Switched Reluctance Motor Commutation Control Patents (Class 318/254.1)
  • Patent number: 11929697
    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: May 23, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: Turntide Technologies Inc.
    Inventors: Mahesh Krishnamurthy, Trevor Creary
  • Patent number: 11601081
    Abstract: A method for controlling switched reluctance machine (SRM) utilizing a SRM control system. The method allows for adaptive pulse positioning over a wide range of speeds and loads. An initial rotor position is provided for the SRM utilizing an initialization mechanism. A pinned point on a phase current waveform is defined during an initial current rise phase of the current waveform. A slope of the current rise is determined as the current waveform reaches the pinned point. The slope is then fed to the commutation module of the SRM control system. An error signal from calculated inductance or current slope is used as an input to a control loop in the SRM control system. The time determining module determines an optimum time signal to fire a next pulse. The optimum time signal is fed to the SRM for turning the plurality of SRM switches to on and off states.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: Turntide Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Trevor Creary, Mahesh Krishnamurthy, Tim Knodel
  • Patent number: 11522431
    Abstract: A linear motor/generator/transmission system includes a guideway with rails and a plurality of stator cores and coils evenly disposed along the length and in the center of the guideway. The system also includes a carriage configured to travel along the guideway having at least two magnet bars with alternating pole magnets, each successive magnet of each magnet bar mounted in front of the other in a direction of travel of the carriage. In embodiments, the magnet bars are mounted parallel to and on either side of a longitudinal centerline of the carriage such that, when adjacent to the center line and each other, the at least two magnet bars are positioned over the stator coils and are configured to be slidably translated away from the center line of the carriage to a position where the at least two magnet bars are not over the stator coils.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: Falcon Power, LLC
    Inventors: Harley C. McDonald, James L. Bailey, Matthew C. McDonald
  • Patent number: 11165382
    Abstract: A method for controlling switched reluctance machine (SRM) utilizing a SRM control system. The method allows for adaptive pulse positioning over a wide range of speeds and loads. An initial rotor position is provided for the SRM utilizing an initialization mechanism. A pinned point on a phase current waveform is defined during an initial current rise phase of the current waveform. A slope of the current rise is determined as the current waveform reaches the pinned point. The slope is then fed to the commutation module of the SRM control system. An error signal from calculated inductance or current slope is used as an input to a control loop in the SRM control system. The time determining module determines an optimum time signal to fire a next pulse. The optimum time signal is fed to the SRM for turning the plurality of SRM switches to on and off states.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2021
    Assignee: Turntide Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Trevor Creary, Mahesh Krishnamurthy, Tim Knodel
  • Patent number: 11050326
    Abstract: An SR motor includes a rotor including N rotor salient poles where N is an integer of 2 or more, a stator including M stator salient poles where M is an integer of 3 or more, a shaft rotatably connected to the rotor, a sensor magnet that is fixed to an outer circumference of the shaft and includes an S pole and an N pole alternately arranged in the circumferential direction of the shaft, and three magnetic sensors opposed to the sensor magnet. The number of poles of the sensor magnet is N.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: NIDEC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yuichi Takano, Keita Fukushima, Tomohiro Fukumura
  • Patent number: 10996274
    Abstract: An electronic circuit configured to control an electromagnetic actuator with an electric coil, comprising at least one first electronic switching element, a capacitor, and a diode connected to the first electronic switching element, the capacitor, and the electrical coil to form a step-up converter, wherein the capacitor is configured to be charged to a voltage that is greater than an operating voltage of the electronic circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2021
    Assignee: SCHAEFFLER TECHNOLOGIES AG & CO. KG
    Inventors: Fabio De Giacomo, Weigang Wang, Piergiacomo Traversa
  • Patent number: 10992247
    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: April 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: Turntide Technologies Inc.
    Inventors: Mahesh Krishnamurthy, Trevor Creary
  • Patent number: 10947982
    Abstract: A method of determining a state of cooling water is provided. The method includes operating, by a controller, a driving motor of a cooling water-circulating pump that is configured to circulate cooling water at a fixed current, a fixed torque, or a fixed power. In addition, the controller is configured to calculate an average rotation speed of the driving motor for a preset first period of time during the operation of the driving motor. Whether the circulation state of the cooling water is normal is determined based on an error between the calculated average rotation speed and a preset reference rotation speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Dong Hun Lee, Kang Sik Jeon
  • Patent number: 10938332
    Abstract: A control system that includes a converter circuit and a control device is disclosed. The converter circuit may be configured to control a phase current of a switched reluctance machine. The control device may be configured to determine an estimated flux based on a bus voltage, a phase voltage, and a mutual voltage. The control device may be configured to determine a flux threshold based on the phase current, and determine a first limit and a second limit relative to the flux threshold. The first limit and the second limit may be scaled relative to the flux threshold based on one or more of the target speed, the load demand, or the bus voltage. The control device may be configured to compare the estimated flux with the first limit, and reset the estimated flux to the second limit based on determining that the estimated flux satisfies the first limit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Ahmed Khalil, James Thorne, Jackson Wai, Amara Ashfaq, Jesse Gerdes
  • Patent number: 10812004
    Abstract: A motor system includes a reluctance motor and a circuit connected to the reluctance motor. The reluctance motor includes a rotor including N rotor salient poles where N is an integer of 2 or more, a stator including M stator salient poles where M is an integer of 3 or more, 3-phase coils to excite the stator salient poles, and a sensor to detect a rotational position of the rotor. The circuit applies 120-degree conduction to the 3-phase coils when the rotor is rotated in a first direction from a stopped state (initial position), and applies 180-degree conduction to the 3-phase coils when the rotor is rotated in a second direction that is opposite to the first direction from the stopped state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2020
    Assignee: NIDEC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yuichi Takano, Keita Fukushima, Tomohiro Fukumura
  • Patent number: 10790881
    Abstract: An electronic device may include a transmission circuit and an inductive element. The inductive element may be configured to generate a wireless communication signal based on a current. The transmission circuit may be configured to output the current based on a supply voltage; to increase an intensity of the current, from zero to an increased intensity that is less than or equal to a target value, by alternately repeating a first increase and a first decrease of the intensity of the current, in a first time interval; to decrease the intensity of the current, from the increased intensity to zero, by alternately repeating a second increase and a second decrease of the intensity of the current, in a second time interval.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2020
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Youngjin Moon, Hyoungseok Oh, Sungwoo Lee
  • Patent number: 10746289
    Abstract: A shift-by-wire system includes an actuator, a detent plate, a detent spring, a control unit, and a display device. The control unit includes a first position learning unit, a second position learning unit, and a power-on determination unit. When the power-on determination unit determines that the power on is the post-instantaneous interruption on while the vehicle power is turned on, the first position learning unit learns the first reference position or the second position learning unit learns the second reference position, (i) in a case where the display device still displays the N-range after the target-range determination unit determines the target range to the R-range while the display device displays the N-range or (ii) in a case where the display device displays the N-range after the target-range determination unit determines the target range to the N-range while the display device displays the R-range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignees: DENSO CORPORATION, HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Koji Sakaguchi, Masayoshi Iwata, Yuichiro Takemori, Taizo Mori
  • Patent number: 10742153
    Abstract: An electrical motor comprising multiple inductive coils, and a method for using same, is disclosed. The inductive coils may be configured to conduct current bi-directionally. Terminals of the inductive coils may be coupled to a common node on a power bus coupled to a power supply. Current flowing in a first inductive coil from the power bus may be largely offset by current returned to the power bus from a second inductive coil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: ARM Ltd.
    Inventor: David Victor Pietromonaco
  • Patent number: 10734900
    Abstract: A converter device includes a rectifier circuit to rectify an AC voltage output from an AC power supply, a booster circuit including a plurality of reactors, a plurality of switching elements, and a plurality of backflow prevention elements to boost an output voltage of the rectifier circuit, a smoothing capacitor to smooth an output voltage of the booster circuit, a bus-current detection circuit to detect a value of a current that flows between the rectifier circuit and the booster circuit, a first filter circuit having a first filter time constant, a second filter circuit having a second filter time constant shorter than the first filter time constant, and a control unit to control an operation of the switching elements as a current value detected by the bus-current detection circuit is input to the control unit via the first filter circuit and the second filter circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Akito Tanaka, Satoru Ichiki, Tomohiro Kutsuki, Daisuke Suzuki, Akira Sakai
  • Patent number: 10637461
    Abstract: A gate drive circuit device includes positive and negative pulse circuit portions each including a pulse diode and a pulse assembly connected in parallel with each other. The pulse assemblies each include another pulse diode and a resistor-capacitor assembly connected in series. The resistor-capacitor assembly includes a pulse resistor and a pulse capacitor connected in parallel. Each pulse circuit portion is connected with a different switch. Each pulse circuit portion is a passive device that is configured to activate a different switch responsive to receiving one or more voltage pulses from a power supply.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2020
    Assignee: General Elelctric Company
    Inventors: Antonio Caiafa, Dominique Poincloux, Marcos Garcia Arregui
  • Patent number: 10564221
    Abstract: A variable reluctance motor load mapping apparatus includes a frame, an interface disposed on the frame configured for mounting a variable reluctance motor, a static load cell mounted to the frame and coupled to the variable reluctance motor, and a controller communicably coupled to the static load cell and the variable reluctance motor, the controller being configured to select at least one motor phase of the variable reluctance motor, energize the at least one motor phase, and receive motor operational data from at least the static load cell for mapping and generating an array of motor operational data look up tables.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2020
    Assignee: BROOKS AUTOMATION, INC.
    Inventors: Jairo T. Moura, Nathan Spiker, Aaron Gawlik, Jayaraman Krishnasamy
  • Patent number: 10483880
    Abstract: A system for controlling multiple actuators that are attached to a structure for moving and positioning the structure include a magnetic flux sensor in a motor of each actuator. The magnetic flux sensor senses a magnetic flux in an associated motor and generates an electrical signal that corresponds to the magnetic flux in the associated motor. The system also includes a control unit that receives the electrical signal from the magnetic flux sensor of each actuator. The control unit is configured to generate a drive command signal to each actuator that balances a torque applied to the structure by each actuator in response to the magnetic flux sensed in the motor of each actuator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: James L. Peck, Jr., Jimmy M. Quiambao, Jeffrey Charles Coffman
  • 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: 10476421
    Abstract: A device may select an operation mode based on at least one of a motor speed, a motor transient speed, or a motor power command value. The operation mode may be selected from a group of operation modes including a single pulse mode, a continuous conduction mode, and a variable dwell continuous conduction mode. The device may control a switched reluctance motor using the operation mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Ahmed Khalil, Carlos Nino Baron, Chad Brewer, Jackson Wai, Yash Bhatia
  • Patent number: 10469019
    Abstract: A motor control system includes a motor control apparatus, a motor, an environment state detector, and an operation state monitor. The motor control apparatus is configured to control feeding of driving power based on a control command. The motor is drivable by the driving power. The environment state detector is configured to detect environment state data of at least one of the motor control apparatus and the motor. The operation state monitor is configured to output, based on the environment state data, an operation margin of an operation state value of the at least one of the motor control apparatus and the motor relative to an operation rated value of the at least one of the motor control apparatus and the motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2019
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA YASKAWA DENKI
    Inventor: Tsutomu Kubo
  • Patent number: 10404155
    Abstract: A method for controlling an electrical converter system, including: determining a reference output (?m*) and an estimated output (?m) of the electrical converter system based on measurements in the electrical converter system; determining an optimized pulse pattern (ui,n) by selecting from a table of precalculated optimized pulse patterns, which is chosen based on the reference output (?m*) and the estimated output (?m), a pulse pattern including a sequence of switching instants (t*) applied to the electrical converter system; determining a resonant oscillation (?s,h) in the electrical converter system, the resonant oscillation(?s,h) is composed of an electrical machine and a LC filter of the electrical converter system; determining a sequence of future states of the electrical converter system by solving a mathematical model of the electrical converter system subject to optimizing a cost function and subject to a constraint that a modified pulse pattern (ui) is applied to the electrical converter system, whi
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignee: ABB Schweiz AG
    Inventors: Peter Al-Hokayem, Ivan Pejcic
  • Patent number: 10239406
    Abstract: During a predetermined drive in which the hybrid vehicle is driven with operation of the engine in such a state that the first inverter and the second inverter are shut down, the hybrid vehicle controls the engine and the step-up/down converter such that the hybrid vehicle is driven with output of a torque from a first motor to a driveshaft via a planetary gear by decreasing the voltage of the high voltage-side power line to be lower than a reverse voltage of the first motor in the range of not lower than a lower limit control voltage that is higher than an allowable lower limit voltage. The hybrid vehicle increases the lower limit control voltage during the predetermined drive, compared with the lower limit control voltage during a drive other than the predetermined drive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yu Shimizu, Takashi Ando
  • Patent number: 10197972
    Abstract: Provided is a drive circuit for a two-coil stepper motor, including a rotor that is magnetized to an N-pole and an S-pole, first, second, and third stator magnetic-pole portions, a coil A, and a coil B. The drive circuit includes a drive pulse generation circuit configured to output a drive pulse (SP) for driving the coil A and the coil B, a detection pulse generation circuit configured to output a detection pulse (CP) to the coil A and the coil B in order to detect counter-electromotive currents generated in the coil A and the coil B along with a movement of the rotor after the rotor is driven based on the drive pulse, and a detection circuit configured to receive a detection signal (CS) generated based on the detection pulse as input, to thereby detect the movement of the rotor. At least one of the detection pulse to the coil A or the detection pulse to the coil B is output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2019
    Assignee: CITIZEN WATCH CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Toshiaki Fukushima, Toshinari Maeda, Yu Takyoh, Daisuke Iri
  • Patent number: 10193466
    Abstract: A method for controlling a modular multilevel converter to reduce the lower order harmonics generated by the converter is provided. The method may also reduce the overall switching loss of the converter by switching the switches close to fundamental switching frequencies while still reducing the lower order harmonics that are generated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: ABB SCHWEIZ AG
    Inventors: Aravind Mohanaveeramani, Jean-Philippe Hasler, Suman Maiti
  • Patent number: 10193475
    Abstract: A method for determining rotor position of a switched reluctance (SR) machine having a rotor and a stator is provided. The method may include injecting a test pulse into one or more idle phases of the SR machine, determining a decoupled flux value based at least partially on a total flux value corresponding to the test pulse and a mutual flux value, and determining the rotor position based at least partially on the decoupled flux value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Seok-hee Han, Carlos Nino Baron, Jackson Wai, Ahmed Khalil, Ernesto Inoa, Jesse Gerdes, James Michael Thorne
  • Patent number: 10164560
    Abstract: A method for creating a switch reluctance motor memory sensor model. A switch reluctance motor memory sensor circuit model is formed by two current transmitters AD844, an operational amplifier AD826, a memristor, a capacitor, and three resistors. The method for creating a switch reluctance motor memory sensor model enables physical phenomena in a simulation system to be similar to an actual switch reluctance motor system, and is beneficial for direct mathematical simulation of a switch reluctance motor system. The method is simple, can improve static and dynamic performance of a system, and achieves real-time simulation and real-time control of the switch reluctance motor system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignee: China University of Mining and Technology
    Inventors: Hao Chen, Yan Liang
  • Patent number: 10158320
    Abstract: A shift range switchover control ECU controls a motor of an actuator provided to switch over a shift range of a vehicle and includes a temperature estimation part and a driving control part. The temperature estimation part estimates a temperature of the motor 11 based on a driving state of the motor. The driving control part controls driving of the motor and limits the driving of the motor when an estimated temperature exceeds a protection temperature. The temperature estimation part calculates, based on a final temperature indicating the estimated temperature of a system stop time, a restart-time temperature, which is the estimated temperature at time of turning on a starting switch of the vehicle again after turning off the starting switch, and a delay period, during which the temperature estimation part continues to calculate the estimated temperature after turning off of the starting switch. It is thus possible to properly estimate the temperature of the motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2018
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Tsuyoshi Kawabata
  • Patent number: 10116287
    Abstract: A switched current control module comprises a hysteretic control component arranged to receive high and low threshold values and an indication of a current flow through a load, and to output a switched current control signal based on a comparison of the current flow indication to the high and low threshold values. A threshold generator is arranged to generate the high and low threshold values based on a base threshold value and a hysteretic excursion value. A base threshold value generator is arranged to generate the base threshold value based on the current flow indication and a setpoint value. A hysteretic excursion value generator is arranged to receive an indication of a switching frequency of the switched current control signal output by the hysteretic control component, and to generate the hysteretic excursion value based on the indicated switching frequency of the switched current control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2018
    Assignee: NXP USA, Inc.
    Inventors: Tristan Bosvieux, Jeremy Guillermand, John Pigott
  • Patent number: 10075116
    Abstract: A method of operating an electric motor is disclosed. The method includes: starting the electric motor in an open loop control mode; operating an estimator that estimates operating conditions of the electric motor; and, while the electric motor is in the open loop control mode, evaluating a first parameter of the estimator. The method further includes: in response to the evaluation of the first parameter, determining whether the estimator has converged; and in response to a determination that the estimator has not converged within a predetermined period of time after starting the electric motor, signaling a first fault condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2018
    Assignee: Emerson Climate Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph G. Marcinkiewicz, Charles E. Green, Michael I. Henderson
  • Patent number: 10050578
    Abstract: A motor control system includes a DC-to-DC converter including a semiconductor switch and a reactor that cooperates with the switch to convert input-side DC bus voltage across first and second input-side DC buses into predetermined output-side DC bus voltage across first and second output-side DC buses and to output the output-side voltage, control circuitry that controls duty factor of the switch and determine, based on input-side detection value of the input-side voltage and output-side detection value of the output-side voltage, whether there is failure in the system when the factor is 100 percent and reactor-current detection value of reactor current through the reactor is approximately zero, a smoothing capacitor connected to the output-side buses and disposed between the output-side buses, and an inverter that is connected to the capacitor through the output-side buses, converts DC power from the output-side buses into AC power and supplies the power to a motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2018
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA YASKAWA DENKI
    Inventors: Mitsujiro Sawamura, Kunimasa Ando, Tatsuaki Wada
  • Patent number: 10050577
    Abstract: Included are: a motor control device that has a switching element, that converts DC power supplied from a high-voltage power supply into three-phase AC power, and that supplies the three-phase AC power to a three-phase motor; a first control portion that controls the motor control device; an isolated-type CAN driver that is activated by using power supplied from a low-voltage power supply and that exchanges information with a vehicle ECU that is mounted in the vehicle and that is superordinate to a vehicle cooling-fan motor/inverter system; and an isolation portion that electrically isolates a low-voltage system to which power is supplied from the low-voltage power supply from a high-voltage system to which power is supplied from the high-voltage power supply. If a fault in the switching element is detected, the first control portion outputs fault information notifying that there is a fault in control of the three-phase motor to the vehicle ECU via the isolated-type CAN driver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2018
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES THERMAL SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventors: Koji Nakano, Atsushi Suzuki, Hiroyuki Kamitani
  • Patent number: 10041499
    Abstract: A fan is provided. The fan includes a first power terminal, a second power terminal, a filter, a motor driver, a motor, a current sensor, and a controller. The filter includes an amplifying element, a resistor, and a capacitor, wherein a first terminal of the amplifying element is electrically connected to the first power terminal, a second terminal of the amplifying element is electrically connected to a first terminal of the resistor, and the capacitor is electrically connected between the second power terminal and a third terminal of the amplifying element. The motor is electrically connected to the third terminal of the amplifying element. The current sensor detects the current flowing through the motor and correspondingly generates a current sensing signal. The controller outputs a first control signal to the resistor according to the current sensing signal such that the amplifying element operating in an active region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2018
    Assignee: Delta Electronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Kuo-Ying Lee, Yueh-Lung Huang, Yen-Hung Chen, Shih-Yuan Chiang, Feng-Ying Lin
  • Patent number: 10022959
    Abstract: A motor drive circuit which drives a motor, includes a driving unit that supplies a drive current to the motor on the basis of a control signal, an amplification unit that amplifies a potential difference between a first node of a wire, through which at least a portion of the drive current flows, and a second node of the wire, and a controller that generates the control signal on the basis of comparison between the potential difference amplified by the amplification unit and a threshold voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2018
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Katsumi Inoue
  • Patent number: 10006462
    Abstract: An electric motor communication system for use with a fluid moving system is provided. The electric motor communication system includes an electric motor including a wireless communication device configured to transmit and receive wireless signals, and a processing device coupled to the wireless communication device and configured to control the electric motor based at least in part on wireless signals received at the wireless communication device. The electric motor communication system further includes at least one external device configured to communicate wirelessly with the electric motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2018
    Assignee: Regal Beloit America, Inc.
    Inventors: Roger Carlos Becerra, Brian L. Beifus
  • Patent number: 9998061
    Abstract: A switching control unit that ON/OFF-controls switching elements of a power conversion circuit includes a power supply side abnormality determination unit, and a regeneration abnormality response processing selection unit that selects either three-phase short circuit processing, in which all upper stage side switching elements or all lower stage side switching elements are switched ON, or six-switch opening processing, in which all of the switching elements of the power conversion circuit are switched OFF, as processing to be executed when the power supply side abnormality determination unit determines that a power supply side abnormality has occurred, the three-phase short circuit processing and the six-switch opening processing being selected in accordance with a motor operating condition of the AC motor at the time of the determination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventor: Ryo Shinohara
  • Patent number: 9989935
    Abstract: An active front-end rectifier filter delay compensation method based on model predictive control is disclosed. The method includes following steps: detecting a three-phase grid voltage and three-phase input current sampling value of an active front-end rectifier, and transforming both via Clarke transformation to acquire grid voltage sampling values e? and e?, and input current sampling values if? and if? under a two-phase stationary coordinate system; establishing an equivalent mathematical model of rectifier on the basis of voltage balancing equation (1) in an actual rectifier, and establishing an equivalent filter model on the basis of a transfer function corresponding to the actual filter, thus constituting a filter delay observer; and, compensating the difference value between the input current sampling values if? and if?, and equivalent current sampling values iof? and iof? into an input of the filter delay observer via a proportional controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignee: TIANJIN UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Changliang Xia, Tao Liu, Zhanfeng Song
  • Patent number: 9935574
    Abstract: A method for determining a rotor frequency and/or a rotor angle of a rotor of a reluctance machine, in particular without an amortisseur, is disclosed. The reluctance machine has a stator with a stator winding and the rotor has a magnetically anisotropic rotor core. The method includes applying a temporal sequence of voltage pulses to the stator winding, determining a sequential pulse response of a current flowing in the stator winding, the current being generated as a result of the voltage pulses and a flux being generated from the voltage pulses as a result of the magnetically anisotropic rotor core, and determining the rotor frequency and/or the rotor angle based on the measured sequential pulse response of the electric current by using an evaluating device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: SIEMENS AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventors: Harald Sinner, Thilo Weigel
  • Patent number: 9931185
    Abstract: A system and method for providing variable power is disclosed. The system includes a power supply which provides power to at least one instrument. A pedal comprises a variable resistor that is configured to produce a resistance value within a predetermined range based on an amount of pressure which is being applied to the pedal. The voltage being supplied to the instrument is varied in accordance with the resistance value produced at the pedal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Inventor: Steven Gagliano
  • Patent number: 9923496
    Abstract: A fault-tolerant control method for a position sensor of a switched reluctance motor, if the position sensor of the switched reluctance motor runs without a fault, detecting, in real time, four equal-interval or equal-angle continuous edge pulses of an output signal of the position sensor, the fourth edge pulse being the current edge pulse, and detecting time intervals (T1, T2, T3) between each two adjacent edge pulses sequentially, thereby calculating a time interval (T4) between the current edge pulse and a next edge pulse following the current edge pulse. If the position sensor of the switched reluctance motor fails, and the next edge pulse following the current edge pulse is lost, reconstructing the next edge pulse after the interval time (T4) of the current edge pulse of the output signal of the position sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: China University of Mining and Technology
    Inventors: Hao Chen, Guoqiang Han, He Cheng, Qianlong Wang, Qing Wang, Xing Wang
  • Patent number: 9831806
    Abstract: An inverter apparatus includes: an inverter including three high-voltage side switching elements and three low-voltage side switching elements respectively provided in three phases one by one, and driving a three-phase brushless motor; an opening and closing control unit performing controlling so as to cause an electrical angle of the motor to pass through an angle corresponding to a first combination, to rotate twice by 120° each time to one side in a rotary direction, and to rotate once by 120° to the other side in the rotary direction thereafter, by sequentially closing four combinations each of which is formed with one among the high-voltage side switching elements and one among the low-voltage side switching elements; and a detection unit detecting a conduction state of a circuit including the closed high-voltage side and low-voltage side switching elements, wherein all the high-voltage side and low-voltage side switching elements are closed at least once in the four combinations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: AISIN SEIKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazuki Sugimori, Takeru Tsuji, Shinichi Tagawa
  • Patent number: 9771944
    Abstract: A motor controller of the present invention comprises units which obtain information indicative of a motor speed (?) and information indicative of motor torque (T), an air flow calculation section which calculates an air flow (Q) of a fan based on the motor speed (?) and the motor torque (T); and a speed command generation section which generates a speed command (?*) of a motor such that the air flow (Q) coincides with the predetermined air flow command (Q*).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2017
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ryuta Sasaki, Yasuyuki Yokouchi, Yasushi Kato, Toru Tazawa
  • Patent number: 9628005
    Abstract: A device for determining a rotor position in a polyphase electric motor has a power control unit for applying drive voltages according to a pulse width modulation scheme so as to synchronously drive the motor. A measurement unit is arranged for measuring a voltage value on a respective phase by determining a zero-crossing interval where the phase current is around zero, disconnecting the phase from the respective drive voltage during the zero-crossing interval, and measuring the voltage value when the drive voltage of a first other phase is the supply voltage and the drive voltage of a second other phase is the zero voltage. A position unit is arranged for determining the rotor position based on the voltage value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: NXP USA, INC.
    Inventors: Ivan Lovas, Viktor Bobek
  • Patent number: 9603282
    Abstract: Management of infrastructure devices is performed by computing devices that are associated with the processing being provided by the data center, such as chassis managers. A master is first selected through polling or consensus algorithms, and then subsequently the master is endowed with the authority to manage infrastructure devices and generate the control output to such infrastructure devices. Alternatively, no master need be elected and, instead, output to such infrastructure devices is generated by a computing device selected utilizing polling or consensus algorithms, and in accordance with a management decision made through polling or consensus algorithms. The interplay between the cooling apparatuses of individual server computing devices and the cooling apparatuses of the data center as a whole is also managed to increase the portion of the cooling of server computing devices provided by data center air movers. Control of data center air movers can be determined empirically or predictively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Bryan David Kelly, Badriddine Khessib, Sriram Govindan, Sriram Sankar, Brandon Aaron Rubenstein
  • Patent number: 9602027
    Abstract: A motor controller for an electric motor having a stator and a rotor. The motor controller includes a power input for receiving AC power from a power source; a control input for receiving a control signal from a control; and circuitry for switching power from the power source to the electric motor in response to the control signal. The circuitry is operable to: apply a driving waveform to the stator to cause rotation of the rotor; remove the driving waveform from the stator to cause the rotor to coast and eventually stop; apply a stop detection waveform to the stator while the rotor is coasting, wherein the stop detection waveform induces a waveform on the rotor which in turn induces a waveform back to the stator while the rotor is rotating; and monitor the stator to detect a characteristic of the waveform induced back to the stator to detect when the rotor has substantially stopped rotating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: Nidec Motor Corporation
    Inventor: Thomas J. Sheahan
  • Patent number: 9553530
    Abstract: A power converter a controller that includes an instruction calculator calculating a first voltage instruction value that is applied to a first winding group, for example. An application voltage to the first winding group is controlled, for example, in a first period so that a first neutral point voltage shifts below a center-of-output value of an outputtable range is outputted, and a second neutral point voltage shifts above the center-of-output value of the outputtable range. The instruction calculator calculates the first instruction value for enabling a switching between the periods, after a lapse of a switch period that is variably calculated based on a preset physical quantity. In such manner, a ripple of a torque or an electric current accompanying the switching between the periods is reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ryo Kano, Takashi Suzuki
  • Patent number: 9496814
    Abstract: When a motor drive control device is integrated in a semiconductor integrated circuit having a small chip area, calibration for improving the accuracy of detection of a counter electromotive voltage, which is for detecting the speed of a motor, is enabled. A first multiplier performs multiplication between a drive current detection signal and first gain information in a first register. A subtractor performs subtraction between a drive voltage command signal and a first multiplication result in the first multiplier. A second multiplier performs multiplication between a subtraction result in the subtractor and second gain information in a second register to generate counter electromotive voltage information as information on a second multiplication result. The drive voltage command signal in a control unit is set to a predetermined value to generate a condition which maintains the speed of the motor and a counter electromotive voltage at substantially zero.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: RENESAS ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Minoru Kurosawa, Yuki Matsuya
  • Patent number: 9240742
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for providing a current boost to support a voltage. In an embodiment, an apparatus comprises a voltage node; a switch coupled to the voltage node; a sensing circuit including an input coupled to the voltage node and an output for providing a corresponding voltage; and a voltage regulator coupled to receive the corresponding voltage and coupled to control the switch responsive to the received corresponding voltage. In an embodiment, a method comprises sensing a voltage; using a voltage regulator to turn on a switch responsive to the sensed voltage being less than a certain value; and providing additional current through the on switch to substantially maintain the voltage from being less than the certain value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2016
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: Dale H Erickson, James D Bucher, II
  • Patent number: 9143068
    Abstract: An estimating method for a rotor position of a motor and an estimating device for the same are disclosed herein. The estimating method includes injecting a first high frequency signal to the motor at a first estimating angle, generating a first sensing signal of the motor in a period when the first high frequency signal is injected to the motor, injecting a second high frequency signal to the motor at a second estimating angle, generating a second sensing signal of the motor in a period when the second high frequency signal is injected to the motor, determining a quadrant of an operating angle according to the first sensing signal and the second sensing signal, and acquiring the rotor position according to the first sensing signal, the second sensing signal, and the quadrant of the operating angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2015
    Assignee: DELTA ELECTRONICS, INC.
    Inventor: Yi-Cherng Lin
  • Patent number: 9106122
    Abstract: A reluctance machine includes a stator having N stator poles and a rotor having N rotor poles. Each stator pole has a stator winding, and the windings of the N stator poles are configured for excitation in a single phase. The current flow in the windings is controlled to support a constrained flux path across two air gaps provided by circumferentially adjacent rotor/stator pole pairs. The rotor may further be structurally configured to support that constrained flux path and preclude diagonal flux across the rotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2015
    Assignee: Everette Energy, LLC
    Inventor: Babak Fahimi
  • Patent number: 9087418
    Abstract: A method according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes, among other things, controlling a vehicle in response to a diagnostic test performed to detect an incorrect cable connection of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2015
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Daniel Richard Luedtke, Fazal Urrahman Syed, Jonathan Andrew Butcher, Rimma Paransky