Using VESC for Position Control of a Spring-Loaded Flapper Valve

Hi,

I'm trying to use a Flipsky 75100 running VESC firmware to control the position of a 3-phase BLDC motor with 3 Hall sensors.

The motor drives a spring-return flapper valve (similar to an EGR/throttle-style actuator). The spring force is significant. The motor must overcome the spring preload to begin opening the valve and must continue producing torque to hold the valve at intermediate positions.

Current setup:

• Flipsky 75100

• 24 VDC supply

• 3-phase BLDC motor with 3 Hall sensors

• Hall sensors are working and provide repeatable position feedback

• Spring-return valve mechanism

• VESC Tool motor detection completed successfully

What I am observing:

• Duty control can generate significant current (7-8 A motor current), but the motor tends to oscillate around the desired position.

• The motor can eventually move the valve through its travel, but position control is not stable.

• The valve may require a high breakaway torque to start moving, followed by lower torque to maintain position.

• Because of the spring return, the actuator must continuously generate holding torque whenever the valve is not fully closed.

My questions are:

1. What is the recommended VESC control mode for this application?

   • Position control

   • Position control with Hall sensors

   • Current control with an external position loop

   • Something else?

2. Can Hall sensors alone provide adequate position resolution for a spring-return actuator, or is an encoder required?

3. Is there a recommended way to handle high breakaway torque followed by lower holding torque in VESC?

4. Has anyone successfully used VESC for a spring-loaded valve actuator rather than a continuously rotating motor?

Any suggestions regarding motor configuration, Hall sensor setup, PID tuning, or control strategy would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!