2013 Nirma University International Conference on Engineering (NUiCONE)
Estimation of Stator Flux and Speed of an
Induction Motor Drive
Haris Ahmed, Toshi Sharma, Mohd. Zubair Siddqui and Bhoopendra Singh
Abstract - In this paper an approach to estimate the speed and
the stator flux linkage of a three Phase induction motor by
means of an algorithm using dSPACE is proposed. Emphasis
is given on reduction of the problem of saturation associated
with the pure integrator, while flux estimation. Speed is
estimated using a sensor (MOC7811) mounted at the motor
shaft. Experimental investigation is carried out on a 1 H.P.
motor, a digital inverter controller, an IGBT power module
for inverter/chopper and dSPACE Controller Board
(CP1104). Real time signals like three phase currents, PWM
Pulses, fixed DC link voltage and response of sensor
MOC7811 are the input parameters to the Dspace controller
board, and using these parameters stator flux and speed is
estimated.
Keywords - DC Offset, dSPACE, Flux Estimation, Induction
Motor Drive, Low Pass Filter (LPF), MOC7811.
I. INTRODUCTION
Three-phase induction motor is the most commonly
used motor in industrial application for its simple design,
reliable operation, rugged construction, low initial cost,
easy operation and simple maintenance, high efficiency and
having sample control gear for starting and speed control.
One of the most common control strategies of an
induction motor is V/F method. The volts per hertz (v/f)
induction motor drives with inverters are widely used in a
number of industrial applications promising not only energy
saving, but also improvement in productivity and quality.
The low cost applications usually adopt v/f scalar control
when no particular performance is required. Variable speed
pumps, fans and appliances are the examples.
Furthermore, these applications usually do not require
zero-speed operation. The main advantage of v/f control is
its simplicity and for this reason it has been traditionally
implemented using low cost microcontrollers [1]-[2].
In most high-performance AC machine drives including
even those based on direct torque control (DTC) and field-
oriented control, one of the critical tasks is stator flux
estimation. The estimation accuracy of the stator flux will
affect not only the stability and quality of the control
schemes, but also steady state and dynamic performance of
the system [3].
In recent days, research works has been carried out on
parallel hybrid excitation switched flux (PHESF) generator
for voltage regulation and hence a direct torque linear
control (DTLC) scheme is investigated which, in order to
improve the steady-state and dynamic performance of a
system, proposed the direct and smooth control of the
instantaneous torque. Since the accuracy of the stator flux
estimation will be affected by quality of torque control, thus
a practical stator flux estimation method is presented. The
algorithm contains a third-order low-pass (LP) filter, a
high-pass (HP) filter, and two simple coordinate
transformation modules. The third-order LP filter and the
978-1-4799-0727-4/13/$31.00 ©2013
HP filter are used to eliminate the high-frequency
harmonics and the dc drift in the back-EMF, respectively.
Then, the two coordinate transformation modules are used
in order compensate the produced leading and the lagging
phase angles [4].
Earlier, a programmable cascaded LPF was proposed to
solve the drift problem and to estimate exactly stator flux.
This scheme has a drawback that when the motor at zero
speed, the time constant of the LPF will be very large.
However this problem is overcome by a programmable LPF
with the phase/gain compensator to estimate precisely the
stator flux in a wide speed range [5].
Later, an improved stator flux estimation technique is
proposed which is based on a voltage model and some sort
of low-pass (LP) filter is also incorporated. Voltage-model-
based estimation of stator flux algorithm includes a pure
integrator which suffers a problem of saturation due to the
dc offset, noise, or measurement error present in the back
electromotive force. In order to avoid the saturation
problem, a Low Pass filter is implemented with an
integrator instead of using only a pure integrator [6]-[7].
Various research works has been carried out for the
elimination of the dc component in the integration of
signals used for the flux estimation in high performance ac
drives by implementing a simple adaptive notch filter,
before and after the pure integrator [8].
Latest, many research works are also carried out on the
accurate stator flux estimation and its control in DTC
algorithm. Effectiveness of the different algorithms used for
stator flux estimation is being judged by various parameters
like Root Mean Square Flux Error, THD of Stator current,
etc. Effect of stator flux on performance parameters like
dynamic response, electromagnetic torque and efficiency of
an induction motor drive is the topic of major concern [9]-
[10]. The main reason for the ripples in the torque and
current is due to the low switching frequency. In order to
minimize the ripples in the waveforms large numbers of
non-zero voltage vectors are incorporated [11].
The problem hindering the further calculations in this
research work was the measurement offset error which
appears as a ramp signal at the output of the integrator. To
cancel the ramp at the output, two approaches are used for
improving flux linkage waveform, in this research paper.
First approach for modifying flux is by using slider gain
concept for removing measurement Offset error from stator
current waveform. Second attempt have been made by
modifying the pure integrator by implementing it with a
low-pass filter (LPF) using simulink model and dSPACE
1104 [12]-[14].
Further, the speed estimation using a sensor MOC7811
is carried out at various loading conditions of motor.
 The stationary reference frame voltage and current can
be estimated using the equations:
௏೏೎
ܸ஺଴ = *(ʹܵ௔ െ ܵ௕ െ ܵ௖ ) (4)
ଷ
௏೏೎
ܸ஻଴ = *(െܵ௔ ൅ ʹܵ௕ െ ܵ௖ ) (5)
ଷ
௏೏೎
ܸ஼଴ = *(െܵ௔ െ ܵ௕ ൅ ʹܵ௖ ) (6)
ଷ
Where,
Vdc is the DC link voltage which is set to a value of 300
volts.
Sa, Sb, Sc are the PWM pulses fed to the IGBTs 1, 3,5.

The reconstructed stator voltages when expressed in

stationary reference frame, the equations can be written as:
ଶ ଵ
ܸఈ = *ሺܸ஺ ሻ െ *ሺܸ஻ െ  ܸ஼ ሻ (7)
ଷ ଷ
Fig.1: Block Diagram of the proposed scheme ଶ
ܸఉ = *ሺܸ஻ െ  ܸ஼ ሻ (8)
ξଷ
II. PROPOSED SCHEME Similarly, the three phase stator current which is
directly read from the machine using dSPACE can also be
The entire experiment is carried out on a three phase 1 expressed in stationary reference frame as:
H.P. induction motor and the parameters which are ଶ ଵ
estimated are the stator flux linkage and speed. The block ‫ܫ‬ఈ = *ሺ‫ܫ‬஺ ሻ െ *ሺ‫ܫ‬஻ െ  ‫ܫ‬஼ ሻ (9)
ଷ ଷ
diagram of the experiment is shown in Figure1. ‫ܫ‬ఉ =
ଶ
*ሺ‫ܫ‬஻ െ  ‫ܫ‬஼ ሻ (10)
The block diagram consists of a Digital Inverter ξଷ
controller, IGBT Power module, 3-Phase Induction Motor, Where,
dSPACE and a host computer with MATLAB/Simulink (VA, VB, VC) and (IA, IB, IC) are the three phase
installed. The output of the digital inverter controller is the stator current and voltage.
PWM pulses which are being fed to the IGBT Power
Module. IGBT power module is also supplied with a single Problem Encountered while Flux Estimation
phase supply through a variac which builds the DC link The stator flux is calculated by integrating the back emf
voltage (Vdc). The analog voltmeter on the IGBT Power (air gap emf). This method is preferred because it requires
Module displays the value of DC link voltage. The Vdc can only one parameter of the induction machine, which is the
be set to a desired value at which the required current at the stator resistance. The stator resistance can be easily
output of the IGBT module is produced such that the motor obtained from measurement. The back emf, calculated from
starts rotating. IGBTs of the power module receive the stator terminal phase voltage and from stator phase current
PWM pulses from the output of the AC motor control. The is integrated to calculate the flux estimation. However, it is
PWM pulses, three phase stator current of the motor and the well known that pure integrators suffer from two major
output signals from the MOC7811 are being fed to the problems [12].
dSPACE using BNC cables. MOC7811 mounted on the 1) DC drift because a dc component is always present
motor shaft is given a 5 volts DC supply and it generates a in the signal to be processed, thus, leading the
pulse train at its output terminal. integrator to saturation.
The PWM pulses, three phase stator current of the 2) Initial conditions, which lead to the appearance of
motor and the output signals from the MOC7811 are being a dc drift at the output of the integrator, which
fed to the dSPACE using BNC cables. These input actually does not exist.
parameters are utilized for the further calculation in stator Theory of Integrator
flux and speed estimation. Let’s say a signal X is fed to an integrator then an integrated
output signal Y will be obtained. This can be written as:
III. STATOR FLUX ANALYSIS
Y =‫ݐ݀ܺ ׬‬
The estimation of the stator flux can be done using the
reconstructed stator voltages and three phase stator current Case (I): Let the signal be: X =‫ܣ‬௠ •‹ ߱‫ݐ‬
transformed into the stationary reference. The stator flux in If there is some initial condition, then the integrating the
stationary d-q reference frame ߰ௗ௦ and ߰௤௦ and thus ߰௦ can above signal we get:
be obtained on the integration of the phase voltage minus ଵ
voltage drop in the stator resistance (Rs) and is given by (1) Y = ሺെ‫ܣ‬௠ …‘• ߱‫ ݐ‬൅  ‫ܣ‬௠ ȁ…‘• ߱‫ݐ‬ȁ௧ୀ଴ ሻ
ఠ
ଵ
to (3): Y = ሺെ‫ܣ‬௠ …‘• ߱‫ ݐ‬൅ ‫ܣ‬௠ ሻ
ఠ

ߖௗ௦ = ‫׬‬ሺܸௗ௦ െ ሺܴௌ ‫ܫ כ‬ௗ௦ ሻሻdt (1)

When an input signal (in blue) is integrated through an
ߖ௤௦ = ‫׬‬ሺܸ௤௦ െ ሺܴௌ ‫ܫ כ‬௤௦ ሻሻdt (2) integrator which posses some initial condition then the
ȁߖௌ ȁ=ටߖௗ௦ ଶ ൅ ߖ௤௦ ଶ (3) output waveform (in red) can be shown in Fig.2.
 scheme, the emphasis is given on eliminating the error
appearing at the integrator output in the form of ramp. Fig.4
and Fig.5 represents the ramp signal in the output of the
pure integrator while flux estimation.

Fig.2: Error produced due to integration initial condition

Case (II): If the signal X is with an offset (Adc) where X is

represented by: X =‫ܣ‬௠ •‹ ߱‫ ݐ‬+ ‫ܣ‬ௗ௖

Then, on integration we get:

Fig.4: Effect of measurement offset in the orthogonal flux component
ଵ
waveform
Y = ሺെ‫ܣ‬௠ …‘• ߱‫ ݐ‬൅ ‫ܣ‬௠ ሻ + ‫ܣ‬ௗ௖ ‫ݐ‬
ఠ

In the above equation, the additional term ‫ܣ‬ௗ௖ ‫ ݐ‬due to a

dc signal or offset in the signal that is fed at the input of the
integrator, results a ramp signal at the output. This ramp
signal keeps on increasing with time. The aim is to
eliminate Am, appearing as constant value and ‫ܣ‬ௗ௖ ‫ݐ‬,
appearing as a ramp signal at the output of the integrator, as
shown in Fig.3.

Fig.4: Effect of measurement offset in the Stator Flux Linkage waveform

Two strategies are used together to eliminate the ramp at

output of the integrator.

Strategy1: Using slider gain concept

A measurement offset is observed in the three phase
current when the motor is at the stand still. Due to
measurement offset observed in the three phase current,
Fig.3: Error produced due to measurement offset
current axis is shifted to a different axis other than zero, as
shown in Fig.5:
The integrator discussed in above can be implemented
for discrete time system application, as numerical
integrator. With a sampling time of ¨t, the numerical
integrator is given by:
Y =‫ݐ݀ܺ ׬‬
ଵ
Yሺ‫ݏ‬ሻ = * Xሺ‫ݏ‬ሻ
௦
In discrete form it can be written as:

ሺ݇ሻ െ ሺ݇ െ ͳሻ
ൌ ሺ݇ሻ
ο‫ݐ‬
ሺ݇ሻ ൌ  ሺሺ݇ሻ ‫  כ‬ο‫ݐ‬ሻ + ሺ݇ െ ͳሻ

Elimination of Measurement offset:

The offset generated from the integrator due to
integrating initial condition is constant and once it is
adjusted it will not appear again. Thus in the proposed Fig.5: Measurement offset in the Stator current, when machine is standstill
 In order to make the fine adjustments and to remove the
offset error, a constant with zero value is introduced in the
current block, the value of the constant is adjusted by
dragging it over a slider in the dSPACE layout and the
accurate results for the current waveforms can be obtained
by easily eliminating the measurement offset. Fig.6
illustrates elimination of measurement offset from stator
current.
Fig.6: Elimination of measurement offset using slider
Strategy2: Using a low pass filter (LPF)
The measurement offset error at the input of the
integrator can be reduced to an acceptable value by
introducing an offset adjustment at the input of the
integrator. This can be realized using a low pass filter as
shown in below Fig.7:
Fig.7: Proposed integration algorithm
In this technique, the offset in the stator current is
eliminated by a low pass filter which is tuned at a very low
cut off frequency. When the original signal which is to be
integrated is passed through the low pass filter, the signal
with frequency higher than the cut off frequency will be
blocked and the signal smaller than or equal to the cut off
frequency will pass. Now, the signal at the output of the
LPF is subtracted from the original signal and the resulting
signal is integrated.
IV. SPEED ESTIMATION
In this research work an approach for speed estimation
using a sensor MOC7811 and dSPACE is suggested. The
arrangement for the proposed approach comprises of a
sensor MOC7811 and a circular disc with 14 slots on its
periphery mounted on the motor shaft.
MOC7811
MOC7811 is a slotted opto isolator module, with an
Infrared transmitter & a photodiode mounted on it.
Performs Non-Contact Object Sensing. This is normally
used as positional sensor switch (limit switch) or as
Position Encoder sensors used to find position of the wheel.
It consists of IR LED and Photodiode mounted facing each
other enclosed in plastic body. When light emitted by the
IR LED is blocked because of alternating slots of the
encoder disc logic level of the photo diode changes. This
change in the logic level can be sensed by the
microcontroller or by discrete hardware. This sensor is used
to give position feedback to the robot or as Limit switches.
The circuit diagram and image of MOC7811 is shown in
Fig.8:
(a)
(b)
Fig.8: (a) Circuit Diagram; (b) Image of MOC7811
V. RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS
Fig.9 represents the hardware set up installed in
laboratory which includes a variac, AC motor controller,
IGBT power module which is a two level inverter, 3phase
induction motor, dSPACE board and the computer with
MATLAB installed in it. The experiment is carried out on a
1H.P. star connected, 415volts, 1.8Amp, 50Hz and 4P
motor.
Fig.10 represents the real time simulink model of the
algorithm. The switching signals and the stator current are
directly fed to the simulink model using dSPACE. The DC
link voltage is set to a fixed value of 300volts in the model
itself. For the reconstruction of the stator voltage, dc link
voltage and switching pulses are inputs to the equations (1)
to (3). Three phase stator voltage and the current is then
transformed into the Į, ȕ quantities which is the used to
estimate the flux linkages.
 Results obtained for stator flux linkage and speed after
Cut Off Nominal Mean
performing the experiment at NO load and Load conditions RMSFE
Frequency Reference Estimated
are shown in Fig 11-13. (%)
(Hz.) Flux (Wb.) Flux (Wb.)
1 0.8019 0.6012 20.07
2 0.8019 0.6706 13.13
3 0.8019 0.6533 14.86
4 0.8019 0.6763 12.56
5 0.8019 0.7993 0.26
6 0.8019 0.8216 1.97
7 0.8019 0.7194 8.25
8 0.8019 0.7436 5.83
9 0.8019 0.6545 14.74
10 0.8019 0.7505 5.12

Table 1: RMSFE in Stator Flux Linkage for different Cut off Frequency

Fig.9: Hardware Setup Installed in the Laboratory

Fig.11: Orthogonal Stator Flux Components ൫Ȍఈ ǡ Ȍఉ ൯

Fig.10: Real Time Model for dSPACE Implementation

Harmonic Analysis in Estimated Flux

The parameter to judge the effectiveness of the proposed
integration algorithm is the flux ripple. The flux ripples can
be mathematically expressed by Root Mean Square Flux
Error, given by (11):
ଵ ௥௘௙ ଶ Fig.12: Stator Flux Linkage (Ȳ௦ )
ܴ‫ ܧܨܵܯ‬ൌ ටσே
௞ୀଵ൫ߣ௦ െ ߣ௦ ሺ݇ሻ൯ (11)
ே

௥௘௙
Where, ߣ௦ ሺ݇ሻ and ߣ௦ and are the estimated stator flux
th th
and the reference flux at K and (K-1) sampling instants
and N is the number of data samples[13].

In Fig.12, blue solid line represents the mean flux which is

around 0.7993 wb. At different values of cut off frequency,
the stator flux linkage waveform is observed keeping the
speed of the motor constant at 1375 rpm. The motor is
operated at 300 volts DC link voltage, and the estimated
nominal reference flux is 0.8019 wb. Table 1 represents the
analysis and effect of the different cut off frequencies for
low pass filter (LPF) on the stator flux linkage.
Fig.13: Estimated Speed
 In Fig.13, speed of the motor in the sampling instants 0-
15000 is at the starting of the motor which is almost equal
to 1350 rpm and after 15000 sampling instants, loading on
motor is gradually increasing and speed of motor is
decreasing. At sampling instant 30000, motor has 75%
loading and the speed is reduced to 600 rpm. Increment in
the speed is observed after 70000 sampling instant as
loading is reduced and at sampling instant 80000 motor has
33.33% loading and speed almost equal to 1080 rpm.
VI. CONCLUSION
In this paper a modified approach to eliminate the error
introduced in the flux linkage due to the measurement
offset error in the stator current has been presented. The
ramp signal appearing in the flux linkage waveform is due
to pure integration of measurement offset in a continuous
time or discrete time/ numerical integrator, which can be
eliminated by subtracting the output of a low pass filter
from the signal to be integrated before integrating the
signal. A signal even with small input offset will result
ramp signal at the output of the integrator and as the time
increases the ramp keeps on increasing and then the
distortion in flux will be unacceptable. However, a simple
and modified method is proposed to compensate the error
produced due to the measurement offset error at the input of
the integrator.
In Fig.13, accurate value of speed can be measured by
analysing the envelope of the graph, which is shown by
blue colour.
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