Method for switching between a full winding mode and a half winding mode in a three-phase machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9621099-B1
Application number	US-201615136585-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Apr 22, 2016
Priority date	Apr 22, 2016
Publication date	Apr 11, 2017
Grant date	Apr 11, 2017

Abstract

A method for controlling switching between a full winding control mode and a half winding control mode for a multi-phase electric machine. The machine includes a stator and a rotor, split stator windings for each phase of the machine, where each stator winding includes a first winding section and a second winding section, an inverter circuit including a pair of inverter switches for each phase of the machine, where the pair of inverter switches for each phase is electrically coupled to the first and second winding sections for that phase, and a plurality of switch assemblies for switching between the full winding mode and the half winding mode, where each switch assembly is electrically coupled to the pair of inverter switches and the first and second winding sections for a particular phase, and where each switch assembly includes a first AC switching device and a second AC switching device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for controlling switching between a full winding control mode and a half winding control mode for a symmetrical winding configuration of a multi-phase electric machine, said machine including a stator and a rotor, split stator windings for each phase of the machine, where each stator winding includes a first winding section and a second winding section, an inverter circuit including a pair of inverter switches for each phase of the machine, where the pair of inverter switches for each phase is electrically coupled to the first and second winding sections for that phase in the stator, and a plurality of switch assemblies for switching between the full winding mode and the half winding mode, where each switch assembly is electrically coupled to the pair of inverter switches and the first and second winding sections for a particular phase, and where each switch assembly includes a first AC switching device and a second AC switching device, said method comprising:
identifying motor speed and torque command signals for the machine;
determining whether the motor speed and torque command signals require the full winding mode or the half winding mode;
determining whether the winding control mode of the machine is transitioned from the half winding mode to the full winding mode if the motor speed and torque command signals require the full winding mode, and determining whether the winding control mode is transitioning from the full winding mode to the half winding mode if the motor speed and torque command signals require the half winding mode;
providing switching control commands for the plurality of switch assemblies for a direct-axis current, a quadrature-axis current and current loop gains for full stator windings if the motor speed and torque command signals require the full winding mode and the winding mode is not transitioning from the half winding mode to the full winding mode or providing switching control commands for the plurality of switch assemblies for the direct-axis current, the quadrature-axis current and the current loop gains for half stator windings if the motor speed and torque command signals require the half winding mode and the winding mode is not transitioning from the full winding mode to the half winding mode;
setting the direct-axis current and the quadrature-axis current to zero if the motor speed and torque command signals require the full winding mode or the half winding mode and it is determined that the winding mode is transitioning from the half winding mode to the full winding mode or is transitioning from the full winding mode to the half winding mode;
waiting for a phase current in each of the stator windings to be less than a predetermined minimum current after the direct-axis current and the quadrature-axis current have been set to zero;
disabling inverter circuit switch signals and half winding mode switch signals provided to the AC switch devices for the full winding mode or disabling the inverter circuit switch signals and full winding mode switch signals provided to the AC switch devices for the half winding mode after the direct-axis current and the quadrature-axis current are set to zero;
waiting for a predetermined time delay after the inverter circuit switch signals and the half winding mode switch signals or the full winding mode switch signals are disabled;
setting the direct-axis current, the quadrature-axis current and the current loop gains to predetermined values for the full winding mode or the half winding mode after the time delay has expired;
enabling the inverter circuit switch signals and the full winding mode switch signals provided to the AC switch devices for the full winding mode or enabling the inverter switch signals and the half winding mode switch signals provided to the AC switch devices for the half winding mode; and
providing the switching control commands for the plurality of switch assemblies for the direct-axis current, the quadrature-axis current and the current loop gains for the full stator windings or the half stator windings.

2. The method according to claim 1 further comprising identifying diagnostic trouble codes or faults that may affect machine performance and operation before determining whether the motor speed and torque command signals require the full winding mode or the half winding mode, and disabling switch signals provided to the inverter switches if a trouble code or fault is detected.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein waiting for a predetermined time delay includes waiting for a time between 1 and 10 msec.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein the electric machine is a three-phase permanent magnet (PM) AC machine.

5. The method according to claim 4 wherein the plurality of switch assemblies is three switch assemblies, and wherein the first AC switching device is electrically coupled to the inverter switches and to both the first and second winding sections to provide the full winding control mode and the second AC switching device is electrically coupled to the inverter switches and to only the first winding section to provide the half winding control mode for each phase.

6. The method according to claim 4 wherein the plurality of switch assemblies is two switch assemblies where a first switch assembly includes a first AC switching device electrically coupled between the first and second winding sections of a first winding and first and second winding sections of a second winding and a second AC switching device electrically coupled to the first winding section of the first winding and the first winding section of the second winding, and a second switch assembly includes a first AC switching device electrically coupled between the first and second winding sections of the second winding and the first and second winding sections of a third winding and a second AC switching device electrically coupled to the first winding section of the second winding and the first winding section of the third winding.

7. The method according to claim 1 wherein the electric machine is on a vehicle.

8. A method for controlling switching between a full winding control mode and a half winding control mode for a symmetrical winding configuration of a multi-phase electric machine, said method comprising:
identifying motor speed and torque command signals for the machine;
determining whether the motor speed and torque command signals require the full winding mode or the half winding mode;
determining whether the winding control mode of the machine is transitioned from the half winding mode to the full winding mode if the motor speed and torque command signals require the full winding mode;
providing switching control commands for a direct-axis current, a quadrature-axis current and current loop gains for full stator windings if the motor speed and torque command signals require the full winding mode and the winding mode is not transitioning from the half winding mode to the full winding mode;
setting the direct-axis current and the quadrature-axis current to zero if the motor speed and torque command signals require the full winding mode and it is determined that the winding mode is transitioning from the half winding mode to the full winding mode;
waiting for a phase current in stator windings to be less than a predetermined minimum current after the direct-axis current and the quadrature-axis current have been set to zero;
disabling inverter circuit switch signals and half winding mode switch signals provided to switch devices for the half winding mode after the direct-axis current and the quadrature-axis current are set to zero;
waiting for a predetermined time delay after the inverter circuit switch signals and the half winding mode switch sig

Assignees

• Gm Global Tech Operations Llc

Inventors

• Namuduri Chandra S
• Hao Lei

Classifications

• H02K1/12

  Stationary parts of the magnetic circuit · CPC title

• H02P25/18 Primary

  with arrangements for switching the windings, e.g. with mechanical switches or relays · CPC title

• H02K21/14

  with magnets rotating within the armatures · CPC title