An Open-End Winding BLDC Motor Drive with Fault Diagnosis and Autoreconfiguration

Abstract

This article proposes a dynamically reconfigurable open-end winding brush-less dc motor drive (OEWBLDCMD). In this drive configuration, open-ended motor phase windings are fed with two voltage source inverters from each end, which are powered with separate battery banks. Power semiconductor switching devices, which constitute the dual-inverter system, are susceptible for the development of open-circuit (OC) fault and short-circuit faults (SCFs) on the fly, seriously hampering the reliability of the drive. This article proposes simple algorithms to diagnose both of these faults. In particular, the SCF detection is essentially preemptive in nature, as the acts of detection and the subsequent circuit-reconfiguration are carried out before the SCF can cause overcurrents in healthy switching devices and damage them. The fault diagnosis algorithms employ simple analog circuits and Hall current sensors, making them inexpensive and reliable. This article also presents the strategies for the dynamic reconfiguration of the power circuit, which ensures that the charge residing in the healthy battery bank is utilized even if the associated inverter develops a fault. The effectiveness of the proposed power circuit, fault diagnosis algorithms, and reconfiguration strategies is assessed with simulation studies and is validated experimentally.