Estimation of actual torque in an electrical motor drive

1. A control device for driving an electric motor, wherein a drive control signal for the electric motor is arranged to be determined using a calculated rotor flux, wherein a direct quadrature (dq) coordinate system relates to a rotor of the electric motor, wherein the control device comprises:

a flux estimator arranged to determine the calculated rotor flux using a quadrature axis voltage, a measured direct axis current, a measured quadrature axis current, an angular velocity, stator resistance and a direct axis inductance,

an actual torque calculator arranged to obtain an actual torque estimation using the calculated rotor flux, the measured direct axis current and the measured quadrature axis current, the direct axis inductance and a quadrature axis inductance,

a controller arranged to control the motor based on the actual torque estimation, and

a reference torque calculator arranged to obtain an adjusted reference torque using the calculated rotor flux, a reference direct axis current and a reference quadrature axis current, wherein the adjusted reference torque is fed back to a reference torque adjuster to obtain improved correspondence between the actual torque estimation and an input torque to the control device.

2. The control device according to claim 1 , wherein the flux estimator is arranged to determine the calculated rotor flux using the following formula:

ψ

R

=

u

q

-

R

S

·

i

q_meas

ω

-

L

d

·

i

d_meas

.

3. The control device according to claim 1 , wherein the flux estimator is arranged to determine the calculated rotor flux to be the most recent previously determined rotor flux when at least one of the measured direct axis current and the measured quadrature axis current is greater than a respective threshold current value.

4. The control device according to claim 1 , wherein the flux estimator is arranged to determine the calculated rotor flux to be the most recent previously determined rotor flux when the angular velocity is less than a threshold angular velocity value.

5. The control device according to claim 1 , wherein the flux estimator is arranged to determine the calculated rotor flux using a measured angular velocity of the motor.

6. The control device according to claim 1 , arranged to control the motor using a voltage reference by at least considering when the angular velocity is above a threshold angular velocity value, and to control the motor using a direct axis reference current and a quadrature axis reference current by at least considering when the angular velocity is below the threshold angular velocity value.

7. A method for controlling an electric motor performed in a control device, wherein a direct quadrature (dq) coordinate system relates to a rotor of the electric motor, the method comprising the steps of:

determining the calculated rotor flux using a quadrature axis voltage, a measured direct axis current, a measured quadrature axis current, an angular velocity, stator resistance and a direct axis inductance,

obtaining, in an actual torque calculator, an actual torque estimation using the calculated rotor flux, the measured direct axis current, the measured quadrature axis current, the direct axis inductance and a quadrature axis inductance,

controlling the motor based on the actual torque estimation, and

obtaining, in a reference torque calculator, an adjusted reference torque using the calculated rotor flux, a reference direct axis current and a reference quadrature axis current, wherein the adjusted reference torque is fed back to a reference torque adjuster to obtain improved correspondence between the actual torque estimation and an input torque to the control device.