Frequency Control Patents (Class 318/807)
  • Patent number: 8232760
    Abstract: A system and method for controlling an AC motor drive includes a control system programmed with an energy algorithm configured to optimize operation of the motor drive. Specifically, the control system input an initial voltage-frequency command to the AC motor drive based on an initial voltage/frequency (V/Hz) curve, receives a real-time output of the AC motor drive generated according to the initial voltage-frequency command, and feedback a plurality of modified voltage-frequency commands to the AC motor drive, each of the plurality of modified voltage-frequency commands comprising a deviation from the initial V/Hz curve. The control system also determines a real-time value of the motor parameter corresponding to each of the plurality of modified voltage-frequency commands, and feeds back a modified voltage-frequency command to the AC motor drive so that the real-time value of the motor parameter is within a motor parameter tolerance range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2012
    Assignee: Easton Corporation
    Inventors: Bin Lu, Ting Yan, Steven John Fredette, Charles John Luebke
  • Publication number: 20120186888
    Abstract: A novel multiple induction electric motor and vehicle that stores electrical power; provides a first and second direct current power input from the stored electrical power; separately produces first and second synchronized variable frequency alternating current control signal from the first and second direct current power inputs, respectively; produces first and second synchronized rotating magnetic fields responsive to the first and second variable frequency alternating current control signals, respectively; induces a first induced magnetic field around a conductor in a first inductive rotor responsive to the first rotating magnetic field; induces a second induced magnetic field around a conductor in a second inductive rotor responsive to the second rotating magnetic field; applies first and second rotational forces between the first and second rotating magnetic fields and the first and second induced magnetic fields to the shaft; and transmits the first and second rotational forces to a drive wheel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 27, 2010
    Publication date: July 26, 2012
    Applicant: New Core, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert Ross
  • Patent number: 8217597
    Abstract: A drive circuit comprising: a direct current power source; a control unit for supplying control signals; a power switch topology comprising a first switch and a second switch each having an input terminal, an output terminal, and a control terminal, the input terminals being respectively connected to the power source, the control terminals being connected to the control unit for receiving the control signals there from, the output terminals being connected to a node; and an inductance connected with a capacitive load in series between the node and the power source, wherein the control signals control the switches to alternately conduct to thereby cause the node to output a pulse signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2012
    Assignee: Johnson Electric S.A.
    Inventors: Chi Ping Sun, Jian Qun Wu, Hai Bo Jiang, Jian Han
  • Patent number: 8207700
    Abstract: The invention relates to a switch arrangement of an electric motor drive (1). The electric motor drive comprises safety switches (3) determined by the safety of the drive, a controlled mechanical brake (4), a power supply circuit (5) of the brake control, a power converter (6), which power converter comprises a network rectifier (7) and a power rectifier (8) of the motor. The power rectifier of the motor is at least partly implemented with controlled semiconductor switches (9, 10) arranged into a bridge. The power converter comprises an intermediate circuit (11, 12) between the network rectifier and the power rectifier of the motor. The switch arrangement comprises normally-open switches (13, 14) in the intermediate circuit of the power converter (6).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2012
    Assignee: Kone Corporation
    Inventors: Timo Syrman, Ari Kattainen
  • Patent number: 8207692
    Abstract: An electrically driven mooring includes a winding drum (101), an alternating current motor (103) arranged to drive the winding drum, a frequency conversion unit (104) connected to the alternating current motor, and a control unit (105) arranged to control the frequency conversion unit on the basis of an indicator for tension of the mooring rope. The control unit is arranged to compute a flux space vector for modelling a stator flux of the alternating current motor, to compute a torque estimate on the basis of the flux space vector and a space vector of stator currents, and to use the torque estimate as the indicator for the tension of the mooring rope. Hence, a need for a force sensor on the mooring rope and a need for a speed/position sensor on the motor shaft can be avoided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2012
    Assignee: ABB Oy
    Inventors: Mikael Holmberg, Vassili Jung
  • Patent number: 8198848
    Abstract: A system for compensating the characteristics of a fan, applied to a heat-dissipating fan of an electronic device. This system comprises of an analyzing module for analyzing the relation between the duty ratio of pulse width modulation (PWM) and the rotational speed of the fan to generate analyzing data, and a compensating module for generating compensating data basing on the analyzing data and a specific proportion relation between the temperature and the duty ratio of PWM.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2012
    Assignee: Asustek Computer Inc.
    Inventors: Pai-Ching Huang, Jiang-Wen Huang
  • Patent number: 8183817
    Abstract: A winding switching apparatus for switching windings of an AC three-phase motor is provided. In each winding switching section of the winding switching apparatus, a positive-side charging resistor, a negative-side charging resistor, and a capacitor are connected in series between a positive-side DC bus and a negative-side DC bus of an inverter; the positive side of the capacitor is connected to the cathodes of respective diodes of a diode unit; and switching between high-speed windings and low-speed windings is carried out, with a capacitor potential being the same as an inverter DC bus voltage. A state detector and a comparator are also provided for each winding switching section to detect erroneous wiring and component abnormalities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2012
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Yaskawa Denki
    Inventors: Koji Higashikawa, Kenji Yamada, Katsutoshi Yamanaka
  • Patent number: 8174222
    Abstract: Methods, system and apparatus are provided for sensorless control of a vector controlled motor drive system that includes an electric motor used to drive an auxiliary oil pump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Nitinkumar R. Patel, Yo Chan Son
  • Patent number: 8164297
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a power converter in which the open-phase can be detected in a broader frequency region even if a predetermined relation is kept between the output voltage and the frequency. In order to achieve the above objects, a power converter including: an inverter unit having phase unit inverters provided with a plurality of multiple connected single-phase cell inverters for every phase; an inverter controller for controlling the inverter unit so that a predetermined relation is kept between an output voltage and a frequency; and a plurality of transformers for detecting output voltages of the plurality of phase unit inverters, in which the inverter controller is provided with a fault detection unit for detecting whether a phase-to-phase voltage deviation calculated by the output voltage is within range of an allowable voltage deviation calculated as a function of the frequency is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Daisuke Tan, Masahiro Tobise, Hirohisa Satomi
  • Patent number: 8159177
    Abstract: A system for realizing rotor variable frequency speed control asynchronously and simultaneously is disclosed. Multiple motors are driven via one inverter, which consists of a motor group, a rectifier group, a chopper group, an isolator group, an amperite group, a power capacitor group, a full-bridge or a half-bridge, a speed feedback voltage detector group, and a current feedback voltage detector group. Using inversion control theory, the voltage outputs by a full or half-bridge inverter are an inverse electromotive force of each functional motor, and each motor operates asynchronously and simultaneously. This system may be used in crane operations. As a crane rises, redundant electricity is fed back to the motor via an inverter; and as the crane lowers, the motor will generate electricity, and the electricity is fed back to the motor via the inverter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2012
    Inventor: Shunxin Zhou
  • Patent number: 8159162
    Abstract: A motor control apparatus has a start control section. When the motor control apparatus receives a motor start command from a host control unit when a motor is in a stop state or a low-speed rotating state where a sensorless control cannot be applied, the control section starts the motor that rotates a vehicle fan by a forced commutation which supplies a pseudo sinusoidal drive signal caused by a complementary PWM control. Thereafter, the motor control apparatus switches over to a sensorless control using a rectangular wave drive signal at an energization angle of lower than 180°.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2012
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Atsushi Kanamori
  • Patent number: 8143838
    Abstract: A phase current estimation apparatus for a motor capable of suitably improving estimation accuracy of phase currents is provided. The phase current estimation apparatus 10 of the motor includes a control unit 24 that decomposes a command voltage vector Vdq into two vector components V?dq in the case where a magnitude of the command voltage vector Vdq is less than a predetermined lower limit voltage Vlow, so that the command voltage vector Vdq is allowed to have the magnitude equal to or more than the predetermined lower limit voltage Vlow for every two adjacent periods in units of a period of a carrier signal and to have the phase outside a predetermined phase range including phases of reference voltage vectors. Accordingly, the control unit 24 can quantitatively analyze harmonic components, which are generated by decomposing the command voltage vector Vdq into the two vector components V?dq, by using mathematical equations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2012
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Masahiko Akiyama
  • Patent number: 8143840
    Abstract: A device for controlling an induction motor includes a voltage/frequency controller, a pulse width modulation controller, and a converter. The voltage/frequency controller receives a controlling frequency, and outputs a controlling voltage corresponding to the controlling frequency. The pulse width modulation controller receives the controlling voltage and the controlling frequency, and generates PWM signals according to the controlling voltage and the controlling frequency. The converter receives the PWM signals, and controls the induction motor according to the PWM signals. There is a predetermined relationship between the controlling voltage and the controlling frequency stored in the voltage/frequency controller. The controlling voltage is greater than zero in response to the controlling frequency being zero, and increasing the controlling frequency increases the controlling voltage as in the predetermined relationship.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2012
    Assignee: Foxnum Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: You-Ren Lin, Rong-Cong Hung, Shen-An Chen, Rong-Hwang Horng, Shih-Chang Chen, Yaw-Shen Lai
  • Patent number: 8143839
    Abstract: An alternating-current motor control apparatus includes a stator frequency computing unit configured to compute a stator frequency of a motor magnetic flux; a torque error computing unit configured to compute a torque error by using the motor magnetic flux, an estimated current, and a motor current; and a speed estimator configured to estimate a speed of the alternating-current motor by using the stator frequency and the torque error. The speed estimator includes a proportional controller configured to reduce the torque error to zero, and an adaptive filter configured to eliminate a high-frequency component of the torque error.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2012
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Yaskawa Denki
    Inventors: Kozo Ide, Sadayuki Sato, Hideaki Iura, Shinya Morimoto
  • Patent number: 8138711
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a motor controller for an air conditioner and a motor control method. The motor controller including a converter converting AC utility power into DC power and an inverter having a plurality of switching elements, the inverter receiving the DC power, converting the received DC power into AC power by switching operations of the switching elements, and supplies the AC power to a motor, the motor controller further including: a current detector detecting a current flowing in the motor controller; a temperature detector detecting a temperature in the motor controller or a temperature ambient to the motor controller; and a controller calculating a loading based on at least one of room temperature, setup temperature, and inner unit capacity and setting up a final target frequency for driving the motor based on the calculated loading and at least one of the detected current and the detected temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2012
    Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Sun Ho Hwang, Han Su Jung, Chung Hun Lee
  • Patent number: 8138712
    Abstract: A ripple detection unit detects a ripple current width of a motor current controlled according to PWM control. A ripple reference setting unit sets a reference value of the ripple current width. A frequency adjusting unit sets a control signal indicating a carrier frequency of the PWM control according to a ripple current width deviation. A carrier generation unit generates a carrier of the frequency based on the control signal. Thus, it is possible to realize feedback control of the carrier frequency for maintaining the ripple current width at an appropriate level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2012
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kenji Yamada
  • Patent number: 8134323
    Abstract: A medium voltage variable frequency drive having a 2-high controller configuration with a dual bus system is described. The drive control system includes at least one motor control cabinet housing a fused medium voltage bypass controller, a non-fused transfer controller positioned above the fused medium voltage bypass controller, an extendable output bus coupled to the non-fused medium voltage transfer controller, and an extendable supply bus coupled to the fused medium voltage bypass controller. The drive control system further includes a variable frequency drive cabinet housing a variable frequency drive. The variable frequency drive is coupled to the extendable output bus and a power supply line. The power supply line may be further coupled to the extendable supply bus. The drive control system includes at least one cabling transition cabinet housing cabling between the at least one motor control cabinet, the power supply line, and the variable frequency drive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2012
    Assignee: Toshiba International Corporation
    Inventors: Alex Leung, Enrique Martinez, John Kleinecke
  • Publication number: 20120049782
    Abstract: A control unit of an electric power converter, which is used in a three-phase motor having two winding wire systems, performs for a first duty instruction signal regarding a voltage applied to a first winding wire group a flatbed two-phase modulation process, and performs for a second duty instruction signal regarding a voltage applied to a second winding wire group a flattop two-phase modulation process. By phase-shifting the second duty instruction signal by 30° from the first duty instruction signal, a timing of maximum value of the first duty instruction signal is shifted from a timing of minimum value of the second duty instruction signal. Even when the maximum value is greater than a center output value and the minimum value is smaller than the center output value, overlapping of capacitor discharge is avoided, thereby reducing a ripple electric current.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 11, 2011
    Publication date: March 1, 2012
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Takashi Suzuki
  • Patent number: 8120296
    Abstract: A motor magnetic pole position detecting device includes a detection current command generation unit generating a detection AC current command, a current detection section detecting a current flowing into the motor, a coordinate conversion unit vector-converting the current detected by the current detection section into an excitation component and a torque component both represented by a d-q orthogonal coordinate system based on a phase angle obtained at any rotational frequency, a current control unit delivering a voltage command to current-control the motor based on the detection current command and the current converted by the coordinate conversion unit, an inductance calculation unit calculating motor inductance based on the voltage command and the current converted by the coordinate conversion unit, and a magnetic pole position detection section calculating a frequency and phase of the inductance calculated by the inductance calculation unit, converting the inductance phase into a motor magnetic pole pos
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2012
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Sari Maekawa
  • Patent number: 8115430
    Abstract: A system is provided for controlling two AC machines. The system comprises a DC input voltage source that provides a DC input voltage, a voltage boost command control module (VBCCM), a five-phase PWM inverter module coupled to the two AC machines, and a boost converter coupled to the inverter module and the DC input voltage source. The boost converter is designed to supply a new DC input voltage to the inverter module having a value that is greater than or equal to a value of the DC input voltage. The VBCCM generates a boost command signal (BCS) based on modulation indexes from the two AC machines. The BCS controls the boost converter such that the boost converter generates the new DC input voltage in response to the BCS.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2012
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Gabriel Gallegos-Lopez, James M. Nagashima, Milun Perisic, Silva Hiti
  • Patent number: 8115433
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for pulse-width modulated control of power inverter using phase-shifted carrier signals. An electrical system comprises an energy source and a motor. The motor has a first set of windings and a second set of windings, which are electrically isolated from each other. An inverter module is coupled between the energy source and the motor and comprises a first set of phase legs coupled to the first set of windings and a second set of phase legs coupled to the second set of windings. A controller is coupled to the inverter module and is configured to achieve a desired power flow between the energy source and the motor by modulating the first set of phase legs using a first carrier signal and modulating the second set of phase legs using a second carrier signal. The second carrier signal is phase-shifted relative to the first carrier signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2012
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventor: Brian A. Welchko
  • Patent number: 8115441
    Abstract: A controller continually updates rotor time constant estimation of an induction machine by interrogating the induction machine with a small signal oscillation and monitoring the response. The small signal oscillation is injected onto the d-axis current command signal, and is generated at a frequency that represents the most recent estimate of the rotor time constant (i.e., rotor time constant equal the inverse of the frequency). The controller monitors rotor flux generated in response to the small signal oscillation, and updates the most recent estimate of the rotor time constant based on the monitored rotor flux. This process is repeated continuously to allow for the continuous updating of the rotor time constant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2012
    Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventors: Charles J. Romenesko, Vijay K. Maddali
  • Patent number: 8106620
    Abstract: There is provided a vector control device for an alternating-current electric motor having a damping controller which automatically calculates an optimum damping operation amount and does not require any gain setting itself, whereby an adjustment work of a control system can be simplified. The vector control device is equipped with a vector controller 30 for executing vector control on the alternating-current electric motor 6 in accordance with a current command or a torque command, and a damping controller 40 for calculating a damping operation amount for suppressing variation of a capacitor voltage Efc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventor: Hidetoshi Kitanaka
  • Patent number: 8106619
    Abstract: In a calculation for estimating axis error in a permanent magnet motor, a d-axis commanded voltage value is added to the product of three signals, which are a q-axis detected current value or commanded current value, an inductance value, and an estimated speed value, and then the resulting value is divided by the product of a commanded speed value ?r* and induced voltage constant Ke* or an arctangent calculation is performed in the same way, instead of using a resistance setting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignees: Hitachi Industrial Equipment Systems Co. Ltd., Hitachi Car Engineering Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuaki Tobari, Shigehisa Aoyagi
  • Patent number: 8102140
    Abstract: A method and apparatus to provide estimates of electrical parameters for line-connected induction motors during either steady-state or dynamic motor operations. The electrical parameters are calculated from the motor nameplate data and voltage and current measurements. No speed sensors or electronic injection circuits are needed. The method can be divided into 4 major steps. First, complex space vectors are synthesized from voltage and current measurements. Second, the instantaneous rotor speed is detected by calculating the rotational speed of a single rotor slot harmonic component with respect to the rotational speed of the fundamental frequency component. Third, the positive sequence fundamental frequency components are extracted from complex space vectors. Finally, least-squares estimates of the electrical parameters are determined from a dynamic induction motor equivalent circuit model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2012
    Assignee: Schneider Electric USA, Inc.
    Inventors: Zhi Gao, Larry A. Turner, Roy S. Colby
  • Patent number: 8098035
    Abstract: A motor control unit (10) includes: a power converter (40) having a rectifier circuit (20) which rectifies an AC voltage from an AC power supply (31), a capacitor circuit (22) which receives an output of the rectifier circuit (20) and outputs a rectified voltage having pulses from both ends of a capacitor (13) and an inverter circuit (25) which receives the rectified voltage and outputs an AC voltage to the motor (30); and a motor controller (41) controlling the motor (30) by controlling the inverter circuit (25). The motor controller (41) performs torque control to vary an output toque of the motor (30) in response to variation in load torque of the motor (30).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2012
    Assignee: Daikin Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Morimitsu Sekimoto, Hitoshi Haga, Abdallah Mechi, Reiji Kawashima, Kenichi Sakakibara, Toshiyuki Maeda
  • Patent number: 8084986
    Abstract: A dead-time compensation method is applied to a PWM inverter, which is provided to drive an induction motor using a constant V/f control. The method first calculates a root-mean-square current of the output instantaneous current of the inverter. Afterward, a lookup table of the root-mean-square current is used to obtain a dead-time compensation base voltage and a dead-time compensation per-unit voltage. Finally, the dead-time compensation base voltage is multiplied by the dead-time compensation per-unit voltage to produce a dead-time compensation voltage of the PWM inverter. Accordingly, the method reduces complexity of converting the current to the voltage to reach a faster real-time response. Furthermore, a more accurate dead-time compensation voltage is obtained without increasing hardware costs and the efficiency of operating the induction motor is improved at low speed and light load condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2011
    Assignee: Delta Electronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Lung-Jay Cheng, Ting-Chung Hsieh
  • Patent number: 8084976
    Abstract: A motor control device performing vector control for a motor that drives a load whose load torque varies periodically. The motor control device has: a motor speed deriving portion estimating or detecting a motor speed; a speed controller producing a specified torque current value such that the motor speed is made to follow a specified motor speed value fed from outside; a resonance filter producing a corrected torque current value by receiving a control value that varies with variations in the load torque and emphasizing a periodic variation component of the control value; a torque current corrector producing a specified superimposed torque current value by superimposing the corrected torque current value on the specified torque current value; and an adjusting portion adjusting, based on the specified superimposed torque current value, a degree of emphasis placed on the variation component by the resonance filter. The vector control is performed according to the specified superimposed torque current value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2011
    Assignee: SANYO Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Eiichiro Hashimoto
  • Patent number: 8080957
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a motor control device capable of suppressing voltage composite vector fluctuation to increase the output of a brushless motor, and a motor-driven power steering system using this device. The present control device calculates motor phase current command values based on a target current and a rotor rotational position detection value, calculates voltage command values based on the motor phase current command values and phase current detection values, and supplies phase currents to a three-phase brushless motor based on the voltage command values. The present control device outputs the phase current command values so that the absolute value of a composite vector of respective phase drive voltages is substantially a value ?3/2 times the power supply voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2011
    Assignee: NSK, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tomohiro Miura, Masahiro Maeda, Yousuke Imamura, Lilit Kovudhikulrungsri
  • Patent number: 8076899
    Abstract: An electric power supply driver executes duty control of turning on and off of a selected switching element to supply electric power to a corresponding stator coil in a case where an actual rotational direction and a target rotational direction of a motor shaft coincide with each other. Furthermore, the driver sets an on-duty ratio of the selected switching element below a lower limit value, which is at least required to rotate the motor shaft through the power supply to each corresponding stator coil in a case where the actual rotational direction and the target rotational direction do not coincide with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2011
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Motoki Uehama, Yasushi Morii
  • Patent number: 8072180
    Abstract: A device for filtering a carrier frequency of a PWM waveform. The device includes a low-pass filter for converting the PWM waveform into an analog signal. The device further includes a sampling analog-to-digital converter receiving the analog signal from the low-pass filter and the device also includes a controller for causing the non-integrating analog to digital converter to sample the PWM waveform at the pulse frequency rate thereby rejecting the carrier frequency. As already stated the PWM waveform includes a pulse which has a leading edge, a top portion, and a trailing edge. In one embodiment, the controller causes the A/D converter to sample during the top of the pulse. Preferably, the controller causes the A/D converter to sample at substantially the center of the pulse.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2011
    Assignee: DEKA Products Limited Partnership
    Inventors: Jason M. Sachs, John David Heinzmann
  • Publication number: 20110266992
    Abstract: A power conversion device includes a power switching circuit that has a plurality of series circuits in each of which a switching element that operates as an upper arm and a switching element that operates as a lower arm are connected in series, and a control circuit that generates control signals for controlling the continuity or discontinuity of the switching elements, and, if the relationship between the state of a switching element in a control cycle and the state of the switching element in the next control cycle is a discontinuous relationship, that additionally performs control to make the switching element continuous or discontinuous on the basis of the state of the switching element in the control cycle and the state of the switching element in the next control cycle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 16, 2011
    Publication date: November 3, 2011
    Applicant: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shingo NISHIGUCHI, Kimihisa Furukawa, Akinori Kamiya, Toshisada Mitsui, Kazuto Ooyama
  • Publication number: 20110248664
    Abstract: An energy converter includes a magnetism generation mechanism unit that generates a magnetic field when connected to an AC electrical power source, and a rotating mechanism unit having a single turn coil array member in which a plurality of single turn coils is disposed at a predetermined interval and a soft magnetic metal plate disposed on a side of the single turn coil array member opposite to the magnetism generation mechanism unit. The rotating mechanism unit is structured such that the single turn coil array member faces the magnetism generation mechanism unit across a predetermined magnetic gap and rotary driven by the magnetic field. Here, a drive signal period of the electrical power source is a period that maximizes an eddy current generated in the soft magnetic metal plate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2009
    Publication date: October 13, 2011
    Applicant: TBK Co Ltd
    Inventors: Tetsuo Sekiya, Kiyotsugu Narita
  • Patent number: 8022659
    Abstract: A control apparatus for a rotary machine, comprising a variable-voltage variable frequency (VVVF) inverter for driving the rotary machine, a voltage detector for detecting a DC voltage at the inverter's input, current detectors for detecting phase currents of the rotary machine, an inverter-electric-power command unit for determining an inverter-electric-power command value, an actual-inverter-electric-power calculation unit for calculating an actual inverter-electric-power value, a secondary-magnetic-flux command calculation unit for calculating a secondary-magnetic-flux command value, a predetermined-secondary-magnetic-flux command unit for outputting a predetermined secondary-magnetic-flux command value, and a secondary-magnetic-flux command changeover unit for selecting either one of the secondary-magnetic-flux command value and the predetermined secondary-magnetic-flux command value as a secondary-magnetic-flux command value which is used to control the rotary machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2011
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Masaki Kono, Hiroyuki Kayano, Tsuneyasu Kakizaki
  • Patent number: 7999503
    Abstract: Systems and apparatus are provided for a control module for operating an inverter in a vehicle. A control module comprises a first circuit card assembly and a microprocessor mounted on the first circuit card assembly. The microprocessor is configured to determine a phase modulation command for a first motor phase and determine a modulation criterion for the inverter. An integrated circuit is communicatively coupled to the microprocessor. The integrated circuit is configured to generate a first modulation signal based on the phase modulation command and the modulation criterion and generate a second modulation signal based on the phase modulation command and the modulation criterion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2011
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Daniel L. Kowalewski, Ted D. Peterson, David Tang, Mark L. Selogie, Michael R. Grimes
  • Patent number: 7983800
    Abstract: An apparatus for controlling a fan motor of an air conditioner comprises: a hybrid induction motor (HIM) for discharging warm air outwardly by a control signal; a temperature detecting unit for detecting a temperature of an evaporator; and a controlling unit for comparing the temperature of the evaporator with a preset temperature, and outputting a control signal to control the HIM based on a result of the comparison.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2011
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Seung-Suk Oh, Dong-Il Lee, Hyoun-Jeong Shin
  • Publication number: 20110169443
    Abstract: An electric power supply system has a power bus for providing DC power, and a control unit for a source of power to supply the power bus. The power unit includes a damping algorithm to provide damping to power supplied on the power bus. A motor and a motor control include a compensation block for tapping power from the bus, and identifying a portion of a supplied signal due to the damping. The compensation block provides a signal to a summing block that addresses the damping on the power bus prior to the power being supplied to the motor. A method of utilizing such a system is also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 13, 2010
    Publication date: July 14, 2011
    Inventors: Donal E. Baker, Raymond J. Beckmann, Curtis J. Plude
  • Patent number: 7969039
    Abstract: A controller is capable of executing direct couple control that directly couples a first power device and a second power device without causing a DC/DC converter to convert voltage. During the direct couple control, a drive signal that causes no voltage conversion is intermittently output to at least one of a plurality of switching devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2011
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Naoyuki Mimatsu, Yasushi Kojima, Seigo Murashige, Yutaka Asano
  • Patent number: 7960940
    Abstract: A motor control device for controlling a d-axis current and a q-axis current on dq coordinates to control a motor, includes a q-axis current command value setting unit which sets a q-axis current command value, an upper limit/lower limit setting unit which sets an upper limit and a lower limit of the q-axis current, a comparing unit which compares the q-axis current command value set by the q-axis current command value setting unit and the upper limit and the lower limit set by the upper limit/lower limit setting unit, a q-axis current command value limiting unit which puts a limit on the q-axis current command value in accordance with a comparison result by the comparing unit, and a d-axis current command value setting unit which sets a d-axis current command value on the basis of the q-axis current command value limited by the q-axis current command value limiting unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2011
    Assignee: JTEKT Corporation
    Inventors: Yuji Kariatsumari, Masaya Segawa
  • Patent number: 7928686
    Abstract: An electric motor control device includes a direct current power source; an inverter interposed between an electric motor and the direct current power source, the inverter device controlling an exchange of electric power therebetween; an inverter control unit that generates PWM pulses having a duty ratio corresponding to voltage command signals and sends the PWM pulses to the inverter in order to switch the inverter; a frequency changing unit that changes a carrier frequency of the PWM pulses generated by the inverter control unit in a manner corresponding to a frequency control signal; and a motor control unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2011
    Assignee: Aisin AW Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Subrata Saha, Isao Fujiwara, Keisuke Nishimura, Kazuma Hasegawa, Yoshinori Oono, Seiichi Kinugasa
  • Patent number: 7911170
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a device (20) and a method for sensorless measuring a mechanical rotor frequency of a rotor (6) of an asynchronous machine (40), wherein the rotor (6) has a predetermined defect and the asynchronous machine (40) has a fixed number of pairs of poles. The asynchronous machine (40) comprises a current determination unit (2) for determining a stator current of the stator (7), wherein the stator current has a stator frequency. A processing unit (3) forms a stator current spectrum of the stator current. An analyzing unit (4) analyzes the stator current spectrum and determines an inverse peak (26) and a corresponding inverse frequency in the stator current spectrum, wherein the inverse peak (26) is the peak having the second highest amplitude in the stator current spectrum in the frequency range of the stator frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2011
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
    Inventors: Stefan Hauttmann, Silvana Arsova
  • Patent number: 7911167
    Abstract: A control device of a vehicle motor includes a temperature sensor that detects a temperature of each coil, each coil supplying an alternating current to a corresponding phase of the motor and a controller that controls a torque of the vehicle motor; detects a stalled state of a vehicle; detects a current phase angle of the vehicle motor; and selects one of the temperatures detected by the temperature sensor based on a detected current phase angle, wherein the torque of the vehicle motor is reduced when the stalled state of the vehicle is detected and when a selected temperature exceeds a restrictive temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2011
    Assignee: Aisin AW Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Taketo Takeuchi
  • Patent number: 7911177
    Abstract: An overmodulation PWM controller includes a voltage instruction calculation unit which calculates a d axis voltage instruction and a q axis voltage instruction in which a voltage amplitude exceeds a peak value of a triangular wave carrier; a voltage instruction correction unit which corrects the d axis voltage instruction and the q axis voltage instruction so that a pulse width modulation voltage applied to an AC motor has a fundamental wave amplitude corresponding to the voltage instruction amplitude, according to the synchronization value K which is the number of the triangular carriers per one cycle of the phase voltage instruction; and a voltage instruction conversion unit which converts the corrected d axis voltage instruction and the q axis voltage instruction into a phase voltage instruction. The pulse width modulation voltage is controlled according to the result of comparison between the phase voltage instruction and the triangular wave carrier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2011
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroki Ohtani, Hideto Hanada, Makoto Nakamura, Kenji Yamada
  • Patent number: 7902790
    Abstract: A slip frequency is estimated from a current instruction or detected currents in an induction motor. Acceleration impossibility in an induction motor drive unit is determined, when the slip frequency exceeds the maximum torque generating slip frequency for the predetermined interval or the time integrating result exceeds a predetermined value; when the q-axis magnetic flux exceeds the maximum torque generating q-axis magnetic flux or exceeds for a predetermined interval; when the estimated rotational speed is under a predetermined value; when the rotational speed variation rate is negative; and when the rotational speed instruction value or the estimated rotational speed is equal to or smaller than a predetermined value. An induction motor drive system and an elevating system including the induction motor drive unit are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2011
    Assignee: Hitachi Industrial Equipment Systems Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoichiro Arakawa, Koichiro Nagata, Hiroyuki Tomita
  • Patent number: 7898197
    Abstract: A motor control device includes a motor current detector for detecting motor current flowing in a three-phase motor based on current flowing between an inverter driving the motor and a DC power supply, a specified voltage vector generating portion for generating a specified voltage vector indicating a voltage vector to which an applied voltage to the motor should follow based on a magnetic flux linkage of an armature winding of the motor, a specified voltage vector correcting portion for correcting the generated specified voltage vector, and a magnetic flux estimating portion for estimating the magnetic flux linkage based on the motor current and the specified voltage vector after the correction. The motor control device controls the motor via the inverter in accordance with the specified voltage vector after the correction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2011
    Assignee: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yoshio Tomigashi
  • Patent number: 7888905
    Abstract: Methods and systems for controlling a power inverter in an electric drive system of an automobile are provided. A signal controlling the power inverter is modified utilizing a first voltage distortion compensation method if a modulation index of the signal is less than a first modulation index value. The signal is modified utilizing a second voltage distortion compensation method if the modulation index is at least equal to the first modulation index value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2011
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Brian A. Welchko, Steven E. Schultz, Silva Hiti
  • Publication number: 20110010961
    Abstract: A drying device has been developed having a single electric motor configured to drive a drum and directly drive an air blower. The single electric motor is a non-line frequency electric motor. The drum is coupled to a support frame to enable rotation of the drum relative the support frame. The drum has an interior space for holding a load of articles, such as clothing. The motor includes a controller configured to increase gradually the angular velocity of the drum to provide a “soft start” for the dryer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 16, 2009
    Publication date: January 20, 2011
    Applicant: Emerson Electric Co.
    Inventors: Robert E. Wehrheim, Keith I. Hoemann, Gregory A. Peterson, L. Ranney Dohogne, Marshall J. Huggins, Gregory M. Levine
  • Publication number: 20100327799
    Abstract: An adjustable frequency drive includes a base having a first portion and a second portion, and an active front end converter disposed on the base. The converter includes an input, an output, and a plurality of first electronic switches electrically connected between the input and the output. An inverter is disposed on the base and includes an input electrically connected to the output of the active front end converter, an output, a plurality of capacitors disposed on the first portion of the base and electrically connected to the input of the inverter, a plurality of second electronic switches disposed on the second portion of the base and electrically connected between the input and the output of the inverter, and a heat pipe assembly. The inverter is structured to provide a single, three-phase output structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2009
    Publication date: December 30, 2010
    Inventors: HARRY BROUSSARD, MELVIN L. HUGHES
  • Patent number: 7855526
    Abstract: In the present invention, when configuring a control system of an inverter performing power conversion between AC and DC, a frequency computation is performed based on biaxial voltage amounts obtained through two current regulators in such a way that each of biaxial component currents obtained by detecting an AC circuit current and performing a rotational coordinate transformation matches each respective command value and phase information in synchronization with an electromotive force power supply of the AC circuit is obtained by integrating the frequency to perform the rotational coordinate transformation of the AC current and also the inverter is caused to operate by generating a PWM switching signal from the biaxial voltage amounts to perform necessary power conversion control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2010
    Assignee: The University of Tokushima
    Inventors: Tokuo Ohnishi, Kenji Yamanaka, Eiji Gohda
  • Patent number: 7852022
    Abstract: A control apparatus for an electric car, including a power converter which feeds AC power of variable voltage and variable frequency to a primary side member of a linear electromagnetic actuator, voltage command means for giving a command of a voltage which is fed to the linear electromagnetic actuator, current detection means for detecting current information which flows between the power converter and the linear electromagnetic actuator, and motor constant calculation means for calculating a motor constant of the linear electromagnetic actuator on the basis of the voltage information Vu given by the voltage command means and the current information Iu detected by the current detection means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2010
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Masaki Kono, Tsuneyasu Kakizaki