| Patent application number | Description | Published |
|---|
| 20080197796 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING ELECTRIC DRIVE SYSTEMS - Methods, apparatus, and systems are provided for regulating the operation of a drive system within a battery voltage and power range. The apparatus includes a PI regulator producing a signal for regulating a torque output of the drive system based on a DC voltage source limit and/or power limit, a converter normalizing the signal from the PI regulator to produce a new torque limit, and a switch selecting either the new torque limit or an available torque limit of the drive system. The PI regulator includes an integrator having an initial value based on the torque output of the drive system and a copper loss term. | 08-21-2008 |
| 20090261775 | PERMANENT MAGNET MOTOR START-UP - Methods and apparatus are provided for startup of a permanent magnet alternating current (AC) motor. The method comprises the steps of detecting startup of the permanent magnet AC motor; detecting a mechanical oscillation of the permanent magnet AC motor when startup of the permanent magnet AC motor is detected; and, in response to detection of the mechanical oscillation of the permanent magnet AC motor when startup is detected, suppressing the mechanical oscillation of the permanent magnet AC motor. | 10-22-2009 |
| 20090308674 | HYBRID POWERTRAIN AUTO START CONTROL SYSTEM WITH ENGINE PULSE CANCELLATION - A control system for a hybrid powertrain includes an engine start detector that detects when an engine of the hybrid powertrain is activated via an electric motor during an auto start. An electric motor speed monitor determines a first speed of the electric motor for a first time and a second speed of the electric motor for a second time after detection of the engine in an active state. A control module determines a rate of change in speed of the electric motor based on the first speed and the second speed. The control module adjusts torque output of the electric motor during startup of the engine and based on the rate of change in speed. | 12-17-2009 |
| 20100213948 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DIAGNOSING A MOTOR CONTROL CIRCUIT IN A HYBRID VEHICLE - A hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) has an algorithm for executing a method for diagnosing a high-voltage (HV) fault condition aboard the HEV. The HEV includes a high-voltage (HV) battery, an auxiliary power module (APM), a power inverter module (PIM), and a three-phase motor/generator unit (MGU). A controller executes the method to thereby measure a DC output current from the HV battery, a DC inlet current into the APM, and a pair of AC phase currents in the MGU. The method further includes calculating a DC inlet current into the PIM using the AC phase currents, diagnosing the HV fault condition using the DC output currents and the DC inlet currents, and executing a control action in response to the diagnosed condition. The method can include shutting off the APM to determine whether the APM is the root cause of the HV fault condition. | 08-26-2010 |
| 20100244760 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DETECTING LOSS OF ISOLATION WHILE AN AC MOTOR IS OPERATING - Methods and systems are provided for detecting loss of isolation of a motor, connections, or phase cables while an AC motor is operating. The system includes a power supply that is substantially isolated from the ground or chassis having a power supply voltage, and a power inverter electrically coupled to the power supply. The power inverter is configured to provide AC current from the power supply in an AC phase at an AC terminal, with the phase having current at a fundamental frequency that controls the motor speed. An electric motor is electrically coupled to the AC terminal of the power inverter and has a chassis that is substantially electrically isolated from the AC terminal of the power inverter under normal operating conditions. A processor is configured to control the AC current provided by the power inverter. The processor is configured to receive a first voltage signal related to current flowing through a motor chassis. The first voltage signal includes a first component related to the fundamental frequency of the phases, and a second component related to the power supply voltage. The processor is further configured to filter the first voltage signal to attenuate the second component, to measure an amplitude of the first component, and to determine if an AC loss of isolation condition exists by comparing the amplitude of the first component to a fault value. | 09-30-2010 |
| 20100253252 | MOTOR CONTROL SYSTEM FOR ACHIEVING PEAK TORQUE - In a motor controller, a modified interpolation technique uses an extrapolated torque command for the upper table to improve torque linearity under certain conditions. When the torque command input is greater than the max torque limit of a first look-up table, but less than the maximum torque limit of a second, adjacent look-up table, the desired current command is computed by interpolating between the maximum torque limit of the first table and a revised torque value for the second look-up table, wherein the revised torque value is determined by extrapolating from the maximum torque limit of the first look-up table through a torque value based on the torque command input. | 10-07-2010 |
| 20110018578 | METHODS, SYSTEMS AND APPARATUS FOR DETECTING ABNORMAL OPERATION OF AN INVERTER SUB-MODULE - Methods and apparatus are provided for determining whether one or more inverter sub-modules of an inverter module is operating properly. Amplitude of each stator current signal is regularly measured. For each current signal, a positive counter counts a number of consecutive times the amplitude of that current signal is less than a positive current threshold, while a negative counter counts a number of consecutive times the amplitude of that current signal is greater than a negative current threshold. If the positive counter or the negative counter exceeds a maximum count, it is determined that an inverter sub-module is operating abnormally. | 01-27-2011 |
| 20110043145 | METHOD AND CIRCUIT FOR PROCESSING A RESOLVER FAULT - A method of processing a resolver fault in a motor generator unit (MGU) includes receiving a position signal from a resolver describing a measured angular position of a rotor of the MGU, determining the presence of the resolver fault using the position signal, and calculating or extrapolating an estimated rotor position when the resolver fault is determined. A predetermined resolver fault state may be determined using a measured duration of the resolver fault, and the MGU may be controlled using the estimated rotor position for at least a portion of the duration of the resolver fault. A motor control circuit is operable for processing the resolver fault using the above method, and may automatically vary a torque output or a pulse-width modulation (PWM) of the MGU depending on the duration of the resolver fault. | 02-24-2011 |
| 20110140646 | METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR INDUCTION MACHINE CONTROL - A method for controlling an induction machine having a rotor includes the steps of obtaining a torque command, calculating an estimated squared value of resistance of the rotor using the torque command, determining an offset for the resistance of the rotor, and generating an updated measure of rotor resistance using the estimated squared value and the offset. | 06-16-2011 |
| 20110163709 | INDUCTION MOTOR CONTROL SYSTEMS AND METHODS - A control system is provided for an inverter assembly associated with an induction motor. The system includes a current determination module configured to generate q- and d-axis current commands based on a torque command. The current determination module is further configured to generate the q-axis current command based on an observed flux linkage and a flux linkage command. The system further includes a motor current control module coupled to the current determination module and configured to generate q- and d-axis voltage commands based on the q- and d-axis current commands generated by the current determination module and a PWM modulator coupled to the motor current control module configured to generate duty cycle signals for operating the inverter assembly based on the q- and d-axis voltage commands generated by the motor current control module. | 07-07-2011 |
