Sensorless speed estimation in wound rotor induction machines by spectral search of the stator phase power signal

This paper investigates the feasibility of utilising the stator phase power signal to establish sensorless speed estimation schemes in wound rotor induction machines (WRIMs). To this end, the authors derive and validate closed form expressions defining the possible power signal spectral content containing rotor speed information. Based on these, two novel sensorless speed estimation techniques are proposed: the first enables supply frequency independent speed estimation in WRIM extended slip applications, while the second facilitates estimation in a wide operating speed range for scalar controlled WRIM applications based on a sliding-window search of the power spectrum. The proposed techniques are underpinned by a dichotomous search enabled spectral processing algorithm and shown to deliver an increase in attainable real-time estimation rate without compromising estimation accuracy. The performance of reported schemes is assessed and validated in real-time laboratory experiments.