The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 21, 1995
Filed:
Jul. 05, 1994
Ford Motor Company, Dearborn, MI (US);
Abstract
A fault isolation system for a three-phase induction motor drive system includes an inverter to convert direct-current power from a battery into alternating current for the three phases of the motor. The inverter contains six semiconductor switches, two for each phase of the motor, as is conventional in the art of induction motor control. Further, the inverter contains two additional semiconductor switches. These switches form an output connected, via a dummy load in parallel with a third additional semiconductor switch, to the neutral connection of the motor. In the event that any of the six conventional switches in the inverter become short-circuited, the four switches in the other two phases of the inverter as well as the two additional switches are actuated to generate current sufficient to blow a fuse connected in series with the output of the inverter coupled to the short-circuited switch. The motor is thus isolated from the short-circuited switch, preventing the short-circuited switch from totally disabling the motor. An alternative motor drive strategy, such as a two-phase drive strategy, can then be employed.