Patents Assigned to Software Motor Company
  • Publication number: 20200366178
    Abstract: A switched reluctance machine exhibiting reduced noise and vibration, the machine comprising at least one rotor arranged to rotate about a central axis, the at least one rotor comprising a set of rotor poles arranged about the central axis; at least one stator positioned concentric to and radially outward from both the central axis and the at least one rotor, the at least one stator having an outer surface and an outer surface active zone; a housing having a sleeve positioned only radially outward from the stator outer surface active zone; at least one housing endplate coupled to an end of said housing; and wherein said stator has no direct connection to said housing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 16, 2019
    Publication date: November 19, 2020
    Applicant: Software Motor Company
    Inventors: Piyush DESAI, Tim KNODEL, Bryan KNODEL, Earl FAIRALL
  • Patent number: 10734934
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for quasi-sensorless adaptive control of a high rotor pole switched-reluctance motor (HRSRM). The method comprises the steps of: applying a voltage pulse to an inactive phase winding and measuring current response in each inactive winding. Motor index pulses are used for speed calculation and to establish a time base. Slope of the current is continuously monitored which allows the shaft speed to be updated multiple times and to track any change in speed and fix the dwell angle based on the shaft speed. The apparatus for quasi-sensorless control of a high rotor pole switched-reluctance motor (HRSRM) comprises a switched-reluctance motor having a stator and a rotor, a three-phase inverter controlled by a processor connected to the switched-reluctance motor, a load and a converter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: Software Motor Company
    Inventors: Trevor A. Creary, Mahesh Krishnamurthy, Piyush C. Desai, Mark Johnston, Timothy Knodel
  • Patent number: 10715135
    Abstract: A gate driver circuit comprises a sensor, an amplifier, a regulator and a gate driver. The sensor is configured to sense a collector-emitter voltage and includes a first resistor and a second resistor connected in series, a high voltage diode connected between the series connected first and second resistors and a first capacitor connected parallel to the second resistor. The amplifier is configured to amplify a sensor output voltage and includes a non-inverting operational amplifier controlled by means of a plurality of resistors, a voltage follower connected to an output terminal of the non-inverting operational amplifier through a first diode and a third resistor connected across the first diode and the voltage follower. The regulator is configured to regulate a regulator output voltage based on an amplifier voltage. The gate driver is configured to connect/disconnect the regulator output voltage to the base terminal of the BJT.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2020
    Assignee: Software Motor Company
    Inventors: Alejandro Pozo Arribas, Mahesh Krishnamurthy
  • Patent number: 10707798
    Abstract: The present embodiment is a high rotor pole switched reluctance machine (HRSRM) which provides a plurality of combinations of the number of rotor poles Rn and number of stator poles Sn utilizing a numerical relationship defined by a mathematical formula, Rn=2Sn?Fp, when Sn=m×Fp, wherein Fp is the maximum number of independent flux paths in the stator when stator and rotor poles are fully aligned, and m is the number of phases. The mathematical formulation provides an improved noise performance and design flexibility to the machine. The mathematical formulation further provides a specific number of stator and rotor poles for a chosen m and Fp. The HRSRM can be designed with varying number of phases. The HRSRM provides a smoother torque profile due to a high number of strokes per revolution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2020
    Assignee: Software Motor Company
    Inventors: Mahesh Krishnamurthy, Trevor Creary, Piyush Desai, Mark Johnston
  • Patent number: 10658910
    Abstract: A high rotor pole switched reluctance machine (HRSRM) employs an axial and radial mirroring concept and is represented by a first Multiple Rotor Pole (MRP) formula and second Multiple Stator Pole (MSP) formula. A multiple rotor HRSRM comprises at least two rotors each having a plurality of rotor poles and at least two stators having a plurality of stator poles. The at least two rotors and the at least two stators are positioned about a central axis with the stator placed between the rotors. In other embodiments, the number of stators equals the number of rotors and effectively operate as a single stator and rotor. In yet another embodiment, the effective single stator and rotor type high rotor pole switched reluctance machine is realized as single stator and rotor positioned concentrically around a central axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Assignee: Software Motor Company
    Inventors: Mahesh Krishnamurthy, Mark Johnston, Trevor Creary, Piyush Desai
  • Patent number: 10615730
    Abstract: A system and method for reliable control of a high rotor pole switched reluctance machine (HRSRM) utilizing a sensorless reliable control system. The method comprising: energizing at least one of the plurality of stator phases; measuring a first current value and time taken by the first current value to reach a first peak value or preset threshold value of current; determining a self-inductance value; measuring a second current value and time taken by an adjacent un-energized stator phase to reach a second peak value of current; determining a mutual inductance value; and estimating a rotor position utilizing the self-inductance and mutual inductance values; and controlling the HRSRM based on the estimated rotor position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2020
    Assignee: Software Motor Company
    Inventors: Mahesh Krishnamurthy, Trevor Creary
  • Patent number: 10483896
    Abstract: A system and method for reliable control of a high rotor pole switched reluctance machine (HRSRM) utilizing a sensorless reliable control system. The method comprising: energizing at least one of the plurality of stator phases; measuring a first current value and time taken by the first current value to reach a first peak value or preset threshold value of current; determining a self-inductance value; measuring a second current value and time taken by an adjacent un-energized stator phase to reach a second peak value of current; determining a mutual inductance value; and estimating a rotor position utilizing the self-inductance and mutual inductance values; and controlling the HRSRM based on the estimated rotor position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignee: Software Motor Company
    Inventors: Mahesh Krishnamurthy, Trevor Creary
  • Patent number: 10461617
    Abstract: A high rotor pole switched reluctance machine (HRSRM) employs an axial and radial mirroring concept and is represented by a first Multiple Rotor Pole (MRP) formula and second Multiple Stator Pole (MSP) formula. A multiple rotor HRSRM comprises at least two rotors each having a plurality of rotor poles and at least two stators having a plurality of stator poles. The at least two rotors and the at least two stators are positioned about a central axis with the stator placed between the rotors. In other embodiments, the number of stators equals the number of rotors and effectively operate as a single stator and rotor. In yet another embodiment, the effective single stator and rotor type high rotor pole switched reluctance machine is realized as single stator and rotor positioned concentrically around a central axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignee: Software Motor Company
    Inventors: Mahesh Krishnamurthy, Mark Johnston, Trevor Creary, Piyush Desai
  • Patent number: 10270379
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for quasi-sensorless adaptive control of a high rotor pole switched-reluctance motor (HRSRM). The method comprises the steps of: applying a voltage pulse to an inactive phase winding and measuring current response in each inactive winding. Motor index pulses are used for speed calculation and to establish a time base. Slope of the current is continuously monitored which allows the shaft speed to be updated multiple times and to track any change in speed and fix the dwell angle based on the shaft speed. The apparatus for quasi-sensorless control of a high rotor pole switched-reluctance motor (HRSRM) comprises a switched-reluctance motor having a stator and a rotor, a three-phase inverter controlled by a processor connected to the switched-reluctance motor, a load and a converter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2019
    Assignee: Software Motor Company
    Inventors: Trevor A. Creary, Mahesh Krishnamurthy, Piyush C. Desai, Mark Johnston, Timothy Knodel
  • Patent number: 10069449
    Abstract: A system and method for reliable control of a high rotor pole switched reluctance machine (HRSRM) utilizing a sensorless reliable control system. The method comprising: energizing at least one of the plurality of stator phases; measuring a first current value and time taken by the first current value to reach a first peak value or preset threshold value of current; determining a self-inductance value; measuring a second current value and time taken by an adjacent un-energized stator phase to reach a second peak value of current; determining a mutual inductance value; and estimating a rotor position utilizing the self-inductance and mutual inductance values; and controlling the HRSRM based on the estimated rotor position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: Software Motor Company
    Inventors: Mahesh Krishnamurthy, Trevor Creary
  • Patent number: 9960662
    Abstract: A high rotor pole switched reluctance machine (HRSRM) employs an axial and radial mirroring concept and is represented by a first Multiple Rotor Pole (MRP) formula and second Multiple Stator Pole (MSP) formula. A multiple rotor HRSRM comprises at least two rotors each having a plurality of rotor poles and at least one stator having a plurality of stator poles. The at least two rotors and the at least one stator are positioned about a central axis with the stator placed between, and laterally adjacent to the rotors. A multiple stator HRSRM comprises at least two stators having a plurality of stator poles and at least one rotor having a plurality of rotor poles. The at least two stators and at least one rotor are positioned about a central axis with the rotor placed between and laterally adjacent to the stators.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: Software Motor Company
    Inventors: Mahesh Krishnamurthy, Mark Johnston, Trevor Creary, Piyush Desai