Tesla Motors, Inc.

Tesla, Inc.

Greg Grant Solberg

Andrew David Baglino

Yifan Tang

Heath Fred Hofmann

Heath Hofmann

An apparatus in an electric vehicle including a propulsion electric motor powered by energy from an energy storage system, including a field oriented motor controller generating motor control signals for the electric motor, the motor control signals responsive to a flux command signal and a torque command signal; a torque command calculator, coupled to the motor controller, generating the torque command signal to command a desired torque; an optimal efficiency controller, coupled to the torque command calculator, generating an operating efficiency flux to operate the electric motor at a first determinable efficiency using a first power from the energy storage system while providing the desired torque; an excess dissipation controller generating an inefficient flux to operate the electric motor at a second determinable efficiency using a second power from the energy storage system independent of the desired torque wherein the second power is greater than the first power; and a mode controller setting the flux command signal using one of the optimal efficiency flux and the inefficient flux.

Traction motor controller with dissipation mode

A system and method including a runtime thermal model that estimates individual component temperatures, permitting the system to only limit power when necessary or desirable. A power-limiting system for a vector-controlled AC induction motor includes a torque command system for generating a torque command; a thermal protection system determining a runtime estimate for a temperature of a component of a rotational electro-magnetic component of the vector-controlled AC induction motor; and a controller configured to generate a motor control signal for the vector-controlled AC induction motor responsive to the torque command, wherein the thermal protection system determines the runtime estimate responsive to a multi-node thermal model of the vector-controlled AC induction motor, and wherein the controller limits a power of the vector-controlled AC induction motor to maintain a component temperature below its critical temperature.

Rotor temperature estimation and motor control torque limiting for vector-controlled AC induction motors

A motor in an electric vehicle can be controlled by receiving a torque command value, calculating a first flux value corresponding to a determinable efficiency of the electric vehicle at the torque command value, calculating a first torque-producing current value as a function of the torque command value and of the first flux value, and using the first flux value and the first torque-producing current value to control the motor to propel the electric vehicle.

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Berkeley, CA, United States of America

Greg Grant Solberg