Electric motor thermal management

An electric motor control circuit comprising:

• a back electromotive force (EMF) measurement circuit;
• a winding resistance measurement circuit;
• a processor coupled to the back EMF measurement circuit and to the winding resistance measurement circuit to receive a back EMF measurement and a winding resistance measurement and to calculate a simulated operation of the electric motor according to a thermal model of the electric motor, the thermal model based on a stator-to-ambient thermal resistance value accounting for a sum of a stator-to-case thermal resistance and a case-to-ambient thermal resistance;
• and
• an electric motor driver circuit coupled to the processor for providing drive signals for controlling delivery of power to the electric motor based on the simulated operation of the electric motor according to the thermal model of the electric motor.

An integrated circuit comprising:

• a back electromotive force (EMF) measurement circuit;
• a winding resistance measurement circuit;
• a processor coupled to the back EMF measurement circuit and to the winding resistance measurement circuit and configured to receive a back EMF measurement and a winding resistance measurement and to calculate a simulated operation of the electric motor according to a thermal model of the electric motor, the thermal model based on a stator-to-ambient thermal resistance value accounting for a sum of a stator-to-case thermal resistance and a case-to-ambient thermal resistance;
• and
• an electric motor driver circuit coupled to the processor for providing drive signals for controlling delivery of power to the electric motor based on the simulated operation of the electric motor according to the thermal model of the electric motor.