Abstract: An electric motor/generator includes a rotor with magnets mounted on the surface of the rotor, the magnets facing the stator over a gap. The magnets have a very high flux density but a limited ability to withstand high stator currents at high temperatures, preferably magnets made of the N48H material. By providing rotor magnet cooling means that reduces the temperature of the magnets by a cooling fluid, use of magnets with lower maximum working temperature and higher flux density is permitted and thereby higher flux can be obtained from the magnets.

Abstract: An electric motor/generator comprises a rotor with magnets mounted on the surface of the rotor, the magnets facing the stator over a gap. The magnets have a very high flux density but a limited ability to withstand high stator currents at high temperatures, preferably magnets made of the N48H material. By providing rotor magnet cooling means that reduces the temperature of the magnets by a cooling fluid, use of magnets with lower maximum working temperature and higher flux density is permitted and thereby higher flux can be obtained from the magnets.

Abstract: A fast automated gear shift operation is performed using a powertrain in a hybrid vehicle, the powertrain including a gear box, an engine, at least one controllable motor, a torque ripple damping device, a mechanical connecting device for connecting or disconnecting the engine to or from, respectively, wheels of the vehicle. In the gear shift operation the motor is controlled to perform a sequence of steps in which different torques are delivered by the motor to temporarily change the speed thereof. The torques are selected so that they to reduce the mechanical tension over at least one elastic part of the powertrain. Hence it can be achieved, that during at least a period during the gear shift operation torques over mechanical elements in the gear box cooperating in the current gear and/or over the mechanical connecting device are eliminated or at least strongly reduced.

Abstract: An electrically controlled brake includes a rotatable first mechanical system and a second mechanical system that is stationary or fixed. The two systems have friction surfaces/parts that can be made to come in engagement with each other, providing a braking effect, and be withdrawn from each other releasing the braking effect. In the second system, windings can be wound around two braking shoes made from soft magnetic material so that an electric current flowing in the windings affects magnetic fluxes through the soft magnetic parts to move at least one thereof. The movement is in a direction that affects the effective width of an air gap in the closed main magnetic path. The electric current gives attraction forces over the air gap which tend to move the braking shoes to reduce the length of the air gap. A spring that e.g.

Abstract: An electrically controlled brake or clutch includes a rotatable first mechanical system (101, 108) and a second mechanical system that is stationary for the case of a brake but rotatable for the clutch case. In the second system windings are wound around two soft magnetic parts (102, 103) so that electric current flowing in the windings affects magnetic fluxes through the soft magnetic parts to move them in a direction that affects the effective length of an air gap in the closed main magnetic path. A spring (401) creates a force acting in a direction opposite that of the attraction force. The soft magnetic parts are arranged so that the main magnetic flux path passes along a closed loop about the rotational axis of the first mechanical system, this giving a compact design of the brake or clutch.

Abstract: A fast automated gear shift operation is performed using a powertrain in a hybrid vehicle, the powertrain including a gear box, an engine, at least one controllable motor, a torque ripple damping device, a mechanical connecting device for connecting or disconnecting the engine to or from, respectively, wheels of the vehicle. In the gear shift operation the motor is controlled to perform a sequence of steps in which different torques are delivered by the motor to temporarily change the speed thereof. The torques are selected so that they to reduce the mechanical tension over at least one elastic part of the powertrain. Hence it can be achieved, that during at least a period during the gear shift operation torques over mechanical elements in the gear box cooperating in the current gear and/or over the mechanical connecting device are eliminated or at least strongly reduced.

Abstract: A position transducer for a rotary member such as the rotor of a motor has a rotating encoder disc and flat, disc-shaped elements interacting with the encoder disc to produce position dependent signals. The encoder disc has at least one active element such as metal surfaces configured so that signals from one of several portions or sectors of the encoder system are not transferred to another portion or sector, thus permitting the position transducer to be split into several position detectors that can operate independently of each other without having signals from one position detector affecting the other position detectors. The position detectors can cover individual circular sectors or concentric rings and e.g. be based on sensing the capacitive coupling between transmitter and sensor electrodes located on opposite sides of the encoder disc.

Abstract: An actuator and movement linkage system for moving a load, such as a control surface of aircraft, in relation to a carrying structure includes an electric motor system, an actuator device connectable or connected to the load to move the load, the actuator device connected to the electric motor system to be driven thereby, and transfer units provided for mechanically connecting the actuator device to move the load.

Abstract: An actuator and movement linkage system for moving a load, such as a control surface of aircraft, in relation to a carrying structure includes an electric motor system, an actuator device connectable or connected to the load to move the load, the actuator device connected to the electric motor system to be driven thereby, and transfer units provided for mechanically connecting the actuator device to move the load.

Abstract: A position transducer for a rotary member such as the rotor of a motor has a rotating encoder disc and flat, disc-shaped elements interacting with the encoder disc to produce position dependent signals. The encoder disc has at least one active element such as metal surfaces configured so that signals from one of several portions or sectors of the encoder system are not transferred to another portion or sector, thus permitting the position transducer to be split into several position detectors that can operate independently of each other without having signals from one position detector affecting the other position detectors. The position detectors can cover individual circular sectors or concentric rings and e.g. be based on sensing the capacitive coupling between transmitter and sensor electrodes located on opposite sides of the encoder disc.

Abstract: An electromagnetic rotary actuator is driven by a single-phase voltage. Permanent magnets on a rotor interact over a part-cylindrical small airgap with a soft-iron stator having pole teeth that carry at least one winding for rotating the rotor within a limited angular range, the airgap having a high flux density. The windings are applied around those of the pole teeth that are centrally located. The permanent magnets and stator poles have the same angular pitch. The actuator is compact having a low total length and has a high output power/loss ratio and allows a fast response. It can be built with a low thermal resistance to an enclosure or casing by having the coils being in direct mechanical contact therewith.

Abstract: A brushless electric motor system comprises a rotor and a stator comprising poles. Electrical phase windings have coils (U1-6, V1-6, W1-6) wound around the poles. Power switches (T1-24) controlled by a control device supply electric current the windings from positive and negative rails connected to power supply. For each phase at least one group of four power switches arranged in a H-bridge configuration is provided. The coils of each phase winding are preferably divided into winding group (U1-3, Ua-6, V1-3, V4-6, W1-3, W4-6) and the electric conductor of each winding group is then electrically conductor of the other winding groups. Then four power switches arranged in an H-configuration is provided for each winding group. The use of power switches in H-bridge configurations allows the faulty windings or winding groups to be disabled and that the rest of the windings or coils can be used for driving the rotor, this giving the motor system a high reliability.

Abstract: A powertrain for a vehicle is of the combined serial and parallel hybrid type. It comprises a thermal engine (403), an electric generator/motor (409) mechanically coupled to the output shaft of the engine, a clutch (407) which can connect the two portions of the output shaft rigidly to each other, and an electric motor (401) mechanically connected to the distant portion of the output shaft. Both the generator/motor (409) and the electric motor (401) can be driven by the engine to charge an electric accumulator (404) and can receive electric power therefrom to provide extra torque to the output shaft. The output shaft of the engine drives the wheels of the vehicle through a differential. A mechanical gearbox (406) connects the output shaft to the differential and wheels (408). The use of a gearbox and two electric motors significantly improves the total performance of the powertrain. In the powertrain standard components already used for driving vehicles can be used.

Abstract: An encoder for detecting the angular position of a shaft of an electric motor comprises an encoder disc (101) having tracks (515) sensed by detectors in reading heads (106a, 106b). Analog position signals from the detectors are sampled in sampling circuits (1701-1704) at times given by sampling pulses issued by a device such as a counter (506). The sampled analog values are converted to digital values by a converter (1706) and provided to a local processor (1707) calculating position values. The local processor sends commands to the device (506) to issue sampling pulses at accurately defined times, normally regularly spaced in time. The local processor also receives, from a central processor, read command signals commanding to it provide position values. These read command signals normally arrive rather regularly but are not synchronised.

Abstract: An encoder for detecting the angular position of a shaft of an electric motor comprises an encoder disc (101) having tracks (515) sensed by detectors in reading heads (106a, 106b). Analog position signals from the detectors are sampled in sampling circuits (1701-1704) at times given by sampling pulses issued by a device such as a counter (506). The sampled analog values are converted to digital values by a converter (1706) and provided to a local processor (1707) calculating position values. The local processor sends commands to the device (506) to issue sampling pulses at accurately defined times, normally regularly spaced in time. The local processor also receives, from a central processor, read command signals commanding to it provide position values. These read command signals normally arrive rather regularly but are not synchronised.

Abstract: A brushless electric motor system comprises a rotor and a stator comprising poles. Electrical phase windings have coils (U1-6, VI-6, W1-6) wound around the poles. Power switches (T1-T24) controlled by a control device supply electric current to the windings from positive and negative rails connected to power supply. For each phase at least one group of four power switches arranged in a H-bridge configuration is provided. The coils of each phase winding are preferably divided into winding groups (U1-3, Ua-6, VI-3, V4-6, W1-3, W4-6) and the electric conductor of each winding group is then electrically insulated from the conductor of the other winding groups. Then four power switches arranged in an H-configuration is provided for each winding group. The use of power switches in H-bridge configurations allows the faulty windings or winding groups to be disabled and that the rest of the windings or coils can be used for driving the rotor, this giving the motor system a high reliability.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus control a car equipped with an automatic transmission having a lockup clutch. When the lockup clutch is in the lockup state, a variation of a generated torque is detected. When the range of the torque variation detected exceeds a predetermined value, an engine torque is reduced by controlling the engine, and the automatic transmission is controlled to compensate for a reduction of the driving torque due to a reduction of the engine torque. Thus, the speed change ratio is changed to the low gear side.

Abstract: An encoder for detecting the angular position of a shaft of an electric motor comprises an encoder disc (101) having tracks (515) sensed by detectors in reading heads (106a, 106b). Analog position signals from the detectors are sampled in sampling circuits (1701-1704) at times given by sampling pulses issued by a device such as a counter (506). The sampled analog values are converted to digital values by a converter (1706) and provided to a local processor (1707) calculating position values. The local processor sends commands to the device (506) to issue sampling pulses at accurately defined times, normally regularly spaced in time. The local processor also receives, from a central processor, read command signals commanding to it provide position values. These read command signals normally arrive rather regularly but are not synchronised.

Abstract: A compact position and velocity transducer having a high speed resolution and a fast speed response and that does not place much demand on the precision of the bearings. The transducer includes an optical encoder that, when assembled in motors, is assembled on a short protruding part of the rotor close to the torque-creating parts. The optical incremental encoder signals are fed both to a moderate frequency digital counter that counts 4 counts per basic encoder period and to an A/D-converter that samples and digitizes the primary encoder analog signals. A processor uses a linearization algorithm on the sampled and digitized signals that yields position information that is locally highly continuous.