Brushless Motor Closed-loop Control Patents (Class 318/400.01)
  • Patent number: 10447187
    Abstract: A control circuit controls the operation of a brushless DC (BLDC) sensorless motor having a first terminal connected to a first winding, a second terminal connected to a second winding and a third terminal connected to a third winding. A driver circuit applies drive signals to the first and second terminals and places the third terminal in a high-impedance state. The drive signals include first drive signals at a first current amplitude and second drive signals at a second, different, current amplitude. A differencing circuit senses a first mutual inductance voltage at the third terminal in response to the first drive signals and senses a second mutual inductance voltage at the third terminal in response to the second drive signals. The differencing circuit further determines a difference between the first and second mutual inductance voltages and produces a difference signal that is used for zero-crossing detection and rotor position sensing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2019
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Michele Boscolo Berto, Siro Vittoni
  • Patent number: 10432128
    Abstract: A frequency converter is used for generating at least one frequency converter output voltage a prescribable frequency converter output voltage amplitude and a prescribable frequency converter output voltage frequency for an electric motor. The frequency converter has: a clocked DC/DC converter is designed to generate from an input direct voltage having an input voltage level a DC/DC converter output voltage having a DC/DC converter output voltage level, wherein the DC/DC converter is designed to generate the DC/DC converter output voltage level based on the prescribable frequency converter output voltage amplitude, and a clocked inverter having a number of controllable switches, to which inverter the DC/DC converter output voltage is applied and which actuates the switches with an inverter switching frequency such that the at least one frequency converter output voltage with the prescribable frequency converter output voltage frequency is generated from the DC/DC converter output voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: Schmidhauser AG
    Inventor: Dirk Schekulin
  • Patent number: 10432115
    Abstract: A motor driving control apparatus in embodiments includes: a first signal generator to generate a first signal representing any one rotation angle section of plural rotation angle sections according to a sensor signal that changes every predetermined rotation angle of a rotor; a measurement unit to measure a period of each of the rotation angle sections; a prediction unit to predict a period of a next rotation section based on one or plural measured rotation angle sections; a second signal generator to generate a second signal representing a relative rotation angle of the rotor in the next rotation angle section for each period obtained by dividing the predicted period by a predetermined number; and a third signal generator to generate a third signal corresponding to a rotation angle of the rotor based on the first and second signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignees: MICROSPACE CORPORATION, TAIYO YUDEN CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masato Tanaka, Hiromi Hagiwara, Kazuo Asanuma, Hirokazu Shirakawa
  • Patent number: 10425024
    Abstract: A brushless motor device including: a rotor; a stator including a first coil, a second coil and a third coil, first ends of which are Y-connected to each other; a motor driver including an inverter circuit including switching elements and configured to: switch ON and OFF states of each switching element of the inverter circuit, wherein by switching the ON and OFF states of each switching element of the inverter circuit, the motor driver is configured to switch an energization time period from a first time period in which current is caused to flow from the first coil to the third coil to a second time period in which current is caused to flow from the second coil to the third coil and set both voltages of second ends of the second coil and the third coil to a power supply voltage during the second time period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2019
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hironori Hirata, Kohei Kanehara
  • Patent number: 10425033
    Abstract: It is an aspect of the present disclosure to provide a motor driving apparatus, and a method of controlling the same. In accordance with one aspect of the present disclosure, the motor driving apparatus includes an inverter configured to supply driving power to a motor; a sensing unit configured to sense a DC voltage supplied to the inverter and a driving current supplied from the inverter to the motor; and a controller configured to compensate for an iron loss and a copper loss by calculating a loss of the motor based on the sensed DC voltage and driving current and controlling the inverter to adjust the driving current based on the calculated loss of the motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2019
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jong Hyun Shin, Sun Jin Kim, Jin Han Kim
  • Patent number: 10401197
    Abstract: An apparatus and method are provided for compensating for a position error of a resolver that compensates for positions in the overall speed range using resolver position error measured at a specific speed by providing an angle tracking observer (ATO) for calculating angle information. The ATO compensates for the position errors in the overall speed range based on the position errors measured at the specific speed, to an inside of a resolver-digital converter. The method includes digitalizing detected position information of the motor rotor and receiving the digitalized position information from a resolver-digital converter to measure the position error. An electrical angular velocity of the position error is determined and the position error at the electrical angular velocity 0 is calculated and stored. The position error at a current electrical angular velocity is converted into and compensated for using the calculated position error based on the current electrical angular velocity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventors: Joo Young Park, Han Hee Park, Tae Il Yoo, Byung Hoon Yang, Chin Wook Paek, Hyung Bin Ihm
  • Patent number: 10396702
    Abstract: A motor drive control device is a device which drives and controls a permanent magnet synchronous motor in which each phase is independently controlled, and includes a 0-axis current calculation unit which calculates and outputs a 0-axis current iz on the basis of a motor current; a 0-axis current determination unit which compares and determines a reference 0-axis current value izs, which is the 0-axis current value when the temperature of a permanent magnet provided in the permanent magnet synchronous motor is a reference temperature with the calculated 0-axis current iz; and a switching signal generation unit which drives and controls inverters on the basis of the result of comparison determination of the 0-axis current determination unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2019
    Assignee: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventors: Katsuhiro Hoshino, Toshisada Mitsui, Seigo Yukutake, Hideki Miyazaki
  • Patent number: 10348235
    Abstract: A motor control unit includes a PWM count changer that when, out of all possible combinations of any two of three phases, at least one of the combinations has a difference in PWM count less than a threshold value, changes a PWM count of at least one of the two phases of the at least one of the combinations for each of PWM periods within a current control period, without changing the total of the PWM counts of the at least one of the two phases within the current control period, such that each of the combinations has a difference in PWM count greater than or equal to the threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2019
    Assignee: JTEKT CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hiroshi Sumasu
  • Patent number: 10326380
    Abstract: A motor drive apparatus includes: a converter which converts AC power to DC power and to output the DC power to a DC link; an inverter including power devices which converts the DC power to AC power for driving a motor; a capacitor provided in the DC link; a shut-off circuit to open and close an electrical path between the AC power source and the converter; a constant current control unit which performs control in such a manner as to allow a constant current supplied by the capacitor to pass through a detection target power device among the power devices in the inverter; and an abnormality detection unit which detects an abnormality in the detection target power device based on changes in voltage between a collector and an emitter of the detection target power device during a period in which the constant current passes through the detection target power device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2019
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Shinichi Mizukami
  • Patent number: 10312827
    Abstract: A power conversion device that includes an inverter circuit in which arms are connected in parallel to each other between a DC positive terminal and a DC negative terminal in accordance with a number of phases of alternating currents of a plurality of phases, the arms for the respective phases each including two switch sections that are connected in series and to be brought into conduction in an on state and out of conduction in an off state, the power conversion device being configured to convert electric power between DC power and AC power of the plurality of phases while a connection point between the two switch sections of each of the arms is set as an AC input or output point of each phase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Assignee: AISIN AW CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Subrata Saha, Arinori Shimada, Yutaka Hotta
  • Patent number: 10259340
    Abstract: A system for a vehicle including an inverter electrically between a motor and traction battery, and a controller configured to operate the inverter at one of a predefined set of discrete frequencies selected according to rotor-torque-based probability weights corresponding to each of the discrete frequencies such that a probability that the inverter operates at the one changes as rotor torque changes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2019
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Christopher Wolf, Michael W. Degner
  • Patent number: 10263499
    Abstract: A motor includes: a motor main body; a power board including a switching element and electrically connected to the motor main body; a control board electrically connected to the power board and disposed on an axial counter output side of the motor main body; a control board holder attached to the motor main body to hold the control board; a sensor magnet located on a counter output side of a stator and fixed to a shaft; a rotation sensor attached to the control board to face the sensor magnet; and a power board case directly or indirectly attached to the motor main body to hold the power board. The power board is positioned radially outward of the motor main body. Board surfaces of the power board are inclined with respect to board surfaces of the control board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2019
    Assignee: NIDEC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yoshiaki Yamashita
  • Patent number: 10256756
    Abstract: In a brushless motor apparatus, a brushless motor has a rotor and Y-connected coils, and a controller has an inverter circuit selectively driving the coils. The controller detects an induced voltage generated in a specific coil which is not driven by the inverter circuit while the rotor rotates. The controller acquires a positional signal of the rotor on a basis of a timing at which the induced voltage reaches the reference value. The timing is obtained through comparison between the detected induced voltage and a reference value. The controller switches a coil driven by the inverter circuit on a basis of the positional signal, and sets a mask period on a basis of a result of comparison between voltage of the specific coil and a coil other than the specific coil. The comparison between the induced voltage and the reference value is not executed in the mask period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2019
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hironori Hirata
  • Patent number: 10230316
    Abstract: A motor driving device for brushless direct current motors and an application apparatus thereof are provided. The motor driving device includes an inverter, a plurality of motor branches, and a microprocessor. The inverter includes a plurality of semiconductor switches to output an alternating current power via a first output terminal and a second output terminal. The plurality of motor branches are connected in parallel between the first output terminal and the second output terminal of the inverter, and each of the plurality of motor branches comprising a motor and a controllable bidirectional alternating current switch connected in series. The microprocessor controls a conduction manner of the semiconductor switches in the inverter, and whether to turn of the controllable bidirectional alternating current switch in each of the plurality of motor branches.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2019
    Assignee: JOHNSON ELECTRIC INTERNATIONAL AG
    Inventors: Yue Li, Chiping Sun, Fei Xin, Shinghin Yeung, Xiuwen Yang, Shujuan Huang
  • Patent number: 10196150
    Abstract: A motor assembly that includes a motor (102) having a rotatable shaft, a hub coupled to the rotatable shaft, the hub having a propeller indexer to receive a propeller (104), when the propeller is present, a sensor trigger rotatable with the shaft (100) and positioned at a propeller offset angle ?PROP from the propeller indexer, and a sensor coupled to the motor and positioned to detect the sensor trigger so that the propeller indexer may be positioned at the propeller offset angle ?PROP from the sensor through rotation of the shaft so that said sensor is proximate to the sensor trigger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2019
    Assignee: AEROVIRONMENT, INC.
    Inventors: Jason Allen Firanski, Justin Bates McAllister, Ronald Howard Olch, Lane Dennis Dalan, Emil Ghapgharan
  • Patent number: 10177694
    Abstract: In a current sensor abnormality diagnosis device, an abnormality judgment section determines that the phase current sensors are operating normally when a sum of three phase currents is not more than a threshold value, and a bus current sensor is operating normally based on a comparison result between three phase currents and a bus current. The abnormality judgment section detects which the phase current sensor has failed based on the three phase currents and the bus current when the sum of the three phase currents is more than the threshold value. Because of using the comparison results of the three phase currents with the bus current in addition to the sum of the three phase currents, it is possible for the abnormality judgment section to detect the occurrence of abnormality of each of these current sensors even if the detected current has an undefined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Atsuko Oka, Shuji Kuramitsu, Koichi Nakamura
  • Patent number: 10153715
    Abstract: A motor driving control device includes: a motor driving unit for selectively energizing coils of a plurality of phases of a motor; a control circuit unit for outputting a driving control signal to the motor driving unit to control an operation of the motor driving unit; and a position detector corresponding to one phase out of the plurality of phases, the position detector outputting a position signal having a phase varying according to a position of a rotor of the motor, wherein when starting activation of the motor, the control circuit unit executes first control for causing the motor to perform short-circuit braking, and second control for starting a first lock operation in which the rotor is locked by energizing coils of a predetermined energization phase out of the plurality of phases with a first current value after the first control is executed, and when executing the first control, the control unit performs the short-circuit braking from the start of the short-circuit braking of the motor until varia
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2018
    Assignee: MINEBEA MITSUMI INC.
    Inventor: Masato Aoki
  • Patent number: 10135382
    Abstract: A motor control device calculates a velocity difference based on a velocity command and a velocity detection value of a motor and an excitation current common phase voltage difference based on an excitation current command value and an excitation current detection value, and judges that demagnetization occurs when the following conditions are all met: the excitation current common phase voltage difference exceeds a voltage threshold; the velocity difference exceeds a velocity threshold; and acceleration is being performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2018
    Assignee: OKUMA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tomohiro Shibata, Yoshimaro Hanaki
  • Patent number: 10131332
    Abstract: A controller for a brake may comprise a tangible, non-transitory memory configured to communicate with the controller, the tangible, non-transitory memory having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by the controller, cause the controller to perform operations comprising receiving, by the controller, a three-phase signal indicating a first duty cycle for a first phase signal, a second duty cycle for a second phase signal, and a third duty cycle for a third phase signal, determining, by the controller, a minimum value based upon the first phase signal, the second phase signal, and the third phase signal, and converting, by the controller, the minimum value to a zero value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2018
    Assignee: Goodrich Corporation
    Inventors: Naison E Mastrocola, Scott R Durkee
  • Patent number: 10116245
    Abstract: A compressor driving device includes: a controller that PWM drives a compressor; an inverter circuit unit that supplies power to an electric motor included in the compressor; a drive circuit that drives the inverter circuit unit according to a control signal; a voltage detector that detects a voltage that is output to the electric motor; and a current detector that detects a current that is output to the electric motor. When a product of a detection value of the voltage detector and a detection value of the current detector is greater than a predetermined comparison value, a duty ratio of the control signal is reduced to cause the input power supplied to the electric motor by the inverter circuit unit to have a predetermined input power level or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2018
    Assignee: PANASONIC APPLIANCES REFRIGERATION DEVICES SINGAPORE
    Inventors: Mitsuhiro Fukuda, Masaki Sumi, Hiroaki Kase, Shigetomi Tokunaga, Masamitsu Taura, Takayuki Okamoto
  • Patent number: 10103675
    Abstract: A control device includes a gate-signal generating unit that outputs a gate signal to an inverter circuit and a voltage-vector generating unit that generates a voltage command to the gate-signal generating unit on the basis of a torque command PTR from an upper unit, rotating speed FM of an alternating-current electric motor, and a direct-current voltage value EFC applied to the inverter circuit. The voltage-vector generating unit calculates, on basis of a modulation rate, which is a ratio of the direct-current voltage value EFC and a voltage amplitude command in the voltage command, a PWM current distortion rate serving as an index representing a degree of a current harmonic caused by PWM control, generates the voltage amplitude command value on the basis of the calculated PWM current distortion rate, and outputs the voltage amplitude command value to the gate-signal generating unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2018
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ryo Yokozutsumi, Hisanori Yamasaki, Sho Kato, Haruyuki Kometani, Kenta Kaneko
  • Patent number: 10084406
    Abstract: Exemplary embodiments or implementations are disclosed of methods, apparatus, and systems for operating motors in variable speed situations. In an exemplary implementation, a method of controlling a variable-speed motor includes defining a control duration as a predetermined number of cycles of a multiple-phase power supply. Each speed in a range of speeds is defined by a corresponding number of the cycles of the control duration. Power is provided to the motor from the power supply at a selected one of the speeds, by enabling input from the power supply for the number of the cycles of the control duration corresponding to the selected speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2018
    Assignee: Emerson Electric Co.
    Inventors: Ping Shan, Cai Bing Zhang
  • Patent number: 10042011
    Abstract: A method to detect a decrease of the demagnetization of permanent magnets of the generator of a wind turbine, wherein a frequency converter is able to adapt to the variable frequency of the generator output voltage to the frequency of a power grid, wherein the AC/DC converter or the DC/AC converter of the frequency converter is been disabled, the electrical connections between the generator and the frequency converter are switched on via circuit breakers, the generator speed is determined; the generator output voltage is determined by a voltage sensor which is part of the frequency converter, the magnetic flux density of the generator is calculated depending on the generator speed and the generator output voltage, a demagnetization event is determined by comparing the resulting flux density value with a predetermined flux density value is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2018
    Assignee: SIEMENS AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventor: Heng Deng
  • Patent number: 10033320
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling the motor of a synchronous reluctance motor for a pump, in particular a centrifugal pump, are provided. The motor includes a variable-frequency drive which controls the synchronous reluctance motor in a terminal volts/hertz operation. The pump, in particular a centrifugal pump, includes at least one synchronous reluctance motor and a variable-frequency drive for a motor control, the variable-frequency drive being a terminal volts/hertz variable-frequency drive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2018
    Assignee: KSB Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Daniel Gontermann, Jochen Schaab
  • Patent number: 10020769
    Abstract: A device for actuating and/or monitoring a brushless DC motor, preferably for safety-relevant applications, preferably while operating or controlling a vehicle or components of a vehicle and a method for reliably checking the functional capability of the device are provided. The device can be actuated by a motor control unit by using a control signal for actuating and/or monitoring a brushless direct current motor by using a converter circuit includes a switching-off apparatus, a driver circuit which acts on the converter circuit and a testable diagnosis unit for monitoring the device and/or the converter circuit and/or the brushless direct current motor. The switching-off apparatus acts on the driver circuit. The testable diagnosis unit can be tested for a malfunction by using a testing command transmitted by the motor control unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2018
    Assignee: Conti Temic microelectronic GmbH
    Inventors: Marc Arabackyj, Thomas Guertler, Thomas Huemmrich, Mathias Kuhn, Robert Istvan Loerincz, Andreas Pschorr
  • Patent number: 10018202
    Abstract: A fan control system includes a control module, a first fan module and a second fan module. The control module provides a first control signal to the first fan module to adjust the rotation state of the first fan module. The first fan module provides a second control signal to the second fan module based on the first control signal to adjust the second fan module. The first fan module includes a first terminal and a second terminal. The second fan module includes a first terminal and a second terminal. The first terminal of the first fan module is electrically connected to the control module to receive the first control signal. The second terminal of the first fan module is electrically connected to the first terminal of the second fan module. The second terminal of the second fan module is electrically connected to a reference voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2018
    Assignee: ANPEC ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ching-Feng Lai, Yin-Kai Chen
  • Patent number: 9991839
    Abstract: A maximum spectrum peak reduction unit sets a PWM count generated by a PWM duty ratio calculation unit for a specific current control period as PWM counts for respective PWM periods within the current control period, and changes the set PWM counts for the respective PWM periods within the current control period so that a frequency component having a frequency obtained by dividing a carrier frequency in half or less is included in a PWM signal waveform within the current control period without changing a total value of the PWM counts for the respective PWM periods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignee: JTEKT CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hiroshi Sumasu
  • Patent number: 9985559
    Abstract: A control apparatus controls a rotating machine including a stator having groups of phase windings, to control current application to the groups. The control apparatus includes power converters converting received power to AC power and supplying the AC power to the rotating machine, a harmonic component cancellation section reducing a harmonic component superimposed on a fundamental wave component by a cancellation process in an estimated-rotating coordinate system for at least one of voltage and current of each system, when a unit of a group of components controlling current application to a specific group of the windings is defined as a system, an induced voltage estimation section estimating an induced voltage based on information common to the systems including a voltage value and a current value calculated by the cancellation process, and a magnetic-pole-position estimation section estimating a magnetic pole position of a rotor based on the estimated induced voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Sukhwa Jung
  • Patent number: 9979345
    Abstract: A rotor driving system has a rotor, a revolution sensor, a sensing circuit, a controller, and a rotor driver. The revolution sensor is configured to sense a revolution frequency of the rotor so as to generate a measurement signal. The sensing circuit is electrically connected to the revolution sensor and configured to convert the measurement signal into a current revolution measured value. The controller is electrically connected to the sensing circuit and configured to generate an estimated revolution frequency based on a historical revolution measured value, the current revolution measured value, and a reference value, and generate a rotor driving signal based on the estimated revolution frequency and a revolution control signal. The rotor driver is electrically connected to the controller and configured to drive the rotor to rotate based on the rotor driving signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2018
    Assignee: INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH INSTITUTE
    Inventors: Chao-Yun Chen, Chi-Ting Yeh
  • Patent number: 9975447
    Abstract: In a power storage system, a bidirectional DC-DC converter is set into mode for charging a secondary battery with electricity when a first state of charge (SOC) of the secondary battery is larger than a minimum value of the first SOC, and a second SOC of the capacitor is smaller than a maximum value of the second SOC, and the converter is set into mode for discharging electricity from the secondary battery when the first SOC is smaller than a maximum value of the first SOC, and the second SOC is larger than a minimum value of the second SOC. Based on an internal resistance of the secondary battery, the second SOC, a voltage of a direct current link in case of no load connected to DC link, and an error in a current on a direct current link side, a conduction ratio (D) of the converter is calculated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2018
    Assignee: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takayuki Tokushige, Masato Hayashi, Mikihiko Kataoka, Soichiro Bando, Tatsuya Ohno
  • Patent number: 9970447
    Abstract: A fuel cell system includes an air compressor that supplies oxidant gas to a fuel cell installed in a fuel cell vehicle, a measured rotational speed acquirer that acquires a measured value of rotational speed of the air compressor, and a controller that calculates a rotational speed command value of the air compressor based on required generated power of the fuel cell, calculates a torque command value of the air compressor based on the calculated rotational speed command value and current rotational speed of the air compressor, and controls rotational speed of the air compressor based on the calculated torque command value. The controller estimates the current rotational speed of the air compressor baaed on the measured value of the rotational speed acquired by the measured rotational speed acquirer and a history of the calculated torque command value, and calculates the torque command value by using the estimated rotational speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kohei Oda, Kenji Umayahara
  • Patent number: 9932067
    Abstract: An electric power steering apparatus that calculates a current command value based on at least a steering torque, performs a PWM-control of a brushless motor by an inverter based on the current command value, performs a current control by detecting a rotational angle of the brushless motor, and performs an assist-control of a steering system. The apparatus includes three rotational angle detecting systems to detect three rotational angles of the brushless motor; and an angle diagnosing section that compares absolute values of differences on respective angles outputted from the three rotational angle detecting systems with a threshold, and performs a process by diagnosing whether the rotational angle detecting systems are normal or abnormal; wherein the assist control is continuously performed by using output angles outputted from systems diagnosed as being normal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: NSK LTD.
    Inventors: Kyosho Uryu, Shin Kumagai
  • Patent number: 9912274
    Abstract: This AC rotating machine control device includes: power limiting means 6 for limiting drive power supplied for driving the AC rotating machine; and power feed means 10 for, when sensor abnormality determination means 3 determines that the rotational position sensor is abnormal, on the basis of the estimated rotational position, supplying the AC rotating machine with power obtained by adding rotational position estimation power supplied for the rotational position estimation means 9 to estimate the rotational position, to the drive power limited by the power limiting means, wherein the power limiting means 6 limits drive current at least during a predetermined period since the sensor abnormality determination means 3 determines that the abnormality occurs until estimated error of the estimated rotational position falls within a predetermined range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Shunsuke Nakajima, Yuya Tsuchimoto, Isao Kezobo, Yoshihiko Kimpara
  • Patent number: 9912209
    Abstract: Three controls, three variable gear assemblies, a hatch, and a variable torque and power generator (VT&PG), may be used independently and together to provide constant frequency and voltage output power and to increase the amount of output power generated with the same input water flow or wind speed. A three variable spur/helical gear assembly of sun and planetary gear sets is a mechanical three variable control and referred to herein as a Transgearâ„¢ gear assembly, simply Transgear. A hatch wraps around a waterwheel and may control the amount of water inlet to the system by opening and closing and may be controlled by Transgears and a VT&PG. Two Transgears may comprise a constant speed motor control and produce required frequency and voltage and be reduced in part count and complexity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Assignee: Differential Dynamics Corporation
    Inventor: Kyung Soo Han
  • Patent number: 9893665
    Abstract: A system includes a permanent magnet motor having a rotor and a stator. The rotor and the stator have a configuration that causes the motor to generate a back-electromagnetic force (EMF) waveform that is substantially sinusoidal. The system also includes a motor controller having a sliding-mode observer configured to identify the back-EMF waveform and a position observer configured to estimate at least one characteristic of the motor using the identified back-EMF waveform. The stator may include multiple teeth projecting towards the rotor and multiple conductive windings, where each conductive winding is wound around a single tooth. The rotor may include multiple magnetic poles, where each magnetic pole has a span of about 60° or less. The sliding-mode observer may be configured to receive current measurements associated with three-phase signals and voltage commands generated by the motor controller. The position observer may include a proportional-integral (PI) regulator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2018
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventor: Shih-Chin Yang
  • Patent number: 9887652
    Abstract: A system, in some embodiments, comprises: an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) configured to receive a discrete analog voltage and to generate a digital bit value representing said analog voltage; control logic, coupled to the ADC, configured to identify a target intercept and a target slope for a lead angle curve based on the digital bit value; and a motor, coupled to the control logic, configured to operate based on a lead angle identified using said lead angle curve, wherein the ADC receives the analog voltage via a single integrated circuit pin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2018
    Assignee: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
    Inventors: Takashi Ogawa, Fumio Kumazawa
  • Patent number: 9871481
    Abstract: This AC rotating machine control device includes: power limiting means 6 for limiting drive power supplied for driving the AC rotating machine; and power feed means 10 for, when sensor abnormality determination means 3 determines that the rotational position sensor is abnormal, on the basis of the estimated rotational position, supplying the AC rotating machine with power obtained by adding rotational position estimation power supplied for the rotational position estimation means 9 to estimate the rotational position, to the drive power limited by the power limiting means, wherein the power limiting means 6 limits drive current at least during a predetermined period since the sensor abnormality determination means 3 determines that the abnormality occurs until estimated error of the estimated rotational position falls within a predetermined range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2018
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Shunsuke Nakajima, Yuya Tsuchimoto, Isao Kezobo, Yoshihiko Kimpara
  • Patent number: 9866207
    Abstract: A driver integrated circuit includes a bootstrap circuit (BSC) configured to output a boot power supply voltage (VB) based on a first power supply voltage, the boot power supply voltage being higher than the first power supply voltage; a level shift circuit (LSC) configured to output an output pulse signal based on an input pulse signal and the boot power supply voltage; a high side driving circuit (HSU) configured to output a high side driving voltage based on the boot power supply voltage and the output pulse signal, wherein the bootstrap circuit includes a sense metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) transistor and a boot MOS transistor, wherein the sense MOS transistor includes a depression-type transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Ryo Kanda, Tetsu Toda, Junichi Nakamura, Kazuyuki Umezu, Tomonobu Kurihara, Takahiro Nagatsu, Yasushi Nakahara, Yoshinori Kaya
  • Patent number: 9859806
    Abstract: According to one aspect of the teachings herein, a system for obtaining electricity from wind turbines provides advantageous operation with respect to offshore wind turbines where the size and weight of electricity generation and collection equipment are key considerations. The contemplated system includes an apparatus that is configured for collecting wind-generated electricity at a fixed low frequency and at a desired collection voltage, based on the advantageous configuration and use of a modular multilevel converter or MMC.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: ABB RESEARCH LTD.
    Inventors: Debrup Das, Jiaqi Liang, Darren Tremelling, Jiuping Pan
  • Patent number: 9829392
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an apparatus and method for estimating a temperature of a motor using a Hall sensor. The method includes detecting, at a digital Hall sensor, a position of a rotor included in a motor and outputting an on signal in an operating period and an off signal in a release period according to a relative position of the rotor, calculating, at a temperature determining module, a difference between duration of the operating period and duration of the release period according to an output waveform of the digital Hall sensor, and then determining, at the temperature determining module, a temperature of the motor with reference to a temperature corresponding to the duration difference. Accordingly, it is possible to estimate the internal temperature of a motor without installing a temperature sensor in the motor, to maintain a small size of the motor, and to reduce production costs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: KOREA ELECTRONICS TECHNOLOGY INSTITUTE
    Inventors: Joon Sung Park, Se Hyun Rhyu, In Soung Jung, Jun Hyuk Choi, Bon Gwan Gu, Jin Hong Kim
  • Patent number: 9825579
    Abstract: A temperature estimating apparatus for a synchronous motor comprises: a voltage command generating unit for controlling d-phase current by increasing or decreasing d-phase and q-phase voltages; a voltage acquiring unit for d-phase and q-phase voltages when the d-phase current is varied; a rotating speed detecting unit for the synchronous motor; a current detecting unit for the d-phase and q-phase currents; a winding temperature acquiring unit; a winding resistance converting unit for winding resistance from winding temperature; an inductance calculating unit for d-axis inductance based on the variation of the d-phase current and the q-phase voltage and on the rotating speed; a counter electromotive voltage constant calculating unit from the q-phase voltage, the varied d-phase current, the rotating speed, the q-phase current, the winding resistance, and the d-axis inductance; and a magnet temperature estimating unit for estimating magnet temperature based on the counter electromotive voltage constant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Tatsuya Senoo
  • Patent number: 9825567
    Abstract: A controller is provided for driving a stepper motor with a magnetic rotor and at least one coil. The controller has a power stage for supplying the at least one coil with current, at least one analog Hall sensor for providing a signal as a function of the position of the magnetic rotor with respect to the Hall sensor, and a feedback line connecting the Hall sensor with the power stage to feed the signal of the Hall sensor back to the power stage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: Johnson Electric S.A.
    Inventors: Miha Furlan, Yvan Bourqui, Maxime Bruelhart
  • Patent number: 9819289
    Abstract: In a control apparatus, a magnetic flux information acquiring unit acquires magnetic flux information of magnetic poles of a rotating electric machine. A fundamental setting unit sets a fundamental command value for supplying a fundamental current to a winding of the rotating electric machine. A harmonic setting unit sets, based on the magnetic flux information acquired by the magnetic flux information acquiring unit, a harmonic command value for supplying a reduction current to the winding. The reduction current is a harmonic current for reducing variation in a radial electromagnetic force acting on a rotor of the rotating electric machine. An operating unit operates, based on the fundamental command value set by the fundamental setting unit and the harmonic command value set by the harmonic setting unit, an electric power converter to supply the winding with a drive current that is obtained by superimposing the reduction current on the fundamental current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Assignees: DENSO CORPORATION, ASMO CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ryunosuke Akimatsu, Toshihiro Uchida
  • Patent number: 9800193
    Abstract: A device comprises a motor/generator having an air gap and a plurality of windings, a plurality of power converter groups, and a control system. The windings are so configured that the number of phases in a pair of poles and the number of poles of the motor/generator can be dynamically adjusted. The power converter group comprises a plurality of power converters which is coupled between an input voltage source and a plurality of windings for controlling currents in the windings. The control system is so configured such that the number of poles of the motor/generator and the number of phases in a pair of poles are dynamically adjusted, and a synchronous speed of a moving magnetic field generated by winding currents within first pair of poles is approximately equal to a synchronous speed of a second moving magnetic field generated by currents in the windings within second pair of poles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Inventors: Hengchun Mao, Xuezhong Jia
  • Patent number: 9794347
    Abstract: A system for wirelessly programming and diagnosing a motor includes a server computer system, a portable electronic device, and a wireless communication device. The server computer system stores motor operating parameters and other motor data that can be accessed by the portable electronic device over a wireless communication network for identifying a suitable replacement motor for an unserviceable motor. The server computer system also generates motor programming instructions for programming the replacement motor to emulate the unserviceable motor. The portable electronic device wirelessly transmits the motor programming instructions to the wireless communication device for storing the motor programming instructions on a memory of a controller of the replacement motor so that the replacement motor will emulate the unserviceable motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Assignee: Nidec Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Randy L. Bomkamp, Scott M. Schroer, Christopher D. Schock, Gregory A. Peterson
  • Patent number: 9771169
    Abstract: A preconditioned air unit for supplying preconditioned air to an aircraft parked on the ground, the preconditioned air unit comprising a housing accommodating a flow duct with an air inlet for ambient air and an air outlet for connection to the parked aircraft, a blower connected with the flow duct for generation of an air flow from the air inlet toward the air outlet, at least one refrigeration system, each of which includes at least one compressor, at least one condenser, at least one expansion valve, and at least one evaporator connected in a flow circuit containing a refrigerant, and wherein the at least one evaporator interacts with the air flow in the flow duct, and at least one variable frequency driver for power supply of at least one of the at least one compressor of the at least one refrigeration system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2017
    Assignee: AXA POWER APS
    Inventors: Soren Risgaard Dahl, Bo Vork Nielsen, Henrik Olsson, Lars Schroder
  • Patent number: 9774288
    Abstract: An electric machine assembly includes an electric machine, an inverter configured to provide pulse-width modulation characterized by a switching frequency and a controller. The controller has a processor and tangible, non-transitory memory on which is recorded instructions for executing a method of controlling the switching frequency to minimize a beat frequency phenomenon. Execution of the instructions by the processor causes the controller to obtain a first function (G1) and a second function (G2) based at least partially on the original pulse ratio (PR0). The original pulse ratio (PR0) is a ratio of the switching frequency and a predefined fundamental frequency. If each of a plurality of conditions are met, a new pulse ratio (PRN) is determined based at least partially on the original pulse ratio (PR0), the first function (G1) and the second function (G2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2017
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Xin Jing, Brian A. Welchko, Constantin C. Stancu
  • Patent number: 9774284
    Abstract: Motor drives, methods and estimation systems are presented for estimating a rotor position of a motor load in which four sets of inverter output current samples obtained at four different sample times in a given inverter PWM cycle are converted into a corresponding stationary reference frame current value pairs, and the rotor position estimate is computed according to the stationary reference frame current values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2017
    Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Jingbo Liu, Thomas Nondahl, Peter B. Schmidt, Takayoshi Matsuo, Timothy M. Rowan
  • Patent number: 9755563
    Abstract: In an inverter control apparatus, a phase current calculation section calculates each of phase currents flowing into a motor by using measurement results of a current sensor, and a voltage command generation section calculates three-phase voltage commands by using each of the estimated phase currents. A command modulation section compares the phase voltage commands with each other, to specify a full-on phase or a full-off phase on the basis of the comparison result and then to set the voltage command of the specified phase to a full-on voltage or a full-off voltage, and offsets the voltage commands of the other two phases according to the full-on voltage or the full-off voltage to modulate the voltage commands into voltage commands allowing the line voltage between the other two phases to be kept constant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES AUTOMOTIVE THERMAL SYSTEMS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kyohei Watanabe, Kenichi Aiba, Takayuki Takashige
  • Patent number: 9731607
    Abstract: A vehicle brake control system includes an inverter configured to convert direct current (DC) into an alternating current (AC) for a motor of a vehicle. The inverter includes switches configured to convert the DC to the AC, as well as a resistor and a bypass switch disposed in series with each other. A controller is communicatively coupled with the inverter switches and the bypass switch. The controller opens the bypass switch so that the DC is conducted through and converted into the AC for the motor during a motoring mode. The controller closes the bypass switch so that regenerated current from the motor is conducted through the resistor of the inverter for partial dissipation of the regenerated current during a dynamic braking mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Sarit Ratadiya, Rajeev Verma