Dana Corporation

Eaton Corporation

Sergei F Kolomeitsev

Scott E Blackburn

Michael Lee Bassett

Troy Scott Reinoehl

Ramani R Kalpathi

J Michael Lewis

David A Dennis

Ning Liu

K Fred Brodsky

Rock LeRoy Hartshorn

A vehicle control device is provided that is capable of functioning as a transmission synchronizer, an electromagnetic clutch, a starter for an engine, and a generator. The device includes a first member having a plurality of inwardly extending poles and a plurality of coils that are wound upon the poles. The first member is connected to an engine output shaft for rotation therewith. The device also includes a second member that is disposed within the first member. The second member is connected to a transmission input shaft for rotation therewith. Finally, the device includes means for energizing the coils of the first member to control the operation of the control device. By controlling the energization of the coils and the relative motion of the first and second members, the control device can be used as a transmission synchronizer, a clutch, a starter for the vehicle's engine, and a generator for the vehicle's battery.

Master synchronizer motor

A control circuit for a motor having at least two windings is used to optimize noise reduction by controlling the deenergization of each winding in a two-stage decay. The duration of the two-stage decay and particularly the first decaying current portion is controlled by a controller operatively coupled to a switch device. The duration of the first decaying current portion is varied between the various phases of the motor to provide optimum noise reduction.

Method and apparatus for reducing noise in a variable reluctance motor

A variable reluctance electric motor includes a hollow cylindrical stator having a plurality of radially inwardly extending poles. Each of the stator poles is generally rectangular in cross sectional shape and is bifurcated into two stator teeth at its radially innermost end by a central, longitudinally extending slot. The outer circumferential edges of the stator pole teeth are beveled at their respective junctions with the sides of the stator pole. A stator pole gap width is defined between adjacent stator poles. A slot width is defined within each of the stator poles between the adjacent longitudinally extending edges of the slot. The ratio of the stator pole gap width to the stator pole slot width is in the range of from about 1.8 to about 2.3. A cylindrical rotor is co-axially supported within the stator for relative rotational movement. The rotor has a plurality of radially outwardly extending poles formed thereon. Each of the rotor poles is generally rectangular in cross sectional shape. The outer circumferential edges of the rotor poles are beveled at their respective junctions with the sides of the rotor pole to provide a tapered end. Each of the rotor poles defines a width which is measured at the outer circumferential surface thereof, extending between the two beveled edges. The rotor poles also defines a pitch which is measured from one point on a first rotor pole to the same point on the adjacent rotor pole. The ratio of the rotor pole width to the rotor pole pitch is in the range of from about 0.40 to about 0.47. Preferably, a motor having N stator poles will have 2.multidot.N stator pole teeth, and a rotor employed in such a motor 20 will have (2.multidot.N)+2 rotor poles.

Variable reluctance motor having bifurcated stator poles

A switched reluctance motor drive includes a noise reduction circuit configured to control the decay of current when a motor phase is switched from active to inactive. The current decay is controlled to occur in two stages: a first portion and a second portion. The first portion is controlled by alternately activating and deactivating one of the two switches in the two switch drive topology to obtain a current profile conforming to a predetermined profile. The current decay in the second portion of the inactive interval occurs by keeping both switches off so that it decays naturally. The duration of the first portion of the inactive interval is different for each motor phase, as is the duty cycle of the switch gating signal driving the switch that is alternately activated and deactivated. The scheme reduces the acoustic noise generated during operation of the motor.

Method and apparatus of reducing acoustic noise in switched reluctance

A motor vehicle clutch includes an axis of rotation, a pressure plate, a cover, an apply spring, a release bearing, a stator housing, a stator, a rotor, a rotor housing and a plurality of cam followers. The pressure plate is concentric with the axis of rotation. The cover extends radially over the pressure plate. The apply spring is disposed between the cover and the pressure plate and biases the pressure plate away from the cover. The release bearing is concentric with and axially displaceable along the axis of rotation and is connected to the apply spring for selectively deflecting the spring with axial movement. The stator housing is stationary and is concentric with the axis of rotation. The stator is fixed within the stator housing and has a plurality of poles with windings there about. The rotor is also concentric to the axis of rotation and is operably excited by the stator. The rotor housing is fixed to the rotor. The rotor housing has a plurality of cam ramps arcuately disposed about the axis. The cam ramps smoothly increase in axial height in a first arcuate direction of rotation. The cam followers are disposed between the rotor housing and the release bearing and are in axially engagement with the cam ramps.

Electrically operated clutch

A method and circuit for controlling a switched reluctance motor are provided. The method includes the steps of controlling a current in a phase coil of a motor phase of the motor during an active stage of the motor phase and controlling the current in the phase coil during an inactive stage of the motor phase. The latter step includes the substep of increasing the level of current in the phase coil for a predetermined period of time during the inactive stage of the motor phase. By increasing the current level during the inactive stage, the rate of current dissipation is reduced, thereby reducing acoustic noise. A circuit in accordance with the present invention includes a pair of one-shot circuits connected together in series and responsive to the end of the active stage of the motor phase. The second one-shot circuit generates an output signal that closes a switch connected to a phase coil of a motor phase of the motor for a predetermined period of time during the inactive stage of the motor phase. Closing the switch causes a level of current in the phase coil to increase during the inactive stage of the motor phase, thereby slowing the rate of current dissipation and reducing acoustic noise.

C-Dump topology noise reduction

An apparatus for controlling a switched reluctance machine changes the operating modes between a single-phase operating mode, and a multi-phase operating mode. The switched reluctance motor includes a rotatable rotor, a stator, and a plurality of stator windings defining a corresponding plurality of machine phases. When in the multi-phase mode, all of the plurality of stator windings corresponding to the plurality of machine phases are energized. When in the single-phase mode, stator windings corresponding to a single, selected machine phase are energized. The apparatus includes a logic circuit for sensing a speed of the rotor and generating a speed signal in response thereto, and a comparator circuit. The comparator circuit is responsive to the generated speed signal and is operative for changing the operating mode of the motor from the multi-phase mode to the single-phase mode when the rotor speed reaches a first predetermined level, and for changing the operating mode of the machine from the single-phase mode to the multi-phase mode when the rotor speed reaches a second predetermined level that is less than the first predetermined level. The first and second levels are offset and define a hysteresis operating band to prevent undesirable oscillation or 'hunting' between the single-phase mode, and the multi-phase mode. In the single-phase mode, the current reference used for the energized stator windings associated with the selected machine phase is higher, than the corresponding current reference in the multi-phase mode.

System for controlling operation of a switched reluctance motor between

A switched reluctance motor includes a stator defining a plurality of radially-inwardly-extending poles and a rotor defining a plurality of radially-outwardly-extending poles. The poles of the stator define a shape in radial cross-section characterized by a generally rectangular body portion, and a tip portion which tapers at an angle no greater than 40.degree. relative to the sides of the rectangular body portion. The nominal width of the rectangular body portion of each stator pole is at least 1.3 times the nominal (chordal) dimension across the arcuate, radially-innermost surface on the tip portion thereof.

Low torque ripple switched reluctance motor

An encoder circuit particularly suited for a switched reluctance (SR) electric motor includes a single switch and a plurality of encoder windings. Each one of the plurality of encoder windings is connected to the switch. When closed, the switch initiates current flow through the windings. A plurality of comparators are connected to the encoder windings. Each comparator has an output having a first state and second state. The output changes state when the encoder winding current exceeds a reference current level. A counter connected to the comparator outputs measures the time that each winding current is below the reference current level (i.e., before changing state). The switch simultaneously disconnects the encoder windings from a power supply after each one of the plurality of encoder windings reaches the reference current (i.e, after each of the comparators changes state). A microprocessor connected to the counter outputs determines an angular rotor position using the time that each winding current is below the reference current.

Encoder circuit for determining the position of a rotor of a multiphase

A switched reluctance electric motor is disclosed that includes a stator portion having a plurality of stator poles. Adjacent stator poles are wound with energizing windings and which are connected in-series to form a respective one of a plurality of motor phases of the electric motor. A rotor portion of the electric motor is also disclosed, and is supported for rotation relative to the stator, and which also includes a plurality of rotor poles. An electrical conductor having first and second ends is disposed about the adjacent stator poles for each one of the plurality of motor phases. The first and second ends of each electrical conductor are shorted together to thereby minimize induced flux linkages in non-energized motor phases when one of the motor phases is energized.

Switched reluctance motor with low mutual inductance between phases

A switched reluctance motor includes a stator defining a plurality of radially-inwardly-extending poles and a rotor defining a plurality of radially-outwardly-extending poles. The poles of the stator and the rotor are respectively divided into at least two longitudinal sections, with each pole section featuring a different shape when viewed in radial cross-section. The shape of one rotor pole section is such as to subdivide the pole into three teeth, namely, a central tooth flanked on either side by a side tooth, further characterized in that the shape of the central and side teeth are symmetric relative to a radius bisecting the central tooth. In a preferred embodiment, the circumferential spacing between the central tooth and each side tooth of one rotor pole is less than the circumferential spacing between the opposed side teeth of adjacent rotor poles.

Growing community of inventors

Sylvania, OH, United States of America

Sergei F Kolomeitsev