Sensorless Super-Twisting SMO based PMSM Drive with Improved DANF-PLL for Hybrid Three Wheeler EV Application

Sensorless speed and position techniques are highly sought after in Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motors (PMSM) as they offer cost and volume reduction advantages. In this work, a super-twisting (ST) Sliding Mode Observer (SMO) combined with an improved Dual Adaptive Notch Filter (IDANF) Phase-Locked Loop (PLL) technique is employed for sensorless operation in a solar-battery fed PMSM drive designed for a three-wheeler application. The ST-SMO provides smooth speed and position estimation, effectively mitigating chattering and singularity issues. However, the presence of DC offset and harmonics in the back-EMF signal can introduce estimation errors. To address this, an enhanced notch filter-based PLL is integrated with the ST-SMO to improve rotor position estimation. For wider operating ranges, speed-adaptive parameters are considered to enhance the estimation performance of the notch filter. Furthermore, a rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) array is integrated into the system to assist the battery, extending the vehicle's range and enabling battery charging. The solar PV array is connected to the DC link through a DC-DC Cuk converter. To achieve maximum power extraction from the solar PV array, an accelerator term-based Perturb and Observe (P&O) MPPT technique is utilized. This technique provides the necessary switching pulse for the Cuk converter. The effectiveness of the system for three wheeler (3W) electric vehicle applications is validated through the obtained results, demonstrating the successful integration of sensorless operation, solar power assistance, and efficient MPPT in the PMSM drive.