Abstract: Increased DC-to-AC power conversion efficiency in a scalable, flexible, resilient, cascading inverter driver topology. Plural power cells, which include a rectifier and an inverter, are arranged in a series/parallel topology. Use of plural power cells increases efficiency by reducing voltage transition losses and by increasing duty cycle. Also, the power cells output AC to an electric motor using a forward-looking controller that responds to varying power demand while maintaining motor speed at a maximum efficiency level. Power output is varied by varying the width of rectifier output pulses to the inverters while maintaining pulse voltage. Transitions between power levels are smoothed by pulse density modulation. Pulse density, determined automatically in the inverter, begins high and gradually becomes less dense so voltage changes rapidly then slowing gradually. The topology and power cell components allow faulty power cells 10 to be isolated and bypassed.

Abstract: A motor drive of an induction motor includes a motion controller to provide a reference signal and a memory to store a transformed model relating dynamics of a transformed state of the motor with measurements through parameters of transformed model including unknown parameters. The transformed state is a function of an electromagnetic state of the motor and parameters of transformed model. The dynamics of the transformed state is defined by a sum of components, each component is a linear function of the transformed state and at least one of the unknown parameters of the transformed model. The motor drive also include a motor controller to produce an estimate of speed and flux of the motor based on measurements and the transformed model, and to produce a reference voltage to track the reference signal based on the estimate of the speed and the flux of the motor.

Abstract: A fan detection chip, a fan detection method and a fan detection system are disclosed. In the fan detection system, a fan includes a power terminal and a speed signal terminal, and optionally includes a PWM signal terminal; a power supply module provides a driving voltage to the fan, a PWM signal generating module provides a first PWM signal and a second PWM signal which respectively have different duty cycles, a current sensing module respectively senses a first current and a second current flowing from the power supply module, and a control module compares the first current and the second current. The control module determines the fan to be a PWM fan when the first current is different from the second current, and the control module determines the fan to be a DC fan when the first current is the same as the second current.

Abstract: A multiphase driver device includes: one phase driver circuit of a first type including a first monitoring transistor and a first monitoring resistor generating a first voltage that is proportional to a first source current supplied to a one of the plurality of semiconductor switches; and a plurality of phase driver circuits of a second type each including a second monitoring transistor and a second monitoring resistor generating a second voltage that is proportional to that a second source current supplied to corresponding one of the remaining semiconductor switches, each of the plurality of phase driver circuits of the second type further including a comparator that compares the second voltage to the reference voltage, and a first regulating transistor that adds a first regulating current to the second source current in accordance with an output of the comparator.

Abstract: An electric power control method includes determining whether to change an operation period within which the operating is performed so as to be longer than one cycle of the carrier wave or not; reducing the switching operation of the switching elements in a first half cycle of the carrier wave; changing a slope of the carrier wave in an intermediate period between the first half cycle of the carrier wave and a last half cycle of the carrier wave in the operation period after the change to compare the carrier wave with the duty command value in magnitude; performing the switching operation of the switching elements according to a result of the comparison; and reducing the switching operation of the switching elements in the last half cycle of the carrier wave.

Abstract: An electric machine assembly includes a rotor assembly that includes a plurality of rotor parts including a reference rotor part and a first control rotor part. Each rotor part is rotatable about a longitudinal axis and mechanically separated from another rotor part along the longitudinal axis. The first control rotor part is controllable to rotate while aligned with the reference rotor part with a zero or near zero skew angle relative to the reference rotor part. The first control rotor part is also controllable to rotate while unaligned with the reference rotor part with a non-zero skew angle relative to the reference rotor part. The electric machine assembly further includes a rotor controller that is configured to control the degree of skew angle between the control rotor part and the reference rotor part.

Abstract: A machine control system includes an operation terminal which includes a communication unit and a touch panel unit and outputs machine operation information for operating a machine via the communication unit, a controller which controls the operation of the machine based on the received machine operation information, and a safety switch device which is mounted on the operation terminal and includes a switch unit which outputs a stop instruction signal for issuing an instruction to stop the machine, and a packet generation unit which converts the output stop instruction signal into a packet and outputs the packet to the operation terminal, wherein the operation terminal transfers the packet received from the safety switch device to the controller, and the controller restores a stop instruction signal from the packet received from the operation terminal and stops the machine based on the restored stop instruction signal.

Abstract: A system includes one or more processors configured to create a projection matrix based on a three-dimensional (3D) model of a part and sensor data associated with a workpiece in a workspace of a robotic manipulator. The projection matrix provides a mapping between sensor coordinates associated with the sensor data and 3D coordinates associated with the 3D model. The one or more processors are configured to identify a set of sensor coordinates from the sensor data corresponding to a feature indication associated with the workpiece, and to determine from the set of sensor coordinates a set of 3D coordinates using the projection matrix.

Abstract: A rotating electric machine includes a stator, a rotor, and a stator core. The stator core includes a plurality of teeth. Each of the teeth includes at least one of a through hole axially piercing the tooth and a recess extending from one end of the tooth to another end of the tooth in an axial direction.

Abstract: A system includes a variable frequency drive (VFD) comprising an inverter having an output configured to be coupled to a motor and a switch configured to couple a power source to the motor to bypass the VFD. The system further includes a control circuit configured to synchronize the VFD to the power source, to operate the switch to couple the power source and the VFD in parallel and to subsequently disable the inverter responsive to a current of the inverter. In some embodiments, a PWM frequency of the VFD may be temporarily increased when transferring the motor from the power source to the VFD.

Abstract: A blower motor assembly having a variable speed motor that is suitable for replacing a PSC motor in a residential HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) system. The blower motor assembly includes a variable speed motor and motor controller; a first power input for receiving a plurality of AC power signals from a control device for use in determining an operating parameter for the motor; and a second power input for receiving AC power from an AC power source for powering the motor controller even when no AC power signals are received by the first power input.

Abstract: A machine tool comprises: a servomotor feeding a workpiece or a tool; a motor control section controlling the servomotor; and a processor connected to the motor control section, in a parameter adjustment mode while rotating a load by the servomotor with a given speed command issued to the motor control section under a condition where torque is limited, the processor calculating load inertia based on the torque and an angular acceleration of the servomotor that is obtained based on an output from the servomotor, calculating a parameter based on the load inertia, and adjusting a control parameter set to the motor control section based on the parameter.

Abstract: A method operates a brushed commutator motor of an adjusting drive in a motor vehicle, particularly a window lifter, having a rotor and having a stator. An angular position of the rotor with respect to the stator is determined. The angular position is used to determine a ripple within the torque, which ripple can be expected on the basis of the commutation. The motor current is adapted such that the amplitude of the ripple that can be expected remains below a determined limit value.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device, system and method of automated manufacture comprising: delivering a workpiece with a delivery device; receiving the workpiece with a receiving device, the delivering of the workpiece and the receiving of the workpiece being electronically synchronized; processing the workpiece with a processing tool while the workpiece is on the receiving device; transferring the workpiece to a completion device, the ejection of the workpiece and the transferring of the workpiece being electronically synchronized. In particular the workpiece may comprise: a platform with mounts supporting a first component in a selected orientation; and a locating surface, the method comprising: engaging and disengaging the locating surface of the workpiece with releasable connectors on the delivery device, on the receiving device and on the completion device.

Abstract: A device for actuating and/or monitoring a brushless DC motor, preferably for safety-relevant applications, preferably while operating or controlling a vehicle or components of a vehicle and a method for reliably checking the functional capability of the device are provided. The device can be actuated by a motor control unit by using a control signal for actuating and/or monitoring a brushless direct current motor by using a converter circuit includes a switching-off apparatus, a driver circuit which acts on the converter circuit and a testable diagnosis unit for monitoring the device and/or the converter circuit and/or the brushless direct current motor. The switching-off apparatus acts on the driver circuit. The testable diagnosis unit can be tested for a malfunction by using a testing command transmitted by the motor control unit.

Abstract: A capacitor is connected between the direct current voltage terminals. Switched terminals of a first switch and a second switch are coupled in series, between the direct current voltage terminals. An electric machine or generator has one or more windings and a first phase output terminal associated with the switched terminals. A first set of blocking diodes are cascaded in series and second set of blocking diodes are cascaded in series. A first voltage supply provides a first output voltage level and a second output level switchable to the first control terminal, where the first output level is distinct from the second output level. A second voltage supply provides the first output voltage level and the second output level switchable to the second control terminal.

Abstract: A rotating electric machine includes a stator, a rotor, and a stator core. The stator core includes a plurality of teeth. Each of the teeth includes at least one of a through hole axially piercing the tooth and a recess extending from one end of the tooth to another end of the tooth in an axial direction.

Abstract: A driver for a piezo actuator includes a transconductance amplifier to produce an output current, a slew rate-controlled amplifier, and a logic gate. The logic gate receives a first control signal to cause the transconductance amplifier to transition to a high impedance mode, receive a compare signal indicative of the amplitude of the output current produced by the transconductance amplifier being less than a threshold, and generate a second control signal to the transconductance amplifier responsive to the first control signal indicating the high impedance mode for the transconductance amplifier and the compare signal indicative of the output current being less than the threshold. A voltage is provided to the slew rate-controlled amplifier upon assertion of the first control signal, wherein the voltage causes the slew rate controlled amplifier to generate a voltage to the transconductance amplifier that causes the transconductance amplifier's output to fall below the threshold.

Abstract: A system and method for dynamically optimizing flux levels in electric motors based on estimated torque. Motor parameters and motor equations are used to estimate operating characteristics and to set current and voltage limits which define an optimal flux operating range for a given speed and torque of the motor. A slope of a linear flux gain is determined within the defined operating range at different speeds of the motor. The determined slopes for the different speeds are saved in a memory element. A control element determines and achieves an optimal flux level for the motor by accessing the table to identify a specific slope which corresponds to an actual speed of the motor, multiplying the slope by the estimated torque and adding an offset value to determine a phase current component value associated with the optimal flux level, and applying the determined phase current component value to the motor.

Abstract: An adjustable speed drive (ASD) circuit includes a rectifier bridge to convert an AC power input to a DC power, a DC link coupled to the rectifier bridge to receive the DC power, a DC link capacitor bank comprising at least first and second capacitors connected to the DC link, each capacitor having a capacitor voltage thereacross, and a protection circuit including a detection circuit configured to detect a short circuit on one or more of the first and second capacitors of the DC link capacitor bank and generate an action signal upon detection of a short circuit on one or more of the first and second capacitors of the DC link capacitor bank. The ASD circuit also includes an action circuit in operable communication with the detection circuit and configured to cause a short circuit across the DC link upon receiving the action signal from the detection circuit.