956results about "Propulsion using ac induction motors" patented technology

Power converter system topologies comprise a first DC / DC converter to pull a positive rail of a high voltage bus up, while a second DC / DC converter pushes a negative rail of the high voltage bus down. One or both the DC / DC converters may be bi-directional. Such topologies are suitable for use with separate primary power sources, and / or auxiliary power sources. Such topologies may include a DC / AC converter, which may be bi-directional. Such topologies may include one or more auxiliary DC / DC converters, which may be bi-directional. Multiple substrates, including at least one stacked above another may enhance packaging.

A railroad vehicle (1500) for carrying freight is described. The railroad vehicle (1500) comprises power regeneration capability through a traction motor (1530) linked to a driving wheel (1520D), an electrical energy storage system (1550), a controller (1570) that may selectively operate the traction motor (1530) in a motoring mode, a coasting mode, or a dynamic braking mode. In the dynamic braking mode electrical energy from the traction motor (1530) is transmitted to the electrical energy storage system (1550). The controller (1570) is in communication with a communication link (1580) that receives control commands from an external control source (1595), and those control commands indicate the operating mode for a particular period of time.

A self-powered railroad system (1700), in one embodiment, comprises a locomotive (1710), a control source (1715), and a plurality of load units (1720A-K and 1730A-G), some of which are railroad vehicles (1720A-K) comprising the components of railroad vehicle (1500) that provide for selective operation in a motoring mode, a coasting mode, or a dynamic braking mode. The self-powered railroad system may also comprise a control source and at least one railroad vehicle controlled by the control source, such as for coupling, uncoupling, and moving to or from a loading dock.

An electrical energy capture system for use in connection with a hybrid energy off highway vehicle system of a off highway vehicle. The hybrid energy off highway vehicle system includes an off highway vehicle, a primary power source, and an off highway vehicle traction motor propelling the off highway vehicle in response to the primary electric power. The off highway vehicle traction motor has a dynamic braking mode of operation generating electrical energy. The electrical energy capture system includes an energy management processor carried on the off highway vehicle. The capture system also includes an off highway vehicle electric generator connected to and driven by the primary power source for selectively supplying primary electric power, wherein the generator is responsive to said processor. An electrical energy storage device is carried on a off highway vehicle and is in electrical communication with the off highway vehicle traction motor. The storage device is responsive to the processor, selectively stores electrical energy generated in the dynamic braking mode, and selectively provides secondary electric power from said stored electricity electrical energy to the off highway vehicle traction motor. The off highway vehicle traction motor is responsive to the secondary electric power. The processor provides a first control signal to the electrical energy storage device to control the selective storing of the electrical energy generated in the dynamic braking mode, and to control the selective providing of secondary electric power to the off highway vehicle traction motor. The processor also provides a second control signal to the generator for controlling the selective supplying of primary electric power to the off highway vehicle traction motor.

A shift control system of a hybrid transmission for a vehicle is arranged to correct ideal motor / generator torques so as to achieve a target engine speed prior to a target driving torque when an actual engine speed becomes greater than an allowable upper-limit engine speed and to correct the ideal motor / generator torque so as to achieve the target driving torque prior to the target engine speed when the actual engine speed does not become greater than the allowable upper-limit engine speed.

A power module constructs a pressurizing tool by laminating an elastic member as well as a DC positive-side wiring member and DC negative-side wiring member in which currents flow in opposite directions. The pressurizing tool presses a first fixing tool, and then the first fixing tool presses semiconductor equipment. The semiconductor equipment is fixed to a heat dissipating member with its heat dissipating surface brought into surface contact with side wall surfaces of the heat dissipating member. The power module can enhance heat dissipation between a heat dissipating member and semiconductor equipment, and enables the semiconductor equipment to be fixed to the heat dissipating member without adding other components to the power module.

An inductive power transfer system (10) for roadways includes at least one drive unit arrangement (50) coupled to at least one drive coil arrangement (40) disposed along a roadway (20) for generating a magnetic field extending upwardly from the roadway (20), and at least one vehicle (30) including a corresponding pickup coil arrangement (60) coupled to a power conditioning circuit arrangement (80, 200) for receiving the extending magnetic field for providing power to operate the at least one vehicle (30). The at least one drive unit arrangement (50) is operable to excite, for example at resonance, the at least one drive coil arrangement (40) at a fundamental frequency (f0) of at least 30 kHz, preferably at least 50 kHz, more preferably at least 100 kHz, and most preferably at least 140 kHz. The at least one drive coil arrangement (40) is implemented to be substantially devoid of ferromagnetic components for providing a path for the extending magnetic field. Optionally, the at least one drive unit arrangement (50) is operable to employ a balanced class-E amplifier arrangement for exciting the at least one drive coil arrangement (40) at the fundamental frequency (f0). Optionally, the at least one drive unit arrangement (50) is operable to employ one or more Silicon Carbide semiconductor devices for switching the currents provided to the corresponding at least one drive coil arrangement (40). Optionally, there is further included a passive and / or active suppression arrangement (100, 110, 120, 130, 140) for suppressing harmonic magnetic field components generated by the system (10) at multiples of the fundamental frequency (f0) when in operation.

In a charge / discharge mode, an inverter performs power conversion between a power storage device and a commercial power supply electrically connected to a neutral point through a power line. In the charge / discharge mode, ECU sets a carrier frequency of the inverter to a frequency higher than in a running mode. Further, in the charge / discharge mode, a drive circuit drives the inverter using a gate resistance higher than in the running mode.

A vehicle includes a motor for driving wheels WH, an inverter to drive the motor, and a control device to perform PWM control of the inverter. The control device performs synchronous PWM control in a case where an electric current supplied to the motor by the inverter or torque generated in the motor is larger than a threshold value; and performs the synchronous PWM control or non-synchronous PWM control in a case where the electric current or the torque is smaller than the threshold value and sets carrier frequency or a pulse number of the PWM control to be higher than the case where the electric current or the torque is larger than the threshold value. Thereby, it is possible to provide a vehicle of achieving reduction of noise, reduction of cost and improvement of fuel consumption in a balanced manner.

Specific anomalies and details of failures as well as measures thereagainst are described that might possibly occur in electric power converters that drive and control permanent-magnet synchronous motors. An electric power converter capable of stable operation has a protective function of taking proper measures against such failures that might possibly occur.

When an upper arm of U-phase has failed because of short-circuit, lower arms of V-phase phase and W-phase as the opposite arms are switching-operated. When only the lower arm of V-phase is turned on, a route of motor current passing through an IGBT element from a V-phase coil is formed, and therefore, the motor current returning to the short-circuited phase decreases. Further, by the switching operation of the arm opposite to the short-circuited arm, an AC current is induced in a motor generator. Therefore, it is possible to continuously drive the motor generator while preventing increase in the current passing through the short-circuited phase, without adding a new device structure. This ensures running of the vehicle in the limp mode.

A creep travel capability of an electric vehicle is secured when an abnormality occurs in a brake sensor. When an accelerator operation amount reaches 0% in a low vehicle speed region, a target creep torque is set, whereupon a motor-generator is controlled toward the target creep torque. The target creep torque is reduced as a brake pedal is depressed in order to suppress heat generation and the like in the motor-generator during vehicle braking. Hence, in an electric vehicle in which the target creep torque is varied in accordance with the brake operation amount, when an abnormality occurs (step S11) in a brake sensor for detecting a brake operation amount, a preset prescribed creep torque is employed as the target creep torque regardless of the brake operation amount (step S15). The prescribed creep torque is set at a required magnitude for securing the creep travel capability.

By the vehicle controller of the present invention, when the economy mode is selected by a driver, boosting by a converter is limited and output torque of a motor is limited. Even in the economy mode, however, if the driver requests large torque, either the limit on boosting or the limit on output torque is cancelled. As a result, a vehicle controller for a vehicle including a battery, a converter boosting / lowering the battery voltage and a motor operating with the power from the converter is provided, by which unnecessary power consumption is reduced and the torque requested by the driver can be generated.

An electric vehicle receives electric power, in a non-contact manner, from an electric power transmitting coil provided externally to the vehicle. The electric vehicle includes an electric power receiving unit that is disposed at a bottom of the vehicle and receives electric power from the electric power transmitting unit via electromagnetic field resonance; a camera that captures an image of the outside; and a display unit that displays an outside view from the vehicle that is captured by the camera. The electric power receiving unit is disposed at a position that is offset toward a peripheral face, on which the camera is disposed, with respect to the center of the bottom in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle.

An apparatus comprises a power electronic energy conversion system comprising a first energy storage device configured to store DC energy and a first voltage converter configured to convert a second voltage from a remote power supply into a first charging voltage configured to charge the first energy storage device. The apparatus also includes a first controller configured to control the first voltage converter to convert the second voltage into the first charging voltage and to provide the first charging voltage to the first energy storage device during a charging mode of operation and communicate with a second controller located remotely from the power electronic energy conversion system to cause a second charging voltage to be provided to the first energy storage device during the charging mode of operation to rapidly charge the first energy storage device.

A system and method for managing electrical power generated by an engine for use in connection with operating a hybrid energy off highway vehicle load control system. A load control circuit determines a current operating condition of the Off Highway Vehicle, and determines a corresponding target operating condition of the Off Highway Vehicle The load control system determines a difference between the current operating condition and a target operating condition to identify transients. The load control system delivers power from the power source to a energy storage for an initial period after a transient condition is identified and then delivers power from the power source to source to the traction motors to propel the Off Highway Vehicle. The load control system also retrieves to power from the energy storage to assist in propelling the Off Highway Vehicle.

A power supply device mounted to a hybrid vehicle includes: a capacitor that is chargeable / dischargeable; an electric power input / output unit for inputting / outputting electric power between the capacitor and a charge / discharge device installed external to the hybrid vehicle; a temperature sensor detecting a temperature of the capacitor; and a control device increasing the temperature of the capacitor by performing at least one of charging from the charge / discharge device to the capacitor and discharging from the capacitor to the charge / discharge device when the control device determines based on a detection result of the temperature sensor that the temperature of the capacitor is required to be increased. Thereby, the temperature of the capacitor can be increased without causing a load such as an inverter to consume electric power.

A variable magnetic flux motor drive system includes: a variable magnetic flux motor having a variable magnet which is a low-coercive permanent magnet; an inverter that drives the variable magnetic flux motor 1; an inverter as a magnetization unit which supplies a magnetization current for controlling a magnetic flux of the variable magnet; and a boosting unit boosting an input DC voltage to a predetermined target value to output it to the inverter. The variable magnetic flux motor drive system makes it possible to achieve size reduction and high efficiency, while securing a voltage required for supplying a magnetization current when controlling the magnetic flux of the variable magnet.

A boost converter boosts a DC voltage of a DC power supply. An inverter converts the output voltage of the boost converter into an AC voltage. An AC motor is driven by the output voltage of the inverter. A control device which controls the boost converter reduces an output voltage instruction value of the boost converter in the case where the rotation speed of the AC motor is decreased and an absolute value of a variation rate of the rotation speed is not less than a predetermined value. The inverter is controlled in the control mode selected from a plurality of control modes including three modes of a sine wave PWM control mode, an overmodulation PWM control mode and a rectangular wave control mode. The control device of the boost converter reduces the output voltage instruction value of the boost converter only in the case where the control mode of the inverter is the rectangular wave control mode or the overmodulation control mode.

In a discharge control section of an inverter control device, when the connection of the battery and the smoothing capacitor is disconnected by means of a contactor, the charge accumulated on the smoothing capacitor is discharged by applying high-frequency voltage to the stator windings of the motor by controlling the main inverter circuit.

The invention relates to a contact system, power pack and energy storage device hybrid-powered CRH train traction system, which is characterized by mainly comprising a traction transformer, a power pack, an energy storage device, a traction converter and a traction motor, and a contact system is connected with the primary side of the traction transformer through a pantograph, and the two secondary windings of the traction transformer are directly connected with the traction converter; the traction converter is connected with the traction motor, and a diesel engine and a generator form the internal combustion power pack; and the three-phase output of the generator is directly connected with the traction inverter, and the energy storage device is connected with the intermediate DC bus of the traction converter. The traction system can run simultaneously on electrified and non-electrified lines, and can rescue self through power supplied by the power pack and the energy storage device.

The present invention provides a method for controlling a permanent magnet synchronous motor used in electric vehicles such as hybrid vehicles, fuel cell vehicles, and the like. The method for controlling the permanent magnet synchronous motor preferably includes detecting an absolute angular position of a permanent magnet synchronous motor; calculating a rotational speed of the permanent magnet synchronous motor based on the detected absolute angular position; detecting a voltage of a battery as a power source; calculating a compensated speed, for which a battery voltage variation is compensated, from the rotational speed of the permanent magnet synchronous motor based on a torque command, the rotational speed of the permanent magnet synchronous motor, and the battery voltage; generating a d-axis current command and a q-axis current command corresponding to the torque command and the compensated speed using a predetermined current command map; converting three-phase currents flowing into the permanent magnet synchronous motor into a d-axis feedback current and a q-axis feedback current based on the detected absolute angular position; calculating a d-axis voltage command and a q-axis voltage command based on the d-axis current command, the q-axis current command, the d-axis feedback current, and the q-axis feedback current; converting the d-axis voltage command and the q-axis voltage command into three-phase voltage commands based on the detected absolute angular position; and controlling the operation of the permanent magnet synchronous motor based on the three-phase voltage commands.

A hybrid energy railway vehicle system having a traction motor with a dynamic braking mode of operation for dynamically braking the traction motor and for generating dynamic braking electrical energy and an electrical energy storage system that is in electrical communication with the traction motor and that stores dynamic braking electrical energy generated by the traction motor. The system also has a hybrid energy railway vehicle with a plurality of wheels wherein the traction motor has a motoring mode of operation for driving one of the wheels in response to electrical input energy. A converter selectively provides stored electrical energy from the energy storage system to the traction motor as electrical input energy for driving one or more of wheels. The hybrid energy railway vehicle is optionally equipped computer readable medium having computer executable instructions for controlling the operation of the hybrid energy railway vehicle and a processor configured to control the operation of the railway vehicle as a function of at least one of a plurality of operating modes.

The occurrence or non-occurrence of a certain slip of a drive wheel is detected based on only a motor torque used for driving a vehicle, a brake torque, and a rotation speed of a motor computed from an output of a rotational position detection sensor. In response to detection of the occurrence of the certain slip, drive restriction of the motor is activated for slip control. This arrangement enables effective slip control by the simple configuration. The slip control is attainable by multiple different mechanisms, that is, a brake system and the drive restriction of the motor. Even in the event of any failure or abnormality arising in the brake system or in the event of prohibiting traction control of the brake system in response to the driver's operation of a TRC off switch, the drive restriction of the motor accomplishes the slip control. This arrangement desirably prevents slip-induced unstable driving of the vehicle and damages of devices involved in slip control for the vehicle.

A power supply system for a vehicle includes: batteries; motor generators operating as rotating electrical machines driven by electric power in the batteries when the vehicle is running, and constituting a first charger when the batteries are charged by electric power received from a source external to the vehicle and; an inlet receiving the electric power supplied from the external source; a second charger receiving the electric power supplied from the external source and charging the batteries; and a control device selecting one of the first and second chargers and performing control for converting the electric power supplied from the external source to the inlet into charging electric power using the selected charger. Thus, a power supply system for a vehicle that is chargeable from various power supplies at the time of charging and has reduced charge loss can be provided.

System including a switch control module that is configured to control operation of a first contactor and a second contactor in a vehicle system. The first and second contactors are configured to selectively connect front-end and direct-current (DC) buses, respectively, to an energy storage system of the vehicle system. The front-end bus is configured to receive electrical power from an external power source and provide the electrical power to a converter device. The converter device is configured to supply DC power to the DC bus. The switch control module is configured to close the second contactor when the vehicle system is operably coupled to the external power source so that the energy storage system is charged by the DC power. The switch control module is configured to close one of the first contactor or the second contactor when the vehicle system is operably decoupled to the external power source.

A motor drive device (100) includes a boost converter (12) boosting a power supply voltage and outputting a boosted voltage; an inverter (14) receiving the boosted voltage from the boost converter (12) and driving a motor (M1); and a controller (30) giving a target value of the boosted voltage to the boost converter (12) and setting one of a rectangular-wave control and a non-rectangular-wave control as a control method of the inverter (14). The controller (30) is capable of selecting from a first operation mode for giving a first boosted target value and designating the non-rectangular-wave control as the control method and a second operation mode for giving a second boosted target value lower than the first boosted target value and designating the rectangular-wave control as the control method, in response to a same predetermined input signal indicating a torque request.

An electric motor (10) has a field pole formed by a field current passing through a field winding (50). A voltage booting converter (120) converts output voltage of a battery (B) and outputs the voltage between a power source line (107) and a grounding line (105). Field winding (50) is electrically connected onto an electric current channel between battery (B) and power source line (107) and formed so that voltage switched by a switching element (Q1) is applied to both ends. A controller (100) controls the field current so as to adjust density of magnetic flux between a rotor and a stator by performing switching control on switching element (Q1) and a switching element (Q3) connected in parallel to field winding (50) and converts the output voltage of battery (B) into voltage in accordance with a voltage command value.

An interface circuit capable of reliably transmitting signal even when there is fluctuation in the potential difference in reference potentials between circuits between which signal transmission is carried out. An interface circuit 4 is comprised of a level shift circuit 20 and a potential selection circuit 10 for selecting the potential of a power supply voltage for operating the level shift circuit 20. The potential selection circuit 10 selects one of a plurality of input potentials. The level shift circuit 20 receives a voltage pulse having a first potential as reference potential and outputs a voltage pulse having a second potential as reference potential. The level shift circuit 20 is operated on the basis of both a potential difference between the output potential from the potential selection circuit and the first potential and a potential difference between the selected potential and the second potential.