Design and Control of Sensorless, Brushless, Linear Permanent Magnet Motors for Fluid Pumping

Funding: 2003: $95,000
2004: $95,000
2005: $60,000

Project Member(s): Zhu, J., Ha, Q.

Funding or Partner Organisation: Australian Research Council (ARC Linkage Projects)
Solar Energy Systems

Start year: 2003

Summary: Many machines require reciprocating motion and achieve it by mechanical conversion of rotary motion. In particular, pistons for liquid pumping and gas compression are usually driven by a crank on a rotary electric motor. Driving the piston directly by a linear motor eliminates the cost, weight, inefficiency and wear of the mechanical conversion. This project will design, construct and test high efficiency, tubular, linear permanent magnet motors for fluid pumping. Further, an intelligent electronic controller will be developed to control the motor speed and reversals without sensors in the motor. Initial applications will be solar powered water pumping and purification.

Keywords: Linear motors Permanent magnet motors Sensorless brushless motor drive Variable speed pump drive Power electronic inverter New magnetic materials

FOR Codes: Electrical Engineering, Other Electronic Engineering, Neural Networks, Genetic Alogrithms and Fuzzy Logic, Appliances and electrical machinery and equipment, Residential and commercial, Conservation and efficiency, Electrical and Electronic Engineering not elsewhere classified, Neural, Evolutionary and Fuzzy Computation, Evolutionary computation, Engineering electromagnetics, Electrical machinery and equipment (incl. appliances)

Acknowledgement of Country

UTS acknowledges the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, the Boorooberongal people of the Dharug Nation, the Bidiagal people and the Gamaygal people, upon whose ancestral lands our university stands. We would also like to pay respect to the Elders both past and present, acknowledging them as the traditional custodians of knowledge for these lands.