Sensorless Heavy-Load Startup Method for Underwater PMSM Driven by Long Umbilical Cable

ZHAO Xinyu; DONG Hang; YANG Rui; LI Ming

doi:10.11993/j.issn.2096-3920.2026-0046

Volume 34 Issue 5

Oct 2026

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Article Navigation > Journal of Unmanned Undersea Systems > 2026 > 34(5): 876-886

ZHAO Xinyu, DONG Hang, YANG Rui, LI Ming. Sensorless Heavy-Load Startup Method for Underwater PMSM Driven by Long Umbilical Cable[J]. Journal of Unmanned Undersea Systems, 2026, 34(5): 876-886. doi: 10.11993/j.issn.2096-3920.2026-0046

Citation:

ZHAO Xinyu, DONG Hang, YANG Rui, LI Ming. Sensorless Heavy-Load Startup Method for Underwater PMSM Driven by Long Umbilical Cable[J]. Journal of Unmanned Undersea Systems, 2026, 34(5): 876-886. doi: 10.11993/j.issn.2096-3920.2026-0046

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Sensorless Heavy-Load Startup Method for Underwater PMSM Driven by Long Umbilical Cable

doi: 10.11993/j.issn.2096-3920.2026-0046

College of Engineer, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266500, China

Received Date: 2026-03-05
Accepted Date: 2026-04-24
Rev Recd Date: 2026-04-21

Available Online: 2026-09-22

Abstract

Abstract

To address the challenges associated with heavy-load startup and unstable transitions in an underwater permanent magnet synchronous motor(PMSM) driven by a surface vessel via a long umbilical cable, this paper proposes a sensorless control scheme based on motor-side rotor position estimation and a three-stage strategy for smooth transitions. First, a distributed architecture consisting of “subsea observation and surface control” is established. Voltage and current signals are sampled locally at the motor terminals. This reduces sampling distortion, thus improving the accuracy of rotor position estimation. A Smith predictor is adopted to compensate for the transmission delay in the optical-fiber communication link. Second, a three-stage startup and transition method is designed, incorporating current-frequency(I-f) open-loop acceleration, pre-synchronization of the given reference frame, and online compensation for closed-loop errors to achieve a seamless transition from I-f open-loop control to closed-loop field-oriented control. Simulation results indicate that the proposed strategy significantly outperforms the conventional two-stage switching method during the transition from open-loop I-f control to closed-loop speed control. Specifically, under heavy-load conditions, the proposed method reduces the peak amplitude of speed oscillations and the amplitude of q-axis current oscillations by 83.7% and 88.5%, respectively, thus improving the stability of heavy-load motor startup under long-umbilical-cable conditions and enhancing system reliability and robustness.
- underwater permanent magnet synchronous motor,
- sensorless control,
- heavy-load startup,
- long umbilical cable,
- smooth transition

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References(18)

References

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