Having Both High-side And Low-side Switching Elements For Plural-phase Motor Patents (Class 318/400.27)
  • Publication number: 20130334995
    Abstract: A motor control apparatus includes an A/D converter, which is a hardware part for converting an analog signal of a sensor to a digital signal, a microcomputer, which is a software part, and a drive circuit, which is a hardware part for driving an inverter to supply electric power to a motor. The microcomputer includes calculation blocks, each of which is a calculation block for individually calculating an output from an input. The microcomputer further executes, in parallel to control calculations, software monitor processing for each calculation block to monitor whether the control calculation is executed normally. The motor control apparatus thus can detect a software abnormality without using a monitoring hardware circuit separately.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2013
    Publication date: December 19, 2013
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yoshihide KURODA
  • Patent number: 8605466
    Abstract: A radiation hardened motor drive stage utilizes a non-radiation hardened P-channel FET switch. The radiation hardened motor drive stage includes a non-radiation hardened P-channel FET switch that is connected three (3) pairs of upper and lower switch blocks or legs wherein the output of each pair is connected to a motor winding switch terminal. The upper switch blocks or legs are connected the P-channel switch a. The lower switch block or legs are connected to a negative power bus. The negative power bus permits the N-channel FETS or IGTS within the switch blocks or legs exposed to ionized radiation to be controlled, even when their gate threshold voltage has dropped below zero volts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2013
    Inventor: Steven E. Summer
  • Patent number: 8604732
    Abstract: The two-phase modulation control inverter unit includes a plurality of switching devices, a shunt resistor and a controller. The switching devices drive a three-phase motor. The shunt resistor is connected between a direct-current power supply and the switching devices. The controller reads a voltage applied to the shunt resistor in a read cycle, computes command voltages based on the read voltage, and uses the command voltages and carrier signals to compute three control signals. The read cycle corresponds to two or more signal cycles of each carrier signal. Each control signal has a pulse for each signal cycle of the corresponding carrier signal. The controller integrates a plurality of pulses of each control signal in the read cycle into one or more pulses. The controller reads a voltage applied to the shunt resistor at the time of outputting of the integrated one or more pulses in the next read cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2013
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Jidoshokki
    Inventors: Takashi Kawashima, Kazuki Najima, Yoshiki Nagata
  • Patent number: 8604739
    Abstract: A controller for an axial gap-type motor (3) comprises a rotor (11) having a permanent magnet and a first stator (12a) and a second stator (12b) opposed to each other with the rotor (11) interposed therebetween in the axial direction of revolution of the rotor (11). The controller further includes an electrification control portion which supplies a torque current (Iq) for generating a magnetic field to revolve the rotor (11) to an armature winding (13a) of the first stator (12a) and supplies a field current (+Id) for reinforcing the magnetic flux by the permanent magnet of the rotor (11) or a field current (?Id) for weakening the magnetic flux to an armature winding (13b) of the second stator (12b). Consequently, the controllable range of the motor is increased and the axial gap-type motor can be operated at higher velocity and higher torque.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2013
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hirofumi Atarashi
  • Publication number: 20130300328
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are a switching control apparatus for two phase switched reluctance motor and a method thereof. The switching control apparatus includes a rectifier rectifying commercial power; and an active converter including a pair of common switches commonly connected to two phase windings of two phase SRMs, a pair of first phase switches bridge-connected to the pair of common switches at any one of the two phase windings, a pair of second phase switches bridge-connected to the pair of common switches at the other one of the two phase windings, and a plurality of current feedback diodes each connected to the switches, wherein the active converter is operated in operation modes 1 to 3 to drive the two phase SRM.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2012
    Publication date: November 14, 2013
    Applicant: SAMSUNG ELECTRO-MECHANICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Se Joo Kim, Han Kyung BAE, Hyung Joon KIM, Hong Chul SHIN
  • Publication number: 20130293170
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are a switching control apparatus and method of a two-phase switched reluctance motor. The witching control apparatus includes: a rectifying unit rectifying commercial power; and an active converter including a pair of common switches commonly connected to two phase windings of the two-phase SRM, a pair of first phase switches bridge-connected to the pair of common switches at any one of the two phase windings, a pair of second phase switches bridged-connected to the pair of common switches at the other of the two phase windings and connected in series with each other, and a plurality of current feedback diodes each connected to the switches and operated in operation modes 1 to 3 to drive the two-phase SMR.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 21, 2012
    Publication date: November 7, 2013
    Applicant: SAMSUNG ELECTRO-MECHANICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hong Chul SHIN, Han Kyung BAE, Hyung Joon KIM, Guen Hong LEE
  • Patent number: 8575885
    Abstract: To make it possible to avoid an unstable state with a simple configuration even one of the phases of the motor fails. A motor drive system in accordance with the present invention includes a motor to which a plurality of phase coils of five phases or more are connected in a star connection, an inverter connected to one end of each of the phase coils, the inverter being configured to convert a DC power into an AC power and supply the AC power to each phase of the motor, a power relay disposed at another end of each of the phase coils, the power relay being configured so as to be able to cut off a supply power to at least one phase coil among the plurality of phase coils of the motor by using a plurality of contact points interposed between the star-connected coils, and a control unit that generates a control signal for the inverter and thereby controls driving of the motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2013
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoshihiro Okumatsu
  • Publication number: 20130278194
    Abstract: There is provided a power inverter that fixes a connector in which a DC-side connector and an AC-side connector are mechanically combined to a casing in which a power semiconductor module converting a DC current into an AC current is housed, a positive-side DC terminal and a negative-side DC terminal are arranged to be aligned along one side, which is formed in the widthwise direction, of one side face of the casing, and a U-phase side terminal, a V-phase side terminal, and a W-phase side terminal are arranged to be aligned along one side, which is formed in the longitudinal direction, of one side face of the casing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2011
    Publication date: October 24, 2013
    Applicant: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.
    Inventor: Yuta Numakura
  • Publication number: 20130264984
    Abstract: Provided is a power converting apparatus which suppresses noise caused by a square wave voltage that is sharply changed according to switching of the power converting apparatus. The invention has a power converting apparatus including a first inverter circuit connected to a DC power supply side; and a second inverter circuit connected to a load side, wherein the first inverter circuit converts DC power from the DC power supply into power having an absolute waveform of an AC waveform, and the second inverter circuit converts the power of the absolute waveform every single cycle thereof into AC power by alternately inverting the power.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2010
    Publication date: October 10, 2013
    Applicant: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Tamura, Toshiyuki Ajima
  • Publication number: 20130264979
    Abstract: Controller for a three-phase brushless D.C. motor has a full bridge circuit and an electronic control unit (ECU). The full bridge circuit has three branches each with switches connected to the motor windings. The switches are driven by signals from the ECU. The drive signals are arranged in two sets of three signals. The two sets are offset by 180 electrical degrees. The drive signals of each set are offset by 120 electrical degrees and each have an active portion, alternating with an inactive portion. The active portion includes an initial interval of pulsed activation, an intermediate interval of continuous activation, and a final interval of pulsed activation. The active portion of the drive signals is greater than 120 electrical degrees, with each initial interval of pulsed activation of a switch overlapping the final interval of the previously activated switch.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 8, 2013
    Publication date: October 10, 2013
    Applicant: Johnson Electric S.A.
    Inventors: Luciano MARCHITTO, Gianfranco PERNA, Pierfranco PANGELLA, Gianluca GOBBETTI
  • Patent number: 8552672
    Abstract: A motor drive for driving two-phase motors using a three-phase bridge output stage, and a method of operating the drive. The driven two-phase motor can be a two-phase bipolar motor (such as a hybrid stepping motor). The drive can also be configured so that a single output stage can be used to drive either two-phase or three-phase motors, with or without a feedback sensor. A reference return is provided from one of the three half-bridge output stages with each of the motor phase windings connected between the reference return and one of the other half-bridge outputs. The switches of each half-bridge are modulated so that current can be controlled in each of the two motor phase windings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2013
    Assignee: Teknic, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas John Bucella, Dave Sewhuk, Scott Mayne, Warren God
  • Publication number: 20130249458
    Abstract: A universal control unit for driving a brushed or a brushless DC motor, such as the type commonly employed in a vehicle fuel pump or other vehicle application. According to exemplary embodiments, a universal control unit includes a processing device and an output stage, and is connected to either a brushed or a brushless DC motor in a manner that accommodates the two different motor types so that a common or universal controller can be used.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 20, 2012
    Publication date: September 26, 2013
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Rachid G. Abou-Kasm, Robert W. Leschuk, Donald A. Eveleth, Daniel R. Gee
  • Patent number: 8541969
    Abstract: In a method and a device for pulse width modulated (PWM-) activation of an electrical drive motor (2) of an adjustment arrangement based on a reference of the mechanical system of the adjustment arrangement that corresponds to a relationship between the force (F) on the drive motor (2) and the adjustment path (s) or the adjustment time (t) of the adjustment arrangement stored in a memory (9), an anticipated future force value (F(t+t0)) is determined based on the reference of the mechanical system in order to adjust the PWM activation in advance by utilizing this future force value such that motor synchronization fluctuations can be prevented upon anticipated mechanical fluctuations in the adjustment arrangement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2013
    Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Stefan Holzinger, Roman Morawek, Daniel Zuffer
  • Publication number: 20130234638
    Abstract: An upper bridge of the power converter drives a half of phase windings. A lower bridge of the power converter drives the other half of the phase windings. For example, an upper neutral point of a star-connected upper phase windings is connected to a lower neutral point of a star-connected lower phase windings via a connection switch. A current-absorbing leg absorbs a current from the upper neutral point. A current-supplying leg supplies a current to the lower neutral point. Preferably, the power converter has an asymmetric bridge mode, a dual Miller mode and an accelerated bridge mode by means of switching the connection switch, the current-absorbing leg and the current-supplying leg.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 21, 2012
    Publication date: September 12, 2013
    Inventor: Shouichi Tanaka
  • Patent number: 8531145
    Abstract: The methods and devices provided herein include methods and devices for controlling a permanent magnet motor. In one implementation, a method is provided that allows for the determination of the values of the phase back EMF voltage and of the phase inductances while the phases are powered with a PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) controlled current and/or voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 4, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2013
    Assignee: Micro-Beam SA
    Inventors: Laurent Cardoletti, Thierry Bieler, Christain Koechli, Christian Fleury
  • Patent number: 8513907
    Abstract: A power converter for an electric rotating machine is provided which is designed to ensure a desired length of a current flywheel duration in which current is permitted to freewheel from the electric rotating machine even if the power converter is in a transient state or subjected to an unexpected change. The power converter is equipped with a controller and a switching circuit which is disposed between a power supply and windings of the electric rotating machine. The switching circuit has switches grouped into an upper and a lower arm. The controller works to control an off-operation of one of the switches of one of the upper and lower arm so as to produce a desired length of the current flywheel duration following turning off of the one of the switches, thereby minimizing a loss of rectification and avoiding the backflow of current from the power supply to the windings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2013
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Taizo Kondo, Masakazu Tago, Harumi Horihata
  • Publication number: 20130200830
    Abstract: The invention includes a three-phase full-bridge power converter, a motor generator driven by the power converter, a pulse number generator which determines the number of pulses included in the driving signal for one electrical cycle, a voltage command generator which determines a modulation factor and a phase angle of driving voltage, and a pulse generator which generates the driving signal, and, in this invention, the pulse generator generates the driving signal having a pulse waveform which minimizes power loss in the power generator and the motor generator according to the number of pulses, the modulation factor, and the phase angle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2013
    Publication date: August 8, 2013
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOYOTA CHUO KENKYUSHO
    Inventor: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Chuo Kenkyusho
  • Patent number: 8487566
    Abstract: The present invention provides an electronic commutator circuit for use with a stator winding of an electrical machine. The stator winding of the electrical machine includes a number of coils linked by the same number of points of common coupling. The electronic commutator circuit comprising the same number of switching stages, each switching stage being connected between a respective one of the points of common coupling and first and second dc terminals. Each switching stage further includes a first reverse blocking semiconductor power device (such as a Reverse Blocking Gate Turn Off Thyristor (RB-GTO 1) capable of being turned on and off by gate control having its anode connected to the first dc terminal, and a second reverse blocking semiconductor power device (RB-GTO 2) capable of being turned on and off by gate control having its cathode connected to the second dc terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: Converteam UK Ltd.
    Inventor: Allan David Crane
  • Patent number: 8487567
    Abstract: A two-phase BLDC motor comprises a stator and a rotor. The stator has a stator core and a two-phase winding wound on the stator core. The stator core comprises a plurality of teeth with slots formed between adjacent teeth. The rotor rotor has a plurality of magnetic poles formed by at least one permanent magnet. The windings are received in corresponding slots in such a way that each winding spans multiple teeth and the direction of current flowing through the windings in any one slot at any one time is the same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: Johnson Electric S.A.
    Inventors: Yue Li, Li Sheng Liu
  • Publication number: 20130175959
    Abstract: In a driver, a charging module stores negative charge on the gate of a switching element via a normal electrical path to charge the switching element upon a drive signal representing change of an on state to an off state. This shifts the on state of the switching element to the off state. An adjusting module changes a value of a parameter correlating with a charging rate of the switching element through the normal electrical path as a function of an input signal to the driver. The input signal represents a current flowing through the conductive path, a voltage across both ends of the conductive path, or a voltage at the gate. A disabling module disables the adjusting module from changing the value of the parameter if the drive signal represents the on state of the switching element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 10, 2013
    Publication date: July 11, 2013
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: DENSO CORPORATION
  • Patent number: 8446116
    Abstract: The discharge control device for a power conversion system performs discharge control to discharge a capacitor parallel-connected to the input side of the power conversion system including a plurality of pairs of high-side and low-side switching elements connected in series and each controlled by a drive unit, by turning on the high-side and low-side switching elements of one of the pairs at the same time. At this time, the discharge control device inhibits an ON command from being inputted to the drive units for the high-side and low side switching elements of the other pairs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2013
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Junichi Fukuta, Tsuneo Maebara, Yusuke Shindo
  • Publication number: 20130119907
    Abstract: According to an exemplary embodiment, a bondwireless power module includes a common output pad coupling an emitter/anode node of a high side device to a collector/cathode node of a low side device. The bondwireless power module also includes a high side conductive clip connecting a collector of the high side device to a cathode of the high side device, and causing current to traverse through the high side conductive clip to another high side conductive clip in another power module. The bondwireless power module further includes a low side conductive clip connecting an emitter of the low side device to an anode of the low side device, and causing current to traverse through the low side conductive clip to another low side conductive clip in the another power module. The bondwireless power module can be a motor drive inverter module.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 4, 2013
    Publication date: May 16, 2013
    Applicant: International Ractifier Corporation
    Inventor: International Rectifier Corporation
  • Patent number: 8421389
    Abstract: The invention relates to converters (inverters, pulse or frequency converters) and to driving “magnetically active” operating means. According to one embodiment, a circuit arrangement for feeding the operating means in at least one first winding phase (S1), comprises a first branch (Z1) of a frequency converter (WR1) adapted for and operable at a switching frequency of not higher than 5 kHz for outputting a main alternating current generated at said switching frequency and having a substantially lower operating frequency (f1) to a winding (L1). A second branch (z1) of another frequency converter (WR2) is adapted for and operable at a second switching frequency of more than 5 kHz for outputting a supplementary alternating current generated at said switching frequency to the same winding (L1). In the at least one winding (L1), the two alternating currents (iA(t); iB(t)) of the two branches (Z1, z1) are superimposed to form a sum current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2013
    Assignee: Lenze Drives GmbH
    Inventor: Carsten Fraeger
  • Patent number: 8415904
    Abstract: An integrated motor drive and battery recharge apparatus includes a battery, an electric motor having N separate motor windings each having a first and a second leg, a contactor having a plurality M of poles, each pole having a first side and a second side, the inverter having 2N switching poles and a capacitor each coupled in parallel with the battery, and PWM control circuitry configured to control the state of each switching pole. Each leg of each motor winding is coupled to a phase node of a corresponding inverter switching pole, at least two of the motor winding legs (or taps thereof) are coupled to the corresponding first sides of the contactor poles, a power source/sink is coupled to the corresponding second sides of the contactor poles, and in one aspect a capacitor is coupled between each pair of contactor poles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2013
    Assignee: AC Propulsion, Inc.
    Inventor: Wally E. Rippel
  • Patent number: 8410736
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a controllable rectification comprising an inverter (10), a control panel (20) and a drive panel (30). The inverter (10) may comprise three switch element groups connected in parallel. Each switch element group may comprise at least two switch elements connected in parallel. Each switch element may comprise an upper bridge-arm switch and a lower bridge-arm. The control panel (20) may generate a PWM waveform. The drive panel (30) may generate a drive voltage according to the PWM waveform to drive the upper bridge-arm switch and the lower bridge-arm switch of each switch element to conduct or break respectively, and to make the upper bridge-arms of the same switch element group to conduct or break simultaneously, and to make the lower bridge-arms of the same switch element group to conduct or break simultaneously. The present invention further discloses an electric motor comprising the same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2013
    Assignee: BYD Company Limited
    Inventor: Xianhong Jiang
  • Publication number: 20130069573
    Abstract: In the motor-driving circuit module, a first electrode surface of a first electrode and a third electrode surface of a third electrode are arranged so as to face each other and such that currents flow in opposite directions in the first electrode and the third electrode when a current flows through the first electrode. Additionally, a second electrode surface of a second electrode and the third electrode surface of the third electrode are arranged so as to face each other and such that currents flow in opposite directions in the second electrode and the third electrode when a current flows through the second electrode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2011
    Publication date: March 21, 2013
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Shinsei Seki
  • Patent number: 8390229
    Abstract: A method of braking a washing machine from an operational speed to a reduced non-zero speed is provided (as well as a washing machine incorporating the method) for a washing machine driven by one of a synchronous or asynchronous motor. Upon receipt of a speed reduction signal, the motor rotating magnetic fields are collapsed for a defined time period. After the defined time period, DC braking voltage is applied to the motor stator windings at a controlled ramp-up rate to an amplitude to generate a controlled ramped braking torque on the motor until the motor has slowed to a defined reduced speed. Thereafter, the amplitude of the DC braking voltage is set to 0V and the motor is soft started to an amplitude and reduced frequency needed to maintain the defined reduced speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Richard Dean Suel, II
  • Patent number: 8384336
    Abstract: A multiphase motor driving device has an inverter circuit. The inverter circuit includes a pair of upper and lower switching elements, a shunt resistor for phase current detection, and a voltage for driving a multiphase motor. The device includes a determination unit for shifting a detection timing of the current flowing to the shunt resistor from the OFF period to the ON period of the switching element on the upper side in the phase. The determination unit determines whether or not ON failure occurs based on the current flowing to the shunt resistor of the phase in the ON period. The device has a current value estimation unit for estimating a current value of the phase in a case where the detection timing is shifted based on currents flowing to the shunt resistors of other phases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2013
    Assignee: Omron Automotive Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Keita Gunji
  • Publication number: 20130038258
    Abstract: A power supplied by an AC power supply is used as an input to a rectifying circuit, and an output of the rectifying circuit is used as an input to a smoothing capacitor having a capacitance of about 1/100 of the capacitance of conventionally used capacitance. The capacitor is provided between a positive electrode node and a negative electrode node located between bus lines of output of rectifying circuit. Diodes constituting a rectifying circuit are connected respectively with phase outputs of an inverter. The rectifying circuit is connected to the negative electrode node through a capacitor. The rectifying circuit is connected such that an electric current flows only in the direction from an output of the inverter to the capacitor. The load is connected in parallel with capacitor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2011
    Publication date: February 14, 2013
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Kameyama
  • Patent number: 8373372
    Abstract: The present disclosure includes electrical motor/generator drive systems and methods that significantly reduce inverter direct-current (DC) bus ripple currents and thus the volume and cost of a capacitor. The drive methodology is based on a segmented drive system that does not add switches or passive components but involves reconfiguring inverter switches and motor stator winding connections in a way that allows the formation of multiple, independent drive units and the use of simple alternated switching and optimized Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) schemes to eliminate or significantly reduce the capacitor ripple current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2013
    Assignee: UT-Battelle, LLC
    Inventor: Gui Jia Su
  • Publication number: 20130015796
    Abstract: A converter for an electrical machine having a plurality of phase lines for connecting the electrical machine. For each phase line the converter has a half-bridge with a first first semiconductor switch is configured to electrically connect at least one of the phase lines intermittently to a first supply line of the converter, and a second semiconductor switch configured to electrically connect the phase line intermittently to a second supply line of the converter. The converter is configured for operation in a first energy recovery limiting mode in which at least two of the first semiconductor switches are at least intermittently on simultaneously.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 11, 2012
    Publication date: January 17, 2013
    Applicant: MAGNA E-Car Systems GmbH & Co OG
    Inventors: Thomas FEICHTINGER, Wolfgang PAUL, Christian SPINDELBERGER, Jürgen TANNHEIMER
  • Patent number: 8354811
    Abstract: A switching circuit includes two power transistors (22, 24) connected in series and a circuit (26, 28) for exciting each transistor suitable for simultaneously switching the two transistors. The circuit includes elements (30) for generating a corrective current (?i) for controlling a corrected-control transistor (22) among the two transistors (22, 24) according to the difference in temporal variation of the voltage at the conduction terminals of the two series-connected transistors (22, 24), and elements (37) for applying the current to the gate electrode of the corrected-control transistor (22).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2013
    Assignee: Converteam SAS
    Inventor: Bernard Gollentz
  • Publication number: 20120326646
    Abstract: A power semiconductor module includes an element pair formed by connecting, in anti-parallel to each other, an IGBT and an FWD group in which an FWD, a voltage drop characteristic of which during conduction has a negative temperature coefficient, and an FED, a voltage drop characteristic of which during conduction has a positive temperature coefficient, are connected in series and an element pair formed by connecting, in anti-parallel to each other, an IGBT and an FWD group in which a FWD, a voltage drop characteristic of which during conduction has a negative temperature coefficient, and an FWD, a voltage drop characteristic of which during conduction has a positive temperature coefficient, are connected in series. The element pairs are connected in parallel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2010
    Publication date: December 27, 2012
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takeshi Tanaka, Shinichi Kinouchi
  • Publication number: 20120286710
    Abstract: A circuit arrangement for an electrical machine having a plurality of stator windings, with each stator winding including at least a first winding phase and a second winding phase. The circuit arrangement includes at least a prespecified first and a prespecified second selection of in each case a plurality of half-bridges. A common connection of the two switching elements of the respective half-bridge of the first selection can be electrically coupled in each case to a connection of the first winding phase of the respectively associated stator winding. A common connection of the two switching elements of the respective half-bridge of the second selection can be electrically coupled in each case to a connection of the second winding phase of the respective associated stator winding.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2010
    Publication date: November 15, 2012
    Inventor: Csaba Györi
  • Patent number: 8305020
    Abstract: The device is provided with an electric power conversion circuit including switching elements for converting a DC electric power to an AC electric power, a load connected to an output side of the electric power conversion circuit, means for detecting a current flowing through a DC side in the electric power conversion circuit, a voltage command value preparing means for controlling the operation of the switching elements in the electric power conversion circuit and a wire breaking detecting means. The wire breaking detection means judges a wire breaking in the load or an abnormality of any of the switching elements in the electric power conversion circuit by making use of a DC current detection value in a period when a current of maximum voltage phase or of voltage minimum phase of the electric power conversion circuit is flowing in a DC current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Industrial Equipment Systems Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takahiro Suzuki, Yasuo Notohara, Kiyoshi Sakamoto
  • Patent number: 8299739
    Abstract: [Task] A high-speed driving is possible, a utilization of a power supply having a low voltage is possible, and a regeneration is easy to be carried out. [Means to solve the task] A first buck-boost chopper portion is provided on an output side of a battery 10 to boost a voltage across battery 10 during a drive of a motor, a second buck-boost chopper portion is provided on an output side of the first buck-boost chopper portion to boost the voltage from an inverter portion 20 during a regeneration, inverter portion 20 of a 120-degree conduction current source inverter is provided on the output side of the second buck-boost chopper portion, and a motor 38 is provided on an output side of inverter portion 20.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: Meidensha Corporation
    Inventors: Toru Kakebayashi, Takashi Yamaguchi, Yugo Tadano
  • Patent number: 8299738
    Abstract: A multi-tasking power processor (104) for a vehicle electric system (100) is provided. The multi-tasking power processor (104) includes a low voltage direct current bus interface (201), a high voltage direct current bus interface (202), and a motor interface (203). The multi-tasking power processor (104) also includes converter circuitry (200) selectively configurable as a direct current boost converter and a direct current buck converter between the low voltage direct current bus interface (201) and the high voltage direct current bus interface (202). The multi-tasking power processor (104) is further configurable as a motor drive between the motor interface (203) and the high voltage direct current bus interface (202).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventors: Gregory I. Rozman, Vietson M. Nguyen
  • Patent number: 8299737
    Abstract: A motor driving circuit includes a three-phase inverter circuit 8, including three upper-arm switching elements 56a to 56c for driving upper arms of different phases of a three-phase motor 3, and three lower-arm switching elements 56d to 56f for driving lower arms of different phases. At least one of the upper-arm switching elements 56a to 56c and the lower-arm switching elements 56d to 56f is a semiconductor element that performs a diode operation. The diode operation is an operation in which a voltage less than or equal to a threshold voltage of a gate electrode G is applied to the gate electrode G with reference to a potential of a first ohmic electrode S, thereby conducting a current flow from the first ohmic electrode S to a second ohmic electrode D and blocking a current flow from the second ohmic electrode D to the first ohmic electrode S.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Tatsuo Morita, Yasuhiro Uemoto, Tsuyoshi Tanaka, Matsuo Shiraishi, Atsushi Morimoto, Kouichi Ishikawa
  • Patent number: 8299732
    Abstract: Power conversion systems and methods are provided for driving a plurality of motor loads, in which an autotransformer receives AC input currents and provides a plurality of multiphase outputs at a non-zero phase angle relative to one another, and the individual multiphase outputs are provided to corresponding motor drives with rectifiers to convert the multiphase outputs to DC electrical power, and inverters to convert the DC power to AC to drive corresponding motor loads.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Frederick L. Hoadley, Gary L. Skibinski
  • Patent number: 8294407
    Abstract: A motor controller and an electric power steering system including the motor controller are provided. The motor controller has a microcomputer. When the on time of one of the lower potential-side FETs corresponding to the respective phases in a drive circuit becomes shorter than the detection time for detecting the phase current value, the microcomputer estimates the phase current value of the electric current undetectable phase based on the phase current values of the two phases other than the electric current undetectable phase corresponding to the relevant FET (blind estimation). When electric current detection is performed in the blind estimation, motor control signals are output, by which the switching state of the switching arm of the electric current undetectable phase is maintained and the power loss caused by the switching operation of the FETs in the two phases other than the electric current undetectable phase is compensated for.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: JTEKT Corporation
    Inventors: Satoru Mikamo, Atsuo Sakai
  • Publication number: 20120262100
    Abstract: According to an exemplary embodiment, a bondwireless power module includes a common output pad coupling an emitter/anode node of a high side device to a collector/cathode node of a low side device. The bondwireless power module also includes a high side conductive clip connecting a collector of the high side device to a cathode of the high side device, and causing current to traverse through the high side conductive clip to another high side conductive clip in another power module. The bondwireless power module further includes a low side conductive clip connecting an emitter of the low side device to an anode of the low side device, and causing current to traverse through the low side conductive clip to another low side conductive clip in the another power module. The bondwireless power module can be a motor drive inverter module.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2011
    Publication date: October 18, 2012
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL RECTIFIER CORPORATION
    Inventors: Henning M. Hauenstein, Andrea Gorgerino
  • Publication number: 20120256574
    Abstract: A power semiconductor module applied to a power converting apparatus for a railway car includes an element pair formed by connecting an IGBT and an SiC-FWD in anti-parallel to each other and an element pair formed by connecting an Si-IGBT and an SiC-FWD in anti-parallel to each other. The element pair and the element pair are housed in one module and configured as a 2-in-1 module in a manner that the first element pair operates as a positive side arm of the power converting apparatus and the second element pair operates as a negative side arm of the power converting apparatus. The element pairs are formed such that a ratio of an occupied area of SiC-FWD chips to an occupied area of IGBT chips in the element pairs is equal to or higher than 15% and lower than 45%.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 18, 2010
    Publication date: October 11, 2012
    Applicant: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Takeshi Tanaka, Yasushi Nakayama
  • Publication number: 20120249032
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are electric vehicle control device which can distribute the heat generated by the semiconductor devices in the DC/AC converter efficiently. Also disclosed herein are methods of converting DC to AC while keeping the heat value of the semiconductor devices stable.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 18, 2011
    Publication date: October 4, 2012
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Shinichi Toda, Ikuo Yasuoka, Yosuke Nakazawa
  • Patent number: 8278856
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a system for reducing component noise in a motor in a automobile includes a first gate driver and a second gate driver, a high side FET; a low side FET; a charge pump circuit; a high frequency reduction component; and a timing signal source. The timing source signal interconnected to the charge pump, the first gate driver, and the second gate driver, the first gate driver interconnected with the charge pump, the first gate driver interconnected with the high side FET, the high side FET and the low side FET interconnected with the high frequency reduction component, the timing signal source providing timing signals to the signals to the first gate driver, the second gate driver, and the charge pump circuit such that the PWM slope is dull enough to prevent RE EMC, wherein the timing signal source provides three timing signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Assignee: Flextronics Automotive Inc.
    Inventor: Hyeong Han
  • Publication number: 20120235614
    Abstract: Multiple inverter motor drives are interconnected in parallel to provide a common output to a motor. Common control circuitry is coupled to all parallel drives via optical cables and provides signals to power layer circuitry of each inverter for generation, at the power layer, of timing for gate drive signals for the respective inverter power electronic switches. The resulting timing exhibits a high degree of synchronicity such that very little imbalance occurs in the outputs of the paralleled drives, resulting in very low circulating currents.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 29, 2012
    Publication date: September 20, 2012
    Applicant: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Rangarajan M. Tallam, Russel J. Kerkman, Richard H. Radosevich, Alan J. Campbell
  • Publication number: 20120217918
    Abstract: An inverter, particularly for the energy supply of a three-phase motor (3) of a motor vehicle, where the inverter comprises a half bridge (1a, 1b, 1c) for electrically conductively connecting to the three-phase motor (3). The half-bridge (1a, 1b, 1c) comprises a voltage limiting element (8) which is electrically conductively connected to an input (6b) and an output (6c) of a power semiconductor switch (5a; 5b) of the half bridge (1a, 1b, 1c). The voltage limiting element creates, in a defined manner, a high impedance or low impedance connection between the input (6b) and the output (6c) of the power semiconductor switch (5a; 5b), depending on the voltage value of a voltage present between the input (6b) and the output (6c) of the power semiconductor switch (5a; 5b).
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2010
    Publication date: August 30, 2012
    Applicant: ZF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN AG
    Inventors: Robert Januschevski, Kai Borntrager
  • Patent number: 8242726
    Abstract: There is disclosed a method and a circuit arrangement for the feedback of commutation energy in three-phase current drive systems with a current intermediate circuit converter. Commutation energy is released at each commutation in the inverter. The commutation unit ensures that the released energy is directly fed back to the current intermediate circuit in two steps. In the first step, the commutation energy is fed into the commutation capacitor by a rectifier circuit (diode bridge and three triacs). In the second step, the commutation energy is fed directly from the commutation capacitor into the current intermediate circuit by means of three semiconductors (first RIGBT, second RIGBT, diode) so that the current of the intermediate circuit flows through the capacitor over a controlled period of time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: Econodrives GmbH
    Inventor: Pal Kanyo
  • Publication number: 20120194111
    Abstract: The two-phase modulation control inverter unit includes a plurality of switching devices, a shunt resistor and a controller. The switching devices drive a three-phase motor. The shunt resistor is connected between a direct-current power supply and the switching devices. The controller reads a voltage applied to the shunt resistor in a read cycle, computes command voltages based on the read voltage, and uses the command voltages and carrier signals to compute three control signals. The read cycle corresponds to two or more signal cycles of each carrier signal. Each control signal has a pulse for each signal cycle of the corresponding carrier signal. The controller integrates a plurality of pulses of each control signal in the read cycle into one or more pulses. The controller reads a voltage applied to the shunt resistor at the time of outputting of the integrated one or more pulses in the next read cycle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 20, 2012
    Publication date: August 2, 2012
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOYOTA JIDOSHOKKI
    Inventors: Takashi KAWASHIMA, Kazuki NAJIMA, Yoshiki NAGATA
  • Patent number: 8217615
    Abstract: One embodiment of the invention includes a disk-drive spindle motor power regulator system. The system includes a switching system comprising at least one power transistor for each of a plurality of phases of a disk-drive spindle motor. The system also includes a switching controller configured to generate a plurality of switching signals configured to control the at least one power transistor for each of the plurality of phases of the disk-drive spindle motor. The system further includes a current monitor configured to measure a magnitude of an individual phase current through at least one of the plurality of phases of the disk-drive spindle motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2012
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Wenxiao Tan, Gregory Swize
  • Publication number: 20120169262
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes an n-type drain layer, an n-type base layer provided on the n-type drain layer, a p-type base layer and an n-type source layer partially formed in surface layer portions of the n-type base layer and the p-type base layer, respectively, a gate insulation film formed on a surface of the p-type base layer between the n-type source layer and the n-type base layer, a gate electrode formed on the gate insulation film facing the p-type base layer across the gate insulation film, a p-type column layer formed within the n-type base layer to extend from the p-type base layer toward the n-type drain layer, a depletion layer alleviation region arranged between the p-type column layer and the n-type drain layer and including first baryons converted to donors, a source electrode connected to the n-type source layer, and a drain electrode connected to the n-type drain layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2011
    Publication date: July 5, 2012
    Applicant: ROHM CO., LTD.
    Inventor: TOSHIO NAKAJIMA