Gm Global Technology Operations LLC

Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft

Daimler Ag

Chrysler Group LLC

Brian A Welchko

Silva Hiti

Steven E Schulz

James Michio Nagashima

Gregory S Smith

Milun Perisic

Brent S Gagas

Sibaprasad Chakrabarti

Constantin C Stancu

George John

Kerrie M Spaven

Stephen T West

David Yuang Tang

William R Cawthorne

Wei D Wang

Khwaja M Rahman

Nitinkumar R Patel

Xin Jing

Chandra S Namuduri

Muhammad Hussain Alvi

George R Woody

Mohammad N Anwar

Hanne Buur

Daniel J Berry

Jeong J Park

Khorshed Mohammed Alam

Vinod Chowdary Peddi

David S Ochs

Benjamin S Ngu

Abbas Raftari

Rashmi Prasad

Brendan M Conlon

Lateef A Kajouke

Sean E Gleason

Yilun Luo

Brian J Gallert

Young Joo Lee

Bonho Bae

Konstantin S Majarov

Wesley G Zanardelli

Min Dai

Jonathan B Huse

Chunhao J Lee

Suresh Gopalakrishnan

Vijay A Neelakantan

Peter James Savagian

Yo Chan Son

Terence G Ward

Peter E Wu

Gabriel Gallegos-Lopez

Bon Ho Bae

Aniket P Kothari

Siddharth Ballal

Anno Yoo

Jeffrey S Piasecki

Mark L Selogie

Scott D Downer

Song He

Jiyu Zhang

Robert T Dawsey

Chia-Chou Yeh

Jihoon Jang

Cherian A Idicheria

Ronald O Grover, Jr

David P Tasky

Nikola J Pudar

Luciano Nunziato Di Perna

Alan B Martin

Alexander K Rustoni

Leah Dunbar

Jana Mahen Fernando

Nicholas Kokotovich

Marko Jaksic

Jeremy B Campbell

Ronald W Young

Lisa M Talarico

Brian R Medema

Kevin P Houle

Jonas Bereisa

Alex Thompson

S M N Hasan

Darren Crewes

Prakash Haribhai Desai

Slobodan Gataric

Steve T West

Justin O Nielsen

Jackie L Cui

Michael Z Pieszala

Akshay Sarin

Todd M York

Wei Wang

Steven E Schultz

Anthony L Posawatz

Melissa R McNeely

Keith A Rodman

Qiang Mei

Tanvi Nagarale

Yuying Shi

Brian Podczervinski

Mark J Moran

An electric motor circuit includes a motor controller having a plurality of gate drivers and an inverter configured to receive direct current (DC) power from a source and output alternating current (AC) power to an electric motor. The inverter includes a plurality of transistor elements. Each transistor element includes multiple transistors arranged on a transistor board. Multiple temperature sensors are configured to monitor a plurality of temperatures on each transistor element. The motor controller is configured to alter a pulse width modulation (PWM) control of a first subset of transistors on a first transistor element in response to a first subset of temperature sensors detecting a temperature exceeding a threshold temperature and a second subset of temperature sensors not detecting a temperature exceeding the threshold.

Thermal sensing and control of a transistor board

A variable slew rate gate drive system for powering an electric machine. The system may include a gate driver operable for controlling each of a plurality of hybrid switch power modules between opened and closed states to facilitate powering the electric machine. The gate driver may be operable for selecting slew rates and controlling ON and OFF states of first and second semiconductor switches included as part of each power module to optimize powering of the electric machine by varying the slew rates as a function of performance characteristics of the first and second semiconductor switches.

Variable slew rate gate driver for hybrid switch power module

Vehicles and related systems and monitoring methods are provided for detecting a loss of isolation on one side of a power converter. One method involves monitoring a normalized voltage input to a power conversion module coupled to the electric motor, in response to the normalized voltage exceeding a diagnostic activation threshold, determining a first number of instances of a range between successive extremas of the normalized voltage exceeding a loss of isolation range threshold over a diagnostic window of time, and automatically initiating a remedial action when the first number is greater than a loss of isolation detection threshold.

Vehicle systems and loss of isolation detection methods

A system and method for receiving, at a multi-chip power module, multiple electronic control signals by one or more semiconductor devices of a first device type configured in parallel to one or more semiconductor devices of a second device type. The one or more semiconductor devices of the first device type and the one or more semiconductor devices of the second device type form a plurality of functional switches. The functional switches independently change states, in response to the plurality of electronic control signals. The one or more semiconductor devices of the first device type are configured to be electrically controlled for use independently and de-coupled, or in parallel, with the one or more semiconductor devices of the second device type.

Hybrid switch multi-chip power module for a vehicle battery

A method and apparatus for operating an electric drive unit having an inverter operatively coupled to a polyphase alternating current (AC) motor includes receiving a torque command corresponding to a torque to be produced by the AC motor; receiving a heat level request corresponding to a heat to be generated within the electric drive unit; determining a final current command that is responsive to the torque command and to the heat level request, wherein the current command includes operating in a flux-intensifying region relative to a Maximum Torque Per Ampere (MTPA) curve; and commanding operation of the inverter responsive to the final current command.

Method and apparatus for controlling flux of an electric drive unit for heat generation

A dual inverter open winding machine for a vehicle. The machine may include an electric motor, a first energy source, a first inverter, a second energy source, and a second inverter. The first inverter may include a plurality of first switches independently operable between an opened position and a closed position to selectively connect and disconnect a first direct current (DC) port and a first alternating current (AC) port with one or more of the first energy source, the first inverter, and the motor. The second inverter may include a plurality of second switches independently operable between an opened position and a closed position to selectively connect and disconnect a second DC port and a second AC port with one or more of the second energy source, the second inverter, and the motor.

Dual inverter open winding machine for vehicle with electric power takeoff

Apparatus and techniques for analyzing a capacitance value in an electric motor inverter are disclosed. A processor is coupled to a DC-AC inverter, which includes a capacitor across its terminals and is powered by a battery. The processor performs resistor switching to enable singular, periodic measurement of the capacitance. The measured value is compared with a nominal or beginning of life (BOL) value. An alert may be sent if the capacitance has degraded beyond a threshold. In other aspects, the DC torque ripple envelop is used to measure capacitance. The outcome is compared with the other tests to assess consistency. An inconsistent outcome may identify potential resistor degradation.

In-situ inverter capacitance analyses and degradation alerts using variable operational modes of electric motor

A method, apparatus, and control system are described for operating a multiphase motor drive system including a rotary electric machine and an inverter. An AC choke filter is arranged proximal to output leads from the inverter. A reference temperature associated with the AC choke filter is determined along with an operating point of the electric machine. Operation of the inverter is controlled based upon a temperature of the AC choke filter, the reference temperature, and an operating point of the electric machine. This includes modifying a switching frequency and a PWM type in a manner that reduces the AC choke filter temperature by reducing the occurrence of switching events to protect the AC choke filter based on temperature feedback.

Method and system for controlling common mode electric current in an electric machine

A cooling system for a drivetrain of an electric vehicle includes a coolant circuit directing a flow of coolant through a first inverter and a second inverter of the drivetrain, and an adjustable flow valve positioned along the coolant circuit to selectably alter proportions of the flow of coolant directed through each of the first inverter and the second inverter. A method of operating a cooling system for a first inverter and a second inverter of a vehicle drivetrain includes commanding a speed and torque of each of the first and second inverter, and estimating losses and temperature of each of the first inverter and the second inverter as a result of the commanded speed and torque. A valve position of an adjustable flow valve operably connected to the first inverter and the second inverter is selected, and a change of the valve position is commanded.

Active coolant flow control in multi-inverter systems

The concepts described herein provide a method, apparatus, and system for controlling an inverter by modifying duty cycles of the PWM control signals in a manner that achieves a minimum duration between consecutive switching events in the inverter, which serves to reduce common mode current in the bearing(s) of an attached rotary electric machine. To minimize the effect of additional current and voltage ripple into the system, the minimum switching duration is defined in relation to a modulation index and geometric location near the sector boundaries of the respective inverter voltage space vector diagram.

Method and system for controlling an electric machine

A control system for a rotary electric machine includes an inverter including a plurality of power switches, a heat exchanger, first temperature sensors arranged to monitor the power switches, a second temperature sensor arranged to monitor the heat exchanger, and a controller. An expected power loss is determined based upon electric current, switching functions, and electrical characteristics of the power switches. A plurality of power capacity terms are determined based upon the expected power loss in the inverter, the temperatures of the power switches, and the temperature of the heat exchanger. The inverter is controlled based upon the aforementioned power capacities.

Presented are motor control systems, vehicles, and methods for generating motor heat while holding an offset motor torque during stationary vehicle operation. A method of operating an AC motor includes a resident or remote vehicle controller receiving a mode request to operate a vehicle in a stationary mode, and a temperature request including the AC motor generating motor heat during the stationary operating mode. The controller determines an offset motor torque to generate the motor heat and hold the AC motor's output member at a select position when operating the vehicle in the stationary mode. Using a DQ transform model of the AC motor, the controller selects multiple dq current trajectories located in respective dq operating quadrants of the DQ transform model based on the offset motor torque. The controller then commands a power inverter to transmit electrical current to the AC motor based on the select dq current trajectories.

Intelligent motor systems and control logic for creating heat with constant offset torque in stationary vehicles

The disclosure includes a control system for a multi-phase electric machine that includes an inverter configured to transfer electric energy from a rechargeable energy storage device (RESS), and phase current sensors. A controller includes an executable instruction set to monitor, via the phase current sensors, the phase currents, and detect that one of the phase currents is outside a linear measurement range of a respective one of the phase current sensors. An extrapolated current for the respective one of the phase current sensors is determined based upon the phase currents from others of the phase current sensors. A current extrapolation routine evaluates the respective one of the phase current sensors. A fault is detected in the respective one of the phase current sensors based upon the current extrapolation routine and the extrapolated current.

Method and system for monitoring a current sensor

An electric drive system, method and apparatus includes a rechargeable energy storage unit, a power inverter, and a rotary electric machine. Transfer of electrical power between the rechargeable energy storage unit and the rotary electric machine is governed by a pulse width modulation (PWM) switching frequency, which is one of a non-six-step switching mode or a six-step switching mode. Executable instructions determine a rotational speed, a torque command, a torque direction, a bus voltage, and a hysteresis band, determine a modulation index command in response to the rotational speed, the torque command, the torque direction, and the bus voltage, and command operation of the rotary electric machine in one of the non-six-step switching mode or the six-step switching mode employing the modulation index command.

Electric drive system and method

An electric drive unit includes a polyphase alternating current (AC) motor, an inverter. A motor controller employs field oriented controls to achieve torque and heat production objectives for the electric drive unit. Additional heat may be generated through inverter operation control.

Method and apparatus for operating an electric drive unit

Growing community of inventors

Torrance, CA, United States of America

Brian A Welchko