A nonlinear adaptive speed tracking control for sensorless permanent magnet step motors with unknown load torque

Assuming that only stator currents and voltages are available for feedback, a nonlinear adaptive speed tracking control algorithm is proposed for a permanent magnet step motor with unknown constant load torque. It relies on three new theoretical results: the ‘s-alignment’ and ‘c-alignment’ procedures, in which the motor is forced to reach certain known equilibrium points, and an output feedback controller which guarantees asymptotic speed tracking for every initial condition belonging to an explicitly computed domain of attraction (global exponential convergence is achieved in the case of known constant load torque). Numerical simulation results illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed solution. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.