutated converter and those of PWM control [2]. A double stage DC-AC-AC converter including a high frequency transformer link was reported in [3]. It integrates the soft switching techniques and was intended to be used for driving two high voltage (400 V) high power (18 KW) synchronous brushless DC motors. Power switches were realized with IGBT transistors for the second stage. However, for the first stage, MOSFETs were used. [4-5] introduced a softswitching inverter based on transformer which can generate DC link voltage notches during chopping switches commutation to guarantee all switches working in zero voltage switching condition. [6] outlines the use of Hall sensors and PWM control in the design of a driver IC for three-phase full wave control of a brushless DC motor. A resonant pole inverter was developed in [7] which prove unique to a BLDC drive system and also easy to implement.

This inverter possesses the advantages of low switching power loss, low inductor power loss, low device voltage stress, and simple control scheme. A power converter with inrush current protection was designed in [8]. A zero voltage transition (ZVT) parallel resonant DC link voltage source inverter (VSI) was proposed in [9-10] for brushless DC machine used in electric vehicle propulsion. A zerovoltage-transition (ZVT) soft-switching converter for brushless DC motor drives was presented in [11]. The proposed ZVT converter possesses the definite advantages that both main transistors and diodes can operate with zero-voltage switching (ZVS), unity device voltage and current stresses. It is a very desirable feature for high frequency switching power conversion where power MOSFETs are used. This converter is especially advantageous for brushless DC motor drives, such as electric scooter applications. Another zero voltage transition (ZVT) three-phase soft-switching voltage source inverter (VSI) was proposed for BLDC motor drive systems in [12]. The proposed ZVT-VSI consists of three switches, six diodes, three capacitors and an inductor. Soft switching operation of all switching devices in inverter was realized by adding auxiliary resonant unit to DC link of conventional one. Auxiliary switches were also operated under zero current switching (ZCS) or zero voltage switching (ZVS). The proposed inverter is suitable for PWM operation. The soft-switching operation of the ZVT-VSI is explained in terms of modes. [13] presents a new low

IJAET/Vol.II/ Issue II/April-June, 2011/164-171

International Journal of Advanced Engineering Technology

E-ISSN 0976-3945

cost, highly efficient, reliable and compact motor drive topology for residential and commercial applications, such as building air-conditioning, appliances etc. The drives consist of a three-phase permanent magnet brushless DC (BLDC) motor, a soft switching dc-dc converter and a three-phase inverter containing six silicon-controlled rectifiers (SCRs). A micro controller or a digital signal processor (DSP) is used to control the overall system. The proposed system is fault tolerant due to its current regulated nature; where it can even withstand a solid short-circuit at its output terminals. The drive is low cost with respect to the commercially used IGBT-based systems. Since all the switches used in the output three phase inverter are current commutated, and the dc-dc converter uses softswitching techniques, this drive has much lower switching losses than the conventional PWM drive. A simple soft switch inverter is proposed in [14] which are applicable to battery-fed BLDC drive systems. This inverter has low switching-power loss, less voltage stress on the main switches, simple control scheme and easy to implement. Thus from the literature survey we found that several soft-switching techniques are applied to brushless dc motor drives. Our aim was to develop a novel soft-switching converter using Matlab Simulink. Simultaneously we have made a simulink model without soft-switching converters and made a comparison between the two with respect to stator current, rotor speed, torque and voltage. SOFT-SWITCHING REQUIREMENTS Soft Switching converters improve torque by following requirements: All switches work under soft-switching condition, so their power losses are small. For the purpose of the phase current control, it is necessary to modulate the phase voltage. This is especially important at low speed, when the motor back-emf is low. The voltage gain of the converter should be maximum possible in order to extend the constant power operation mode and increase the maximum speed. Large fall time of phase current results in negative torque and this time can be reduced if demagnetizing voltage is as high as possible. It is necessary, at the same time, to control current in one phase and force demagnetizing of

some other phase of the motor. This is crucial for reduction of the torque ripple. Converter has to be single rail in order to reduce the voltage stress across the semiconductor switches. The power converter must not require bipolar windings or rely upon the motor construction. A low number of semiconductor switches is desirable. SWITCHING STATES Phase current in IGBT based power converter is controlled by selecting from three possible states: Both switches in a phase leg are on and phase is energized from power supply (220 V) here (magnetizing stage). Both switches in a phase leg are off. Phase current commutates to the diodes and decays rapidly (demagnetizing stage). Only one of the switches is off. The voltage across the winding is near zero and phase current decays slowly (freewheeling). CIRCUIT OPERATION WITHOUT SOFTSWITCHING Current is passed through one of the stator windings. Torque is generated by the tendency of the rotor to align with the excited stator pole. If the poles a1 and a2 are energized then the rotor will align itself with these poles. Once this has occurred it is possible for the stator poles to be de-energized before the stator poles of b1 and b2 are energized. The rotor is now positioned at the stator poles b1 and b2. This sequence continues through c before arriving back at the start. This sequence can also be reversed to achieve motion in the opposite direction. This sequence can be found to be unstable while in use. The direction of the torque generated is a function of the rotor position with respect to the energized phase, and is independent of the direction of current flowing through the phase winding. Continuous torque can be produced by intelligently synchronizing each phases excitation with the rotor position. The amount of current flowing through the BDLC winding is controlled by switching on and off power electronic devices, IGBTs here, which can connect each BLDC phase to the DC bus. The model without softswitching is simulated using MATLAB Simulink which is shown in Fig.1.

IJAET/Vol.II/ Issue II/April-June, 2011/164-171

International Journal of Advanced Engineering Technology

E-ISSN 0976-3945

Fig.1 BLDC without soft switching PROPOSED SOFT-SWITCHING MODEL RESULTS & DISCUSSIONS The soft-switching circuit uses 3 IGBTs .The IGBTs The stator currents, rotor speed, torque and voltage act as switches to provide a series of DC pulses to the outputs of both the BLDC models-without and with brushless dc motor. Since brushless dc motor soft-switching are compared using the simulation frequency controls are for 3-phase motors, there are 3 results obtained. We compared the outputs of stator IGBTs, one for each phase. IGBT connects each current of both the without soft switching model and motor terminal to the positive side of the DC supply IGBT soft switching model which are shown in Fig. 220 V. In that way, each terminal to terminal or line 3 and Fig. 4. Maximum current in both the models to line voltage can be either positive or negative. By output is 10A. As clear from the output, the stator controlling the switching sequence of the IGBTs, the current decreases in the interval (0-0.02 sec), start control provides a simulated 3-phase sine voltage fluctuating thereafter and then becomes constant after with frequency and voltage control. The waveform is 0.2 sec and remain constant until 0.5 sec. and then composed of DC pulses and does not look too much gives sine wave after 0.5 onwards in without soft like a sine wave, but the effective value is a switching model. The stator current with soft reasonably good simulation of a sine wave. Torque switching model is more sinusoidal than without soft switching model. It remains constant in the interval ripple of motor is reduced significantly. For a given (0.3 to 0.5 sec).Moreover, the stator current with soft voltage of supply, torque and speed of the motor are switching technique is more stable and it gives better doubled. For a given speed of the motor, the voltage torque. We compared the outputs of rotor speed of stress of switching device is reduced to half when without soft switching model and IGBT soft compared with the model without soft-switching. The switching model as shown in Fig. 5 and Fig. 6. insulation class requirement can be also reduced. The Maximum speed obtained without soft switching is BLDC motor used requires 220 V to operate. Two 225 radians/sec and maximum speed obtained in the phases of BLDC are excited at a time (it can be A, B or B, C or A, C) depending upon the input signal. soft switching converter model is 300 radians/sec. As The speed precisely follows the acceleration ramp. clear from the simulation results, rotor speed improve The simulation model of the proposed model is with soft switching using IGBTs. Rotor speed starts shown in Fig. 2. increasing from zero and after some time it becomes constant.

IJAET/Vol.II/ Issue II/April-June, 2011/164-171

International Journal of Advanced Engineering Technology

E-ISSN 0976-3945

Fig.2 BLDC with soft switching

Fig.3 Stator Current without Soft Switching

IJAET/Vol.II/ Issue II/April-June, 2011/164-171

International Journal of Advanced Engineering Technology

E-ISSN 0976-3945

Fig.4 Stator Current with Soft Switching

Fig.5 Rotor Speed without Soft Switching

Fig.6 Rotor Speed with soft switching

IJAET/Vol.II/ Issue II/April-June, 2011/164-171

International Journal of Advanced Engineering Technology

E-ISSN 0976-3945

We then compared the torque outputs of without soft switching model and IGBT soft switching model as shown in Fig. 7 and Fig. 8 respectively. Maximum torque in both models is 14 N-m. As clear from the output, torque start decreasing in interval (0-0.01 sec) and after that it becomes constant up to 0.22 sec and further decreases and becomes negative. After that it again starts increasing and becomes constant in interval from 0.23 sec to 0.5 sec. From 0.5 sec it again starts increasing to maximum value and after that it again decreases and become constant for the model without soft switching. Torque in soft switching model decreasing in interval (0-0.01 sec) and after that it become constant up to 0.3 sec and further decreases and become negative. After that it

again starts increasing and becomes constant in interval from 0.3 sec to 0.5 sec. From 0.5 sec it again starts increasing to maximum value and after that it again decreases and become constant. From the outputs we observed that torque improves with soft switching technique. Finally, we compared the voltage outputs of without soft switching model and IGBT soft switching model whose outputs are shown in Fig. 9 and Fig. 10. Voltage in without soft switching model decreases first and after that it becomes constant. In soft switching model, voltage remains constant over the whole period. So we can infer that there is no effect on the bus voltage when motor starts with soft switching.

Fig.7 Torque without Soft Switching

Fig.8 Torque with Soft Switching

IJAET/Vol.II/ Issue II/April-June, 2011/164-171

International Journal of Advanced Engineering Technology

E-ISSN 0976-3945

Fig.9 Votage without Soft Switching

Fig.10 Votage with Soft Switching CONCLUSIONS A sincere effort is made to develop a novel softswitching converter for a BLDC motor drive using MATLAB Simulink. The waveforms for stator current, rotor speed, torque and voltage were studied in comparison with the existing hard-switching converters for the BLDC motor drive. Simulation results obtained justify these facts. A hardware circuitry now needs to be developed to verify the simulation results which can be taken up as a future scope of work. REFERENCES
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E-ISSN 0976-3945

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