Three-phase BLDC motor system and circuit and method for driving three-phase BLDC motor

This application claims priority to and the benefit of Korea Patent Application No. 2003-45194 filed on Jul. 4, 2003 in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a three-phase brushless direct current (BLDC) motor system, and a circuit and method for driving a three-phase BLDC motor. More specifically, the present invention relates to a three-phase BLDC motor system, and a circuit and method for driving a three-phase BLDC motor using two Hall sensors.

2. Description of the Related Art

A general 3-phase brushless direct current (BLDC) motor includes a 3-phase (U-phase, V-phase, and W-phase) coil installed at a stator and a permanent magnet attached to a rotor.

A BLDC motor driving circuit provides current to the three phases of the coil installed at the stator of the 3-phase BLDC motor. The rotor of the motor is rotated according to a magnetic field generated by the current provided by the driving circuit. The rotor is continuously rotated in one direction by the sequential on and off switching of switching elements according to the position of the rotor. The switching elements detect the position of the rotor by detecting its magnetic field and change the direction of the current flowing through each phase of the stator coil based on the position of the rotor.

The position of the rotor is sensed by three Hall detectors, which sense the magnetic field of the rotor. These Hall sensors generate three signals, which have a phase difference of 120° between them. Hall detectors can be Hall sensors or Integrated Circuits (ICs).

FIG. 1 shows a conventional BLDC motor and a driving circuit. Conventional BLDC motor 10 includes a 3-phase (U phase, V phase, and W phase) coil 13 installed at a stator, a rotor 12 with a permanent magnet attached to it, and three Hall sensors 11 a , 11 b , and 11 c that detect the intensity of a magnetic field of the rotor.

Hall sensor 11 a senses the magnetic field of the rotor at its location and outputs two signals Hu + and Hu − with a magnitude corresponding to the sensed magnetic field, which have a phase difference of 180°. Hall sensor 11 b senses the magnetic field of the rotor at its location and outputs two signals Hv + and Hv − with a magnitude corresponding to the sensed magnetic field, which have a phase difference of 180°. Hall sensor 11 c senses the magnetic field of the rotor at its location and outputs two signals Hw + and Hw − with a magnitude corresponding to the sensed magnetic field, which have a phase difference of 180°.

FIG. 2 illustrates the waveforms of the signals Hu + , Hu − , Hv + , Hv − , Hw + , and Hw − .

Referring to FIG. 1 again, motor driving circuit 40 receives the signals output from Hall sensors 11 a-c and provides currents to 3-phase coil 13 to control the rotation of rotor 12 . Motor driving circuit 40 has comparators 42 a , 42 b , and 42 c . Comparator 42 a receives the two signals Hu + and Hu − output from Hall sensor 11 a and outputs a Hall signal Hu. Comparator 42 b receives the two signals Hv + and Hv − output from Hall sensor 11 b and outputs a Hall signal Hv. Comparator 42 c receives the two signals Hw + and Hw − output from Hall sensor 11 c and outputs a Hall signal Hw. Hall signals Hu, Hv, and Hw are used for controlling a motor driver 44 .

Motor driver 44 changes the direction of the currents flowing through the phases of the coil in response to the Hall signals, output from comparators 42 a , 42 b , and 41 c.

Conventional BLDC motor 10 and motor driving circuit 40 require three Hall sensors 11 a , 11 b , and 11 c installed at the motor and six input terminals provided at the motor driving circuit 40 , driving up the cost of the motor.

Briefly and generally, according to aspects of the present invention, the number of Hall sensors of BLDC motors is reduced, resulting in lower costs and simpler circuitry.

According to aspects of the invention, a motor driving circuit is described for three-phase brushless DC motors, which have a three-phase-coil and first and second Hall sensors to detect the magnetic field of a rotor. The motor driving circuit includes a first comparator, coupled to the first Hall sensor to receive and compare a first pair of Hall signals generated by the first Hall sensor, and configured to output a first Hall signal; and a second comparator, coupled to the second Hall sensor to receive and compare a second pair of Hall signals generated by the second Hall sensor, and configured to output a second Hall signal. Further, the motor driving circuit includes an adder unit, coupled to the first and second Hall sensors to receive the first pair of Hall signals from the first Hall sensor and a second pair of Hall signals from the second Hall sensor to output a third pair of Hall signals; a third comparator, coupled to the adder unit to compare the third pair of Hall signals of the adder unit and to output a third Hall signal; and a motor driver, coupled to the first, second and third comparators to receive the first, second, and third Hall signals in order to change directions of currents flowing through phases of the three-phase coil accordingly.

According to aspects of the invention a method is described for driving a three-phase brushless DC motor having a three-phase-coil and first and second Hall sensors for detecting the magnetic field of a rotor. The method includes comparing a first pair of Hall signals, outputted by the first Hall sensor, to output a first Hall signal; comparing a second pair of Hall signals, outputted by the second Hall sensor, to output a second Hall signals; receiving the first pair of Hall signals and the second pair of Hall signals to generate a third pair of Hall signals; comparing the third pair of Hall signals to output a third Hall signal; and changing directions of currents flowing through phases of the three-phase coil according to the first, second, and third Hall signals to rotate the rotor of the motor.

The accompanying drawings illustrate embodiments of the invention, and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

FIG. 1 shows a conventional three-phase BLDC motor and a motor driving circuit.

FIG. 2 shows waveforms of Hall signals of a conventional three-phase BLDC motor.

FIG. 3 shows vectors of Hall signals of a three-phase BLDC motor.

FIG. 4 shows a three-phase BLDC motor and a driving circuit according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 shows a three-phase BLDC motor and a driving circuit according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is an equivalent circuit diagram of an adder according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 shows waveforms of Hall signals according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 shows a three-phase BLDC motor and a driving circuit according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 shows a three-phase BLDC motor and a driving circuit according to an embodiment of the present invention.

According to embodiments of the invention, a BLDC motor and a motor driving circuit are presented, which employ two Hall sensors and include a simple circuit between the Hall sensors and the comparators of the motor driving circuit to generate a Hall signal.

FIG. 3 illustrates a principle of the BLDC motor driving circuit according to embodiments of the present invention. As explained above, the Hall sensors of the conventional BLDC motor output six signals. The six signals can be represented in a vector form as shown in FIG. 3 . There is a pair-wise phase difference of 120° between signals Hu + and Hv + , signals Hv + and Hw + , and signals Hv + and Hw + , respectively. Further, there is a pair-wise phase difference of 180° between signals Hu + and Hu − , signals Hv + and Hv − , and signals Hw + and Hw − .

Accordingly, one Hall sensor can be omitted when the six signals are appropriately combined. For example, Hall signal Hw + can be generated as the vector sum of Hall signals Hu − and Hv − . Further, Hall signal Hw − can be generated as the vector sum of Hall signals Hu + and Hv + . Based on these observations, embodiments of the invention generate Hall signal Hw by combining Hall signals Hu and Hv as follows:

Hw + =( Hu − )+( Hv − )

Hw − =( Hu + )+( Hv + )  (1)

Therefore, the Hall sensor for detecting signal Hw can be omitted and embodiments of the present invention can control BLDC motors using only two Hall sensors.

In systems, where the time dependence of Hall signal Hu + takes the form VMcoswt, the other Hall signals can be represented as follows (where VM stands for the absolute value of the maximum voltage of the Hall sensor output):

Hu + =VM cos wt

Hv + =VM cos( wt− 120°)

Hw + =VM cos( wt+ 120°)

Hu − =VM cos( wt+ 180°)

Hv − =VM cos( wt+ 60°)

Hw − =VM cos( wt− 60°)  (2)

When Equation (1) is combined with Equation (2), the following Equation (3) is obtained for Hw − :

Hw - = ( Hu + ) + ( Hv + ) ⁢

⁢   = VM ⁢ { cos ⁢   ⁢ wt + cos ⁢   ⁢ ( wt - 120 ⁢ ° ) } ⁢   ⁢

⁢   = VM ⁢ { cos ⁢   ⁢ ( ( wt - 60 ⁢ ° ) + 60 ⁢ ° ) + cos ⁢   ⁢ ( ( wt - 60 ⁢ ° ) - 60 ⁢ ° ) } ⁢

⁢   = VM ⁢ { 2 ⁢ cos (   ⁢ 60 ⁢ ° ) ⁢ cos ⁢   ⁢ ( wt - 60 ⁢ ° ) } ⁢   ⁢

⁢   = VM ⁢   ⁢ cos ⁢   ⁢ ( wt - 60 ⁢ ° ) ( 3 )

FIG. 4 shows a BLDC motor 100 and a motor driving circuit 400 according to an embodiment of the present invention. BLDC motor 100 and motor driving circuit 400 constitute a BLDC motor system. BLDC motor 100 includes a 3-phase (U phase, V phase, and W phase) coil 130 installed at a stator, a rotor 120 with a permanent magnet 120 attached to it, and two Hall sensors 110 a and 110 b that can detect the magnetic field of rotor 120 .

Hall sensor 110 a senses the magnetic field of rotor 120 at its location and outputs two signals Hu + and Hu − with a magnitude corresponding to the sensed magnetic field, which have a phase difference of 180°. Hall sensor 110 b senses the magnetic field of rotor 120 at its location and outputs two signals Hv + and Hv − with a magnitude corresponding to the sensed magnetic field, which have a phase difference of 180°.

Motor driving circuit 400 includes an adder unit 420 , comparators 440 a , 440 b , and 440 c , and a motor driver 460 . Adder unit 420 uses Hall signals Hu + , Hu − , Hv + , and Hv − to generate Hall signals Hw + and Hw − . Adder unit 420 includes a first adder 420 a that adds Hall signals Hu − and Hv − to generate Hall signal Hw − , and a second adder 420 b that adds Hall signals Hu + and Hv + to generate Hall signal Hw + .

Comparator 440 a receives Hall signals Hu + and Hu − from Hall sensor 110 a and outputs Hall signal Hu. Comparator 440 b receives Hall signals Hv + and Hv − from Hall sensor 110 b and outputs Hall signal Hv. Comparator 440 c receives output signal Hw + of first adder 420 a and output signal Hw − of second adder 420 b and outputs a Hall signal Hw. Hall signals Hu, Hv, and Hw control motor driver 460 .

Motor driver 460 changes the direction of currents flowing through the three phases of coil 130 according to Hall signals Hu, Hv, and Hw, to continuously rotate rotor 120 in one direction.

FIG. 5 shows BLDC motor 100 and motor driving circuit 400 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Like reference numerals in FIGS. 4 and 5 denote like elements, and thus their description will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 5 , motor driving circuit 400 includes first and second adders 470 a and 470 b . First adder 470 a includes resistors R 11 and R 12 . One of the terminals of resistor R 11 is configured to receive Hall signal Hu − . One of the terminals of resistor R 12 is configured to receive Hall signal Hv − . The other terminals of resistors R 11 and R 12 are coupled to each other. Second adder 470 b includes resistors R 21 and R 22 . One terminal of resistor R 21 is configured to receive Hall signal Hu + . One of the terminals of resistor R 22 is configured to receive Hall signal Hv + . The other terminals of resistors R 21 and R 22 are coupled to each other. In some embodiments resistors R 11 and R 12 have essentially the same resistance value R 1 , and resistors R 21 and R 22 have essentially the same resistance value R 2 .

FIG. 6 illustrates an equivalent circuit for first adder 470 a . The illustrated circuit is indeed an equivalent circuit, because the output node A of first adder 470 a is coupled to an input of comparator 440 c , which has high impedance. Thus, the voltage of output node A is represented as follows:

Hw + =( Hu − +Hv − )/2  (4)

Similarly, the voltage of the output node B of second adder 470 b is represented as follows:

Hw − =( Hu + +Hv + )/2  (5)

According to Eqs. (4)-(5), Hall signal Hw + is generated by first adder 470 a and Hall signal Hw − is generated by second adder 470 b.

FIG. 7 shows waveforms of the output signals of adders 470 a and 470 b.

Comparing Hall signal Hw in FIG. 7 with Hall signal Hw in FIG. 2 , the magnitude of Hall signal Hw in FIG. 7 is half of Hall signal Hw in FIG. 2 , but the phases of the two signals are essentially the same. The magnitude of Hall signal Hw in FIG. 7 is halved, because equal-resistance resistors R 11 and R 12 are serially coupled and output node A is at the midpoint. In the control of BLDC motor 100 , the relative phases of the Hall signals are more important than their amplitudes. Therefore, the output signals of adders 470 a and 470 b can have low levels as long as comparator 440 c is capable of recognizing these levels.

FIG. 8 shows a BLDC motor 100 and a motor driving circuit 400 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Like reference numerals in FIGS. 5 and 8 denote like elements hence their description will be omitted.

In the embodiment of FIG. 8 , motor driving circuit 400 includes first and second amplifiers 480 a and 480 b that respectively amplify the output signals of adders 470 a and 470 b of the driving circuit of FIG. 5 twofold.

Specifically, first amplifier 480 a includes an operational amplifier OP 1 having an inverting input terminal receiving the output signal of first adder 470 a . The non-inverting input terminal of operational amplifier OP 1 is coupled to the midpoint of serially coupled resistors R 31 and R 32 . The output terminal of operational amplifier OP 1 is coupled to one end of serially coupled resistors R 31 and R 32 , whose other end is coupled to a ground. Here, resistors R 31 and R 32 have essentially the same resistance value R 3 . This layout produces a gain of 2 for first amplifier 480 a.

Second amplifier 480 b includes an operational amplifier OP 2 having an inverting input terminal receiving the output signal of first adder 470 b . The non-inverting input terminal of operational amplifier OP 1 is coupled to the midpoint of serially coupled resistors R 41 and R 42 . The output terminal of operational amplifier OP 2 is coupled to one end of serially coupled resistors R 41 and R 42 , whose other end is coupled to a ground. Here, resistors R 41 and R 42 have essentially the same resistance value R 4 . This layout produces a gain of 2 for second amplifier 480 b.

First and second amplifiers 480 a and 480 b respectively amplify Hall signals output from adders 470 a and 470 b twofold. Therefore, this embodiment compensates the 50% loss of Hall signal amplitude at adders 470 a and 470 b by amplifying the Hall signals back to the level detected by Hall sensors 110 a and 110 b.

FIG. 9 shows another embodiment of a BLDC motor 100 and a motor driving circuit 400 . Like reference numerals in FIGS. 5 and 9 denote like elements hence their description will be omitted.

The embodiment of FIG. 8 amplified Hall signal Hw twofold to match the levels of Hall signals Hu and Hv. The embodiment of FIG. 9 instead reduces the amplitude of Hall signals Hu and Hv to match the level of Hall signal Hw. This is achieved by motor driving circuit 400 including third and fourth amplifiers 490 a and 490 b in addition to the elements of the embodiment in FIG. 5 , coupled to the input terminals of comparators 440 a and 440 b , respectively.

Third amplifier 490 a includes resistors R 51 and R 52 , first terminals of which are respectively configured to receive Hall signals Hu + and Hu − . The second terminals of resistors R 51 and R 52 are coupled to the non-inverting input terminal and to the inverting input terminal of the comparator 440 a , respectively. A resistor R 53 is coupled between the input terminals of comparator 440 a . Resistors R 51 and R 52 have essentially the same resistance value R 5 . Comparator 440 a can be, for example, an operational amplifier.

Fourth amplifier 490 b includes resistors R 61 and R 62 , first terminals of which are respectively configured to receive Hall signals Hv + and Hv − . The second terminals of resistors R 61 and R 62 are coupled to the non-inverting input terminal and to the inverting input terminal of the comparator 440 b , respectively. A resistor R 63 is coupled between the input terminals of comparator 440 b . Resistors R 61 and R 62 have essentially the same resistance value R 6 . Comparator 440 b can be, for example, an operational amplifier.

The above-mentioned halving of the Hall signals Hu and Hv is achieved by choosing the values of resistors R 51 , R 52 , R 53 , R 61 , R 62 , and R 63 to satisfy the following equations:

2 ×R 51 =2 ×R 53 =R 52 =2 ×R 5

2 ×R 61 =2 ×R 63 =R 62 =2 ×R 6   (6)

The difference between voltages, received by the non-inverting terminal and the inverting terminal of first comparator 440 a from third amplifier 490 a , is (Hu+−Hu − )/2. The difference between voltages, received by the non-inverting terminal and the inverting terminal of second comparator 440 b from fourth amplifier 490 b , is (Hv+−Hv−)/2. The levels of these voltage differences are essentially identical to the level of the voltage difference, received by third comparator 440 c from first and second adders 470 a and 470 b . Thus, the first, second, and third comparators 440 a , 440 b , and 440 c receive essentially the same voltage difference.

In sum, the three Hall signals Hu, Hv, and Hw of the present embodiment have essentially the same magnitude and the same phase, while the magnitudes of the Hall signals output from the Hall sensors 110 a and 110 b are reduced by half.

The present invention has been described in connection with certain embodiments. However, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments, but, on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. For example, while the Hall detectors were described as Hall sensors in the embodiments of the present invention, other Hall detectors (a Hall IC, for instance) can be used as well.

As described above, embodiments of the invention use only two Hall sensors at the motor and include simple adders between the Hall sensors and the comparators of the motor driving circuit to generate a third Hall signal to drive the motor. Accordingly, the cost of the motor driving circuit can be reduced and the configuration of the motor system can be simplified.