Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Ballard Power Systems Corporation

Ford Motor Company Limited

Xingyi Xu

Feng Liang

John Michael Miller

Richard Joseph Hampo

Kerry Eden Grand

Li Chen

Doug D Deng

Vinod Reddy

Roy E Diehl

Lizhi Zhu

Venkateswara Anand Sankaran

Craig Hammann Stephan

Md Abul Masrur

Yi-Hsin Pao

John G Bulick

Xiaolin B Xue

Charles M Freitas

Mikhail Avramovich Avanesov

Mark A Brantmeyer

Nick Langovsky

Wen-Je Jung

Integrated power conversion systems and methods for use in an electric vehicle having an electric motor, a primary high-voltage energy source, and an auxiliary energy source including a traction inverter module operable for converting a DC current generated by the high-voltage energy source into an AC current capable of powering the electric motor, and a DC/DC converter operable to step-down a voltage of the high-voltage energy source or step-up a voltage of the auxiliary energy source, wherein the traction inverter module and the DC/DC converter may share one or more common components, such as a common high-voltage DC bus capacitor, a common DC bus bar, and/or a common high-voltage transistor.

Integrated traction inverter module and DC/DC converter

A device and method of commutation control for an isolated boost converter provides a unique commutation logic to limit voltage spikes by utilizing switches on the secondary side to minimize a mismatch between current in the inductor and current in the leakage inductance of the transformer when commutation takes places. To minimize this mismatch, the current in the leakage inductance is preset at a certain level that approaches the current in the inductor prior to the commutation, thus significantly reducing the power rating for a clamp circuit and enabling use of a simple passive clamp circuit. In addition, through unique timing of the turn-on of the secondary switches, soft switching conditions are created that eliminate turn-on losses and the reverse recovery problems of free-wheeling diodes.

Device and method of commutation control for an isolated boost converter

Systems and methods for controlling and/or calculating the torque for a field oriented induction motor operating at a given stator frequency. The systems and methods include calculating the torque using a first algorithm when the motor is at or below a first predetermined stator frequency, a second algorithm when the motor is at or above a second predetermined stator frequency, and a third algorithm when the motor is between the first predetermined stator frequency and the second predetermined stator frequency.

Systems and methods for electric motor control

An electric machine in accordance with the invention includes a stator core having first and second ends and having windings therein with end turns of the windings protruding from the first and second ends of the stator core. A rotor is rotatably positioned within the stator core. A thermal conductor, such as non-laminated aluminum or aluminum alloy ring, is disposed between each stator core end-turn and the housing for conducting heat from the stator core end-turns to the housing, and the cavity between each end-turn and the thermal conductor is filled with a flexible potting material to minimize gap formation caused, for example, by thermal cycling of the engine components.

Electric machine with cooling rings

System and method for enhancing the torque output of a field oriented induction motor including a controller having a plurality of predetermined control parameters operable for processing input signals to generate output signals. The plurality of predetermined control parameters are dependent upon the nature of the input signals and the operational state of the motor. A sensor system is operable for communicating feedback signals related to the output signals and the operational state of the motor from the motor to the controller.

System and method for induction motor control

Field oriented induction motor system including a field oriented induction motor having an associated torque current and an associated flux current and a predetermined current ratio, wherein the predetermined current ratio is defined as the ratio of the torque current to the flux current, and wherein the predetermined current ratio is dependent upon the saturation state of the motor. A method for selecting the ratio of torque current to flux current for a field oriented induction motor including applying an allocation factor to the torque current and flux current, wherein the allocation factor is dependent upon the saturation state of the motor. The saturation state of the motor is determined based upon motor parameters.

A rotor for use in an electrical machine having permanent magnets included therein, each permanent magnet between an adjacent pair of poles wherein each adjacent pole has an opposite polarity. Each permanent magnet has a magnetization polarity on its radially-outward surface and each adjacent permanent magnet has the opposite polarity on its radially-outward surface In addition, each pair of permanent magnets have the same magnetic polarity on their adjacently facing surfaces. This arrangement of permanent magnets may be used on electrical machines having either a Lundell-type rotor or salient pole rotor The arrangement of permanent magnets increases the output power and efficiency of the electrical machine while decreasing magnetic noise.

Hybrid permanent magnet/synchronous machines

A hybrid electric vehicle contains a powerplant for propelling the vehicle. The powerplant comprises a combustion engine ( ) and a dynamoelectric machine ( ). A control system ( ) issues a wheel torque command corresponding to torque desired at road-engaging wheels, and includes an engine controller ( ) for issuing an engine torque command and a dynamoelectric machine controller ( ) for issuing a dynamoelectric machine torque command. Controller ( ) contains one or more maps and/or profiles defining functional relationship of torque to engine crankshaft speed and/or position over a range of crankshaft speeds and/or positions. The maps and/or profiles are used to develop make-up torque that is delivered by the dynamoelectric machine to accomplish certain smoothing functions. Transmission gear shifts can be smoothed by using the dynamoelectric machine controller to slew the engine to a new target speed appropriate to the new gear. A dedicated, high-speed data communication link supplies crankshaft speed and position information from an engine-mounted sensor directly to controller ( ).

Starter/alternator control strategy to enhance driveability of a low storage requirement hybrid electric vehicle

A motor control system for use within an electric vehicle having an induction motor Control system utilizes a torque control module a vector control module and a space vector PWM module to efficiently and accurately control the torque provided by motor

Motor control system

A method and system for increasing the output of an alternator for an automotive vehicle has a first three-phase winding ( ) and a second three-phase winding ( ) that are coupled to a respective first rectifier circuit ( ) and a second rectifier circuit ( ). A switch circuit ( ) is located between the first rectifier circuit ( ) and the second rectifier circuit ( ). A controller ( ) that is coupled to a speed sensor ( ) and provides a signal indicative of the speed of the alternator, controls the operation of the switch circuit ( ). When the speed sensor ( ) indicates that the speed of the alternator is below a predetermined threshold, the first rectifier circuit ( ) and second rectifier circuit ( ) are coupled together through switch circuit ( ). When the speed sensor ( ) indicates that the speed of the alternator is above a predetermined speed, the switch circuit ( ) is controlled to an open state so that two parallel half-wave rectifier circuits are formed.

Direct current electric power generation system with variable speed alternating current generators

A rotor for use in an electrical machine having permanent magnets included therein, each permanent magnet between an adjacent pair of poles , wherein each adjacent pole has an opposite polarity. Each permanent magnet has a magnetization polarity on its radially-outward surface , and each adjacent permanent magnet has the opposite polarity on its radially-outward surface . In addition, each pair of permanent magnets have the same magnetic polarity on their adjacently facing surfaces. This arrangement of permanent magnets may be used on electrical machines having either a Lundell-type rotor or salient pole rotor . The arrangement of permanent magnets increases the output power and efficiency of the electrical machine while decreasing magnetic noise.

A 'claw pole' or Lundell rotor has permanent magnets included therein, each permanent magnet disposed between an adjacent pair of pole fingers. The permanent magnets each have a magnetization polarity at an angle between radial and tangential with respect to the axis of rotation of the rotor.

Rotor for an electrical machine

An electromechanically actuated valve (12) for use as an intake or exhaust valve in an internal combustion engine. The valve (12) is actuated by a electromechanical actuator assembly (18) which includes a first electromagnet (22), second electromagnet (30) and third electromagnet (32). A first disk (38) is fixedly mounted to the valve (12) in a gap between the first and second electromagnets, and a second disk (44) is slidably mounted to the valve (12) above the third electromagnet (32) with a stop member (40) limiting its travel toward the first disk (38). With the valve (12) being in a closed position, the gap between the first disk (38) and the first electromagnet (22) is greater than the gap between the second disk (44) and third electromagnet (32), allowing for multiple valve lifts. A first spring (48), mounted between the cylinder head (14) and first disk (38), and a second spring (50), mounted between the second disk (44) and an actuator housing (20), create an oscillatory system which drives most of the valve movement during engine operation, thus reducing power requirements to actuate the valves while increasing the responsiveness of the valves.

Electromechanically actuated valve

An induction motor control system for electric vehicles having a DC power supply, an inverter, and an induction motor, includes a current control mechanism having a flux controller. The flux controller reduces the stator flux to improve the torque output of a motor at the limit of the voltage supply from the inverter. The reduction in flux is adjustable as the actual limit of voltage available to power the motor varies. A flux reference .lambda..sub.so generated according to efficiency control requirements can be adjusted by a flux weakening quantity generated by the controller in the constant power range of operation. The DC bus voltage, the rotor speed and stator flux reference values are input to the flux controller so that the motor can be operated to achieve improved torque output approaching the theoretical maximum torque output or to maximize efficiency as needed. In addition, the flux control influences generation of a stator current that improves the torque output throughout the entire range of motor speed.

Induction motor drive controller

A power module has a metallic base plate layer and a substrate layer that has a first metallic layer, a dielectric layer, and a second metallic layer. A solder layer thermally and electrically connects the second metallic layer to the base plate. A plurality of silicon dice are mounted to the first metallic layer of the substrate. The solder layer has a void development region which after a predetermined number of thermal cycles does not significantly increase. The silicon dice are oriented on the substrate layer so that the silicon dice are not aligned over the void development region corresponding to the useful life of the module. The metallic base plate may also be mounted to a heatsink through a thermal grease layer. The heatsink may comprise the outer covering of the power module.

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Canton, MI, United States of America

Xingyi Xu