With Voltage Phase Angle Control Patents (Class 318/809)
  • Patent number: 11387752
    Abstract: A washing machine having a first single phase electric motor, a second single phase electric motor and an electric drive unit for the electric motors. The electric drive unit is connected to power supply lines and comprises three first legs, each leg comprising a pair of switches. Electrical terminals of the first electric motor are connected to the first and second legs of the electric drive unit and electrical terminals of the second electric motor are connected to the second and third legs of the electric drive unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Inventors: Piero Stocco, Alberto Bisutti
  • Patent number: 10898041
    Abstract: An interlocking adapter in one aspect of the present disclosure includes a current path, an electric load, a switch, and a controller. The controller turns on and off the switch in synchronization with a change of an alternating-current voltage received from an electric outlet of an electric apparatus in response to reception of an interlocking command signal from a working machine so as to supply a load current from the electric outlet to the electric load. The controller turns on and off the switch at a specified ratio of a time every ½ cycle of the alternating-current voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2021
    Assignee: MAKITA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hitoshi Suzuki, Yuki Kawai, Itsuku Kato, Yasutaka Hotta
  • Patent number: 10768235
    Abstract: A method for obtaining an indication of a faulty load condition of a multi-phase electric motor includes: (a) starting, a time measurement unit, (b) measuring a recirculation time interval for as long as a current that continues to flow has a magnitude larger than a threshold value, (c) continuing, in case the recirculation time interval is not terminated during the switch-off interval, the time measurement at least in a next switch-off interval, (d) repeating, for additional switch-off intervals the steps (a), (b), and (c) for respective motor phases, (e) comparing (1) the measured recirculation time intervals for respective motor phases with each other and/or (2) for one motor phase in sequential succession with each other and/or (3) with the expectation value of the respective motor phase, and (f) determining, based on a deviation, the indication of the faulty load condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2020
    Assignee: Elmos Semiconductor Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Jörg Hartzsch
  • Patent number: 10676830
    Abstract: Features for an aqueous reactor include a field generator. The field generator includes a series of parallel conductive plates including a series of intermediate neutral plates. The intermediate neutral plates are arranged in interleaved sets between an anode and a cathode. Other features of the aqueous reactor may include a sealed reaction vessel, fluid circulation manifold, electrical power modulator, vacuum port, and barrier membrane. Methods of using the field generator include immersion in an electrolyte solution and application of an external voltage and vacuum to generate hydrogen and oxygen gases. The reactor and related components can be arranged to produce gaseous fuel or liquid fuel. In one use, a mixture of a carbon based material and a liquid hydrocarbon is added. The preferred carbon based material is powdered coal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2020
    Assignee: Advanced Combustion Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Plaisted, Chaslav Radovich, Gary J. Bethurem
  • Patent number: 10620268
    Abstract: An electric motor is electrically commutated with the aid of circuitry, in which the phase current experiences a zero crossing at certain time points per motor phase. Owing to the inductive load portion, the time of said zero crossing of a phase current occurs at different times to the time of the zero crossing that would arise with purely ohmic loads. Without a faulty load condition, the time of said zero crossing is within an expected value range (e.g., expected time window) which can be determined by the circuitry, the ambient conditions and by diverse motor parameters. During occurrence of the a high-side and/or low-side phase connection, it is determined whether and when the current through the switched-on high-side of low-side switch becomes greater or smaller than a predeterminable threshold wherein said time measurement can extend over one or more PWM cycles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2020
    Assignee: Elmos Semiconductor AG
    Inventor: Jörg Hartzsch
  • Patent number: 10590547
    Abstract: Features for an aqueous reactor include a field generator. The field generator includes a series of parallel conductive plates including a series of intermediate neutral plates. The intermediate neutral plates are arranged in interleaved sets between an anode and a cathode. Other features of the aqueous reactor may include a sealed reaction vessel, fluid circulation manifold, electrical power modulator, vacuum port, and barrier membrane. Methods of using the field generator include immersion in an electrolyte solution and application of an external voltage and vacuum to generate hydrogen and oxygen gases. The reactor and related components can be arranged to produce gaseous fuel or liquid fuel. In one use, a mixture of a carbon based material and a liquid hydrocarbon is added. The preferred carbon based material is powdered coal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: Advanced Combustion Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Plaisted, Gary J. Bethurem
  • Patent number: 10404153
    Abstract: A method for controlling a voltage regulator is receiving a voltage identification code which has a pulse width modulation signal, providing a duty signal via measuring a duty cycle of the pulse width modulation signal, calculating a target voltage based on the duty signal, providing a reference signal via filtering the duty signal by a first filter if the voltage identification code varies, and providing the reference signal via filtering the duty signal by a second filter if the reference signal is in a range determined by the target voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignee: Chengdu Monolithic Power Systems Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Binci Xu, Lijie Jiang, Chao Liu, Tao Zhao
  • Patent number: 10338142
    Abstract: An electric motor is electrically commutated with the aid of circuitry, in which the phase current experiences a zero crossing at certain time points per motor phase. Owing to the inductive load portion, the time of said zero crossing of a phase current occurs at different times to the time of the zero crossing that would arise with purely ohmic loads. Without a faulty load condition, the time of said zero crossing is within an expected value range (e.g., expected time window) which can be determined by the circuitry, the ambient conditions and by diverse motor parameters. During occurrence of the a high-side and/or low-side phase connection, it is determined whether and when the current through the switched-on high-side of low-side switch becomes greater or smaller than a predeterminable threshold wherein said time measurement can extend over one or more PWM cycles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: Elmos Semiconductor AG
    Inventor: Jörg Hartzsch
  • Patent number: 9979340
    Abstract: A control apparatus for driving a three-phase rotary electric machine that generates torque including magnet torque and reluctance torque is provided. AC current supplied to two winding groups of the rotary electric machine have the same amplitude and the mutually different phases defined as 30±60×n[deg]. The control unit calculates d-axis current and q-axis current of 6 (2k+1)th order component superposed on a fundamental wave component on dq coordinate, to reduce a peak of the first order component in the phase current, thereby controlling the three-phase rotary electric machine. The control unit calculates current such that an amplitude of the q-axis current of the 6 (2k+1)th order component is larger than an amplitude of the d-axis current of the 6 (2k+1)th order component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2018
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Takashi Suzuki
  • Patent number: 9787214
    Abstract: Even when an overvoltage suppression circuit is not formed due to failure of an overvoltage suppression switch, overvoltage application to semiconductors and a filter capacitor is prevented. A control unit controls the overvoltage suppression circuit to short-circuit the filter capacitor when the voltage thereacross exceeds a predetermined value. Then when non-operation of the overvoltage suppression circuit is detected, the control unit opens an AC breaker and AC switch, and closes a charging switch. Thereafter, the control unit turns ON the converter element (or converter element) connecting to the filter capacitor terminal (or terminal) and a charging resistor, and turns ON converter element (or converter element) connecting to terminal (or terminal) of filter capacitor and connecting to the terminal of the transformer not connected to charging resistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Tetsuo Sugahara
  • Patent number: 9252692
    Abstract: An electric-motor furniture drive includes a power supply device, a manual control for moving movable furniture components relative to each other, and an electric motor with reversible rotation direction. A speed-reducing transmission is connected downstream of the electric motor and an additional transmission is connected downstream of the speed-reducing transmission. The power supply device has a mains connection, transforms the mains-side input voltage into at least one output-side low voltage and is configured for galvanic isolation between the mains-connected input side and the output side for operating the electric-motor furniture drive. The power supply device is designed as a switched-mode power supply and has an intermediate circuit, a control device for controlling the switched-mode power supply, and a secondary unit. The power supply device provides an output-side operating voltage at the output thereof in an operating state and provides an output-side idle voltage at the output in an idle state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: DEWERTOKIN GMBH
    Inventor: Armin Hille
  • Patent number: 9203331
    Abstract: A high performance electric pulse motor without a collector, with an electronic control circuit, capable of performing either with direct current or with alternating current. The motor includes a magnetic circuit at its stator including a pair of stator polar pieces, an induction coil at each polar piece, and a rotor between the polar pieces. The rotor has at least a pair of radial extensions in opposition for each pair of polar pieces in the stator and, attached to the rotor's axis, means opaque to light having a window allowing free passage of light. The motor further includes a permanent light source and a photo resistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2015
    Inventor: Hugo Ricardo Rucci
  • Patent number: 9130493
    Abstract: A method of controlling a brushless motor that includes rectifying an alternating voltage to provide a rectified voltage, exciting a winding of the motor with the rectified voltage for a conduction period over each electrical half-cycle of the motor, and updating the conduction period in response to a zero-crossing in the alternating voltage. Additionally, a control system that implements the method, and a motor system that incorporates the control system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2015
    Assignee: Dyson Technology Limited
    Inventors: Yu Chen, Tuncay Celik, Stephen Greetham
  • Patent number: 9054615
    Abstract: A synchronous permanent magnet motor is controlled independently of position sensing means by determining the system parameters including the motor impedance and back-emf and the cable impedance and supplying power according to a predefined voltage:frequency ratio which is determined based on said system parameters to provide a desired rate of acceleration determined by the supply voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2015
    Assignee: AccessESP UK Limited
    Inventors: Philip Head, Hassan Mansir
  • Patent number: 8923024
    Abstract: A series-connected multi-level power conversion device according to an aspect of embodiments includes a multi-winding transformer and a power conversion unit. The multi-winding transformer has a relationship that n secondary windings respectively connected to n single-phase power converters in the same output phase have a voltage phase difference of 60/n degrees and a relationship that the m secondary windings respectively connected to the m single-phase power converters corresponding to the m output phases have a voltage phase difference of 60/m degrees.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Yaskawa Denki
    Inventors: Taisuke Katayama, Ryuji Suenaga, Kazuhiro Umeo, Eiji Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 8917044
    Abstract: A motor control circuit and associated techniques detect a zero crossing of a current in a motor winding by detecting a reverse current in a half bridge circuit used to drive the motor winding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2014
    Assignee: Allegro Microsystems, LLC
    Inventors: Timothy Reynolds, Chengyi Jin
  • Patent number: 8853991
    Abstract: A system and method of detecting phase angle in an inverter is provided. A shunt resistor is coupled to a controller which is part of an inverter circuit and a phase angle may be directly derived from the detected voltage across the shunt resistor. The detected shunt voltage may be used to adjust the power delivery from the inverter to the load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Mingwei Shan, William Hull Bicknell, Eric K. Watson, Richard D. Suel, II
  • Patent number: 8829829
    Abstract: In a system, a superimposing element sets a command value vector of a high-frequency voltage signal and superimposes the high-frequency voltage signal with the command value vector on an output voltage of an inverter. The high-frequency voltage signal has a frequency higher than an electrical angular frequency of a rotary machine. The command value vector is correlated with a measured high-frequency component value of a current signal flowing in the rotary machine. A calculating element calculates a rotational angle of the rotary machine based on the measured high-frequency component value of the current signal flowing in the rotary machine. A reducing element controls at least one of the inverter and a direct voltage power supply to reduce a difference due to the dead time between the command value vector and a vector of a high-frequency voltage signal to be actually superimposed on the output voltage of the inverter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroko Yoneshima, Yasuaki Aoki, Hideji Yoshida
  • Patent number: 8829830
    Abstract: A control command generator that generates an armature interlinkage flux command and a torque current command by a torque command, a rotation speed, and an operation target command, includes a first flux command generator generating a first flux command by the toque command or the torque current command, a second flux generator generating a second flux command by the torque command or the torque current command and the rotation speed of the synchronous machine, a command allocation setting unit setting an allocation coefficient equivalent to an allocation ratio of the two first and second flux commands by the operation target command, a flux command adjuster outputting an armature interlinkage flux command by the two flux commands and the allocation coefficient, and a torque current command generator generating the torque current command by the torque command and the armature interlinkage flux command.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Takahiko Kobayashi, Kiyoharu Anzai, Noriyuki Wada, Daiki Matsuura
  • Patent number: 8786239
    Abstract: A motor drive PWM rectifier includes a control section which generates the PWM signal in accordance with either a three-phase modulation scheme or a two-phase modulation scheme in which a PWM voltage command for one phase selected from among three phases each constituting the PWM voltage command in the three-phase modulation scheme is set and held at a level equivalent to a maximum value or minimum value of the PWM carrier and in which a PWM voltage command for the other two phases created by also applying an offset, required to achieve the setting, to the other two phases, a detecting section which detects three-phase AC current and outputs a detected current value, and a selecting section which selects the two-phase modulation scheme when the detected current value is larger than a first threshold value but smaller than a second threshold value, and otherwise selects the three-phase modulation scheme.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignee: Fanuc Corporation
    Inventors: Yasusuke Iwashita, Masakazu Niwa, Kenta Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 8742712
    Abstract: Methods, system and apparatus are provided for controlling third harmonic voltages when operating a multi-phase machine in an overmodulation region. The multi-phase machine can be, for example, a five-phase machine in a vector controlled motor drive system that includes a five-phase PWM controlled inverter module that drives the five-phase machine. Techniques for overmodulating a reference voltage vector are provided. For example, when the reference voltage vector is determined to be within the overmodulation region, an angle of the reference voltage vector can be modified to generate a reference voltage overmodulation control angle, and a magnitude of the reference voltage vector can be modified, based on the reference voltage overmodulation control angle, to generate a modified magnitude of the reference voltage vector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Milun Perisic, Michael H Kinoshita, Ray M. Ransom, Gabriel Gallegos-Lopez
  • Patent number: 8742713
    Abstract: Motor control circuits and associated methods to control an electric motor provide a plurality of drive signal channels at the same phase, resulting in reduced jitter in the rotational speed of the electric motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: Allegro Microsystems, LLC
    Inventor: Chee-Kiong Ng
  • Patent number: 8729846
    Abstract: A motor drive system includes an inverter that supplies power to a three-phase motor, and a control unit that, when first stopping and then commencing supply of alternating current to three phases of the three-phase motor, switches from first control to third control and then to second control. The first control places switching elements in the inverter in a non-conduction state, the second control is a PWM control of the switching elements, and the third control places and keeps a switching element of each of an upper arm and a lower arm in the conduction state until commencement of the supply of current. The upper arm corresponds to a phase through which current flows in a direction entering the motor upon commencement of the supply, and the lower arm corresponds to a phase through which current flows in a direction exiting the motor upon commencement of the supply.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventor: Hideki Nakata
  • Patent number: 8547072
    Abstract: A phase control apparatus includes a first transistor whose source or emitter is connected to one end of an AC power supply and whose drain or collector is connected to one end of a load, a second transistor whose source or emitter is connected to the other end of the AC supply and whose drain or collector is connected to the other end of the load, a diode bridge that rectifies an AC voltage of the AC supply, and a parallel circuit of a zener diode and a capacitor. The parallel circuit generates a high potential relative to a bridge negative output terminal potential, or generates a low potential relative to a bridge positive output terminal potential. First and second transistor control terminal potentials are switched between the high and the bridge negative output terminal potentials, or between the low and the bridge positive output terminal potentials.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2013
    Assignee: Maeda Metal Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Takayoshi Obatake
  • Patent number: 8502492
    Abstract: A device for improving efficiency of an induction motor soft-starts the motor by applying a power to the motor that is substantially less than the rated power of the motor then gradually increasing the power while monitoring changes in current drawn by the motor, thereby detecting when maximum efficiency is found. Once maximum efficiency is found, the nominal motor current is found and operating ranges are set. Now, the phase angle between the voltage and the current to the motor is measured and power to the motor is increasing when the phase angle is less than a minimum phase angle (determined during soft-start) and power to the motor is decreased when the phase angle is greater than or equal to the minimum phase angle as long as the voltage does not fall below a minimum voltage determined during soft-start.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Protective Energy Economizer Technology
    Inventor: Mario Marcelo Marcoccia
  • Patent number: 8482234
    Abstract: A motor drive control device includes a battery, a converter, an inverter, and a control section for outputting control signals to the converter and the inverter. The control section has a first map and a second map regarding control of the alternating-current motor and further includes a map switching section for switching from control based on the first map to control based on the second map in accordance with conditions of the battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2013
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshifumi Yamakawa, Hideto Hanada, Kazuhito Hayashi, Masayoshi Suhama
  • Patent number: 8436558
    Abstract: An electrically driven mooring winch is provided. The mooring winch includes a winding drum, an AC motor configured to drive the winding drum, a frequency conversion unit connected to the AC motor, and a control unit configured to control the frequency conversion unit on the basis of an indicator for tension of the mooring rope. The control unit is configured to set a reference value of rotational speed of the AC motor to a predetermined value, drive the AC motor in one direction for a predetermined time interval, define a first value of a torque of the AC motor, drive the AC motor in an opposite direction for the predetermined interval, define a second value of the torque of the AC motor, and compute a torque estimate using the first and second values of the torque.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2013
    Assignee: ABB Oy
    Inventors: Mikael Holmberg, Vassili Jung
  • Patent number: 8421399
    Abstract: A power control system for an A.C. induction motor is disclosed, comprising a voltage/current phase difference generator for determining a difference in phase between a voltage applied to the motor and a current drawn by the motor, and for generating a phase difference signal as a function of the determined difference in phase, the voltage/current phase difference generator including an integrator, the integrator receiving the phase difference signal and generating an error signal for controlling an amount of power supplied to the motor as a function of the phase difference signal, the integrator being electrically coupled to a potentiometer, the potentiometer providing a bias signal for at least partially controlling the error signal; and a delay circuit for controlling the bias signal provided by the potentiometer so as to cause full available power to be supplied to the motor for a predetermined amount of time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2013
    Assignee: Energy Innovative Products, LLC
    Inventor: Nicholas Anderson
  • Patent number: 8421382
    Abstract: A method for controlling a motor can suppress an influence of speed variation due to cogging of the motor. The method includes performing a preliminary drive process to output a first driving signal to the motor to move the mechanism, performing the preliminary drive process to output a second driving signal corresponding to a cogging period of the motor to the motor as well as output the first driving signal, to move the mechanism, determining parameters which include an output waveform and output timing of the second driving signal based on a speed of the mechanism in the preliminary drive process, and outputting the second driving signal according to the determined parameters to the motor as well as outputting the first driving signal to the motor in an actual drive process to perform predetermined processing by moving the mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Manabu Tsumoto
  • Patent number: 8410735
    Abstract: A torque ripple suppression control device for a permanent magnet motor includes a current command conversion unit that outputs a current command value, a position detector that detects a rotational position of the permanent magnet motor, a current detection unit that detects a current at the permanent magnet motor, an induced voltage coefficient setting unit that outputs an information signal related to an induced voltage coefficient for an induced voltage at the permanent magnet motor, a torque ripple suppression operation unit that outputs a current correction command value for the permanent magnet motor, a current control operation unit that outputs a voltage command value based upon addition results obtained by adding together the current command value and the current correction command value and the current detection value, and a power converter that outputs a voltage with which the permanent magnet motor is to be driven.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2013
    Assignee: Kokusan Denki Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuaki Tobari, Yoshitaka Iwaji, Junnosuke Nakatsugawa, Rikio Yoshikawa, Masamichi Yagai
  • Patent number: 8400090
    Abstract: Assemblies for HVAC systems and methods of operating HVAC systems are disclosed, including a method of operating an HVAC system having a condenser motor operatively coupled to a fan and a controllable bus voltage for powering the condenser motor. The method includes increasing the controllable bus voltage from a first voltage to a second voltage to increase a speed of the condenser motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2013
    Assignee: Emerson Electric Co.
    Inventors: Joseph G. Marcinkiewicz, Mark E. Carrier, Eric J. Wildi
  • Patent number: 8358098
    Abstract: A first rectifier diode is electrically connected between a first input terminal where an alternating current (AC) power is received and a first output terminal where a direct current (DC) power is output. A second rectifier diode is electrically connected between the first input terminal and a second output terminal. The first and second rectifier diodes rectify first and second portions of the AC power into the DC power, respectively. When switching of a plurality of power factor correction (PFC) switches is enabled, the plurality of PFC switches increases a voltage of the DC power to greater than a peak voltage of the AC power. An inductor is electrically connected between a second input terminal and two of the plurality of PFC switches. When the switching is disabled, first and second bypass diodes provide a current path past the plurality of PFC switches and the inductor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2013
    Assignee: Emerson Climate Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: James L. Skinner, Charles E. Green
  • Patent number: 8350517
    Abstract: Exemplary embodiments provide a method for connection or application of a converter to a rotating asynchronous machine which is operated without an encoder, without a high current and without a torque surge. The method provides a control unit, using an inverter or converter, for feeding the asynchronous machine which rotates at a mechanical rotary speed. The asynchronous machine is regulated by the control unit. A stator current vector is ascertained from measured currents of the stator windings of the asynchronous machine and a rotating stator voltage vector. Calculation is effected in respect of a stator flux change vector from the stator current vector, the stator voltage vector and a stator resistance in accordance with a motor model. An angle difference between the stator current vector and the stator flux change vector is calculated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Lenze Drives GmbH
    Inventor: Heiko Stichweh
  • Patent number: 8324851
    Abstract: A method for determining the position of a rotor in a permanent magnet synchronous motor includes applying voltage pulses to the windings at successive electrical angles while the motor is at a standstill. The resultant current is sampled. The position of a maximum current is determined by identifying an segment of an electrical cycles which includes the maximum current, and using a spline interpolation to model the current flow in this segment. The maximum current is then correlated to the position of the rotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Takayoshi Matsuo, Thomas J. Rehm
  • Patent number: 8310183
    Abstract: A motor control device includes a current profile generator generating a current profile, a pilot voltage operator calculating a pilot pulse voltage, on the basis of the current profile, and adding the pilot pulse voltage to a voltage command on a d axis, a magnetic pole position detector detecting a position of a magnetic pole in the permanent magnet motor, on the basis of the pilot pulse voltage, a polarity identification evaluation current operator calculating a polarity identification evaluation current for identifying a polarity of the magnetic pole in the permanent magnet motor, on the basis of a current value on the d axis in the motor current that has been detected in synchronization with a period of PWM control, and a polarity detector outputting a phase correction amount, on the basis of a deviation between the polarity identification evaluation current and the current profile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2012
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Yaskawa Denki
    Inventors: Kozo Ide, Masaki Hisatsune
  • Patent number: 8283880
    Abstract: A motor drive device including a converter for a power running operation and a power regenerative operation. The converter has power switching elements, a first power regenerative control unit for controlling the power switching elements in the power regenerative operation by using pulse width modulation signal whose pulse width changes with a value indicated by a command signal; a second power regenerative control unit for controlling the power switching elements in the power regenerative operation to generate respective power regenerative currents in a phase representing the maximum potential among three phases of a three-phase AC power supply and a phase representing the minimum potential among the three phases, and a power regenerative operation switching unit for switching a control of the power switching elements in the power regenerative operation between a control by the first power regenerative control unit and a control by the second power regenerative control unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2012
    Assignee: FANUC Corporation
    Inventors: Yasusuke Iwashita, Shinichi Horikoshi, Takashi Harada, Shinichi Mizukami
  • Patent number: 8283885
    Abstract: A drive control signal is effectively obtained. An offset control circuit (32) adds an offset to a rotational state signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2012
    Assignee: Semiconductor Components Industries, LLC
    Inventors: Takashi Ogawa, Tsutomu Murata
  • Patent number: 8278865
    Abstract: A control device that controls a plurality of inverters respectively provided corresponding to a plurality of alternating-current electric motors so as to control the plurality of alternating-current electric motors by current feedback. The control device comprises a carrier frequency setting unit that individually selects and sets one of a plurality of carrier frequencies, each of which is a frequency of a carrier for generating switching control signals for the inverter based on a pulse width modulation method, for each of the plurality of inverters, and a switching timing table that specifies a switching timing serving as a permissible timing of switching to a different carrier frequency pair from each of a plurality of carrier frequency pairs each of which is composed of a combination of the carrier frequencies set for each of the plurality of inverters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Assignee: Aisin AW Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Arinori Shimada, Mitsuru Nakamura, Subrata Saha, Ken Iwatsuki
  • Patent number: 8278861
    Abstract: A system includes a power control module, a period determination module, and a control module. The power control module controls current through stator coils of a motor to rotate a rotor. The period determination module determines a first length of time between a first set of induced stator coil voltages and determines a second length of time between a second set of induced stator coil voltages. The control module determines whether an external disturbance disturbs rotation of the rotor based on a difference between the first and second lengths of time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Assignee: Marvell World Trade Ltd.
    Inventors: Foo Leng Leong, Edy Susanto, Ravishanker Krishnamoorthy
  • Patent number: 8258737
    Abstract: A rotary electric machine having plural rotary elements in a non-coaxial arrangement is disclosed. The rotary electric machine includes a housing assembly, at least one stator frame mounted in the housing assembly, at least one stator winding wound on the at least one stator frame, and at least two rotors mounted in the housing assembly having axes of rotation that are non-coaxial, wherein each of the at least two rotors is mechanically decoupled from the other rotors such that each of the at least two rotors rotates independent from one another. The rotary electric machine also includes a control unit, with the control unit including at least one electronic control electrically connected to the at least one stator winding. The control unit is configured to control an exchange of power to or from each of the at least one stator windings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Inventor: John R. Casey
  • Patent number: 8253370
    Abstract: A microcomputer that controls an ultrasonic motor includes a storage unit that stores a compare register value, and a digital/analog (D/A) conversion set value, a D/A converter that generates an amplitude control signal with an amplitude value corresponding to the D/A conversion set value, a timer that generates a pulse width modulation (PWM) signal with a frequency corresponding to the compare register value, a central processing unit (CPU) that reads the D/A conversion set value, and the compare register value from the storage unit, and that sets the D/A conversion set value and the compare register value to the D/A converter and the timer, respectively, and an output circuit that generates the control signal with the amplitude of the amplitude control signal, and the frequency of the PWM signal, in response to the amplitude control signal and the PWM signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
    Inventor: Kentarou Araki
  • Patent number: 8248013
    Abstract: A fan device with improved speed control module includes a stator, a rotor, and a speed control module. The stator has a driving unit outputting currents for the stator to generate alternative magnetic fields and thus turn the rotor. The speed control module includes a control unit and a speed adjusting circuit, with the control unit generating a control command for the driving unit and further outputting a state signal for the speed adjusting circuit to control whether a PWM signal enters the control circuit or not.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignee: Sunonwealth Electric Machine Industry Co, Ltd.
    Inventors: Alex Horng, Chun-Yuan Huang, Chung-Ken Cheng, Nguyen Nguyen, Susheela Narasimhan
  • Patent number: 8217618
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an energy-saving system for three-phase induction motors and is based on the principle of variable voltage control at constant speed. It is composed of a microprocessor, exampling circuit, sensing circuit, acquiring circuit, firing circuit, and AC to AC converter. The system is to automatically adjust the voltage to the induction motor with the variation in the motor load, in order to obtain high operating power factor and efficiency. The system will result in considerable energy-savings when a three-phase induction motor runs under constant light-load or variable-load with low duty ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2012
    Assignee: The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
    Inventors: Ka Wai Eric Cheng, Xiangdang Xue
  • Patent number: 8217597
    Abstract: A drive circuit comprising: a direct current power source; a control unit for supplying control signals; a power switch topology comprising a first switch and a second switch each having an input terminal, an output terminal, and a control terminal, the input terminals being respectively connected to the power source, the control terminals being connected to the control unit for receiving the control signals there from, the output terminals being connected to a node; and an inductance connected with a capacitive load in series between the node and the power source, wherein the control signals control the switches to alternately conduct to thereby cause the node to output a pulse signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2012
    Assignee: Johnson Electric S.A.
    Inventors: Chi Ping Sun, Jian Qun Wu, Hai Bo Jiang, Jian Han
  • Patent number: 8207701
    Abstract: A control method of the electromotor comprises: setting a target alternating axis current based on the rotor angular velocity of the electromotor and a target direct axis current based on the torque of the motor; simultaneously detecting three-phase currents and current rotor position angle of the electromotor; converting the three-phase currents to an actual alternating axis current and an actual direct axis current by Park and Clark conversions; inputting the difference between the target current and the actual current to a current loop, outputting the required direct axis current and the required alternating axis current; determining the three phase voltages according to the required direct axis current and alternating axis current and the angle of the electromotor rotor position; obtaining PWM control waveform through three-phase voltages, wherein said PWM control waveform is configured to control the conversion from direct current to alternating current and drives the electromotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2012
    Assignee: BYD Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Xiaohua Tang, Xuguang Zhou, Hongbin Luo, Ming Yu, Nan Liu, Jian Gong, Guangming Yang
  • Patent number: 8154241
    Abstract: An electric power steering system includes a multi-phase electric motor, an inverter connected to the rotary electric machine and an electronic control apparatus. One phase of the motor is pulled up by a resistor. The electronic control apparatus detects disconnection abnormality between the motor and the inverter by checking phase voltages of the inverter by stopping the inverter operation. If disconnection is detected, current is supplied to the remaining normal two phases. The electronic control apparatus detects short-circuit abnormality by checking an electric angle (rotation angle) of the motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventor: Takashi Suzuki
  • Patent number: 8148937
    Abstract: When a rectangular wave voltage control mode is selected, a control apparatus estimates the output torque of an alternating-current motor based on the outputs of a current sensor and a rotation angle sensor, and executes torque feedback control by adjusting the phase of rectangular wave voltage based on the difference between the torque estimated value and a torque command value. The control apparatus executes a switching interruption that outputs a control command to a switching element of an inverter every 60 degrees of electrical angle, and executes an angle interruption that samples the phase currents of the alternating-current motor based on the output of the current sensor and converts those phase currents into a d-axis current and a q-axis current every predetermined electrical angle that is set beforehand.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2012
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Takeshi Itoh, Keiichi Kawakami
  • Patent number: 8129935
    Abstract: A motor control device includes: a motor-current detection unit; a rotational-angular-speed calculation unit for calculating a rotational angular speed of a motor; a rotational-angle-change-amount calculation unit for multiplying the rotational angular speed by a predetermined time so as to calculate a motor-rotational-angle change amount within a predetermined time; a basic-drive-value calculation unit for calculating a basic drive value for driving the motor; a correction-value calculation unit for calculating a correction value for correcting the basic drive value based on the motor current and the motor-rotational-angle change amount; a correction unit for evaluating the motor drive value by correcting the basic drive value by the correction value; and a drive unit for driving the motor by using the motor drive value evaluated by the correction unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: JTEKT Corporation
    Inventor: Yuji Kariatsumari
  • Patent number: 8076899
    Abstract: An electric power supply driver executes duty control of turning on and off of a selected switching element to supply electric power to a corresponding stator coil in a case where an actual rotational direction and a target rotational direction of a motor shaft coincide with each other. Furthermore, the driver sets an on-duty ratio of the selected switching element below a lower limit value, which is at least required to rotate the motor shaft through the power supply to each corresponding stator coil in a case where the actual rotational direction and the target rotational direction do not coincide with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2011
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Motoki Uehama, Yasushi Morii
  • Patent number: 8049446
    Abstract: A motor control device includes a dq-axis current control unit for generating a dq-axis voltage reference based on a dq-axis current reference and a dq-axis current signal, an initial magnetic pole position estimation unit for estimating a magnetic pole position of the motor upon power-on to generate a magnetic pole position signal, and a magnetic pole position estimation precision confirming unit for supplying a current in a d-axis direction after generation of the magnetic pole position signal with the initial magnetic pole position estimation unit, and checking an error of the magnetic pole position signal based on an angle of movement of the motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2011
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Yaskawa Denki
    Inventor: Junichi Watanabe