Samuel Galceran Arellano

A distance PLC programming course employing a remote laboratory based on a flexible manufacturing cell

The increasing necessity of engineers capable of handling the problems of the industry and able to face the technical challenges they will encounter in their professional career is boosting the teaching methods based on projects and real applications. The Center of Technological Innovation in Static Converters and Drives, Technical University of Catalonia (CITCEA-UPC) group, Barcelona, Spain, has introduced such learning methods applied to the automation field in a course taught for the electrical engineering degree and in some postgraduate workshops, making the laboratory platforms available through the Internet in order to allow the use of such practices in e-learning-based courses. The learning method is based on a flexible manufacturing cell, resulting from the collaboration between the CITCEA-UPC and Schneider Electric and its Training Center. The problem proposed to the students is the automation of such a cell with commercial programmable logic controllers (PLCs). The experience has proved to be positive, and the students have valued it accordingly

Reduced Saliency PMSM V/f Sensorless Control with Initial Rotor Position Estimation

Abstract An initial rotor position estimation method without any position sensor for reduced saliency PMSM is presented. The algorithm is used in combination with a stabilized scalar control. An oscillating high-frequency voltage signal is injected at standstill to estimate the magnet pole position and after that voltage pulses are injected in the corresponding direction in order to detect the rotor polarity. Experimental results have shown the validity of the algorithm for a commercial reduced saliency motor.An initial rotor position estimation method without any position sensor for reduced saliency PMSM is presented. The algorithm is used in combination with a stabilized scalar control. An oscillating high-frequency voltage signal is injected at standstill to estimate the magnet pole position and after that voltage pulses are injected in the corresponding direction in order to detect the rotor polarity. Experimental results have shown the validity of the algorithm for a commercial reduced saliency motor.