With Voltage Phase Angle Control Patents (Class 318/809)
  • Patent number: 7042186
    Abstract: A method for decoupling a harmonic signal from an input signal wherein the harmonic signal is harmonic relative to a signal other than the input signal. An angular position of the other signal is multiplied by a value representing the harmonic to obtain an angular position multiple. A harmonic decoupling block uses the angular position multiple to obtain correction signals representing the harmonic signal, and subtracts the correction signals from the input current to decouple the harmonic signal from the input signal. This method is useful for decoupling unwanted harmonics from currents into which high-frequency signals have been injected for control of electric motors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2006
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Constantin C. Stancu, Silva Hiti, Steven E. Schulz, Nitinkumar R. Patel
  • Patent number: 7034510
    Abstract: A method for coupling an inverter to an alternating voltage source, the inverter comprising a current controller, which controls phase currents and implements reference current. The method comprises steps of giving zero current as the reference current for the current controller, determining phase voltages of the inverter, determining frequency of the alternating voltage source from the determined phase voltages, and synchronizing and coupling the inverter to the determined frequency of the alternating voltage source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2006
    Assignee: Abb Oy
    Inventors: Samuli Heikkilä, Mikko Vertanen
  • Patent number: 7034478
    Abstract: A three-phase spindle motor has three terminals each driven with pulse width modulated signals. Rotation of the motor is controlled by iteratively measuring an electrical period of the motor, determining a rotational position of the motor, and synchronizing the sinusoidal pulse width modulation of the spindle motor with the measured electrical period. The electrical period of the motor is measured by detecting zero crossings in the a back electromotive force induced at a first terminal of the motor and determining the time between successive zero crossings. The rotation position of the motor is determined based upon the last measured electrical period and a location of last detected zero crossing. The zero crossings are detected by selecting a time window during which the back electromotive force signal is sensed for zero crossings. The time window is selected as a function of the last measured electrical period and the rotational position of the motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2006
    Assignee: Agere Systems Inc.
    Inventors: Jaydip Bhaumik, Jason P. Brenden, Dames A. Dahlberg, Michael Peterson, Ross Wilson
  • Patent number: 7023172
    Abstract: An electric motor control apparatus of this invention estimates changes in temperature of a semiconductor device to compute temperature change amplitude 108 based on an output current signal 105 computed from a current flowing through the semiconductor device of a switching circuit 5, an operating frequency signal and a carrier frequency signal by a temperature change estimation part 11, and makes conversion into the number of power cycles 110 corresponding to the temperature change amplitude 108 from power cycle curve data stored in a power cycle curve data storage part 14 and computes a thermal stress signal 111 by a thermal stress computation part 13, and does life estimation of the semiconductor device based on the thermal stress signal 111 and produces an output to a display part 16 as a life estimation result signal 112 by a life estimation part 15a.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2006
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masanori Katou
  • Patent number: 7023170
    Abstract: An inverter that executes a d q-axis control of a three-phase synchronous motor needs a rotational position sensor that detects rotational positions of an electric motor for mutual conversion between two-phase and three-phase. An angle error of this rotational position sensor affects accuracy in the d q-axis control, so that it is necessary to make a compensation with accuracy. In the conventional method, however, there is a problem of occurrence of an ignorable error due to influence of noise. An origin offset calculation method according to the invention includes a first process of forcibly making d q-axis current command values zero; a second process of multiplying a magnetic flux component voltage command value at this time by a proportional integral gain; and a third process of storing a rotational position sensor phase error when a magnetic flux component voltage command value becomes zero being a result of the second process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2006
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kouichi Yasukawa, Shinji Nishimura
  • Patent number: 7023173
    Abstract: An apparatus for driving a brushless motor and method of controlling the motor, which actively changes an output time of a phase commutation signal depending on variation of a load and stably operating the motor in an overloaded state and improving an operational efficiency of a system. The apparatus for driving a brushless motor includes an inverter, a driver, a counter-electromotive voltage detector and a controller. The inverter switches driving voltages applied to multi-phase stator coils. The driver drives the inverter. The counter-electromotive voltage detector detects a counter-electromotive voltage induced from an unexcited stator coil. The controller calculates a time required to detect a counter-electromotive voltage through the counter-electromotive voltage detector after the driving voltage is turned off, determines a phase commutation point of time based on the determined elapsed time, and controls the driver to perform phase commutation at the determined phase commutation time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2006
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tae-Duk Kim
  • Patent number: 7005822
    Abstract: A system and method for reducing torque ripple in a motor controller includes a step (60) of measuring an output voltage at each phase of the motor controller. A next step (61) includes determining a voltage mismatch between the phases. A next step (62) includes phase grounding one phase of the motor. A next step (63) includes calculating a voltage gain for the phases to compensate for voltage mismatches therebetween. The compensating gain can include a gain and/or offset, which are applied as a function of motor angle and is used to generate a PWM signal for driving the motor with reduced torque ripple.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2006
    Assignee: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventors: Patrick A. O'Gorman, Scott W. Repplinger, Dennis L. Stephens
  • Patent number: 7005825
    Abstract: In an electric motor control system according to the present invention, in restarting, after the effect of transient variation has been abated, a phase-reversal-timing detecting means 31 detects the first maximal value V1, the first minimal value V2, and the second maximal value V3, by comparing a value of the integration term of the d-axis component vds* of the 2-phase-voltage command outputted from the d-axis current control means 28 with its previous value, and then outputs a time at which the value of the integration term of the d-axis component vds* of the 2-phase-voltage command becomes below (the first minimal value V2+the second maximal value V3)/2, as the first specific phase at which the current-commanding phase is turned by 180 degrees, to the current phase commanding means 22.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2006
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kiyoshi Eguchi
  • Patent number: 7005828
    Abstract: Corresponding to a target torque, the control device calculates a target value of a feature based on at least one of the length of a long axis of a current vector locus and the length of the short axis and further superimposes a superimposed current on a drive current for the motor, the superimposed current having a frequency different from the frequency of the drive current. Further, the control device detects an actual value of the feature based on at least one of the length of a long axis of a current vector locus of the superimposed current and the length of the short axis of the same and finally detects a phase angle of the motor based on the target value and the actual value for the feature. The manipulation of a detecting phase is performed by feedback of a feature obtained by the magnitude of the superimposed current. That is, when the actual feature is more than the target value, the detecting phase is advanced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2006
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Takaaki Karikomi
  • Patent number: 6998814
    Abstract: A method for measuring the electromotive force of motors is provided. The method enables the motor to rotate in single phase mode, and thereby measures the electromotive force constant of the motor. According to the principles and the method, motors do not have to work in close-loop. Neither encoders for detecting angle displacement or angle velocity are needed for motors, nor the motor impedance or current have to obtain in advance. Compared with the prior art, the disclosed method is more efficiency and economic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2006
    Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
    Inventors: Shyh-Jier Wang, Shir-Kuan Lin, Meng-Hsun Hsieh
  • Patent number: 6995532
    Abstract: A cooling fan includes a fan, a motor coupled to the fan to drive the fan and a microcontroller. The microcontroller is connected to the motor and is capable of detecting a speed of the fan in real time and maintaining a constant speed of the fan regardless of changes in input voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2006
    Assignee: Minebea Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Scott Frankel, Eric Hardt
  • Patent number: 6969963
    Abstract: The motor driver having a plurality of output circuits each having two switching elements connected in series includes: a phase switch circuit for putting a switching element on one side of one output circuit among the plurality of output circuits in the ON state during a time period corresponding to a predetermined electrical angle, and performing switching operation for switching elements on the other side of plural output circuits among the remaining output circuits; and a conduction period control section. The conduction period control section generates a signal for controlling the switching operation. Specifically, when the number of times of switching operation performed during the time period corresponding to the predetermined electrical angle is equal to or less than a predetermined value, a switching element corresponding to a phase, for which the magnitude of the current should be decreased, is turned OFF in the time period corresponding to the next predetermined electrical angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2005
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hirofumi Sakai, Tomoharu Yokouchi, Ken Maruyama
  • Patent number: 6933843
    Abstract: An independent back memory module is disclosed that is permanently installed at a security gate installation. The memory module has a nonvolatile memory and it is positioned within the system so that it automatically has a communication link with any gate controller installed. The memory module records a history of the operation of the system. The memory module retains operational information regarding the system and information identifying the gate controller, gate controller board and the setup of the particular installation. The memory module also retains information regarding changes made in the setup of the system. Whenever a new gate controller board is installed information in the memory module is transmitted to the new controller board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2005
    Assignee: The Chamberlain Group, Inc.
    Inventors: Wayne C. Hom, Walter Parsadayan, Daniel Perez
  • Patent number: 6922027
    Abstract: A system of controlling an electric motor, a digital method of controlling an electric motor and an electric motor are described. The system of controlling an electric motor of N phases comprises a microcontroller (10), an A/C converter (30) associated to the microcontroller (30), a set of voltage meters (DN) associated to the A/D converter (30), a set of switches (SW2N) connected to an electric voltage (VBUS) and associated to the microcontroller (30), the microcontroller (30) selectively feeding, by means of at least two switches (SW2N) two phases (FN) of the motor (20) with the voltage (VBUS) during a period of time (TPOS), the movement of the motor inducing the electric voltages (EN), the set of meters (DN) measuring the signals of electric voltages (fN) and comparing these voltages with each other to determine the period of time (TPOS). One describes also the calculation of a parameter, called H(r), used to adjust the instants of commutation according to the constructive type of the motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2005
    Assignee: Empresa Brasileira de Compressores S.A. - Embraco
    Inventors: Marcos Guilherme Schwarz, Roberto Andrich
  • Patent number: 6909258
    Abstract: A circuit device is provided for driving an AC electric load, of the type inserted between a terminal of an AC power supply line and a terminal of the electric load to be driven and including a generator of PWM signals to be transferred to the load. This circuit is an AC/AC converter adapted to power supply the load from any level of the power supply line sinusoid and comprising first and second voltage driven switches, the first switch to power supply the load and the second switch to enable loop-back of the current. The switches always operate in a complementary manner, i.e., when the first switch is on, the other is off, and vice versa.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2005
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Antonino Milazzotto, Mario Di Guardo, Antonino Cucuccio, Francesco Di Marco
  • Patent number: 6819077
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for use with a controller that samples a command frequency and provides modulating waveforms to a PWM inverter as a function of the sampled command frequency, the inverter also receiving a carrier signal having a carrier frequency, the method for reducing distortions in the modulating waveforms that result from sampling characteristics of the controller, the method comprising the steps of sampling the command frequency at a sampling frequency to generate a series of sampled signals, integrating the sampled signals to generate a phase angle, identifying a correction angle as a function of the sampling frequency, adding the correction angle to the phase angle to generate a corrected phase angle and using the corrected phase angle to generate the modulating waveforms to be provided to the PWM inverter
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2004
    Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian J. Seibel, Russel J. Kerkman
  • Patent number: 6803741
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for operating a motor controller to cause balanced positive and negative current half-cycles in a motor phase, the method comprising the steps of, for an occurring half-cycle, identifying the most recently obtained valid shut-off angle, identifying the fire angle immediately preceding the identified shut-off angle, mathematically combining the identified fire angle and the identified shut-off angle to identify a next virtual zero crossing (VZC) angle, mathematically combining the next VZC angle and the notch angle to determine a fire angle for the occurring half-cycle and repeating the method for the next half-cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2004
    Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: David Messersmith
  • Patent number: 6801004
    Abstract: A cooling fan includes a fan, a motor a motor coupled to the fan to drive the fan and a microcontroller. The microcontroller is connected to the motor and is capable of detecting a speed of the fan in real time and maintaining a constant speed of the fan regardless of changes in input voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2004
    Assignee: Minebea Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Scott Frankel, Eric Hardt
  • Patent number: 6781333
    Abstract: A drive control apparatus and method drives an AC motor by applying a rectangular wave voltage thereto. The apparatus estimates the torque of a rotor of the AC motor, and detects a torque deviation which is the difference between the estimated torque and a required torque of the motor. A controller controls a state of the rectangular wave voltage applied to the AC motor, through torque feedback control based on the torque deviation, so that the torque approaches the torque command value. The controller detects a current rotation speed of the motor, and switches, in a predetermined order, a plurality of predetermined rectangular wave voltage states corresponding to different phase values of the rectangular wave voltage. The switching timing of the rectangular wave voltage states is set to a timing that deviates from a reference timing determined based on the current rotation speed, by a length of time corresponding to the torque deviation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2004
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Satoshi Koide, Eiji Yamada
  • Patent number: 6741063
    Abstract: Induction voltage command Em* is obtained from inverter's primary frequency command &ohgr;1* and torque boost voltage commander produces torque boost voltage command &Dgr;Vz* in accordance with &ohgr;1* while integrator produces reference phase command &thgr;d*. uvw/dq converter detects motor excitation current Id (equivalent of no-load current). Next, deviation of excitation current limitation level command Idmax* and detected Id is inputted to limiter processing unit to produce torque boost voltage compensation value &Dgr;Vc for varying &Dgr;Vz* so that Id is smaller than or equal to Idmax*. Inverted &Dgr;Vz* is set up as a lower limiter value of the limiter processing unit. Next, &Dgr;Vc and &Dgr;Vz* are added to produce final compensated torque boost voltage command &Dgr;Vt* and &Dgr;Vt* and Em* are added to produce q-axis voltage command Vq* of the inverter output voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2004
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Keijiro Sakai, Toshiaki Okuyama, Kinya Nakatsu, Hiroyuki Tomita, Junji Kato, Teiichi Furukawa
  • Patent number: 6731095
    Abstract: A controller for a multiplex winding motor. When a multiplex winding motor is driven and controlled by inverters and each winding includes a current control system, the controller compensates interference between the current control systems of windings. Voltage non-interacting arithmetic sections compute a voltage command value supplied to voltage applying sections, which are connected to a set of windings, not only by using an output value of a current control section for controlling current in one winding but also using an output value of a current control section for controlling current in another winding, so that voltage interference between the current control sections is compensated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2004
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Akira Satake, Shigeki Mizuno, Hiroshi Araki
  • Patent number: 6710495
    Abstract: Significantly increased torque is provided from a motor having a stator with a core and at least two three-phase windings wound on the core. The two windings are separated spatially by 30 electrical degrees. Power is provided to the two windings by two power supplies which each provide power at the same fundamental frequency and with a component at the third harmonic of the fundamental, with the power provided from one power supply shifted in time by 30° of the fundamental frequency with respect to the power provided by the other power supply. The additional third harmonic component reduces the effective peak flux density, allowing an increase in the fundamental component of flux to allow an increase in effective torque, with the third harmonic component also providing additional torque.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2004
    Assignee: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation
    Inventors: Thomas A. Lipo, Renato O.C. Lyra
  • Patent number: 6680599
    Abstract: This invention relates to a system for limitation of the output current from a speed controller for three-phase asynchronous electric motors, comprising a PWM type converter in which the electronic switches are controlled by a microcontroller circuit (Mc), characterized by the fact that the microcontroller circuit comprises means (LIC) of calculating the modulus of the current vector using motor phase current measurements, and comparing it with a limitation set value in order to obtain a limitation error (y) and to calculate a correction voltage (&Dgr;V) that is added to the control voltage (V) applied to the motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2004
    Assignee: Schneider Electric Industries SA
    Inventors: Vinh Tung Nguyen Phuoc, Ayman Youssef, Carlos Canuda De Wit
  • Patent number: 6674258
    Abstract: A motor driver having output circuits each including upper and lower side switching elements connected in series. The motor driver includes: a current detection resistance connected in series with the output circuits in common; a phase switch circuit for turning ON a switching element on one side of one of the output circuits for a time period corresponding to a predetermined electrical angle and switching switching elements on the other side of a plurality of output circuits among the remaining ones of the output circuits; and an ON-period control section for generating a signal for controlling the switching operation so that each of periods obtained by dividing the time period includes a first period in which a plurality of switching elements are turned ON and a second period in which one of the switching elements turned ON in the first period is kept ON.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2004
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hirofumi Sakai, Tomoharu Yokouchi, Yasunori Yamamoto, Masashi Inao, Taishi Iwanaga
  • Patent number: 6646411
    Abstract: A control device for a compressor motor and an inverter according to the present invention monitors the amplitude of a phase current of a three-phase DC motor. As the amplitude of the phase current approaches an overload condition of the inverter or motor, the control device decreases the rotational velocity of the motor by a predetermined rotational deceleration. By reducing the rotational velocity of the motor by a certain deceleration, the control device of the present invention ensures that the motor load, i.e., the amplitude of the phase current, does not reach or exceed an overload condition. By use of this device, it is possible to suppress or reduce effectively the frequency of motor stops caused by an increase in the phase current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2003
    Assignee: Sanden Corporation
    Inventors: Daisuke Hirono, Ichirou Kuwabara, Yuuji Yoshii
  • Patent number: 6636012
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for generating stator and rotor resistance estimate, the method including the steps of providing high frequency injection voltage signals to a three phase motor, rotating three phase feedback current therefrom, converting the feedback currents to two phase currents that represent the high frequency component of the current vector wherein the d and q axis components are within a two phase voltage coordinate system and driving a regulator via one of the current components to generate a lag angle estimate, the lag angle estimate used to solve any of several different equations to calculate the stator and rotor resistance estimates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2003
    Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Semyon Royak, Mark M. Harbaugh, Russel J. Kerkman
  • Patent number: 6597148
    Abstract: A method for controlling an electrical machine while it is connected to an inverter comprising phase-specific switching components generating an output voltage, an optimum switching table arranged to select a switching combination for the switching components on the basis of the stator flux and torque of the electrical machine, the method comprising steps of defining the stator current vector (is) of the electrical machine, and determining the rotation speed of the electrical machine. The method also comprises the step of defining a switching combination for the switching components on the basis of the stator current vector (is) and stator current reference vector (&psgr;s, ref) of the electrical machine when the determined rotation speed is lower than a predefined limit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2003
    Assignee: ABB Oy
    Inventor: Markku Niemelä
  • Patent number: 6590361
    Abstract: Method and system for controlling an induction machine are provided. The method allows to sense rotor position of the induction machine using a relatively low-resolution rotor position sensor configured to supply a stream of pulses indicative of angular increments as the rotor position changes. A memory device is used for storing a synchronous angle boost function. The method further allows to retrieve from the memory device at least one function parameter for providing a synchronous angle boost during a start up mode of operation of the induction machine. Upon sensing a predetermined number of pulses from the rotor position sensor, the method allows to switch from the start up mode of operation to a normal mode of operation, wherein the boost provided to the synchronous angle is discontinued upon switching to the normal mode of operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2003
    Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: James E. Walters, Fani S. Gunawan, Gerald Thomas Fattic
  • Patent number: 6590362
    Abstract: A method and system for early detection of incipient faults in an electric motor are disclosed. First, current and voltage values for one or more phases of the electric motor are measured during motor operations. A set of current predictions is then determined via a neural network-based current predictor based on the measured voltage values and an estimate of motor speed values of the electric motor. Next, a set of residuals is generated by combining the set of current predictions with the measured current values. A set of fault indicators is subsequently computed from the set of residuals and the measured current values. Finally, a determination is made as to whether or not there is an incipient electrical, mechanical, and/or electromechanical fault occurring based on the comparison result of the set of fault indicators and a set of predetermined baseline values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2003
    Assignee: Texas A&M University System
    Inventors: Alexander G Parlos, Kyusung Kim
  • Patent number: 6507166
    Abstract: The control device carries out a control of the induction machine based upon a flux estimation performed by means of a Luenberger state observer, the estimation error of which can be defined by means of a matrix having a plurality of eigenvalues, the magnitude of each of which is proportional to the magnitude of a respective pole of the induction machine, and the phase of each of which is rotated with respect to the phase of the corresponding pole of the induction machine by a given angle of rotation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2003
    Assignee: C.R.F. Societa Consortile per Azioni
    Inventors: Roberto Maceratini, Giovanni Barba
  • Patent number: 6492788
    Abstract: A permanent magnet synchronous motor is controlled using d-axis current and q-axis current along with respective d-current and q-current feedback loops. The speed and position of the motor are determined by injecting a first signal into the d-axis current and observing the response in the q-current feedback loop. Part of the q-current feedback signal is demodulated with a second signal which is 90 degrees out of phase from the first signal. The demodulated signal is preferably sent through a low pass filter before being received by an observer controller. The observer controller outputs a position estimate which is used to modify the d-current feedback signal and a speed estimate which is used to modify the q-axis current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2002
    Assignee: Otis Elevator Company
    Inventors: Ismail Agirman, Aleksandar M. Stankovic, Chris Czerwinski, Ed Piedra
  • Patent number: 6472844
    Abstract: A drive system including a rectifier, a high-frequency filter, a static inverter and an induction motor is driven without energy stores and fed by the single-phase mains, in which the use of an envelope generator with a mains-synchronous, preferably sinusoidal signal causes a preferably sinusoidal envelope to be sign-superimposed on the static inverter output signal, thus preventing inadmissible current overshoots in the single-phase mains. Possible fluctuations of the intermediate circuit voltage are thereby compensated. The advantageous operating frequency of the static inverter may be adjusted automatically by a PLL control circuit in that the phase shift between intermediate current and the envelope signal is evaluated. The advantageous operating frequency may be gained by adding a given frequency difference to the rotational speed of the motor. The envelope directly represents a projection of the variation of the voltage of the single-phase mains.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2002
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
    Inventor: Peter Luerkens
  • Patent number: 6473562
    Abstract: A method to operate an electronically commutated DC motor driving a centrifugal pump and comprising a stator fitted with at least one winding and a rotor fitted with permanent magnets, said method including a monitored stepping operation within which one full revolution of the rotor is constituted by a sequence of distinct individual steps, the rotor being accelerated by applying a stator field and being decelerated to a stop before the stator field is commutated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2002
    Assignee: Wilo GmbH
    Inventor: Waldemar Stephan
  • Patent number: 6459230
    Abstract: A method of reconnecting a motor to a motor drive comprises controlling a current which flows through the motor using a current regulator. The current regulator produces a voltage command output based on a current command input. A current is commanded at the current command input of the current regulator. Back EMF measurements are acquired at different instants in time by monitoring the voltage command output of the current regulator. Back EMF phase angles are determined for a plurality of the instants in time based on a respective plurality of the back EMF measurements. A frequency of the back EMF is determined based on the back EMF angles determined for the plurality of instants in time. The motor drive is reconnected to the motor based on the frequency of the back EMF.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2002
    Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Jinghan Tao
  • Patent number: 6437535
    Abstract: A power electrical system is disclosed for a microturbine power generator. The invention permits the microturbine to be started using an external DC power source. The DC voltage is converted to a variable DC voltage by means of a bi-directional buck-boost circuit, DC bus and a DC-to-AC converter. The DC-to-AC converter produces at its output a fixed voltage pattern whose frequency is gradually increased in concert with the DC voltage, to accelerate the microturbine from standstill to startup speed. Once the microturbine is started, the excitation is discontinued, and the DC bus and DC-to-AC are used to produce output AC power at a voltage level and frequency to match an electrical load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2002
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Gautam Sinha
  • Patent number: 6404162
    Abstract: The present invention provides a variable-speed controlling device for use with an induction motor, which includes a means for compensating for the discrepancy between a secondary magnetic flux instruction value and a secondary magnetic flux actually occurring in an induction motor, realizes a satisfactory control by generating the secondary magnetic flux according to the instruction value, and can generate desired torque and improve a motor efficiency. The variable-speed controlling device according to the present invention, for use with an induction motor, includes a voltage instruction value calculating unit, an integrating unit, a power converting circuit, a current detecting unit, an induced voltage calculating unit, a position discrepancy amount calculating unit, and a compensating unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2002
    Assignee: Fuji Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hirokazu Tajima, Shinichi Ishii, Hidetoshi Umida
  • Patent number: 6388420
    Abstract: A drive system comprises a rotor position and velocity tracker adapted to decouple fundamental frequency effects of a zero sequence signal of an induction machine from the zero sequence signal and to use a resulting error signal to estimate a position and a velocity of a rotor of the induction machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2002
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Patrick Lee Jansen, William James Premerlani, Luis Jose Garces Rivera
  • Patent number: 6377019
    Abstract: An induction motor control system (10) for electric vehicles having a DC power supply (14), an inverter (16), an induction motor (12), a motor controller (26) and a vehicle-level controller (32). The method and system of the present invention optimizes the torque output for the induction motor and utilizes minimum power. The method and system of the present invention calculates the flux current such that the slip frequency is maintained at a nominal level, thereby producing peak torque.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2002
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Li Chen
  • Patent number: 6362586
    Abstract: A method and device for controlling the torque of a permanent magnet (PM), synchronous, alternating-current (AC) motor, wherein the motor is powered by an inverter connected to a direct-current (DC) power source, is proposed. The method includes the steps of communicating a torque command signal from a user to a microcontroller, sensing the alternating-current phase currents of the motor and communicating electrical signals representing data concerning the phase currents to the microcontroller, sensing the position of the rotor of the motor and communicating electrical signals representing data concerning the position of the rotor to the microcontroller, and utilizing the microcontroller to implement a modulation technique to generate electrical switching signals for creating electrical sinusoidal waveforms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2002
    Assignees: General Motors Corporation, Delphi Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Malakondaiah Naidu
  • Patent number: 6346790
    Abstract: An induction motor system operable in a wet environment comprises an induction motor and an apparatus for controlling the speed of the motor. The motor is adapted to be coupled to an AC source for supplying an AC signal. The motor includes a rotor having rotor laminations. The reflected rotor resistance over reflected rotor reactance ratio of the motor is adjusted to be greater than one. The controlling apparatus includes a switching device, user controls, controller means and isolation means. The switching device is connected in series with the motor and is operative in either a high impedance state wherein significant current flow through the motor is prevented or a low impedance state wherein current flow through the motor is substantially undisturbed. The user controls provide motor speed input signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2002
    Assignees: Emerson Electric Co., Sequence Controls, Inc.
    Inventors: William Harry Kemp, Dale Andrew Van Spengen, Donald Morgan
  • Patent number: 6320349
    Abstract: A power corresponding to an A/C voltage command id1* is applied in the d-axis direction of rotational coordinates of a stopped synchronous motor via a current control unit, a three-phase converting unit, and a power converter. Further, by using “an amplitude value of a current iq′ in the q-axis direction of the rotational coordinates generated in response to the A/C voltage command id1*” which is fed back and detected via a current detector and a dq converting unit, a field pole position estimation value &thgr;{circumflex over ( )} is converged. The field pole position is estimated by using the converged field pole position estimation value &thgr;{circumflex over ( )} as a true value of the field pole position &thgr; of the synchronous motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2001
    Inventors: Satoru Kaneko, Ryoso Masaki, Yuusuke Takamoto, Taizou Miyazaki, Sanshiro Obara
  • Patent number: 6313603
    Abstract: A method of regulating a rotary machine powered by a voltage inverter receiving, as input a control voltage delivered by a regulator servo-controlling the electromagnetic torque on a reference value, the regulator receiving as inputs the reference value and sat least one sampled signal representative of the torque of the machine, and proceeding at each sampling instant, to predict the torque value at a following sampling instant and to modify the control voltage accordingly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2001
    Assignee: Alstom
    Inventors: Serge Poullain, Jean-Luc Thomas
  • Patent number: 6300741
    Abstract: A system for controlling the speed of an induction motor by controlling an output voltage and an output frequency of a power inverter in accordance with a speed command includes a computing unit 10 for determining a slip-frequency computed value &ohgr;s2; an adder 11 for outputting a slip-frequency estimated value &ohgr;s{circumflex over ( )}; an adder 12 for adding &ohgr;s{circumflex over ( )} to a speed command value &ohgr;r* and outputting &ohgr;1*; a d-axis current commanding unit 14 for outputting a d-axis current command value id* which is a value greater than a normal value; an amplifier 15 for outputting a voltage command value ed*; a gain commanding unit 16 for commanding a gain Gd; a q-axis current limiter 17 for controlling a q-axis current iq substantially to zero in a zero speed range; and a gain commanding unit 18 for commanding a gain Gq.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2001
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventor: Toshiaki Okuyama
  • Patent number: 6285157
    Abstract: A fan cooler for electric or electronic sub-assemblies having a control circuit with a control stage for controlling the speed of rotation of a fan motor connected to the control stage depending on set values. To achieve a polyvalent operation with a simple design, the fan motor is a phase-controlled asynchronous motor, the control circuit has a microcontroller that controls the control stage, an optic coupler is connected between the control stage and the microcontroller, and the microcontroller determines the operating angle for controlling the fan motor on the basis of the set values and the zero crossing of a control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2001
    Assignee: Rittal-Werk Rudolf Loh GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Markus Hain, Jörg Kreiling
  • Patent number: 6281659
    Abstract: In an induction motor drive system with/without a speed sensor, resistance values are stably and accurately estimated during the operation of the motor regardless of the operating conditions such as a speed, a load, etc. and of a particular combination of parameters. A suitable point Pr is taken inside a current locus on a stator current vector plane, and a measured current is and an observed current is′ are referenced from this point Pr. The difference between the magnitudes of two vectors is and is′ is associated with an error of a rotor resistance Rr, while the difference between phase shifts is associated with an error of a stator resistance Rs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2001
    Assignee: Fuji Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Guidi Giuseppe
  • Patent number: 6255798
    Abstract: A more compact and light-weight drive unit is required for an electric vehicle in order to improve its mileage per charge, acceleration performance and overall efficiency. A control apparatus which generates drive signals to drive power devices in the power converter includes: a current reference generator calculates from a torque reference value a d-axis exciting current reference value on the basis of which the ac motor generates a magnetic flux, and a q-axis torque current reference value, the d-axis and the q-axis being orthogonal to each other; a current control circuit generates ac voltage reference values Vu*, Vv* and Vw* from the d-axis exciting current reference value and the q-axis torque current reference value; and a drive signal generator generates drive signals to drive power devices from the ac voltage reference values. Both the current reference generator and the current control circuit are processed digitally by the same arithmetic unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 1996
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2001
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Car Engineering Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sanshiro Obara, Ryoso Masaki, Yuusuke Takamoto, Eiichi Ohtsu, Hiroyuki Yamada
  • Patent number: 6252367
    Abstract: A servo controller capable of controlling motors to be driven in different control modes, such as a synchronous motor and an induction motor, irrespectively of the type of the motor, and also capable of carrying out servo control by using incremental feedback signals. A control section common to individual motors and a control section dedicated to each motor are provided in a servo controller. The common control section is always used, while the dedicated control section is selectively used in accordance with the motor to be driven. Thereby, motors each requiring a different control mode can be controlled by the servo controller of one type. The use of th servo controller of one type can reduce maintenance management and a load on a CNC. Also, the provision of the control section common to individual motors can restrain increases of size, installation area and manufacturing cost of the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2001
    Assignee: Fanuc Ltd.
    Inventors: Keiji Sakamoto, Yukio Toyosawa, Kenji Takahashi
  • Patent number: 6242885
    Abstract: A three-phase-to-two-phase converter detects two-phase currents of three-phase stator currents, converts the stator currents into a &ggr;-&dgr; coordinate system to derive a &ggr;-axis current and a &dgr;-axis current. The &ggr;-axis current, the &dgr;-axis current, and voltage command values outputted respectively from a &ggr;-axis current controller and a &dgr;-axis current controller are entered to a stator current and induced electromotive force estimator, which determines estimated values of the stator currents and estimated values of an induced electromotive force in the &ggr;-&dgr; coordinate system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2001
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Yaskawa Denki
    Inventors: Kozo Ide, Shinya Morimoto, Ryuichi Oguro
  • Patent number: 6242882
    Abstract: The present invention addresses a problem as to how to provide a motor control apparatus which has a magnetic pole position inferring means capable of inferring the position of a magnetic pole of a synchronous motor by adopting a simple method in a short period of time with a high degree of accuracy. In order to solve this problem, a signal id1* for inference use is applied and a peak value iqh of a response current iq′ is detected by an iq′ peak detecting unit. The peak value iqh is then supplied to a magnetic pole position inferring unit for inferring the position of the magnetic pole of the synchronous motor by carrying out multiplication processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2001
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Satoru Kaneko, Ryozo Masaki
  • Patent number: 6172472
    Abstract: A two-terminal motor can be connected to a two-line voltage supply network utilizing a controller in which a control element is in series with the current-measuring component and both are connected to a microcontroller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2001
    Assignee: Westfalia Werkzeuggompany Gesellschaft mit Beschrankter Haftung
    Inventor: Thomas Klingbeil