Review of permanent-magnet brushless DC motor basic drives based on analysis and simulation study

Brushless DC (BLDC) motors and their drives have been increasingly considered in a broad range of applications due to their significant features. The implementation of these motors is possible thanks to firstly, the progress of permanent-magnet (PM) technologies which provide high efficiency, power density, and torque for these motors. Secondly, the structure and special features of these motors have prepared a basis for simpler control and smaller size compared to those with the same power. In this paper, the basic drives of BLDC motors have been reviewed in order to provide a useful reference for primary research in conventional methods of these types of motors. To present a proper insight to various drive techniques in these motors a systematic classification to control strategies with principles of these techniques has been made. In addition, computer simulations have been utilized in order to achieve a more accurate evaluation, provide the possibility of comparative analysis between various strategies, and place emphasis on the constraints and features of each method. Apart from the comparison of different methods of each strategy, a general comparison among the different methods of various strategies has been made based on the torque ripple, analysis of frequency, and losses of the BLDC motor drive as well as various applications of the different controlling methods. Moreover, considering the importance of electric vehicles (EVs) in industry, selection of the best controlling method for this type of applications together with energy regeneration has been discussed