Frequency Control Patents (Class 318/807)
  • Patent number: 10926610
    Abstract: Methods and systems for controlling energy source for a mild hybrid system that powers a transport climate control system are provided. The mild hybrid system includes a DC energy source configured to supply a first DC voltage to the transport climate control system. The system also includes an inverter connected to the DC energy source and configured to change the first DC voltage from the DC energy source to a first AC voltage. The system further includes a transformer connected to the inverter and configured to convert the first AC voltage to a second AC voltage. Also the system includes a motor that drives a compressor. The motor is driven by the second AC voltage, the second AC voltage is greater than the first AC voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: Thermo King Corporation
    Inventors: Ryan Wayne Schumacher, Matthew Srnec
  • Patent number: 10901026
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for detection of a failure of a rectifier connected to a passive harmonic filter with a tuned circuit reactor, or of the filter itself, using low cost voltage sensing, modeling of reactor resistance and saturable inductance, and a mathematical integration. The harmonic spectrum of the rectifier current is used to determine an estimate of the rectifier impedance. A template of expected rectifier current is calculated, and compared against a rectifier current calculated on the basis of sensed voltages, to generate a difference signal. The difference signal is compared against a predetermined fault threshold to determine if an error has occurred. The apparatus includes a DSP obtaining the voltages of the source and load, and the tuned circuit reactor voltage, and configured to compare the currents calculated from the actual voltages with the currents in the template, and to thereby determine whether to annunciate a fault.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2021
    Assignee: TCI, LLC
    Inventors: William Kranz, Ian Wallace, Skyler Sandlin, Ashish Bendre, James Pomes
  • Patent number: 10828611
    Abstract: A treatment plant and method for controlling a treatment plant suitable for treatment of wastewater. The treatment plant includes a circulation channel housing liquid, a submersible flow generating machine arranged in the circulation channel and generating a liquid flow along the circulation channel, and a control unit that is operatively connected to the flow generating machine. The flow generating machine is driven in operation by the control unit. The method includes the steps of: driving the flow generating machine at a nominal speed, decreasing the rotational speed of the flow generating machine from the set nominal speed, detecting the rotational speed at which the torque of the flow generating machine is equal to a predetermined threshold, and determining the flow velocity of the liquid at the flow generating machine based on a predetermined relationship between the rotational speed of the flow generating machine and the flow velocity of the liquid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2020
    Assignee: Xylem IP Management S.à r.l.
    Inventors: Martin Wessman, Jürgen Mökander, Lars Uby
  • Patent number: 10804831
    Abstract: In a magnetic flux variation estimator of a control apparatus, a command voltage corrector corrects d- and q-axis command voltages to reduce a deviation between each of the d- and q-axis command voltages and a corresponding actual voltage to be applied to a rotary electric machine, thus outputting a corrected d-axis command voltage and a corrected q-axis command voltage. A standard voltage calculator calculates, based on an electrical angular velocity of the rotary electric machine and a current flowing in the rotary electric machine, a d-axis standard voltage and a q-axis standard voltage to be applied to the rotary electric machine while the rotary electric machine is in a predetermined standard state. An estimator estimates a magnetic flux variation as a function of the corrected d-axis command voltage, the corrected q-axis command voltage, and the q-axis standard voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2020
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Naoto Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 10778130
    Abstract: In a control apparatus, an error correction outputting unit has correction information indicative of a relationship between values of an estimation error correction and corresponding values of at least one parameter correlating with an operating condition of a rotary electric machine. The error correction outputting unit outputs, in response to an input of a value of the at least one parameter, a value of the estimation error correction from the correction information. The value of the estimation error correction corresponds to the input value of the at least one parameter. A magnetic flux estimation corrector corrects, based on the value of the estimation error correction, an estimate of magnetic flux calculated by a magnetic flux estimator to thereby output a corrected magnetic flux estimate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2020
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Naoto Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 10720873
    Abstract: Provided is an electric drive device which controls a current supplied to coils during normal operation so as to be less than a current limit value when normal, which is determined from heat generating properties and heat radiating properties of a thermally coupled body that includes the coils and an inverter circuit. When an abnormality in each group or each phase of the coils and the inverter circuit is detected, the supply of current to all phases of a group suffering an abnormality in the coils, or to a phase that is not capable of continuous operation, is stopped or reduced; and the limit value of the current supplied to a coil that is capable of continuous operation is reset to a current limit value in the event of abnormality, which is larger than the current limit value when normal, within the range of improvement of the heat generating properties of the thermally coupled body due to the stopping or reduction of the supply of current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2020
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Akira Furukawa, Yu Kawano
  • Patent number: 10663531
    Abstract: An apparatus detects a short of a class-D amplifier. A pulse detector detects an output PWM pulse exceeds a predetermined width and a controller differentiates whether the pulse width exceeding is caused by a short or by a large digital input signal occurring during normal operation based on an expected level of the digital input signal to a level of the digital input signal when the pulse width exceeds the predetermined width. The expected level is dynamically obtained in response to one or more previous PWM pulses exceeding the predetermined width during the normal operation and may be selected based on an amount the pulse exceeds the predetermined width. A lookup table of predetermined levels, selected based on impedance of a load, provides the expected level if the expected level has not yet been dynamically obtained when the pulse width exceeds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2020
    Assignee: CIRRUS LOGIC, INC.
    Inventors: Lei Zhu, Jing Bai, Xiaofan Fei, Xin Zhao
  • Patent number: 10587214
    Abstract: A matrix converter system having a current control mode operation is provided. The matrix converter system includes a matrix converter that includes a plurality of switches. A unity current reference vector having an amplitude of one is determined that defines an angle and frequency of an output current vector as a function of a reference phase angle, which is a function of the output current vector and an output voltage vector representing feedback signals of a multiphase signal output to a load. The unity current reference vector is used to control the matrix converter, to cause the output current vector to be aligned with the unity current reference vector. A unity voltage reference vector having an amplitude of one is provided that defines a reference angle and frequency as a function of a zero phase angle. The output voltage vector and the unity voltage reference vector are aligned to determine the reference phase angle as an angle between the aligned output voltage vector and the output current vector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2020
    Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventor: Vladimir Blasko
  • Patent number: 10566918
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a power tool monitored by tracking a motor current and control methods thereof. The present invention is mainly about a microprocessor electrically connected to a motor through a drive unit and a current detecting-and-converting module. The microprocessor receives an AC synchronizing signal, and sends a first control signal to the drive unit according to the AC synchronizing signal to drive the motor. The current detecting-and-converting module detects and converts the motor current and output to the microprocessor, thereby the microprocessor detects a per unit time current which is converted into a corresponding pressure value, and then the microprocessor sends a second control signal to the drive unit according to the pressure value to control the operation status of the motor. By detecting and tracking the per unit time current, the purpose of load monitoring and motor protection can be achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2020
    Assignee: KUDOS MECHANICAL CO., LTD.
    Inventor: James Chuan
  • Patent number: 10560046
    Abstract: A first PWM count computation unit computes a first PWM count for each of three phases in a first system. A second PWM count computation unit computes a second PWM count for each of three phases in a second system. Upper and lower switching elements for each phase in the first system are controlled in accordance with a first pattern in which the upper and lower switching elements are varied in the order of an upper on state, a lower on state, and the upper on state from the time of start of PWM cycles. Upper and lower switching elements for each phase in the second system are controlled in accordance with a second pattern in which the upper and lower switching elements are varied in the order of a lower on state, an upper on state, and the lower on state from the time of start of PWM cycles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2020
    Assignee: JTEKT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroshi Sumasu, Hiroshi Kitamoto
  • Patent number: 10547261
    Abstract: A variable magnetization machine control system comprising a controller configured to generate a reversely rotating d-axis/q-axis current vector trajectory during a change in a magnetization state of a variable magnetization machine to drive the variable magnetization machine at a predetermined speed while maintaining the driving voltage below a predetermined maximum magnitude.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2020
    Assignees: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation
    Inventors: Takashi Fukushige, Brent S. Gagas, Chen-Yen Yu, Robert D. Lorenz
  • Patent number: 10523144
    Abstract: One example is a system for controlling a motor during startup. The system includes measurement logic, pattern detection logic, and mode logic. The measurement logic monitors a back-electromotive force (BEMF) signal representing a BEMF of an electric motor and the pattern detection logic monitors this signal to detect instances of the monitored BEMF signal exhibiting a predetermined pattern. The mode logic enables control of the electric motor according to a plurality of modes of control. In some examples, the mode logic initially employs a first mode of control and switches from the first mode of control to a second mode of control in response to the pattern detection logic detecting that a BEMF signal exhibits the predetermined pattern over a plurality of commutation states.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventor: Kristen N. Mogensen
  • Patent number: 10502203
    Abstract: A pumping system for an aquatic application includes a motor to be coupled to a pump and a controller in communication with the motor. The controller is configured to determine a speed of the motor, determine a current performance value of the pumping system, compare the current performance value to a referenced performance value, determine an adjustment value based upon the comparison of the reference and current performance values, and adjust a speed of the motor based on the adjustment value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignees: Pentair Water Pool and Spa, Inc., Danfoss Power Electronics A/S
    Inventors: Robert W. Stiles, Jr., Lars Hoffmann Berthelsen, Ronald B. Robol, Christopher Yahnker, Daniel J. Hruby, Kevin Murphy, Einar Kjartan Runarsson, Arne Fink Hansen, Florin Lungeanu, Peter Westermann-Rasmussen
  • Patent number: 10495340
    Abstract: Disclosed are an inverter circuit, and air conditioner and refrigerator using the same. The inverter circuit includes a rectifier configured to rectify an input Alternating-Current (AC) voltage into a Direct-Current (DC) voltage; a smoothing portion configured to smoothen the DC voltage output from the rectifier; an inverter connected to a load, and configured to convert the DC voltage smoothened by the smoothing portion into an AC voltage, and to output the AC voltage to the load; and a suppressor installed between the rectifier and the smoothing portion, and configured to suppress an overvoltage or overcurrent of a DC link to which the DC voltage from the smoothing portion is applied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2019
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tatsuhisa Shimura, Shokichi Sugiyama
  • Patent number: 10483892
    Abstract: A variable magnetization machine control system comprising a controller configured to adjust a d-axis current waveform and a q-axis current waveform in accordance with an operating condition of a variable magnetization machine to generate an adjusted d-axis current waveform and an adjusted q-axis current waveform that provide a driving voltage to drive the variable magnetization machine at a predetermined speed while maintaining the driving voltage below a predetermined maximum magnitude.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignees: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation
    Inventors: Takashi Fukushige, Takashi Kato, Brent S. Gagas, Robert D. Lorenz
  • Patent number: 10381920
    Abstract: The present invention provides a power limiting circuit for inverter device and an inverter device, which pertains to the technical field of power source inverting. The inverter device comprises a first logic judging circuit for comparing an input current of an inverter circuit with a first preset current threshold and outputting a first signal when said input current is larger than the first preset current threshold; and a shunt circuit for shunting a portion of the input current of the inverter circuit when receiving said first signal; wherein, the shunt circuit comprises a shunt resistance and a first controllable switch, the shunt resistance and the first controllable switch are connected in series and then parallel-connected to input ends of the inverter circuit, a control end of the first controllable switch is connected to an output end of the first logic judging circuit for controlling the first controllable switch to be connected when receiving said first signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2019
    Assignee: SHANGHAI SUNSON ACTIVATED CARBON TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD
    Inventor: Jun Xie
  • Patent number: 10312840
    Abstract: The invention relates to a control circuit for a synchronous machine (1) of a dental handpiece, comprising a voltage supply (2) and a clamping circuit (7) connected by switches (6). The invention also relates to a method for determining an angular position of a rotor of a synchronous machine (1), wherein a power supply is switched off for a total period of time (T2), a clamping circuit (7) is connected for a time interval (T1), whereupon an electromotive force is measured, and the angular position is determined from the electromotive force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Assignee: DENTSPLY SIRONA Inc.
    Inventors: Hans-Walter Altendorf, Volker Hill
  • Patent number: 10293804
    Abstract: A vehicle propulsion system includes an engine and a first electric machine each configured to selectively provide torque to propel the vehicle. The propulsion system also includes a second electric machine coupled to the engine and configured to start the engine from an inactive state. A high-voltage battery powers both of the first electric machine and the second electric machine over a high-voltage bus. The vehicle further includes a controller programmed to issue a command to start the engine using the second electric machine in response to a threshold acceleration demand following a period of reduced acceleration demand.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2019
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Chandra S. Namuduri, Lei Hao, Suresh Gopalakrishnan, Thomas W. Nehl
  • Patent number: 10281185
    Abstract: The invention includes an inverter to convert a direct-current voltage from a direct-current power supply into an alternating-current voltage and apply the alternating-current voltage to a motor that, a direct-current-voltage detecting unit to detect a voltage in the direct-current power supply, a current detecting unit to detect an electric current flowing to the inverter, and an inverter control unit to generate PWM signals for driving switching elements of the inverter based on the detected voltage the detected electric current, to set a specific phase difference between a phase of a carrier signal used for generation of the PWM signals and a phase of the alternating-current voltage, and to control the inverter such that a frequency of the PWM signals are synchronized with a frequency of the alternating-current voltage, the frequency of the PWM signals being an integer multiple of three times the frequency of the alternating-current voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Keisuke Uemura, Kazunori Hatakeyama, Yosuke Shinomoto, Koichi Arisawa
  • Patent number: 10277143
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an inverter provided in a hoist system, which includes a scale unit configured to control a size of a DC link voltage of the inverter, a proportional-integral (PI) controller configured to perform PI-control on an output of the scale unit and an output voltage of the inverter and outputting a control signal, a first calculating unit configured to sum a command frequency of the inverter and the control signal, and a voltage determining unit configured to determine an output voltage of the inverter from an output frequency of the first calculating unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2019
    Assignee: LSIS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Eun-Woo Lee, Jung-Han Kim
  • Patent number: 10263505
    Abstract: A rectifier device which is used for a motor vehicle. Such a device includes a switching unit, which is connected to an intermediate circuit and can be operated with a predetermined switching frequency and provided with a plurality of filter elements connected in an intermediate circuit. Each is equipped with an inter intermediate circuit capacitance. A minimum of the magnitude frequency response of a respective filter element is within a different frequency interval, which has a harmonic of the switching frequency as a middle frequency and an interval length corresponding to the switching frequency as a respective minimum of the magnitude frequency response.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2019
    Assignee: AUDI AG
    Inventors: Maximilian Schiedermeier, Cornelius Rettner
  • Patent number: 10250174
    Abstract: A motor driving device for a motor having a stator and a rotor rotationally driven by an input of an AC voltage includes: an inverter circuit having multiple units corresponding to multiple phases respectively, each unit having a pair of a switching element and a reflux diode connected in anti-parallel to the switching element; and a control device controlling the inverter circuit to convert a DC voltage into the AC voltage and to output the AC voltage to the stator coil. The control device includes: a field weakening control unit adjusting the AC voltage to control a magnetic field of the stator coil to weaken a field magnetic flux of the rotor; and a regenerative current control unit switching an anti-regenerative side switching element to flow a regenerative current when the AC voltage stops while the field weakening control unit performs the field weakening control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2019
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Koji Sakai, Akitomo Yamanaka
  • Patent number: 10236811
    Abstract: A method of realizing single direction chaotic rotation speed of permanent magnet synchronous motor is provided powered by a three-phase full-bridge inverter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: XI'AN UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
    Inventor: Hai-Peng Ren
  • Patent number: 10203141
    Abstract: A control system for a multi-stage compressor. The control system includes an AC line voltage source, a variable-voltage variable-frequency drive, and a processor. The AC line voltage source is configured to operate the multi-stage compressor. The variable-voltage variable-frequency drive is coupled to the AC line voltage source and is configured to operate the multi-stage compressor at a variable speed. The processor is coupled to the AC line voltage source and the variable-voltage variable-frequency drive, and is configured to alternatively coupled the AC line voltage source and the variable-voltage variable-frequency drive to the multi-stage compressor to operate the multi-stage compressor. The processor is further configured to transmit a capacity control signal to the multi-stage compressor. The capacity control signal is instructive to operate the multi-stage compressor in one of a high-capacity setting and a low-capacity setting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2019
    Assignee: Regal Beloit America, Inc.
    Inventors: Ludovic Andre Chretien, Norman C. Golm, Jr.
  • Patent number: 10181811
    Abstract: To regulate the electrical output of a generator, a signal is received indicative of at least one characteristic of the electrical output. A first, relatively fast-response sub-controller is configured to provide a first control signal on the basis of the at least one characteristic and a second, relatively slow-response sub-controller is configured to provide a second control signal on the basis of the at least one characteristic. An output provides a combined control signal to adjust the electrical output based on the first and second control signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2019
    Assignee: BDR Thermea Group B.V.
    Inventors: Adam Henry Green, Angel Torres-Perez, Mícheál Gerard McArdle
  • Patent number: 10148211
    Abstract: A machine learning apparatus includes: a state observation unit that observes a state variable including an error between a position command and an actual position of a rotor, temperature of a motor driving apparatus and the motor, and voltage of each part of the motor driving apparatus; and a learning unit that learns a current feedback offset correction value for correcting an offset in the current feedback value, an inter-current-feedback-phase unbalance correction value for correcting an unbalance between phases in the current feedback value, and a current command correction value for a dead zone for correcting a current command in order to compensate a decreased amount of current due to a dead zone by which switching elements of upper and lower arms in the same phase of an inverter for motor power supply are not simultaneously turned on, in accordance with a training data set defined by the state variable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2018
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Sou Saito, Taku Sasaki, Tsutomu Shikagawa
  • Patent number: 10135353
    Abstract: An AC-to-AC matrix converter includes a controlled rectifier input stage, an inverter output stage, and a regenerative unit. The controlled rectifier input stage is electrically connected to a power source and configured to convert AC input power from the power source into DC power. The controlled rectifier input stage may be unidirectional. The inverter output stage is electrically connected to a load and operates to convert the DC power into AC output power, which is then fed into the load. The regenerative unit is electrically connected to the inverter output stage and operates control energy generated by the load in a regenerative mode within the inverter output stage. The controlled rectifier input stage may be isolated from the inverter output stage in the regenerative mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2018
    Assignee: Eaton Intelligent Power Limited
    Inventor: Sayeed Ahmad Mir
  • Patent number: 10116235
    Abstract: A modulation processing unit performs a down-shift process or an up-shift process. In the down-shift process, a neutral-point voltage is shifted towards a low voltage side such that a smallest phase voltage command value is a lower fixed value that is a first lower limit value or a second lower limit value. In the up-shift process, the neutral-point voltage is shifted towards a high voltage side such that a largest phase voltage command value is an upper fixed value that is a first upper limit value or a second upper limit value. The modulation processing unit selects either of a first fixed value, being the first lower limit value or the first upper limit value, and a second fixed value, being the second lower limit value or the second upper limit value, based on a difference between the phase voltage command values in the down-shift process or the up-shift process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2018
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Takashi Suzuki
  • Patent number: 10099704
    Abstract: Provided is an electromagnetic noise analyzing apparatus, a controlling apparatus, and a controlling method in each of which the continuous change of the running state of a vehicle or a railway vehicle is considered. The controlling apparatus includes: a vehicle running control section which outputs, on the basis of operation information of a vehicle, a vehicle driving parameter as a driving state of the vehicle; a signal converting section which converts the vehicle driving parameter into a noise parameter as an electric parameter; and an electromagnetic noise analyzing section which calculates, on the basis of the noise parameter, the amount of electromagnetic noise propagating in the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2018
    Assignee: HITACHI, LTD.
    Inventors: Aya Ohmae, Hiroki Funato, Keisuke Fukumasu
  • Patent number: 10090093
    Abstract: A system includes a sensor configured to detect an electrical leakage current associated with an operation of an industrial machine. The sensor includes a core and a first winding encircling a first portion of the core. The first winding includes a first number of turns. The first winding is configured to obtain a set of electrical current measurements associated with the operation of the industrial machine. The sensor includes a second winding encircling a second portion of the core. The second winding includes a second number of turns. The second winding is configured to obtain the set of electrical current measurements associated with the operation of the industrial machine. The first winding and the second winding are each configured to generate respective outputs based on the set of electrical current measurements. The respective outputs are configured to be used to reduce the occurrence of a distortion of the set of electrical current measurements based on a temperature of the core.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventor: Dan Tho Lu
  • Patent number: 10040447
    Abstract: A vehicle is provided including an electric machine and at least one controller. The controller, or controllers, are configured to, in response to a reset of the at least one controller while a speed of the vehicle is greater than a threshold value, provide a current command to the electric machine in accordance with calibration values calculated prior to the reset such that inoperability of the electric machine due to the reset is less than one second.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2018
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: William Reynolds, Daniel Robert Parks, Rimma Isayeva, Jonathan Andrew Butcher
  • Patent number: 9973110
    Abstract: An electrical architecture (1) for converting DC voltage into AC voltage, and vice versa, comprising: —a DC/AC voltage converter (2), comprising a plurality of arms mounted in parallel, each arm comprising two controllable switching cells (12), in series and separated by a mid-point, the arms being paired in H-bridges (11), —for each H-bridge (11), a dedicated control member (13), such that all of the switching cells (12) of said H-bridge (11) can be controlled by this control member (13), each control member (13) being intended to communicate with a same remote control unit (14) through a potential barrier (15).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: Valeo Systemes de Controle Moteur
    Inventors: Hicham Sadki, Nathalie Coia, Boris Bouchez
  • Patent number: 9960724
    Abstract: A driving system for hybrid electric vehicles includes a DC/DC converter configured to convert low-voltage DC power of a vehicle battery into high-voltage DC power according to a first PWM signal generated based on a first PWM carrier signal; a first inverter configured to convert the high-voltage DC power into first AC power according to a second signal generated based on a second PWM carrier signal, and drive a first driving motor according to the first AC power; a second inverter configured to convert the high-voltage DC power into second AC power according to a third PWM signal generated based on a third PWM carrier signal, and drive a second driving motor according to the second AC power; and a PWM phase controller configured to separately control phases of the first to third PWM carrier signals according to an operation mode of each of the first and second driving motors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: Hyundai Mobis Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Sang Min Kim
  • Patent number: 9897156
    Abstract: Method for functional testing of a holding brake of an electric motor. Method includes applying, while the holding brake is closed, phase currents to the electric motor in magnitude and angle for producing a current vector; varying, while the holding brake is closed, the phase currents so as to rotate the current vector to be normal to a rotor flux direction at least one time; and checking whether the holding brake slips when the phase currents are being applied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: B&R Industrial Automation GmbH
    Inventor: Andreas Poelzleithner
  • Patent number: 9800139
    Abstract: A motor control system for adjusting motor speed if a current overload condition occurs. The motor control system may include a motor, a power factor correction (PFC) circuit providing current to the motor, and a signal processor. The PFC circuit may limit current provided to the motor based on an output voltage sensed by the PFC circuit. The signal processor may sense input voltage of the PFC circuit to determine a power limit, then compare sensed or calculated drive power of the motor with the power limit. If the drive power sensed or calculated is greater than the power limit, the signal processor may output a signal for reducing the drive power to the power limit. Limiting the drive power provided to the motor limits or decreases a speed of the motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: Nidec Motor Corporation
    Inventors: James L. Skinner, Prakash B. Shahi, Bret S. Clark, Douglas D. Glenn, Christopher D. Schock
  • Patent number: 9780717
    Abstract: A power conversion device includes an inverter configured by arms including phase upper-arm switching elements and phase lower-arm switching elements, a power-supply shunt resistor, lower-arm shunt resistors, and a control unit that generates drive signals corresponding to the phase upper-arm switching elements and the phase lower-arm switching elements from detection values of the voltage detectors. The power conversion device changes a ratio of time in which all of the upper-arm switching elements are in an ON state and time in which all of the lower-arm switching elements are in the ON state in one cycle of switching of the inverter according to a modulation ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Keisuke Uemura, Takuya Shimomugi, Koichi Arisawa, Yosuke Shinomoto, Shigeo Umehara, Shinichiro Ura, Makoto Tanikawa
  • Patent number: 9739815
    Abstract: The invention relates to a generic method for determining the rotor position of an electronically-commutated multi-phase direct current motor, characterized in: (a) generating of a plurality of test voltage pulses in the winding system with a specified switch-on duration ?T by means of the commuting device in different phase distributed over 360°; (b) measurement of the current values of the current responses of the test voltage pulses on expiration of the switch-on period of the respective test voltage pulse; (c) approximation of the measured current values by means of a periodic approximation function from a superimposition of a preferably sinusoidal fundamental wave with an amplitude IEMK and the associated first harmonic with an amplitude Und as a factor of the phase of the test voltage pulse, wherein the sinusoidal fundamental wave follows the chronological progression of the counter EMF voltage of the stator and the first harmonic follows the chronological progression of the stator of the direct current
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: BROSE FAHRZEUGTEILE GMBH & CO. KOMMANDITSELLSCHAFT, WURZBURG
    Inventor: Johannes Schwarzkopf
  • Patent number: 9742333
    Abstract: To achieve smooth switching of control without fluctuations in speed and torque, an excitation current command is allowed to transit linearly or in accordance with the function of speed between a value under sensorless vector control and a value under low-speed region control in accordance with a speed command or estimated speed in a speed region where the control is switched or in an adjacent speed region where sensorless vector control is performed. Therefore, abrupt variations in excitation current are reduced before and after the switching of the control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki Amemiya, Satoru Terashima
  • Patent number: 9735722
    Abstract: At least one example embodiment discloses a method of controlling an alternating current (ac) machine. The method includes determining or retrieving a current limit for the ac machine, determining a characterized peak current value based on a voltage-to-speed ratio of the ac machine, determining current command values for the ac machine based on at least one of the torque command limit and a torque command for the ac machine, determining current command values for the ac machine based on the torque command limit and controlling the ac machine based on the current command values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignee: DEERE & COMPANY
    Inventors: Whitney M. Marohl, Long Wu, Anthony Weber
  • Patent number: 9712043
    Abstract: An apparatus for controlling overcurrent of a grid-connected inverter due to an abnormal grid voltage includes a grid voltage sensor configured to sense a grid voltage according to an output current of the grid-connected inverter, a voltage variation calculator configured to calculate a D-axis voltage and a Q-axis voltage of the grid voltage to obtain variation values of the D-axis voltage and the Q-axis voltage, and an output current controller configured to determine whether at least one of the D-axis voltage variation value and the Q-axis voltage variation value exceeds a set value of the grid voltage variation, and decrease the output current by a predetermined value when one of the D-axis voltage variation value and the Q-axis voltage variation value exceeds the set value of the grid voltage variation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: POSCO ENERGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jeong Heum Lee, Sang Ho Moon, Ju Young Chang, Jae Sig Kim, Jin Su Lee
  • Patent number: 9707825
    Abstract: The controller controls an inverter that drives an in-vehicle three-phase motor. The controller includes a voltage application unit, a current obtaining unit, an addition unit, an addition conversion unit, and a derivation unit. The current obtaining unit obtains a positive current and a negative current flowing to each of the three phases. The addition unit adds the positive current and the negative current flowing to each phase. The addition conversion unit performs a three-phase to two-phase conversion on the three addition values. The derivation unit derives a magnetic pole position of the rotor, when the rotor is stopped, based on the conversion result of the addition conversion unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOYOTA JIDOSHOKKI
    Inventor: Kazuki Najima
  • Patent number: 9704076
    Abstract: A rotary encoder correcting method for a transport apparatus having a rotary encoder for outputting output signals in response to rotation of a transport roller. The method includes the steps of setting beforehand the number of n-divided output signals obtained by dividing, by n, the number of output signals outputted from the rotary encoder with one rotation of the transport roller; measuring a divided area shift time for each divided area when a printing medium is transported at constant speed and each time the number of output signals agrees with the number of n-divided output signals; and calculating a correction coefficient for each divided area based on the divided area shift time. The divided area shift time is corrected for each divided area of the rotary encoder based on each correction coefficient when a process is carried out on the printing medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: SCREEN HOLDINGS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tomoyasu Okushima, Yoshitomo Wada, Osamu Morizono
  • Patent number: 9698709
    Abstract: A motor driving device includes an inverter circuit having switching elements; and a control device controlling the switching of the switching elements. The control device sets a carrier frequency to f1 when a two-phase modulation scheme is selected, and sets the carrier frequency to f0, which is half of the carrier frequency f1, when a three-phase modulation scheme is selected. Thereby, the frequency of the secondary component of a current flowing in a filter circuit of when selecting the three-phase modulation scheme may be deviated from the resonance frequency of the filter circuit. Accordingly, the current ripple generated in the filter circuit may be reduced even when selectively switching the modulation scheme for the PWM modulation among a plurality of modulation schemes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Koji Sakai
  • Patent number: 9692338
    Abstract: A vector control driving device is provided for an electric motor receiving an operating setpoint, with stator windings receiving a driving current and producing a rotating magnetic field, the windings generating a voltage at terminals of the motor, a rotor producing a magnetic field to follow the rotating magnetic field, the device generating current in a vector domain, and configured to carry out a transform of the current from the vector domain to a real domain allowing for generation of the driving current, and configured to carry out an inverse transform of a parameter measured in the real domain on the stator windings into a transform of the parameter in the vector domain, and comparing the value of the inverse transform of the parameter with a predefined maximum parameter value, which can drive the generating of the current in the vector domain. An automatic and adaptive defluxing method is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignee: THALES
    Inventors: Stéphane Guguen, Arnaud Dal, Thomas Girier
  • Patent number: 9673748
    Abstract: A motor control circuit controls an operation of a motor based on an input voltage and a control parameter. A voltage-abnormality detection unit detects abnormality of the input voltage by comparing the input voltage with an allowable voltage range. A memory stores therein a plurality of allowable voltage range candidates made to correspond to a plurality of reference voltages and a plurality of control parameter candidates made to correspond to the plurality of reference voltages. A reference-voltage acquisition unit acquires reference voltage information specifying one of the plurality of reference voltages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventor: Kenji Ogawa
  • Patent number: 9647585
    Abstract: Brushless direct-current (“BLDC”) motor and control for a power tool. A BLDC motor of a power tool is controlled in either a pulse-width modulation (“PWM”) commutation mode or a centerline commutation mode. When the motor is rotating slowly, the motor is operated using PWM commutation. When the motor is rotating at a speed greater than a threshold speed value, the operation of the motor is transitioned to the centerline commutation mode. When operating in the centerline commutation mode, the high-side field-effect transistors (“FETs”) and low-side FETs can each be used for motor speed control. By switching between speed control using the high-side FETs and speed control using the low-side FETs, the heat generated by freewheeling currents can be approximately evenly distributed among the high-side and low-side FETs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: MILWAUKEE ELECTRIC TOOL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Matthew J. Mergener, Matthew P. Wycklendt
  • Patent number: 9602040
    Abstract: In an apparatus, a determiner determines whether a two-MG frequency ratio of a first electrical frequency of a first MG to a second electrical frequency of a second MG is within a specific frequency-ratio range. The specific frequency-ratio range includes 1/6n where n is an integer excluding zero. An update-cycle controller controls an update cycle of a command voltage according to the determined result such that the update cycle during a specific drive of the first MG is longer than the update cycle during a usual drive of the first MG while a cycle of a carrier signal is maintained during both the usual and specific drives. The specific drive represents drive of the first MG while the two-MG frequency ratio is within the specific frequency-ratio range. The usual drive represents drive of the first MG while the two-MG frequency ratio is out of the specific frequency-ratio range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Shigenori Takahashi
  • Patent number: 9602030
    Abstract: The present disclosure illustrates a motor drive circuit. The motor drive circuit includes a resistor module, a multiplexer, a data control unit, an analog-to-digital converter and a register. The resistor module receives an input voltage and generates at least one parameter voltage. The parameter voltage is associated with a motor speed curve of a motor. The multiplexer receives the parameter voltage. The data control unit controls the multiplexer to output the parameter voltage. The analog-to-digital converter receives the parameter voltage and converts the parameter voltage to digital form, and then outputs the digital parameter voltage to the data control unit. The register stores the digital parameter voltage outputted by the data control unit. A controller determines the motor speed curve according to the digital parameter voltage stored in the register, and drives the motor in response to the motor speed curve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: ANPEC ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kun-Min Chen
  • Patent number: 9543877
    Abstract: An apparatus for controlling a switched reluctance motor with use of a power conversion circuit. In the apparatus, a command voltage setter sets a command voltage for a coil of the motor, where the command voltage is set to change gradually during either or both of a ramp-up period and a ramp-down period of the command voltage. A voltage controller controls an applied voltage to the coil to the command voltage set by the command voltage setter by operating the power conversion circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yoshinobu Kamada
  • Patent number: 9518570
    Abstract: A motor controller includes a motor winding heater function. The motor controller applies a predefined current to one or more of the motor windings without the use of additional dedicated motor winding heater devices. The motor controller serves to control the operation of the motor, while the motor windings serve both as a heater at times and to produce torque at times.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2016
    Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: David Messersmith, Andrew Jaap