Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Bon Ho Bae

Wei D Wang

Jihoon Jang

Steven E Schulz

Silva Hiti

Yo Chan Son

Harry J Bauer

Leah Dunbar

William R Cawthorne

Mengwei Li Campbell

Jeong J Park

Bryan M Ludwig

Min Dai

Jung Sik Yim

Chandra S Namuduri

Suresh Gopalakrishnan

Brian A Welchko

Milun Perisic

Andrew M Zettel

Sean W McGrogan

Stephen T West

Mohammad N Anwar

Sean E Gleason

Keith D Van Maanen

Hanne Buur

Birendra P Bhattarai

Sibaprasad Chakrabarti

Krunal P Patel

Daniel J Berry

Chia-Chou Yeh

Dwarakanath V Simili

Young Joo Lee

Konstantin S Majarov

Wesley G Zanardelli

Michael Arnett

Kevin P Houle

Rick H Schroeder

Michael Milani

Milan Ashok Vadera

Sm Nayeem Hasan

Ronghui Li

Aayush Gupta

Reynaldo Arturo Suazo Zepeda

Samuel J Harbin

Melissa R McNeely

Satish Godavarthy

Jianglin Wang

A powertrain system including an electric machine rotatably coupled to a crankshaft of an internal combustion engine via a belt is described, wherein the electric machine is disposed to generate torque. A method for controlling the electric machine includes monitoring rotational position of the electric machine, and periodically executing a speed observer to determine a rotational speed of the electric machine based upon the monitored rotational position of the electric machine. An acceleration observer is periodically executed to determine an acceleration rate, wherein the acceleration rate is determined based upon a time-based change in the rotational speed of the electric machine. A virtual inertia term is determined based upon the acceleration rate, and a torque compensation term is determined based upon the virtual inertia term and the acceleration rate. The electric machine is controlled to generate torque based upon the torque compensation term.

Method and apparatus for vibration damping in a powertrain system

A torque system includes a DC power device, a polyphase electric machine, a contactor pair, a power inverter module (PIM), and a controller. The PIM connects to the power device via the contactor pair and directly connects to the electric machine. The controller executes a method to control a fault response under a fault condition resulting in opening of the contactor pair and a polyphase short condition. The controller calculates a back EMF of the electric machine and transmits switching control signals to semiconductor switches of the PIM to transition from the polyphase short condition to a polyphase open condition only when the calculated back EMF is less than a calibrated value and a voltage rise on a DC side of the PIM is less than a calibrated voltage rise. A vehicle includes the DC power device, road wheels, electric machine, PIM, and controller.

Fault shutdown control of an electric machine in a vehicle or other DC-powered torque system

An inverter electrically operatively connected to an electric machine and in communication with a controller is described. The inverter is electrically connected to a high-voltage DC power bus. A method for controlling the multi-phase inverter circuit includes monitoring, via the controller, a rotational speed of the electric machine during operation of the inverter in an over-modulation mode. The inverter is commanded to operate in a linear modulation mode when the rotational speed is within a speed range associated with objectionable audible noise generated by operating the electric machine in the over-modulation mode.

Method and apparatus for controlling an electric machine

An electric machine assembly includes an electric machine having a stator configured to have a stator current and a controller configured to receive a torque command (T). The controller has a processor and tangible, non-transitory memory on which is recorded instructions for executing a method of modifying the stator current for enhanced flux weakening. The controller is programmed to obtain a base stator current [I, I] from a look-up table based at least partially on the torque command (T). The controller is programmed to obtain a characteristic angle (&#x3b8;, i=1, 2, 3) based at least partially on a value of the torque command (T) and the base stator current [I, I]. A stator current modifier [&#x394;I, &#x394;I] is obtained based at least partially on the characteristic angle (&#x3b8;, i=1, 2, 3) and a flux weakening factor (&#x394;I) such that: &#x394;I=(&#x394;I*cosine (&#x3b8;)) and &#x394;I=(&#x394;I*sine (&#x3b8;)).

Modification of stator current for enhanced flux weakening

A method for monitoring an electrically-powered torque machine configured to generate torque in a hybrid powertrain system includes monitoring signal outputs of a resolver configured to monitor rotational position of the torque machine. Upon detecting a fault warning state associated with the signal outputs of the resolver, a motor torque capacity of the torque machine is derated. Upon a clearing of the fault warning state, a torque ramp-up state to increase the motor torque capacity of the torque machine is executed. Notice of an incidence of a fault associated with the signal outputs of the resolver is provided only when the motor torque capacity fails to achieve a threshold motor torque capacity within a threshold recovery time period while executing the torque ramp-up state.

Method and apparatus for monitoring a resolver in a torque machine

A method for controlling an electrically-powered torque machine of a powertrain system includes determining a predicted torque command to control the torque machine. A flux command is determined responsive to the predicted torque command. The flux command is a flux level providing a fast torque reserve that is responsive to the predicted torque command. The fast torque reserve is a prescribed minimum rate of change in torque output from the torque machine responsive to the predicted torque command. An inverter controller controls flux of the torque machine responsive to the flux command.

Method and apparatus for controlling an electrically-powered torque machine of a powertrain system

An inverter electrically operatively connects to a multi-phase electric machine, and a method for controlling the inverter includes executing a six-step mode to control the inverter and monitoring an electric voltage angle of the electric machine at a preset sampling frequency. When the electric voltage angle approaches a step transition associated with control of one of a plurality of switches of the inverter in the six-step mode, an intermediate duty command for the one of the switches is determined and a carrier signal is aligned based upon a present state of the one of the switches. The one of the switches is controlled employing the intermediate duty command and the aligned carrier.

Method and apparatus for controlling an electric machine in a six-step mode

A voltage source inverter controller for controlling an inverter electrically connected to an electric machine includes a current command generator, a six-step flux controller and a current regulator. The six-step flux controller generates a flux modifier to regulate flux in a flux-weakening speed/load operating region of the electric machine when operating the electric machine in a six-step mode. The current command generator converts a desired torque to three-phase desired currents that are input to a dq0-dq transformer and combined with the flux modifier to determine a modified-flux direct-quadrature (dq) current request. The current regulator includes a proportional-integral feedback controller, anti-windup elements, a dq voltage limit element and a voltage magnitude limiter. The proportional-integral feedback controller and the anti-windup elements perform closed-loop current control on the modified-flux dq current request to determine commanded dq voltages.

A powertrain system includes a torque machine rotatably coupled to an internal combustion engine via a pulley mechanism. The torque machine and the internal combustion engine are configured to transfer torque to a driveline and include a first sensor configured to monitor rotation of the engine and a second sensor configured to monitor rotation of the torque machine. The first sensor signally connects to a controller configured to control operation of the torque machine. A method for operating the powertrain system includes employing a signal output from the first sensor to monitor rotation of the torque machine to control operation thereof, said signal output from the first sensor adjusted for a pulley ratio of the pulley mechanism upon detecting a fault associated with the second sensor.

Method and apparatus for fault mitigation in a torque machine of a powertrain system

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to methods, systems and apparatus for adjusting current and/or torque commands used to control operation of an asynchronous machine based on rotor flux of the asynchronous machine.

Methods, systems and apparatus for adjusting current and/or torque commands used to control operation of an asynchronous machine

In accordance with exemplary embodiments, rotor temperature estimation is provided for estimating rotor temperatures of an electric motor in an electric vehicle. A method comprises estimating a rotor temperature in a controller for an electric motor of a vehicle using a fast-mode rotor temperature estimator for a time interval, and then deactivating the fast-mode rotor temperate estimator after the time interval and activating a normal-mode rotor temperature estimator in the controller for the electric motor of the vehicle. A system comprises an electric motor, a resistance rotor temperature estimator including a limit value limiting a temperature estimate increase for temperature estimates, and a controller for the electric motor, which uses the temperature estimate and is configured to temporarily increase the limit value of the resistance rotor temperature estimator providing a fast-mode rotor temperature estimate.

Rotor temperature estimation for an electric vehicle

Methods, systems and apparatus are provided for generating voltage commands used to control operation of a permanent magnet machine. For example, a control system is provided that generates voltage command signals for controlling a permanent magnet machine during a transition from an initial operating condition to a final operating condition. The control system includes a processor configured to execute software instructions, and a memory configured to store software instructions accessible by the processor. The software instructions comprise a voltage command generator module. Based on an electrical angular frequency of the permanent magnet machine, and synchronous reference frame current signals, the voltage command generator module is configured to generate ramped voltage command signals that each change linearly in accordance with a slope during a transition period that is set to a rise time.

Methods, systems and apparatus for generating voltage commands used to control operation of a permanent magnet machine

Methods, system and apparatus are provided for reducing power loss in an electric motor drive system that includes an electric machine and an inverter module. A controller determines whether a torque command (T) is less than a minimum torque threshold (T) that is required to disable the inverter module, and if so, increments a counter and determines whether the torque command (T) remains less than the minimum torque threshold (T). When the torque command (T) remains less than the minimum torque threshold (T), the controller checks to determine whether a current count value (n) maintained at the counter is greater than a count threshold (n), and if so, the controller can generate a disable signal to disable switching within the inverter module.

Methods, systems and apparatus for reducing power loss in an electric motor drive system

Methods and systems are provided for assessing a vehicle transmission having a resolver. A memory is configured to store preliminary data pertaining to an error of the resolver. A processor is coupled to the memory, and is configured to determine a harmonic characteristic of the preliminary data, and to assess the vehicle transmission using the harmonic characteristic.

Methods and systems for assessing vehicle transmissions

A method for operating a powertrain system including a torque machine mechanically coupled to an internal combustion engine includes, upon detecting a pending fault associated with a power switch configured to control power flow to the torque machine, disabling torque output from the torque machine and executing retry events. The retry events are iteratively executed with a debounce time period preceding each retry event. Presence of a fault associated with the power switch is detected when a quantity of the retry events during a time window exceeds a threshold.

Method and apparatus for fault detection in a torque machine of a powertrain system

Growing community of inventors

Torrance, CA, United States of America

Bon Ho Bae