Design and implementation of digital logic for brushless DC motor control in electric vehicles

Abstract

In today's world, the rise in global warming is driving a shift towards electric mobility. The progress in battery technology and power electronic devices has facilitated the transition of vehicles from being powered by traditional internal combustion engines to electric motors. The types of motors utilized for propulsion include DC motors, three-phase induction motors, permanent magnet synchronous motors (PMSM), and brushless DC motors (BLDC). Among them, the BLDC motor, when paired with a suitable control algorithm, proves to be the most suitable option for electric vehicle applications. The existing control algorithms for BLD motors are quite complex. Therefore, this study presents the development of an innovative and simple digital control algorithm based on a combinational logic circuit to drive the BLDC motor under motoring and regenerative braking mode. The proposed control algorithm and its effectiveness are validated by simulating it using Xilinx & Proteus software and experimenting with the concept in hardware by utilizing a PIC microcontroller. The proposed control algorithm forms a cost-effective alternative for BLDC motor speed control.