Responsive To Motor Voltage Patents (Class 318/805)
  • Patent number: 12136894
    Abstract: A control circuit is used for a system including a power storage unit, an electric load, and a power converter electrically connected to the electric load. The control circuit includes an abnormality determination unit, an emergency power supply that generates power based on electricity supplied from the power storage unit, and a protective control unit that, when the abnormality determination unit determines that an abnormality has occurred, performs protective control for the system. The emergency power supply includes a power supply control unit configured to be operable based on electricity supplied from the power storage unit. During the period from when the voltage input to the power supply control unit starts increasing based on electricity supplied from the power storage unit, the power supply control unit starts the emergency power supply in response to the input voltage reaching a specified voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2024
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kouichi Nishibata, Akifumi Araragi, Masanori Yamamura
  • Patent number: 11912135
    Abstract: A control system for an electrified powertrain of a battery electric vehicle (BEV) includes an accelerator pedal and a controller configured to determine maximum and minimum values for driver pedal position based on a first position of the accelerator pedal indicative of a first driver pedal position, determine whether the accelerator pedal position remains constant relative to the first position, when the accelerator pedal position does not remain constant and moves to a second position indicative of a second driver pedal position, detect that driver pedal position is increasing when the second driver pedal position is greater than the first minimum value and setting the first maximum value to the second driver pedal position and detect decreasing driver pedal position when the second driver pedal position is less than the first maximum value and setting the minimum value to the second driver pedal position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: FCA US LLC
    Inventors: Ashay Sharma, Nadirsh Patel, Achyut Venkataramu
  • Patent number: 11326591
    Abstract: A pressure boosting device increases pressure of a fluid flowing through a conduit (5) and includes a booster pump (2), a control device (12), controlling the booster pump (2), as well as a pressure sensor (8) arranged at the exit side of the booster pump (2) and connected to the control device. The control device (12) is configured to control the booster pump, in an operating region, in a start-stop operation, a switching off of the booster pump (2) when reaching an upper pressure limit value (P1) and a switching on of the booster pump (2) when reaching a lower pressure limit value (P2). The control device (12) is further configured in a start-stop operation to automatically adapt at least one pressure control parameter (P1, P2) of the control device (12) on the basis of the temporal course of at least one pressure value (P) detected by the pressure sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: GRUNDFOS MANAGEMENT A/S
    Inventor: Torben Thorsager Dissing
  • Patent number: 11300601
    Abstract: Systems and methods for detecting an arc fault in a circuit breaker use a single-coil current rate of change (di/dt) sensor for monitoring both low frequency alternating current (AC) and broadband high frequency noise on a power line. The di/dt sensor is optimized to amplify any broadband high frequency noise, typically from about 1 MHz to 40 MHz, that may be present on the power line. Low frequency signals representing the current being monitored, typically from about 1 Hz to 10 KHz, is provided to an active integrator circuit with a high gain to enable the single-coil sensitivity. To shorten capacitor charge up time of the active integrator circuit, a charging current is provided to the active integrator circuit upon startup of the circuit breaker.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: Schneider Electric USA, Inc.
    Inventors: Hynek Raisigel, Gary W. Scott, Michel Layour, Andi Jakupi
  • Patent number: 11178992
    Abstract: A motor drive system for operating a mechanism for raising and lowering window coverings includes a motor operating under electrical power and an electrically powered drive system. The motor drive system advances a continuous cord loop in response to positional commands from a controller. An input-output device includes a capacitive touch strip that receives user inputs along an input axis, and an LEDs strip aligned with the input axis. A group mode module communicates the positional commands to other motor drive systems within an identified group to operate respective other mechanisms of the other motor drive systems. A set control module enables user calibration of a top position and a bottom position of travel of the window covering. The input-output device extends vertically on the exterior of a housing for the motor drive system, and the housing supports input buttons of the group mode module and the set control module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: RYSE INC.
    Inventors: Trung Duc Pham, Alan Wing Hor Cheng, Marc Rashad Bishara, Clifton Pereira
  • Patent number: 11177748
    Abstract: For the field-oriented control of a permanently excited synchronous machine with reluctance torque a flux-generating current component and a torque-generating current component are determined as a function of a required torque. A voltage component in the flux direction is determined as a function of the flux-generating current component, and a voltage component perpendicular to the flux direction is determined as a function of the torque-generating current component. Upon determining a differential amount by subtracting a vectorial sum of the voltage components from a maximum voltage a first differential value is obtain, via output from a PI-voltage controller, based on the differential amount. Upon determining an input voltage component based on the flux-generating current component and the first differential value, the permanently excited synchronous machine is controlled based on the input voltage component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: GKN Automotive Ltd.
    Inventor: Tobias Gemassmer
  • Patent number: 11012014
    Abstract: A motor drive unit for driving a direct current electric motor including a moving part equipped with permanent magnets. The motor drive unit, which is powered by a voltage supply source, includes a switch circuit, an inductor circuit and a capacitor circuit including a set of capacitors. By selectively opening and closing the switches of the switch circuit, a series of consecutive low energy pulses can be generated such that the power consumption of the motor drive circuit is minimized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd
    Inventors: Laurent Nagy, Christophe Germiquet, Jean-Jacques Born
  • Patent number: 10928484
    Abstract: According to one embodiment of the present invention, a directional radar transmitting and receiving system includes: a main control chip is configured to determine whether a pulse wave signal output by a sensor circuit board meets a triggering condition wherein each of a plurality of evaluation processes is satisfied, the evaluation processes including: a first evaluation process including: determining whether a width and an amplitude of the pulse wave signal meets a threshold amplitude; and a second evaluation process including: comparing a shape of the pulse wave signal output by the sensor circuit board with a pre-stored default triggering signal shape; and determining that the second evaluation process is satisfied when the shape of the pulse wave signal matches the pre-stored default triggering signal shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: GARDENIA INDUSTRIAL LIMITED
    Inventors: Bo Gao, Xiao Xiong Liu
  • Patent number: 10879824
    Abstract: A rotation speed of a motor is estimated based on a current value of the motor, and rotation control on the motor is performed at a first cycle. Processing for detecting a loss of synchronism in the motor based on the current value is performed at a second cycle that is shorter than the first cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Ken Matsui, Jumpei Ashida
  • Patent number: 10756659
    Abstract: For counter electromotive force estimation, a disturbance estimator calculates an estimated disturbance as a control function of a quadrature axis current regulator output signal and a quadrature axis current feedback signal of a running permanent magnet motor. A calculator calculates an estimated counter electromotive force of the running permanent magnet motor as a function of the estimated disturbance, a control flux, and an angular velocity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2020
    Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Bing Li, Timothy M. Rowan, Zhenyu Ye, Zhendong Zhang
  • Patent number: 10695656
    Abstract: When an electric vehicle is traveling downhill, experiencing regenerative braking, or otherwise forcing the vehicle motor to turn faster than the commanded motor torque, the vehicle motor produces electrical energy that can be used to recharge a vehicle battery. However, if the vehicle battery is already nearly or fully charged, the excess electrical energy produced may damage the battery. Control systems described herein may reduce and/or dispose of the excess energy by manipulating the motor flux (i.e., direct) current and quadrature current independently.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2020
    Assignee: Future Motion, Inc.
    Inventors: Kyle Jonathan Doerksen, Daniel J. Wood, Julian De La Rua
  • Patent number: 10693411
    Abstract: An overvoltage protection method and device of an electronic governor in an aerial vehicle, and an aerial vehicle with the device are provided. The electronic governor is configured to control a motor. The method includes: collecting a DC bus voltage of the electronic governor; when the DC bus voltage is greater than a first voltage threshold and less than or equal to a second voltage threshold, adjusting a control parameter of the electronic governor based on a difference between the DC bus voltage and the first voltage threshold, such that the electronic governor controls the motor based on the adjusted control parameter to restrain further rise of the DC bus voltage, in which the second voltage threshold is greater than the first voltage threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: GUANGZHOU XAIRCRAFT TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Jiangtao Yu
  • Patent number: 10686391
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes detecting, by a stall detection sensor in a driver coupled to a stepper motor, a first set of time-off periods in a rising commutation phase of motor current during current regulation. The stall detection sensor further detects a second set of time-off periods in a falling commutation phase of motor current during current regulation. Next, the stall detection sensor compares the first set of time-off periods with the second set of time-off periods and determines whether the stepper motor is stalled based on the comparison of the first set of time-off periods with the second set of time-off periods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2020
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Sooping Saw, Rakesh Raja, Wen Pin Lin, Sudhir Nagaraj
  • Patent number: 10622931
    Abstract: A method may include transmitting an excitation signal from a stator of a motor to a rotor of the motor, where the excitation signal is received at a set of rotor windings, and where the excitation signal produces a rotating magnetic flux at the rotor that generates a first alternating current (AC) voltage at a set of stator windings. The method may further include controlling the excitation signal to equalize and synchronize the first AC voltage to a second AC voltage at an AC bus. After the synchronization, the method may also include electrically connecting the set of stator windings to the AC bus. The method may include reducing an amplitude of the excitation signal to enable current flow from the AC bus to the set of stator windings, thereby generating torque that results in rotation of the rotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2020
    Assignee: BOEING COMPANY, THE
    Inventors: Lijun Gao, Shengyi Liu
  • Patent number: 10622930
    Abstract: A motor control method of the present invention is a motor control method for controlling, by a voltage phase control, an applied voltage applied to a motor via an inverter. The control method includes: calculating a phase command value to be used for the voltage phase control by a feedforward control based on a torque command value to the motor; calculating an amplitude command value to be used for the voltage phase control, based on a drive voltage for the inverter; calculating a voltage command value to the motor based on the phase command value and the amplitude command value; and a voltage application step of applying the applied voltage from the inverter to the motor based on the voltage command value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2020
    Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Hiromichi Kawamura
  • Patent number: 10439531
    Abstract: A sheet conveying apparatus for conveying a sheet includes a conveyance roller, a motor, a phase determiner, and a controller. The phase determiner determines a rotor rotation phase of the motor that drives the conveyance roller to convey the sheet. The controller controls so that a value of a rotor torque current component becomes a target value of the torque current component and controls so that an excitation current component value becomes a target value of the excitation current component, and controls to reduce a deviation between a command phase and the determined rotation phase. The controller controls so that a magnetic flux penetrating through a winding is weaker than a magnetic flux of the rotor, and so that a magnetic flux penetrating through the winding in a second period is stronger than the magnetic flux penetrating through the winding in the first period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2019
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yuta Nito
  • Patent number: 10439540
    Abstract: A drive circuit for an electric motor includes a variable frequency drive (VFD), a drive contactor, and a controller. The VFD is configured to receive line frequency current from a power source and apply a fixed frequency voltage to convert the line frequency current to a fixed frequency current. The drive contactor is configured to selectively couple the drive circuit to windings of the motor. The controller is configured to monitor for presence of a control signal applied to the drive contactor, wherein presence of the control signal closes the drive contactor to couple the drive circuit to the windings of the electric motor. The controller applies the fixed frequency voltage from the VFD to the windings upon determining presence of the control signal, determines whether the motor is motoring or regenerating after applying the fixed frequency voltage, and gradually increases the fixed frequency voltage applied to the windings when the motor is motoring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2019
    Assignee: Regal Beloit America, Inc.
    Inventors: Ludovic Andre Chretien, Zachary Joseph Stauffer, Luis D. Morales, Maung Saw Eddison
  • Patent number: 10230856
    Abstract: A sheet conveyance apparatus includes a connection member to connect or separate a motor to drive a conveyance roller, where a motor rotor has a rotation phase and a motor winding includes a driving current controlled by a controller. Per control by the controller, a value of a torque current component of a detected driving current becomes a target value of the torque current component and a value of an exciting current component of the detected driving current becomes a target value of the exciting current component. The controller can cause a deviation between a rotor target phase and a determined rotation phase to decrease, cause magnetic flux passing through the winding to be weaker than a magnetic flux of the rotor, and cause the magnetic flux to be stronger than that passing through the winding in a first period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2019
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yuta Nito
  • Patent number: 10218301
    Abstract: A motor drive of an induction motor includes a motion controller to provide a reference signal and a memory to store a transformed model relating dynamics of a transformed state of the motor with measurements through parameters of transformed model including unknown parameters. The transformed state is a function of an electromagnetic state of the motor and parameters of transformed model. The dynamics of the transformed state is defined by a sum of components, each component is a linear function of the transformed state and at least one of the unknown parameters of the transformed model. The motor drive also include a motor controller to produce an estimate of speed and flux of the motor based on measurements and the transformed model, and to produce a reference voltage to track the reference signal based on the estimate of the speed and the flux of the motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2019
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventor: Yebin Wang
  • Patent number: 10048303
    Abstract: A system for monitoring a pantograph of a railway vehicle, the pantograph being adapted to be connected to a catenary and electrically connected to a traction unit, the catenary being adapted to provide an alternating current to the railway vehicle, the system further including: a voltage step detection device for detecting a voltage step of a pantograph voltage at the pantograph, a zero crossing detection device for detecting a zero crossing of a line current, the line current being a portion of a pantograph current provided to the traction unit, the pantograph current being the current flowing through the pantograph; and a bouncing detection portion adapted to determine at least one bouncing time of the pantograph based on one or more detected voltage steps of the voltage step detection device and/or one or more detected zero crossings of the zero crossing detection device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2018
    Assignee: Alstom Transport Technologies
    Inventors: Davide Barlini, Donato-Carlo Loguercio
  • Patent number: 9976555
    Abstract: A control method is used with a control system to control a screw pump. The control system includes an electric motor and a motor drive. The control method includes following steps. Firstly, a DC bus voltage is monitored. If the DC bus voltage is smaller than a first threshold value, a potential energy stored in the pump screw and released by a backspin action is converted into a regenerative electrical energy so as to maintain a normal operation of the motor drive. Then, the motor drive drives the electric motor to control the backspin action of the screw pump according to a backspin torque limit strategy. If the electrical power from the power source is not restored and the level of a reverse regenerative torque is smaller than a preset torque value, the backspin action of the screw pump is stopped freely.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2018
    Assignee: DELTA ELECTRONICS, INC.
    Inventor: Lon-Jay Cheng
  • Patent number: 9899953
    Abstract: A system to detect a ground fault at the output of an inverter section prior to powering up a motor drive system is disclosed. A low voltage power supply is connected to the DC bus prior to connecting the input power source to the rectifier section. If a ground fault exists, the voltage potential on the DC bus causes conduction through one of the freewheeling diodes connected in parallel to the power switching device on the output of the inverter section. A fault detection circuit generates a signal corresponding to the presence of the low voltage potential when the low voltage is applied to the DC bus. If a ground fault is present at the output of one of the inverter sections, the motor drive system prevents the AC voltage from being applied to the rectifier section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: John R. Figie, Zoran Vrankovic, Mark A. Gries, Craig Winterhalter, Gennadi Sizov
  • Patent number: 9843283
    Abstract: An electronic control unit includes calculating a slip frequency of a rotating electric machine from a torque instruction value to the rotating electric machine and a target value of output efficiency to the rotating electric machine, calculating a frequency of the instruction signal from the slip frequency and a rotational frequency of the rotating electric machine, the slip frequency being changed by changing the target value of the output efficiency with the torque instruction value maintained and changing the slip frequency so as to change the frequency of the instruction signal to out of an inverter lock frequency band when the frequency of the instruction signal is included in the inverter lock frequency band.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2017
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takashi Ota, Youhei Yamada
  • Patent number: 9667186
    Abstract: A rotation angle estimation module is provided. The rotation angle estimation module includes: a fixed flux instruction estimation unit calculating a rotating flux (?sd, ?sq) and a fixed flux instruction (?s?*, ?s?*) based on a rotation angle ? and the current (Is?, Is?) of a fixed coordinate system; a fixed flux estimation unit calculating a fixed flux (?s?, ?s?) based on the voltage (Vs?, Vs?) of the fixed coordinate system, and the current (Is?, Is?) and fixed flux error (?s?, ?s?) of the fixed coordinate system; a fixed flux error estimation unit using the fixed flux instruction (?s?*, ?s?*) and the fixed flux (?s?, ?s?) to calculate the fixed flux error (?s?, ?s?) and feed the errors back to the fixed flux estimation unit; and a trigonometric function calculation unit calculating the rotation angle ? based on the rotating flux (?sd, ?sq) and the fixed flux (?s?, ?s?).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: LSIS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Kwang Woon Kim
  • Patent number: 9641116
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for operating an asynchronous machine (1) comprising a rotor (3) and a stator (2), in which a torque of the asynchronous machine (1) is adjusted by specifying a desired magnetic flux of a surrounding magnetic field of the stator (2) and specifying a desired slip between a rotational speed of the rotor (3) and the rotational speed of the surrounding magnetic field. According to the invention, at least in the load condition and when a rotary frequency of the surrounding magnetic field of the stator is equal to zero, the desired magnetic flux and/or the desired slip with constant torque is changed in such a way that an actual rotary frequency of the surrounding magnetic field is not equal to zero.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventor: Manfred Weiffen
  • Patent number: 9616865
    Abstract: Based on a difference (?Fb) between a target value (Fbt) and an actual value (Fba) of a friction member force for pressing a brake disc, a feedback energization amount (Ipt) is calculated using a proportional gain smaller than an ultimate sensitivity gain. If ?Fb falls within a fluctuation range of torque ripple, a first compensation energization amount (Ibt) is calculated using a proportional gain larger than the ultimate sensitivity gain, and if ?Fb falls outside the fluctuation range, the first compensation energization amount (Ibt) is calculated to be constant. A second compensation energization amount (Ift) is calculated based on a calculation characteristic that is preset based on a torque fluctuation over a predetermined range of an electric motor position and based on an actual position of the electric motor. An indication energization amount calculated according to Fbt is adjusted by Ipt, Ibt, and Ift to calculate a target energization amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: ADVICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki Yasui, Hiroyuki Kodama, Naotoshi Satake
  • Patent number: 9573622
    Abstract: A rotational angle detecting device continues a portion of operation by electric power from a battery when an electric switch is off. The rotational angle detecting device includes a sensor, a first calculator, a second calculator and a communication portion. The sensor detects a detection value that is variable according to a rotation of a detection object. The first calculator starts calculating first rotational information associated with the rotation of the detection object based on the detection value when the electric switch is turned on. The first calculator stops calculating the first rotational information when the electric switch is turned off. The second calculator calculates second rotational information associated with the rotation of the detection object regardless of an on/off state of the electric switch, based on the detection value. The communication portion outputs the first rotational information and the second rotational information to a controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Toshihiro Fujita, Takaharu Kozawa, Takashi Suzuki
  • Patent number: 9490733
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for controlling a synchronous motor by determining a rotor position of the synchronous motor based on estimating a flux linkage. The method includes applying a voltage of a stator winding of the motor to a transfer function. The transfer function includes an S-domain integration operation and an error correction variable. An output of the transfer function is processed to compensate for the error correction variable introduced in the transfer function. An estimated flux linkage is generated and an angle of the rotor position is computed based on the flux linkage. The computed rotor position is input to a controller for controlling a position or speed of the motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2016
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Zhiqiao Wu, Ivan Jadric
  • Patent number: 9379657
    Abstract: A multi-phase voltage from a utility grid is applied to a first side of a plurality of open windings of a stator. A phase of the multi-phase voltage is determined. Stator currents measured from a second side of the plurality of open windings are converted to a non-rotating direct-quadrature (d-q) reference frame. A q-axis of the non-rotating d-q reference frame contains a voltage vector defined from the multi-phase voltage, and a d-axis is normal to the voltage vector. A d-axis component of the converted stator currents is applied as an error signal to a proportional-integral controller to determine an output voltage signal. The output voltage signal is converted from the non-rotating d-q reference frame to a reference frame defined by the phase. The output voltage signal is applied to an inverter to define a second output voltage. The second output voltage is applied to the second side of the plurality of open windings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2016
    Assignee: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation
    Inventors: Thomas A. Lipo, Prabhdeep S. Virk
  • Patent number: 9362841
    Abstract: A power conversion apparatus including a current source converter configured to convert Alternate Current (AC) power to Direct Current (DC) power; a power controller configured to set a d-axis current command and a q-axis current command, which correspond to the AC power to the current source converter, by reflecting a difference between a measurement DC link voltage measured at an output terminal of the current source converter and a DC link voltage set by a DC link voltage command; and a phase angle controller configured to adjust a phase angle of the current source converter and transmit the adjusted phase angle to the current source converter, in response to the d-axis current command and the q-axis current command.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2016
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jei-hoon Baek, Jong-soo Kim, Hyun-bae Kim, Kyu-bum Han
  • Patent number: 9344021
    Abstract: An inverter circuit electrically connects between a high-voltage bus and a multi-phase electric machine, including a plurality of switch pairs. Each switch pair includes a first switch electrically connected in series with a second switch at a node. Each node electrically connects to a phase of the multi-phase electric machine with the first switch electrically connected between a positive side of the high-voltage bus and the node and the second switch electrically connected between a negative side of the high-voltage bus and the node. The first switch is configured as a normally-OFF switch. The second switch is configured as a normally-ON switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: MD Nayeem Arafat, Mohammad N. Anwar, Syed MD Jaffrey Al Kadry, Mehrdad Teimorzadeh
  • Patent number: 9331627
    Abstract: According to a control apparatus for an AC motor, a switching section selects a two-phase control current value as a current fixing value, when a first current detection value of a first phase of the AC motor and a second current detection value of a second phase of the AC motor are normal. The switching section selects an one-phase control current value, which is calculated based on a normal phase current detection value, which is a value of a normal phase and is one of the first and second current detection values, as the current fixing value, when an abnormality is detected in part of the first and second current detection values, and a predetermined period has elapsed from the detection of the abnormality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ryuji Omata, Takahumi Oowada
  • Patent number: 9325190
    Abstract: A power storage system has a plurality of secondary battery packs and a host device. The secondary battery packs each have: secondary batteries; a charge switch means that turns a charging path to the secondary batteries ON and OFF; a discharge switch means that turns a discharging path from the secondary battery ON and OFF; and a current-limiting means that causes the secondary battery to discharge while limiting the current to, or below, a fixed value. When switching from the secondary battery pack connected to the input/output terminals of the system to a first secondary battery pack in which voltage is higher than in the second secondary battery pack, the host device causes the charge switch means of the second secondary battery pack to turn OFF the charging path while in a state in which the current limiting means of the first secondary battery pack will cause a discharge operation to begin while limiting the flow of current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: NEC ENERGY DEVICES, LTD
    Inventor: Shin Suzuki
  • Patent number: 9252697
    Abstract: A motor controller configured to control an SRM includes an inverter connected to an SRM, a torque and flux estimator configured to estimate a torque and a flux generated in the SRM as an estimated torque and an estimated flux, based on output from the inverter and a rotor angle of the switched reluctance motor, a switching pattern selector configured to select one of a plurality of switching patterns based on comparing a result of a reference torque and the estimated torque, comparing a result of a reference flux and the estimated flux, and a flux phase angle, and performing switching of the inverter in accordance with a selected switching pattern, and a reference flux calculator configured to obtain the reference flux from a flux trajectory and the rotor angle changing the flux trajectory, the flux trajectory indicating a relationship between the rotor angle and the reference flux.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: Nidec Corporation
    Inventor: Ghaderi Ahmad
  • Patent number: 9203335
    Abstract: A control device 1 for an electric motor of the present invention includes: a current control unit 4 configured to calculate voltage command values vd*, vq* used to drive an electric motor 100, on the basis of a state quantity for voltage command value calculation and q and d-axis current detection values id, iq, the state quantity calculated from a torque command value T*; and an over-modulation processing unit 16 configured to determine whether the electric motor 100 is stable or unstable in an over-modulation state, on the basis of the voltage command values vd*, vq*, current control constants, and electric motor constants, and to drive the electric motor 100 in the over-modulation state when determining that the electric motor 100 is stable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2015
    Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Mitsuhiro Shoji, Hideo Nakamura
  • Patent number: 9188648
    Abstract: A method and an arrangement of determining inductances of a synchronous reluctance machine are provided. The method includes supplying a voltage pulse in the quadrature-axis or direct-axis direction of rotor, sampling currents generated by the supplied voltage pulse, and calculating values of flux at the sampling instants from the value of the supplied voltage pulse, the sampled current values and a value of the stator resistance. The method also includes calculating synchronous inductance of the machine by dividing the calculated flux values by the corresponding sampled currents, and/or calculating transient inductance of the machine as a derivative of the flux with respect to current, and storing the calculated values as a function of current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2015
    Assignee: ABB TECHNOLOGY OY
    Inventors: Matti Eskola, Matti Veijanen
  • Patent number: 9190935
    Abstract: A power regenerative converter includes: a power conversion unit configured to convert AC power supplied from an AC power supply into DC power and convert DC power into AC power to be supplied as regenerative electric power to the AC power supply; an LCL filter including a reactor unit having a plurality of reactors connected in series between the power conversion unit and the AC power supply, and capacitors each having one end connected to a series connection point of the reactors in the reactor unit; a drive control unit for controlling the power conversion unit based on an AC voltage command; and a voltage command compensation unit for calculating a compensation value in accordance with a capacitor voltage being a voltage at the series connection point of the reactors and adding the compensation value to the AC voltage command input to the drive control unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2015
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA YASKAWA DENKI
    Inventors: Yoshiyasu Takase, Kozo Ide, Shinya Morimoto, Hideaki Iura, Takahiro Saeki
  • Patent number: 9136787
    Abstract: An integrated circuit includes a motor current input voltage-to-current (VI) converter that receives a motor current sensor voltage from a motor and a reference voltage to generate an output current related to a motor's current. A motor current calibration VI converter compensates for errors in the motor current input VI converter and generates a calibration output current based on the reference voltage, wherein the output current and the calibration output current are combined to form an estimate of the motor's current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2015
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Qunying Li, Juergen Luebbe, Robert E. Whyte, Jr.
  • Patent number: 9077269
    Abstract: Fluctuations in output of an AC electric motor are restrained without increasing electromagnetic noise of a boost converter. When subjecting the AC electric motor to rectangular wave voltage control, output torque T is controlled by varying a voltage phase ?v. In a region where a voltage phase is large (?v=?2), fluctuations in torque T relative to changes in a DC voltage VH corresponding to the amplitude of a rectangular wave voltage are larger than in a region where the voltage phase is small (?v=?1). The AC electric motor is controlled such that the rectangular wave voltage control in a region where voltage phase ?v is larger than a limit-phase line PLN indicated by a set of limit phases set for each DC voltage VH is avoided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2015
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Makoto Nakamura, Mikio Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 9030136
    Abstract: A motor controlling apparatus including an inverter, a voltage detector, a rotational speed detector, a command value calculating component, an inverter controller, a state detector and an offsetting component. The inverter converts direct-current power to alternating-current power supplied to a motor. The voltage detector detects a direct-current voltage, and the rotational speed detector detects a rotational speed of the motor. The calculating component calculates current and torque command values, and motor rotational speed. The controller provides a control signal to control the inverter based on the current command value. The state detector detects a control state of the inverter, and the offsetting component offsets the detected voltage or rotational speed by an offset amount. The calculating component modifies the current command value based on the offset detected voltage or rotational speed to increase on a negative side a d-axis current command value included in the current command value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hidehiko Sugita, Ken Ito
  • Patent number: 9018889
    Abstract: A generator system includes a generator and a generator control unit (GCU). The GCU is connected to monitor and regulate the generator output voltage. The GCU includes a protection signal processor that receives monitored generator voltages and executes software to detect an overvoltage condition. The GCU further includes redundant, hardware based overvoltage detection that detects a peak voltage value associated with the monitored generator voltage and includes a fast overvoltage detection circuit that generates a first overvoltage fault signal if the peak voltage value is greater than a first threshold value and includes an inverse overvoltage detection circuit that generates a second overvoltage fault signal if the peak voltage value is greater than a second threshold value for a duration of time that varies with a magnitude of the peak voltage value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventor: Daxesh K. Patel
  • Patent number: 9000701
    Abstract: Methods, systems and apparatus are provided for generating voltage commands used to control operation of a permanent magnet machine. For example, a control system is provided that generates voltage command signals for controlling a permanent magnet machine during a transition from an initial operating condition to a final operating condition. The control system includes a processor configured to execute software instructions, and a memory configured to store software instructions accessible by the processor. The software instructions comprise a voltage command generator module. Based on an electrical angular frequency of the permanent magnet machine, and synchronous reference frame current signals, the voltage command generator module is configured to generate ramped voltage command signals that each change linearly in accordance with a slope during a transition period that is set to a rise time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Steven E. Schulz, Bon Ho Bae, Konstantin S. Majarov, Yo Chan Son
  • Publication number: 20140368152
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide a variable frequency drive system and a method of detecting a ground in a system having a pump driven by a motor. The drive system and method can provide one or more of the following: a sleep mode, pipe break detection, a line fill mode, an automatic start mode, dry run protection, an electromagnetic interference filter compatible with a ground fault circuit interrupter, two-wire and three-wire and three-phase motor compatibility, a simple start-up process, automatic password protection, a pump out mode, digital input/output terminals, and removable input and output power terminal blocks.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2014
    Publication date: December 18, 2014
    Inventors: Micheal Robert Pasche, Gary Thomas Baase, II, William James Genaw
  • Patent number: 8829829
    Abstract: In a system, a superimposing element sets a command value vector of a high-frequency voltage signal and superimposes the high-frequency voltage signal with the command value vector on an output voltage of an inverter. The high-frequency voltage signal has a frequency higher than an electrical angular frequency of a rotary machine. The command value vector is correlated with a measured high-frequency component value of a current signal flowing in the rotary machine. A calculating element calculates a rotational angle of the rotary machine based on the measured high-frequency component value of the current signal flowing in the rotary machine. A reducing element controls at least one of the inverter and a direct voltage power supply to reduce a difference due to the dead time between the command value vector and a vector of a high-frequency voltage signal to be actually superimposed on the output voltage of the inverter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroko Yoneshima, Yasuaki Aoki, Hideji Yoshida
  • Patent number: 8810170
    Abstract: A method for monitoring input power to an electronically commutated motor (ECM) is described. The method includes determining, with a processing device, an average input current to the motor, the average input current based on a voltage drop across a shunt resistor in series with the motor, measuring an average input voltage applied to the motor utilizing the processing device, multiplying the average input current by the average voltage to determine an approximate input power, and communicating the average input power to an external interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: Regal Beloit America, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark A. Brattoli, Guy Bonner, Jr.
  • Publication number: 20140225554
    Abstract: A method for controlling a controlled switch operates a power supply of an electric motor from an AC voltage source. The method includes actuating closure of the controlled switch, an instant of actuation of which is dependent on a value characteristic of a value of an electric voltage across terminals of the controlled switch. A control device for such a controlled switch includes elements for implementing the method.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2012
    Publication date: August 14, 2014
    Applicant: SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES SAS
    Inventors: Delcho Penkov, Alain Cote
  • Patent number: 8773049
    Abstract: A method of assembling an electric drive system includes providing a power conversion assembly and coupling an electric power source and a motor to the power conversion assembly. The method also includes coupling a computing device that includes a processor and a memory device operatively coupled to the processor to the power conversion assembly. The method further includes configuring the computing device to record at least one measurement related to a speed of the motor. The method also includes configuring the computing device to calculate a power output limit of the power conversion assembly and limit the power output of the power conversion assembly by limiting torque induced by the motor as a function of the speed of the motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Shyam Sunder Ramamurthy, Richard Francis Whalen, Jr., Cecilia Maria Thomas, Alistair Joseph Booth
  • Patent number: 8766589
    Abstract: In a motor control unit, a current-carrying failure detection unit determines a first determination condition and a second determination condition. The current-carrying failure detection unit measures a duration of a state where the first determination condition is satisfied, and a duration of a state where the second determination condition is satisfied. When the first or second duration exceeds a predetermined reference period, the current-carrying failure detection unit determines that a current-carrying failure has occurred.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Assignee: JTEKT Corporation
    Inventors: Toshihiro Takahashi, Satoru Mikamo, Hiroshi Kawamura, Jun Hasegawa, Akihiro Tomita, Akira Nambu
  • Patent number: 8749184
    Abstract: A control apparatus for an electric motor provided with a rotator having a permanent magnet and with a stator for generating a rotating magnetic field by an applied voltage and revolving the rotator includes: a rectangular wave inverter that applies a rectangular wave voltage onto the stator of the electric motor to drive the electric motor; a voltage converting section that raises or lowers an output voltage of a direct-current power supply and applies the voltage onto the rectangular wave inverter; an electrical angle acquiring section that acquires an electrical angle of the rotator of the electric motor; and an output voltage command generating section that generates a command for instructing the voltage converting section to output an electrical-angle synchronized voltage whose amplitude ripples in synchronization with a change of the electrical angle of the rotator acquired by the electrical angle acquiring section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hirofumi Atarashi, Hitoshi Horikawa, Toshiyuki Nishida, Yoshie Kita
  • Patent number: 8742767
    Abstract: A method of estimating stator resistance of an induction motor includes applying voltage pulses through two phase paths of the motor for a plurality of electrical cycles to inject current in the motor, wherein the voltage pulses are applied until rotor flux of the motor is substantially stabilized and measuring stator voltage and stator current in response to the applied voltage pulses for each of the plurality of electrical cycles. The method also includes calculating the stator resistance based upon the measured stator voltages and the stator currents.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: David M. Messersmith, Douglas J. Bader, Haihui Lu, Thomas A. Nondahl, Zhenhuan Yuan