Hysteresis Or Reluctance Motor Systems Patents (Class 318/701)
  • Patent number: 10023055
    Abstract: A rotational speed command output unit receives and outputs a command value of a motor rotational speed inputted from outside. A PWM duty calculator calculates a PWM duty based on the command value and an actual rotational speed of a motor. A maximum speed estimator estimates, based on the actual rotational speed measured, a parameter representing a controlled state of the motor, a current PWM duty and a predetermined upper limit of the PWM duty, a maximum rotational speed of the motor to be reached under PWM control with the upper limit of the PWM duty. The command value inputted from outside is restricted not to exceed the maximum rotational speed. In this way, when a motor is PWM-controlled, abrupt changes in the rotational speed of the motor due to supply voltage fluctuations can be suppressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2018
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hideo Sawaoka
  • Patent number: 9960722
    Abstract: A motor controller which controls a switched reluctance motor (hereinafter referred to as a motor) includes an inverter, a torque computation part, a magnetic flux computation part, and a switching control unit. The switching control unit controls the inverter by using at least a reference torque, which is a torque command value, and a calculated torque. The switching control unit includes a minimum magnetic flux maintenance part. The minimum magnetic flux maintenance part controls the inverter such that a calculated phase magnetic flux of each phase becomes equal to or larger than a predetermined minimum value in a state where the rotational speed of the motor is above a predetermined speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: NIDEC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yuichi Takano
  • Patent number: 9960720
    Abstract: A system and method for controlling a multiphase electric motor fitted to a motor vehicle. The motor includes a rotor powered by a voltage chopper or a rotor with permanent magnets and a stator powered by a multiphase voltage inverter. The multiphase voltage inverter is powered via a high-voltage DC bus. The control system receives as an input a torque setpoint of an electric-vehicle computer. The system also includes a system for the dynamic control of the torque setpoint to determine a dynamic correction of torque ripple and a device for determining setpoints for powering the electric motor as a function of the torque setpoint and of the dynamic correction of torque ripple.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: RENAULT s.a.s.
    Inventor: Thanh Nguyen
  • Patent number: 9762155
    Abstract: Low speed and high speed estimates of rotor angle and speed (LS_?_EST/LS_?_EST and HS_?_EST/HS_?_EST) relative to the stator are received from a low speed estimator and a high speed estimator, respectively. LS_?_EST and a subset of torque-controlling I_Q trajectory curve (“IQTC”) parameter values appropriate to low speed rotor operation are selected for rotor speeds below a low speed threshold value ?_LOW_THRS. HS_?_EST and a subset of IQTC curve parameter values appropriate to high speed rotor operation are selected for rotor speeds above a high speed threshold value ?_HIGH_THRS. LS_?_EST and the low speed subset of IQTC parameter values remain selected for rotor speeds less than ?_HIGH_THRS after accelerating to a rotor speed greater than ?_LOW_THRS. HS_?_EST and the subset of high speed IQTC parameter values remain selected for rotor speeds greater than ?_LOW_THRS after decelerating to a rotor speed less than ?_HIGH_THRS.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2017
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: David Patrick Magee, Eric James Thomas
  • Patent number: 9735723
    Abstract: A method to control the rotor position in a reluctance motor includes: energizing a phase winding to an energized state so as to move a rotor relative to a stator; switching the phase winding between the energized state and a freewheeling state over a pulsing period to produce a plurality of phase current pulses wherein the phase current freewheels in the freewheeling state over a freewheeling period of each current pulse; sampling rates of change of phase current and amplitudes of phase current during a plurality of freewheeling periods; de-energizing the phase winding; and computing the angular position of the rotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignee: Perkins Engines Company Limited
    Inventors: John Rutledge, Stephen Watkins
  • Patent number: 9722465
    Abstract: A tooth of a stator has a tapered shape in which a tooth width decreases toward a distal end portion thereof. A winding is formed of an edgewise winding wound around the tooth in a row. The winding is supplied with power so that a terminal on a base portion side of the tooth may have a higher voltage than that of a terminal on the distal end portion side thereof. A tooth width Th of the base portion is set within the range of Tmin<Th<1.25Tha defined by a tooth width Tha that maximizes an index using an outer radius and a core back width of a stator core, a clearance of the windings in the slot, a winding width, an air gap between the teeth and the winding, a pitch of the slot, and an inclination angle of the winding, and a permissible lower limit Tmin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Moriyuki Hazeyama, Hideaki Arita, Yoshihiro Miyama, Akihiro Daikoku
  • Patent number: 9611932
    Abstract: When initial drive control for an actuator driving a shift switch mechanism is completed, a P-ECU determines whether an IG signal is received. In the case where the P-ECU has not received the IG signal at the time when the initial drive control is completed, the P-ECU temporarily keeps the actuator in a state where the initial drive control is completed. In the case where the P-ECU receives the IG signal in the period from completion of the initial drive control to the time when a predetermined time T2 has elapsed since completion of the initial drive control, the P-ECU executes P wall press control when the P-ECU receives the IG signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takahiko Tsutsumi, Ichiro Kitaori, Koki Ueno, Keisuke Sekiya, Toshinari Suzuki
  • Patent number: 9602028
    Abstract: An apparatus and a method actuate a frequency converter of an electric machine having a safety function, in particular a safe-torque-off (STO) function. Wherein, by a preferably clocked converter circuit, an electrically isolated output voltage is generated from an input voltage, from which output voltage a control signal is generated for the frequency converter for the operation thereof in accordance with standards and for triggering the safety function. An actuation signal is generated for a semiconductor switch which is periodically connected to the input voltage, and the output voltage is limited when the output voltage exceeds a switching threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: Baumueller Nuernberg GmbH
    Inventors: Uwe Hensel, Magdi Dimas-Zekri, Axel Helmerth
  • Patent number: 9595903
    Abstract: A controller is provided which can interface with a variable frequency drive and a motor, the controller having (a) one or more voltage and current sensors which can interface with a power line linking the variable frequency drive and the motor; and (b) a signal interface module which can receive electrical signals associated with an operating condition of the motor from the one or more voltage and current sensors. The signal interface module can correlate the received electrical signals with a rotor position of the motor, and transmit signals corresponding to rotor position, to the variable frequency drive. The data provided by the controller if conveyed as a rotor position, may cause the variable frequency drive to change one or more of its operating parameters to maintain proper synchronization of the rotor and its associated stator currents. Alternatively, the controller may directly control variable frequency drive operating parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Nathaniel Benedict Hawes, David Allan Torrey
  • Patent number: 9590458
    Abstract: A rotor for an electrical machine including a plurality of pole sections with adjacent poles within each of the pole sections being distanced by a first uniform pole pitch. Adjacent poles belonging to different pole sections are distanced by a second (smaller) pole pitch at one end of each pole section, and by a third (larger) pole pitch at the other end of each pole section. Alternatively, a corresponding adjustment of coil pitches can be done in a stator of an electrical machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: ABB Research Ltd.
    Inventors: Robert Chin, Juhani Mantere
  • Patent number: 9590540
    Abstract: A system or method controlling a variable speed drive based on PWM techniques, wherein a first PWM method is used when the input current is less than a predetermined threshold value, for higher efficiency and lower total harmonic distortion (THD); and a second PWM method comprising a discontinuous modulation signal is used when the input current is greater than the predetermined threshold value for higher efficiency. By doing so, the maximum efficiency of VSD within the whole operation range can be achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Zhiqiao Wu, Ajit W. Kane, Shreesha Adiga-Manoor
  • Patent number: 9577553
    Abstract: The invention relates to a drive arrangement for the motor-operated adjustment of an adjusting element in a motor vehicle, wherein the drive arrangement comprises two electrical drives having in each case a drive motor and a control device, wherein in the assembled state the drives act in the same manner on the adjusting element and are embodied in an essentially identical manner apart from deviations that are a result of tolerances, wherein the control device influences the two drive motors by a pulse width modulation voltage (“PWM” voltage). It is proposed that the control device influences the two drive motors by PWM voltages having PWM switching frequencies that vary continuously during the adjustment process in such a manner that the PWM switching frequencies that are allocated to the two drive motors are different from each other at least for periods of time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: Brose Fahrzeugteile GmbH & Co. KG, Hallstadt
    Inventors: Juergen Eggeling, Dirk Hellmich, Klaus Duenne
  • Patent number: 9577555
    Abstract: At least one example embodiment discloses a method of estimating a position of a rotor in a motor. The method includes obtaining a current regulation quality index based on a current command and a measured current, determining an estimated position of the rotor based on the current regulation quality index and position estimation data and controlling the motor based on the estimated position of the rotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignees: DEERE & COMPANY, THE BOARD OF REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA
    Inventors: Long Wu, Yue Zhao, Wei Qiao
  • Patent number: 9577556
    Abstract: A motor controller coupled to a motor is provided. The motor controller is configured to transmit a first instruction to the motor to perform a first start attempt utilizing at least one parameter in a first set of parameters. The motor controller is additionally configured to receive feedback associated with the first start attempt from the motor, and transmit, in response to the feedback, a second instruction to the motor to perform a second start attempt utilizing at least one parameter in a second set of parameters, wherein the second set of parameters differ from the first set of parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: Regal Beloit America, Inc.
    Inventors: Gregory P. Sullivan, Bryan J. Stout, Brian L. Beifus, Aldo Sebastian Bertoncini, Michael R. Koller
  • Patent number: 9543872
    Abstract: A control method for a switched reluctance generator employing dual switched-mode power converters does not require a position sensor. In the excitation stage, the upper tube and lower tube of the main switch of a phase in the power converter are switched on, and the phase current is detected. When the phase current rises to a preset threshold, the upper tube or lower tube of the main switch of the phase is switched off, changing the phase of the switched reluctance generator into a zero voltage natural freewheeling state. When the phase current drops to the valley value, the rotor position is the end position of maximum phase inductance of the phase. This rotor position is used as the switch-off position of the main switch of the phase of the switched reluctance generator, and the upper tube and lower tube for the main switch of the phase are switched off.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignee: China University of Mining and Technology
    Inventor: Hao Chen
  • Patent number: 9543876
    Abstract: A brushless, three phase wound field synchronous machine (WFSM) provides an electromechanical power transfer system wherein it may serve as both a starter and a generator. Power for the excitation system of the WFSM is provided by a three phase flux switching generator (FSG). The three phase FSG also provides position sensor functionality for the WFSM when the WFSM operates in the starter/motor mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignee: HAMILTON SUNDSTRAND CORPORATION
    Inventors: Dhaval Patel, David A. Fox, Jason A. Ohnemus, Albert L. Markunas
  • Patent number: 9482867
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for compensating for hysteresis in a system, the method comprising: determining a required input to the system from an output of the system using the Preisach model with the input of the Preisach model corresponding to the output of the system, and with the output of the Preisach model corresponding to the input of the system. The system may be an adaptive optics system. The input x may be an input voltage of an actuator that deforms a mirror, and the output y may be a value of a displacement of a mirror.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: BAE SYSTEMS plc
    Inventors: Michael Stewart Griffith, Imdad Sajjad Badruddin Sardharwalla
  • Patent number: 9476430
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a method for operating a positioning actuator system with an electronically commutated actuator drive for driving an actuator element, having the following steps: non-volatile storage of a position information item of the actuator element or of a rotor of the actuator drive which was detected last as a reference position before the positioning actuator system is switched off; in the case of switching on of the positioning actuator system retrieval of the reference position and actuation of the actuator drive by energizing the actuator drive in accordance with a space phasor which is dependent on the reference position. The object is to make available an improved method for releasing blockage of an actuator element or actuation after activation of a motor system with a maximum actuating torque. For positioning actuators with commutated motors such as, for example, synchronous motors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Ingo Immendoerfer, Alex Grossmann, Udo Sieber, Ralf Buehrle, Zeynep Tosun
  • Patent number: 9473054
    Abstract: Determining an amount of rotating a vector according to a result of comparing the rotated vector with a predetermined phase and rotating the vector according to the determined amount of rotating the vector are repeated to acquire the determined amount of rotating the vector as a rotation angle of a rotation shaft. Based on the thus acquired amount of rotating the vector, a rotation angle change signal is generated for acquiring a state of a change of the rotation angle of the rotation shaft. A signal indicating to increase or decrease a fixed amount is generated for increasing or decreasing the amount of rotating the vector according to the result of the comparison.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventor: Fumihiro Shimizu
  • Patent number: 9431940
    Abstract: A motor control apparatus includes a supply unit to supply a current for excitation to a plurality of coils of a motor, a first detection unit to detect a physical quantity which varies depending on a change in inductance of at least one of the plurality of coils, and a determination unit to determine a rotational position of a rotor of the motor. A control unit controls the rotational position of the rotor of the motor based on a determination result by the determination unit, and a second detection unit detects an inducted voltage of each of the plurality of coils. The determination unit also determines the rotational position of the rotor based on the detected physical quantity when the rotor is at rest and when a rotational speed of the rotor is smaller than or equal to a predetermined value, and determines the rotational position of the rotor based on the detected induced voltage when the rotational speed of the rotor is greater than the predetermined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Shigeru Kameyama
  • Patent number: 9385641
    Abstract: System and method for initiating rotation of a rotor in a motor. The motor may include the rotor and a plurality of pairs of electromagnets. A rotation period may be determined. One or more pairs of electromagnets of the plurality of pairs of electromagnets may be excited at a first excitation level. The excited one or more pairs of electromagnets may be determined based on the rotation period. The excitation level may be decreased, over a first period of time, to a second excitation level. The second excitation level may be a lower excitation level than the first excitation level. The excitation level may be increased, over a second period of time, to a third excitation level. The third excitation level may be a higher excitation level than the second excitation level. The rotation period may be decreased over the first and second periods of time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Assignee: STANDARD MICROSYSTEMS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Lynn R. Kern, James P. McFarland
  • Patent number: 9325260
    Abstract: In a butting control, while performing a constant current control for a motor based on an output of a current sensor, the motor is driven by sequentially switching over a current supply phase of the motor in a one-phase current supply method, in which only one of the phases of the motor is powered. By performing the constant current control in the butting control, changes in a current value of each phase caused by temperature changes or aging changes is suppressed and hence a torque change of the motor is suppressed. In addition, by sequentially switching over the current supply phase of the motor in the one phase current supply method under the constant current control, a torque change of the motor can be suppressed while maintaining the current value of the current supply phase at a constant value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Jun Yamada
  • Patent number: 9297636
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a resolver of an electric driving motor for vehicle which comprises a rotor, a stator comprising a stator main body which encircles the rotor and teeth which extend from the stator main body to be wound by a coil, a terminal module comprising a terminal end which contacts the coil for an electric connection and a terminal main body which supports the terminal end, and a connector module comprising a connector main body which is detachably coupled to the terminal main body and a lead line which is connected to an outer device and supported by the connector main body and which contacts the terminal end for an electric connection if the connector main body is coupled to the terminal main body, thus simplifying manufacturing process and repairing process and reducing cost.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: Daesung Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hong-chan Eom, Yeong-sik Kim, In-sub Shin, Gyu-ryong Choi
  • Patent number: 9245956
    Abstract: An electronic circuit includes a bipolar device, a unipolar device connected in parallel to the bipolar device, and an output line connected to the bipolar device and to the unipolar device. An inductance between the unipolar device and the output line is smaller than an inductance between the bipolar device and the output line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Assignee: ROHM CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Keiji Okumura
  • Patent number: 9184006
    Abstract: A system for controlling a relay to reduce acoustic noise of connections and disconnections being made within the relay. An impact of closing and opening contacts in a relay may cause the acoustic noise. For instance, when a relay coil causes the contacts to come together for a connection, an acoustic noise may occur. When the relay coil causes the contacts to separate for breaking a connection, another acoustic noise may occur. Reduction of acoustic noise may be realized by controlling movement of the contacts. The present system may control current to the relay coil to slow the movement of contacts while closing and opening to reduce the acoustic noise.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2015
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel Tousignant, Jason Bylinski
  • Patent number: 9184682
    Abstract: A method of controlling a permanent magnet synchronous machine including a stator and a rotor. The method includes determining an estimated position of the rotor, and determining a second in-phase voltage setpoint that, in alternation, is equal either to a first in-phase voltage setpoint or else to the first in-phase voltage setpoint plus a predetermined periodic signal. The determining an estimated position of the rotor includes determining a coupling term, determining a speed of rotation of the rotor as a function of the coupling term, and determining the estimated position of the rotor by integrating the speed of rotation of the rotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2015
    Assignees: LABINAL POWER SYSTEMS, UNIVERSITE DE LORRAINE
    Inventors: Sami Zaim, Farid Meibody-Tabar, Babak Nahid-Mobarakeh, Regis Bernard Albert Meuret
  • Patent number: 9172319
    Abstract: A magnetic force estimating unit (38) for estimating the magnetic force of a permanent magnet of a rotor of a motor (6), a determining unit (39), and a demagnetization responsive timing changing unit (40) are provided in an inverter device (22) or an electric control unit (21). The magnetic force estimating unit (38) performs a determination of the magnetic force with a predetermined rule from detection signals of at least two of the motor rotation number, motor voltage and motor current. The determining unit (39) determines whether or not a demagnetization occurs. In response to the result of determination by the determining unit (39), the demagnetization responsive timing changing unit (40) changes the timing, at which the maximum electric current relative to the phase of the rotor is fed, so that with respect the motor drive by the inverter device the reluctance torque of the motor may be increased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2015
    Assignee: NTN CORPORATION
    Inventor: Takayoshi Ozaki
  • Patent number: 9120388
    Abstract: In a system for driving a three-phase rotating electrical machine of drive sources for applying separate drive forces to a rotary shaft, a phase of the rotating electrical machine, a current of which is detected by a current sensor and capable of being used for control of the rotating electrical machine, is defined as an effective sensor-phase of the rotating electrical machine. When the number of the effective sensor-phases is one, the rotating electrical machine is driven in a one-phase control mode based on the current of the effective sensor-phase under a condition where a rotation speed of the rotating electrical machine is greater than a predetermined positive threshold, and driven by the drive forces of the other drive sources under a condition where the rotation speed is not greater than the threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2015
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ryuji Omata, Takeshi Itoh, Hirofumi Kako
  • Patent number: 9103348
    Abstract: A DC motor device includes a first converting circuit, a second converting circuit, and a DC motor. A switch element is coupled to the DC motor device, and provides an alternating current to the first or second converting circuit. The first converting circuit receives the alternating current, and generates a first rotation speed signal. The second converting circuit receives the alternating current, and generates a second rotation speed signal. The DC motor is driven at a rotation speed according to the first or second rotation speed signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2015
    Assignee: Delta Electronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Hsin-Chih Lin, Ya-Sen Tu, Lee-Long Chen, Kuo-Cheng Lin
  • Patent number: 9071175
    Abstract: An electric bicycle driving apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus includes a speed change mode operator to output a first speed change mode signal or second speed change mode signal, a controller to receive the first speed change mode signal or second speed change mode signal and output a first control signal corresponding to the first speed change mode signal or a second control signal corresponding to the second speed change mode signal, a motor driver to, when the first speed change mode signal is output, receive the first control signal and output a first motor driving signal to drive a motor in a first speed change mode, and, when the second speed change mode signal is output, receive the second control signal and output a second motor driving signal to drive the motor in a second speed change mode, and a relay to selectively receive a relay switching enable signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2015
    Assignee: MANDO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hong Youp Son
  • Patent number: 9059656
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are a switching control apparatus for a two phase switch reluctance motor and a control method using the same. The switching control apparatus includes a rectifier; and an active converter including a pair of common switches, a pair of first phase switches, a pair of serially connected second phase switches, a plurality of current feedback diodes each connected to the switches, and a pair of drivers controlling the switches and operated as operation modes 1 to 3 to provide the commercial power provided from the rectifier to the two phase SRM and drive the two phase SRMs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2015
    Assignee: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Guen Hong Lee, Han Kyung Bae, Hyung Joon Kim, Se Joo Kim
  • Patent number: 9054567
    Abstract: A power converter having a first switch and a first unidirectional current device that conducts current unidirectionally. The first switch and first unidirectional current device are interconnected such that when interconnected with a dc voltage supply, battery, and first phase winding of an electrical machine: (1) a first operational state exists in which a conductive state of the first switch causes the dc voltage supply to conduct current through the first switch and first phase winding, so as to store energy within the first phase winding and (2) a second operational state exists in which a non-conductive state of the first switch causes the first phase winding to discharge its stored energy by conducting current through the first unidirectional current device and battery, so as to store energy in the battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2015
    Assignee: Regal Beloit America, Inc.
    Inventor: Krishnan Ramu
  • Patent number: 9041322
    Abstract: An electric power tool is included in a plurality of types of electric power tools. The plurality of types of electric power tools comprise a plurality of types of battery packs having different rated output voltages and a plurality of types of tool bodies, the housings of which are equipped with an attached part on which each of the battery packs is mounted in a freely removable manner. The attached part possessed by the plurality of types of tool bodies equipped with motors having different voltage characteristics is formed so as to be able to mount an arbitrary one of the plurality of types of battery packs having different rated output voltages. This makes it possible to widen the range of available battery packs and enhance convenience.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2015
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hidenori Shimizu, Masaaki Sakaue, Naotake Tanaka, Masaki Ikeda, Masaaki Okada
  • Patent number: 9000695
    Abstract: A sensorless control apparatus may include: a speed command unit configured to output a speed command to an electric motor; a current detector unit configured to detect electric current flowing through the electric motor if a voltage being output according to the speed command is supplied to the electric motor; a rotor angle calculation unit configured to calculate a magnetic flux of a rotor of the electric motor based on the detected electric current and the voltage being output according to the speed command, and to calculate an angle of the rotor from the calculated magnetic flux; and/or an out-of-step sensing unit configured to sense an out-of-step of the rotor according to a comparison of the calculated angle of the rotor with an angle of the rotor estimated based on a sensorless control algorithm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Oh Hyuk Kwon, Young Doo Yoon, Ho Sun Yoo, So Hee Han
  • Patent number: 8975855
    Abstract: A control system for compensating a hysteresis band of a switched reluctance (SR) machine having a rotor and a stator is provided. The control system may include a converter circuit and a controller. The converter circuit may be operatively coupled to the stator and include a plurality of switches in selective communication with each phase of the stator. The controller may be in communication with each of the stator and the converter circuit, and configured to monitor at least one phase current of the SR machine relative to a current threshold of the hysteresis band, determine an adjustment value based on a difference between the phase current and the current threshold if the phase current exceeds the current threshold, and compensate the current threshold by the adjustment value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2015
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Jesse Gerdes, Jackson Wai, Ahmed Khalil
  • Patent number: 8963477
    Abstract: An SR motor control apparatus includes: a first half-bridge circuit connected to a neutral node of an SR motor; a second half-bridge circuit connected to a U-phase coil of the SR motor; a third half-bridge circuit connected to a V-phase coil of the SR motor; a fourth half-bridge circuit connected to a W-phase coil of the SR motor; and a switching unit including at least two power modules on which the first to fourth half-bridge circuits are mounted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: Mitsuba Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroaki Okada, Toshiaki Isomura
  • Patent number: 8952647
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are a switching control apparatus and method of a two-phase switched reluctance motor. The witching control apparatus includes: a rectifying unit rectifying commercial power; and an active converter including a pair of common switches commonly connected to two phase windings of the two-phase SRM, a pair of first phase switches bridge-connected to the pair of common switches at any one of the two phase windings, a pair of second phase switches bridged-connected to the pair of common switches at the other of the two phase windings and connected in series with each other, and a plurality of current feedback diodes each connected to the switches and operated in operation modes 1 to 3 to drive the two-phase SMR.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2015
    Assignee: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hong Chul Shin, Han Kyung Bae, Hyung Joon Kim, Guen Hong Lee
  • Patent number: 8952811
    Abstract: The present invention includes, a failure sensing part to sense the failure created in the encoder mode and sensorless mode to control the door; a main control part to convert the main operation part and backup control part mutually when a failure is sensed by the primary operation mode by the failure sensing part after deciding either of the encoder mode or sensorless mode as a primary operation mode and another one is decided as a backup operation mode; and a location/speed conversion part to perform the door control by calculating the door moving distance according to the corresponding mode when the operation mode is converted by the main control part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2015
    Assignee: The Korea Development Bank
    Inventor: Jun Hyung No
  • Patent number: 8941346
    Abstract: A control system (128) for controlling a switched reluctance (SR) machine (110) having a rotor (116) and a stator (118) is provided. The control system (128) may include a converter circuit (122) operatively coupled to the stator (118) and including a plurality of switches (132) in selective communication with each phase of the stator (118) and a controller (130) in communication with each of the stator (118) and the converter circuit (122). The controller (130) may be configured to determine a position of the rotor (116) relative to the stator (118), and generate a modulated switching frequency (152) based on the rotor position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2015
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Brett Nee, Joshua Williams
  • Patent number: 8941339
    Abstract: An apparatus for measuring a position deviation of a rotor of a permanent magnet synchronous motor includes a control unit, a power transformation unit, a rotor position estimator and a calculation unit. The control unit receives a d-axis DC voltage signal and a q-axis AC voltage signal and receives an initial value of the rotor position and a high-frequency signal to output a three-phase command signal. The power transformation unit receives the three-phase command signal and outputs a three-phase control signal for controlling the motor. The rotor position estimator receives a three-phase current feedback signal corresponding to an operation of the motor and generates an estimation value of the rotor position. The calculation unit performs calculation to the initial value and the estimation value to generate a deviation value of the rotor position. Moreover, a method for measuring the position deviation is also disclosed herein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2015
    Assignee: Delta Electronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Jia-Min Zhang, Jin-Geng Li
  • Patent number: 8922153
    Abstract: A full-pitch winding switched reluctance motor is provided. In this motor, one set of current components are estimated, which electromagnetically act on only one set of stator poles for one phase. Based on the estimated one set of current components, current components for respective three phases are controlled, resulting in accurate current control with no electromagnetic interactions with other phases. This current control allows a control circuit to be made compact, and a motor with effective field means can be provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Masayuki Nashiki, Tomokazu Ishikawa
  • Patent number: 8917041
    Abstract: A phase-shift detection circuit detects a phase shift in motor driving, using pulse-shaped position detection signal Rd and measurement signal Ms. The position detection signal is based on sensor signal Hs from a position sensor disposed in a motor. The measurement signal is based on the induced voltage from windings. The phase-shift detection circuit includes a level difference calculator and a phase-shift calculator. The level difference calculator calculates a level difference between the level of measurement signal Ms at a rising timing of position detection signal Rd and the level of measurement signal Ms at a falling timing thereof. The phase-shift calculator calculates the amount of phase shifts based on the level difference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2014
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Kenichi Kishimoto, Mineaki Isoda, Daisuke Sato, Ryuta Sasaki
  • Patent number: 8909145
    Abstract: A torque measurement system that includes a rotor device and a stator device can perform automatic tuning to improve the initial tuning performed during design and assembly. The stator device can include a variable capacitive element and a micro-controller configured to adjust a capacitance value of the variable capacitive element. Additionally or alternatively, the rotor device can include a variable capacitive element and a micro-controller configured to adjust a capacitance value of the variable capacitive element. The adjustment of the capacitive elements can be based on the quality of signal detected at either the rotor device or stator device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Vishal Malhan, Gourango Biswas, Narayan Singh Rana, Gautham Ramamurthy, Balaji Mahadev
  • Patent number: 8908336
    Abstract: A fault tolerant electrical machine including: a plurality of phases; a detector arranged to detect a fault in at least one of the phases; and a controller arranged to intentionally cause a fault in at least one other of the phases such that the vector sum of the second harmonic power vectors of the remaining phases is zero.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce PLC
    Inventors: John James Anthony Cullen, Stephen Andrew Long
  • Patent number: 8901869
    Abstract: A method of controlling speed of an electric machine having a rotor and a stator is provided. The method may comprise the steps of monitoring a desired speed and a measured speed of the rotor, generating a torque command based on the desired speed and the measured speed, and controlling phase current to the stator based on a hybrid closed loop analysis of the torque command, the measured speed and an estimated position of the rotor. The estimated rotor position may be derived at least partially from the desired speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Jackson Wai, Jesse Gerdes, James Michael Thorne
  • Patent number: 8884462
    Abstract: A power flow regulator includes a plurality of bi-directional DC-DC converters, each of said converters comprising a first input, a second input, a first output and a second output; and a capacitor electrically connected between the first and second inputs of each of said converters. Either the first output of each of said converters is electrically connected to a corresponding DC source and the second output of each of said converters is electrically connected to a common DC load, or the first output of each of said converters is electrically connected to a corresponding DC load and the second output of each of said converters is electrically connected to a common DC source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: Eaton Corporation
    Inventors: Yu Liu, Christopher S. Thompson, Vijay Bhavaraju
  • Patent number: 8878467
    Abstract: Drive circuits that provide power factor correction and input current waveform shaping for controlling the speed and torque in a switched reluctance machine (SRM). The machine's phase windings are split into two segments, one of which is used for active power factor correction, input ac current waveform shaping and partial torque generation and the other of which is used for torque generation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: Regal Beloit America, Inc.
    Inventor: Krishnan Ramu
  • Patent number: 8866433
    Abstract: A method of estimating an initial rotor position of a switched reluctance (SR) machine having a rotor and a stator is provided. The method may comprise the steps of driving a phase current in each of a plurality of phases of the SR machine to a predefined limit, performing an integration of a common bus voltage associated with each phase, determining a flux value for each phase based on the integrations, and determining the initial rotor position based on the flux values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Jesse Gerdes, Jackson Wai, Mark Hartman, Ahmed Khalil, Carlos Nino Baron
  • Patent number: 8860342
    Abstract: A system. The system includes a processor, a first module, a second module and a third module. The first module is communicably connected to the processor and is configured for calculating a q-axis voltage component and a d-axis voltage component. The second module is communicably connected to the processor and is configured for determining a voltage angle relative to the q-axis. The third module is communicably connected to the processor and is configured for (1) comparing the determined voltage angle to a predetermined value, (2) outputting the determined voltage angle if the determined voltage angle is less than the predetermined value, and (3) outputting the predetermined value if the predetermined value is less than the determined voltage angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Assignee: Curtiss-Wright Electro-Mechanical Corporation
    Inventors: Mark P. Krefta, Kalyan K. Sen
  • Patent number: 8860346
    Abstract: Disclosed is an angle detection device including plural sensors that output corresponding sinusoidal signals, wherein each of the sinusoidal signals varies sinusoidally depending on a rotational angle of a rotor of a motor, and each of the sinusoidal signals has a phase that depends on a position of the corresponding sensor; a vector generating unit that generates a vector represented by a result of mutually operating at least two of the sinusoidal signals; a vector rotation unit that rotates the vector by operating the vector and reference sine waves having corresponding phases; and an angle search unit that causes the vector rotation unit to sequentially rotate the vector until a phase of the vector becomes a predetermined phase, and that detects an angle between the vector prior to being rotated and the predetermined phase as the rotational angle of the rotor of the motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Fumihiro Shimizu, Haruyuki Suzuki, Tomohiko Kamatani, Katsuhisa Furuse