ELECTRICAL MACHINE AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING THE SAME

A method of controlling an electrical machine having a stator and a rotor. The stator includes a core and a plurality of windings disposed on the core in a three-phase arrangement. The three-phase arrangement includes a first, second, and third phases having a first, second, and third terminals, respectively. The rotor is disposed adjacent to the stator to interact with the stator. The method includes applying a pulsed voltage differential to the first and second terminals resulting in movement of the rotor; monitoring the back electromotive force (BEMF) of the third phase to sense rotor movement; after the applying and monitoring steps, monitoring the BEMF of each of the first, second, and third phases to determine whether the rotor is rotating in a desired direction, and electrically commutating the motor when the rotor is rotating in the desired direction and zero or more other conditions exist.