A Simplified Thermal Model and Online Temperature Estimation Method of Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motors

Abstract

Monitoring critical temperatures in permanent magnet synchronous motors is crucial for improving working reliability. Aiming at resolving the difficulty in online temperature estimation, an accurate and simple five-node lumped parameter thermal network (LPTN) is proposed and the mathematical model of the LPTN is built. Both radial and axial heat transfer paths inside the motor are considered to model the complete thermal circuit. In addition, an innovative parameter identification method based on multiple linear regression is applied to identify the parameters of the LPTN model. The parameters in the state equation are identified instead of the data of the motor, which are strongly dependent on the material and geometrical parameters. Finally, an open-loop estimation scheme based on the state equation and Kalman filter algorithm is adopted to predict the motor temperature online. The model performances are validated by extensive experiments under varying speed and torque conditions in terms of the accuracy and robustness. The results indicate that the temperature estimation error is within the range of ±5 °C in most cases and the proposed model can quickly follow the load variation. Besides, the online temperature estimation scheme and parameter identification method are easy and convenient to implement in an embedded system, which is feasible in automobile applications.