Patents by Inventor Chad A. FREITAS

Chad A. FREITAS has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 9983253
    Abstract: A method and system are disclosed for detecting turn-to-turn and phase-to-phase winding short circuits in an electric motor. The motor is tested at a standstill condition by injecting a current signal into the virtual d-axis of the motor while controlling q-axis current to zero. Steady state feedback current from the motor is measured, and current harmonics are calculated using FFT or peak-to-peak techniques. It is determined that a short circuit is present in the winding if feedback current harmonics higher than a nominal level are detected, where the increased feedback current is an indication that winding inductance has decreased due to a short circuit. Testing at standstill using a small current advantageously prevents the possibility of damaging the motor and avoids inductance variation due to changing rotor position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Lei Hao, Cristian A. Lopez-Martinez, Chad A. Freitas
  • Patent number: 9847701
    Abstract: An electric machine assembly includes an electric machine including a rotor. A controller operatively connected to the electric machine and configured to receive a torque command. The rotor is configured to rotate at a rotor speed (?) based at least partially on the torque command. The controller has a processor and tangible, non-transitory memory on which is recorded instructions for executing a method for determining a cumulative rotor fatigue (FC) based at least partially on the rotor speed. The controller is operative to control at least one operating paramater of the electric machine based at least partially on the cumulative rotor fatigue (FC). The controller is configured to record respective occurrences of the rotor stress value exceeding respective predefined stress levels in chronological order to create a cycle dataset, such that the cycle dataset preserves a time order of the respective occurrences.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2017
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Steven L. Hayslett, Chad A. Freitas, Matthew D. Laba
  • Publication number: 20170155307
    Abstract: An electric machine assembly includes an electric machine including a rotor. A controller operatively connected to the electric machine and configured to receive a torque command. The rotor is configured to rotate at a rotor speed (?) based at least partially on the torque command. The controller has a processor and tangible, non-transitory memory on which is recorded instructions for executing a method for determining a cumulative rotor fatigue (FC) based at least partially on the rotor speed. The controller is operative to control at least one operating paramater of the electric machine based at least partially on the cumulative rotor fatigue (FC). The controller is configured to record respective occurrences of the rotor stress value exceeding respective predefined stress levels in chronological order to create a cycle dataset, such that the cycle dataset preserves a time order of the respective occurrences.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2015
    Publication date: June 1, 2017
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Steven L. Hayslett, Chad A. Freitas, Matthew D. Laba
  • Publication number: 20170102425
    Abstract: A method and system are disclosed for detecting turn-to-turn and phase-to-phase winding short circuits in an electric motor. The motor is tested at a standstill condition by injecting a current signal into the virtual d-axis of the motor while controlling q-axis current to zero. Steady state feedback current from the motor is measured, and current harmonics are calculated using FFT or peak-to-peak techniques. It is determined that a short circuit is present in the winding if feedback current harmonics higher than a nominal level are detected, where the increased feedback current is an indication that winding inductance has decreased due to a short circuit. Testing at standstill using a small current advantageously prevents the possibility of damaging the motor and avoids inductance variation due to changing rotor position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2015
    Publication date: April 13, 2017
    Inventors: Lei HAO, Cristian A. LOPEZ-MARTINEZ, Chad A. FREITAS