Resolver with integrated power electronics

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide an electric drive motor system including a stationary side, a rotating side, and a first mounting and communication structure on the rotating side. The secondary winding is physically coupled to the first mounting and communication structure. The rectifier system is physically coupled to the first mounting and communication structure.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims the benefit of the prior filing date of U.S. Provisional Application Serial No. 63 / 333,790, filed on April 22, 2022, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Background Art

[0003] A wound-rotor synchronous machine (WRSM) is an electric motor with a rotor and a stator. The stator is the fixed part of the machine, while the rotor is the rotating part of the machine. The stator usually has a multi-phase winding, while the rotor is made with a field winding that replaces the permanent magnets. The rotor rotates in a magnetic field, and the magnetic field can be generated by the windings or field coils. The field coil is an electromagnet that is used to generate a magnetic field in an electromagnetic machine, which is typically a rotating electrical machine such as a motor or a generator. It consists of a coil of wire through which an electric current flows. In the case of a machine with a field coil, an electric current must flow in the coil to generate a magnetic field, otherwise no power is transferred to or from the rotor. The process of generating a magnetic field with the help of an electric current is called excitation. The field coil produces the most flexible form of flux regulation and de-regulation, but at the expense of the flow of electric current.

[0004] Conventionally, the rotor windings of a WRSM can be powered or excited using a slip ring and brush assembly system. However, the slip ring and brush assembly system has disadvantages, including low efficiency at high speeds, frequent maintenance requirements, and overall loss, especially at high speeds due to high contact resistance between the brushes and the slip rings.

[0005] In order to avoid the shortcomings of the slip ring and brush assembly excitation methods, wireless (or contactless) excitation systems or wireless power transfer systems have been developed. In general, wireless power transfer uses various technologies to transfer energy by means of an electromagnetic field (EMF) without the need for a physical link. In a wireless power transfer system, a transmitter device driven by electric power from a power source generates a time-varying EMF, which transmits power to a receiver device via mutual inductance (M) across space. The receiver device extracts power from the EMF using M and supplies the extracted power to an electrical load. Wireless power transfer provides power to electrical devices / loads where interconnecting wires are inconvenient, dangerous or impossible. Wireless power technology is mainly divided into two categories, near field and far field. In near field technology, time-varying EMF is generated using various technologies, including resonant inductive coupling. Resonant inductive coupling is a near-field wireless transfer of electrical energy between magnetically coupled coils, which are part of a resonant circuit that is tuned to resonate at the same frequency as the drive frequency.

[0006] Rotary transformer (RT) is a wireless power transfer system that can be used for controlled wireless excitation of the rotor winding of WRSM. RT performs the same general function as conventional transformers, that is, both transfer electrical energy from one circuit to another at the same frequency but different voltages. Conventional transformers work on the principle of electromagnetic induction, that is, an electromotive force is induced in a closed circuit due to a variable magnetic field around it. The difference between RT and conventional transformers is that the RT geometry is arranged so that the primary winding and the secondary winding can rotate relative to each other, and the change in electrical characteristics is negligible. In a known configuration, RT can be constructed by winding the primary winding and the secondary winding into separate halves of a cup-shaped core. The concentric halves face each other, with each half mounted on one of the parts that rotate relative to each other. The magnetic flux provides coupling from one half of the cup-shaped core across the air gap to the other half, providing M that transfers energy from the primary winding of the RT to its secondary winding.

[0007] Known methods of using RT systems to provide excitation to WRSMs may include a resonant tuning network, also known as a compensation network. A resonant tuning network may include circuit components (e.g., various combinations of resistors, inductors, and / or capacitors) that enable an associated transformer to store oscillating electrical energy similar to a resonant circuit, and thus act as a bandpass filter, allowing frequencies close to their resonant frequency to pass from the primary winding to the secondary winding, but blocking other frequencies. The amount of M between the primary and secondary windings, along with the quality factor (Q factor) of the circuit, determines the shape of the frequency response curve. Resonant circuits are often called LC or LRC circuits due to the inductance (L), resistance (R), and capacitance (C) components used to form the resonant circuit. In materials science, each material has its own natural frequency. If the external vibration is equal to the natural frequency, resonance occurs. In electrical science, the impedance of an inductor and a capacitor depends on the frequency. The impedance of a capacitor is inversely proportional to the frequency, while the impedance of an inductor is directly proportional to the frequency. At a specific frequency, the two cancel each other out. Such a circuit is called a resonant circuit, and the specific frequency is the resonant frequency.

[0008] In conventional RT systems that provide resonant tuning or compensation (i.e., RT compensation systems), a resonant tuning network (or compensation network) is provided on both the stationary (or stator, or primary) side and the rotating (or rotational, or secondary) side of the WRSM. For the primary coil, the basic function of "compensation" is to minimize the input apparent power and / or minimize the voltage-ampere (VA) rating of the power supply. For the secondary coil, compensation cancels out the leakage inductance of the secondary coil in order to maximize the transfer capability.

[0009] In general, electric motors can be relatively complex structures with parts that rotate at high speeds and generate high temperatures. In addition, the use of various forms of electromotive force, EMF, complex communication signals, complex motor control operations, and the like can add further complexity. Furthermore, for many applications, motor size and weight must be controlled. Therefore, it is valuable to provide motor designs that prioritize compact size; reduced cost; simplification of electrical, mechanical, and thermal design; and reduced eddy current losses. Summary of the invention

[0010] Embodiments of the present disclosure provide an electric drive motor system including a fixed side, a rotating side, and a first mounting and communication structure on the rotating side. The secondary winding is physically coupled to the first mounting and communication structure. The rectifier system is physically coupled to the first mounting and communication structure.

[0011] Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method of manufacturing an electric drive motor system, the method comprising forming a fixed side, forming a rotating side, and forming a first mounting and communication structure on the rotating side. The secondary winding is physically coupled to the first mounting and communication structure. The rectifier system is physically coupled to the first mounting and communication structure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] Figure 1 is a simplified block diagram illustrating a non-limiting example of an electric drive motor system with integrated power electronics according to aspects of the present disclosure;

[0013] Figure 2 It is shown that according to aspects of the present disclosure Figure 1 A simplified block diagram of a non-limiting example of how an electric motor drive system may be implemented is shown in;

[0014] Figure 3 is a simplified block diagram showing a three-dimensional (3D) view and a front-side view of a non-limiting example of how a portion of a rotating side of an electric machine may be configured to include integrated power electronics according to aspects of the present disclosure;

[0015] Figure 4 is a simplified block diagram showing a front and left side view of a non-limiting example of how a portion of a rotating side of an electric machine may be configured to include integrated power electronics according to aspects of the present disclosure;

[0016] Figure 5 is a simplified block diagram showing a left side view of a non-limiting example of how a portion of a rotating side of an electric machine may be configured to include integrated power electronics according to aspects of the present disclosure;

[0017] Figure 6is a simplified flow chart diagram showing a front side view of a structure following manufacturing operations for forming a portion of a rotating side of an electric machine configured to include integrated power electronics according to aspects of the present disclosure;

[0018] Figure 7 is a simplified flow chart diagram showing a front side view of a structure following manufacturing operations for forming a portion of a rotating side of an electric machine configured to include integrated power electronics according to aspects of the present disclosure; and

[0019] Figure 8 is a simplified flow chart diagram showing a front side view of a structure following manufacturing operations for forming a portion of a rotating side of an electric machine configured to include integrated power electronics in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a novel integrated power electronics system that can be used in an electric motor drive system having a wireless power transfer (or RT) network. The electric motor drive system may include an electric motor (e.g., a WRSM) having a fixed side and a rotating side. In embodiments of the present disclosure, the integrated power electronics system may be implemented as an integrated mounting and / or communication structure, and selected portions of the motor and / or wireless power transfer system may be integrated with the structure to provide improved physical support, improved electronic communication, and improved cooling. On the rotating side, instances of the integrated mounting and / or communication structure may be used to integrate secondary windings; rotating side elements of the RT (if any); rectifiers; and various electronic connections between the secondary windings, the rotating side elements of the RT, and the rectifiers. On the fixed side, instances of the integrated mounting and / or communication structure may be used to integrate inverters; fixed side elements of the RT; primary windings; and various electronic connections between the inverter, the fixed side elements of the RT, and the primary windings. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the integrated mounting and / or communication structure may be implemented as a multi-layer printed circuit board (PCB) operable to combine primary windings, secondary windings, transistors (e.g., for inverters), diodes (e.g., for rectifiers), wiring, and the like within its layers. On the rotating side where cooling is required, the PCB may include an assembly area operable to accommodate certain components (e.g., diodes for rectifiers) and cooling mechanisms for the accommodated components.

[0021] Therefore, the integrated mounting and / or communication structure (e.g., PCB) described herein provides technical advantages and technical effects. The secondary winding and rectifier subsystem are assembled in the same PCB structure, which significantly simplifies the design, prototype development, and production of the associated RT. Embodiments of the present disclosure also reduce or eliminate the termination and interconnection difficulties between the rectifier and secondary winding assemblies. Embodiments of the present disclosure also allow the assembly area (e.g., the assembly area that accommodates the diodes of the rectifier) ​​to be directly mounted on the motor shaft using an aluminum support sleeve, which provides high mechanical robustness and simpler thermal management. Therefore, according to aspects of the present disclosure, the integrated mounting and communication structure implements a motor design that prioritizes compact size; reduced cost; simplification of electrical, mechanical and thermal design; and reduced eddy current losses.

[0022] Turning now to a more detailed description of embodiments of the present disclosure, Figure 1 A system 100 embodying aspects of the present disclosure is depicted. The system 100 includes an energy source 110 electronically coupled to an electric motor drive system 102. The electric motor drive system 102 includes an inverter / RT system 120, an alternating-current (AC) excited motor 140, and a controller 170, configured and arranged as shown. According to aspects of the present disclosure, the inverter / RT system 120 includes an integrated mounting and communication structure 160, which is operable to integrate with the inverter system 122; an RT compensation system 124; an electrical connector 128, which is operable to electrically couple the inverter system 122 to the RT compensation system 124; a primary winding 126; and an electrical connector 130, which is operable to electrically couple the RT compensation system 124 to the primary winding 126. According to aspects of the present disclosure, the DC-excited motor 140 includes an integrated mounting and communication structure 162 operable to be integrated with the secondary winding 146; a rectifier system 142; and an electrical connector 150 operable to electrically couple the secondary winding 146 to the rectifier system 142. Although the inverter / RT system 120, the DC-excited motor 140, and the controller 170 are depicted as separate components, it should be understood that the inverter / RT system 120, the DC-excited motor 140, and the controller 170 can be configured and arranged in any suitable combination. For example, the controller 170 can be incorporated within the inverter / RT system 120; the inverter / RT system 120 can be incorporated within the DC-excited motor 140; and / or the inverter / RT system 120 and the controller 170 can be incorporated within the DC-excited motor 140.

[0023] The energy source 110 can be implemented in various forms, including, for example, as a battery. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the battery can be a battery pack having a group of one or more individual battery cells connected in series or in parallel and operating under the control of one or more controllers, such as a battery control module (BCM) that monitors and controls the performance of the battery pack. For example, the BCM can monitor several battery pack level characteristics, such as the battery pack current, battery pack voltage, and battery pack temperature measured by a current sensor. The battery pack can be recharged by an external power source (not shown). The battery pack can include power conversion electronics that are operable to regulate power from an external power source to provide the battery pack with appropriate voltage and current levels. The individual battery cells within the battery pack can be composed of various chemical formulas. The battery pack chemical composition can include, but is not limited to, lead acid, nickel cadmium (NiCd), nickel metal hydride (NIMH), lithium ion, or lithium ion polymer.

[0024] The inverter 122 may be a resonant inverter 122 electrically coupled between the energy source 110 and the DC-excited motor 140 to transfer excitation energy from the energy source 110 to the DC-excited motor 140 through the RT compensation system 124 and the primary winding 126. More specifically, the resonant inverter 122 is operable to provide energy from the energy source 110 to the RT compensation system 124 at a desired resonant frequency for the purpose of providing excitation to the DC-excited motor 140 through the primary winding 126. In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the resonant inverter 122 is operable to convert a direct-current (DC) voltage from the energy source 110 into an AC current of a desired resonant frequency according to the requirements of the DC-excited motor 140 and the RT compensation system 124 for motor excitation. In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the resonant inverter 122 may be a full-bridge resonant inverter having four switches organized into two "phase legs". Each phase leg may include two switches connected in series and connected between a positive DC rail and a negative DC rail. The phase node may be positioned between the two switches of each phase leg to provide the phase of the AC waveform output of the desired resonant frequency. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the resonant inverter 122 generates HF AC. The controller 170 is electrically coupled to the phase leg switches to control the on / off state of the switches, thereby controlling the frequency and phase of the AC waveform generated by the resonant inverter 122. The controller 170 includes a computing device including a computer, a microprocessor, a digital signal processor, and the like configured and operable to execute software commands and programs, and may include associated firmware so that the controller is configured and operable to control the on / off switch operation of the resonant inverter 122. The controller 170 is also configured to send various control commands to the DC-excited motor 140 to control, for example, the torque and / or speed of the motor 140.

[0025] The DC-excited motor 140 can be any compromise motor design suitable for the work to be performed by the motor. In conventional automotive-based motor applications, examples of work that can be done by the motor include operating or moving power windows; power seats; fans for heaters and radiators; windshield wipers; and / or the engine of a vehicle with a hybrid electric vehicle configuration. Regardless of the type of DC-excited motor 140, it relies on electromagnetic and flipping magnetic fields to generate mechanical power. Conventional implementations of DC-excited motors 140 include five basic parts, namely a stator; a rotor; a solid shaft; a coil; and a so-called "squirrel cage." The windings of the stator in a DC-excited motor are rings of electromagnets that are paired in sequence and energized, which produces a rotating magnetic field. The rotor in a DC-excited motor does not have any direct connection to the power supply, and it has no brushes. Instead, it often uses the squirrel cage described previously. The squirrel cage in a DC-excited motor is a set of rotor bars connected to two rings, one at each end. The squirrel cage rotor goes inside the stator. When the excitation power is sent through the stator, it generates an EMF. The bars in the squirrel cage rotor are conductors, so they react to the flipping of the stator's magnetic poles, which makes the rotor spin and creates its own magnetic field. The key to an induction motor (where the rotor's magnetic field is induced by the stator's magnetic field) is that the rotor is always trying to catch up. It's always seeking static equilibrium, so it's spinning to find that stable state. However, the EMF generated by the stator is always a little faster than the rotor's magnetic field. The rotation of the rotor creates torque, which is needed to create mechanical power to turn the wheels of a car or the blades of a fan. Some DC-excited motors use a wound rotor (such as a WRSM), which is wrapped with wire instead of a squirrel cage. In either case, there is only one moving part in a DC-excited motor, which means there are fewer things to replace or maintain.

[0026] As noted, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, the DC-excited motor 140 may be a WRSM. A WRSM is a rotary electric motor having a rotor and a stator. The stator is the stationary portion of the machine, while the rotor is the rotating portion of the machine. The stator typically has a multi-phase winding, while the rotor is made with a field winding that replaces the permanent magnets. The rotor rotates in a magnetic field, and the magnetic field may be generated by windings or field coils. In the case of a machine with a field coil, an excitation current must flow in the coil to generate a magnetic field, otherwise no power is transferred to or from the rotor. The field coil produces the most flexible form of flux regulation and deregulation, but at the expense of the flow of current. Conventionally, the rotor windings of a WRSM may be powered or excited with a slip ring and brush assembly. However, slip ring and brush systems have disadvantages, including low efficiency at high speeds, frequent maintenance requirements, and overall losses, particularly at high speeds due to high contact resistance between the brush and slip ring system.

[0027] To avoid the disadvantages of the slip ring and brush assembly excitation method, the RT compensation system 124, the primary winding 126 and the secondary winding 146 are operable to provide wireless excitation or wireless power transfer from the stator side of the motor 140 to the rotor side of the motor 140. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the RT compensation system 124 can be implemented as a specially designed fixed-side only RT compensation system 124. In general, RT is a circuit and method for wireless power transfer to the secondary winding of the WRSM for controlled excitation. RT is basically the same as a conventional transformer because it transfers electrical energy from one circuit to another at the same frequency but different voltages. In general, conventional transformers work on the principle of electromagnetic induction, that is, an electromotive force is induced in a closed circuit due to a variable magnetic field around it. The difference between RT and conventional transformers is that the geometry of RT is arranged so that the primary winding and the secondary winding can rotate relative to each other, and the change in electrical characteristics is negligible. In a known configuration, RT can be constructed by winding the primary winding and the secondary winding into separate halves of a cup-shaped core. The concentric halves face each other with each half mounted on one of the parts that rotate relative to each other. Magnetic flux provides coupling from one half of the cup core across the air gap to the other half, providing M that couples energy from the primary winding of the RT to its secondary winding.

[0028] In conventional RT designs that provide resonant tuning or compensation (i.e., RT compensation systems), the resonant tuning network (or compensation network) is provided on both the stationary (or primary) side and the rotating (or secondary) side of the WRSM. RT designs that have resonant circuit components on both the stationary and rotating sides of the WRSM are difficult to implement. For example, it is difficult in practice to place a resonant tuning network or compensation circuit on the secondary side due to very limited rotor space and high temperature rotor operating conditions that exceed the temperature ratings of commercially available compact capacitors. In addition, having a resonant tuning capacitor on the secondary side increases the complexity of the rotating parts, increases mechanical mass, increases inertia, and reduces mechanical reliability, especially at high rotational speeds.

[0029] The fixed-side-only implementation of the RT compensation system 124 solves the difficulties associated with practically implementing (i.e., building and using) conventional RT designs that include a double-sided compensation network by providing the benefits of wireless power transfer without the difficulties associated with providing compensation circuitry on the rotating side of a DC-excited motor 140 (e.g., a WFSM). More specifically, the fixed-side-only implementation of the RT compensation system 124 is operable to wirelessly deliver rotor excitation current from the primary winding 126 to the secondary winding 146, thereby eliminating brush and slip ring maintenance issues, as well as the inefficiencies, manufacturing challenges, and design drawbacks associated with brush and slip ring systems.

[0030] In aspects of the present disclosure, fixed-side-only implementations of the RT compensation system 124 are accomplished by providing an additional resonant tuning capacitor on the primary side (ie, Figure 2 The resonant tuning capacitors C1, C2 of the fixed-side resonant LCC 124A are shown in FIG. f1 One of the primary side resonant tuning capacitors and adjusting the two primary side resonant tuning capacitors so that the uncompensated secondary side does not impose inefficiencies or other disadvantages on the RT system 124 to account for the absence of a resonant tuning capacitor on the secondary side. In an embodiment of the present disclosure, a fixed side only LCC design method is provided, which includes reflecting the impedance and / or inductance of the secondary side to the primary side, and the secondary coil (e.g., Figure 2 The leakage inductance of L2) shown in Figure 1 is tuned on the primary side. In general, reflected impedance (or inductance) is the portion of the impedance in a circuit (e.g., circuit A) that is caused by affecting another coupled circuit (e.g., circuit B). In an embodiment of the present disclosure, this can be achieved by deriving an equivalent circuit model of system 100 and an overall impedance model of system 100, which allows the calculation of the reflected impedance from the secondary to the primary. Further simplifications are applied to the derived equivalent circuit model so that the total impedance seen by the resonant inverter 122 can be calculated. In order to tune this total impedance to unity power factor, the tuning capacitor of the LCC design (e.g., Figure 2 Thus, the fixed side-only implementation of the RT system 124 eliminates the need for capacitor tuning on the secondary side, as well as the need for one or more secondary side resonant tuning capacitors and their tuning, by providing additional primary side tuning components (e.g., one or more resonant tuning capacitors) and adjusting the values ​​of the tuning components on the primary side.

[0031] Figure 2 A system 100A is depicted having a DC link capacitor (C dc ) is electronically coupled to a vehicle battery 110A of an electric motor drive system 102A. The system 100A is a system 100 ( Figure 1 ) is a non-limiting example embodiment; the vehicle battery 110A is the energy source 110 ( Figure 1 ) is a non-limiting example embodiment; and the electric motor drive system 102A is an electric motor drive system 102 ( Figure 1 1. The electric motor drive system 102A may be implemented as a resonant inverter 122A electronically coupled to a controller 170 and a simplified representation of an electric machine 140A. The resonant inverter 122A is an inverter 122 ( Figure 1 The electric machine 140A is a DC excited motor 140 ( Figure 1The electric machine 140A includes a novel stationary-side resonant LCC 124A, a stationary-side primary excitation winding L1, a rotating-side secondary excitation winding L2, a rectifier 142A, and a rotor inductor L rotor and rotor resistance R rotor The novel fixed-side-only resonant LCC 124A is a RT system 124 ( Figure 1 ) is a non-limiting example embodiment of the present disclosure. The system 100A includes a fixed side (e.g., a stator side) 220 and a rotating side (e.g., a rotor side) 230. In general, the fixed side 220 includes a primary winding L1 and circuit elements on its left side, while the rotating side 230 includes a secondary winding L2 and circuit elements on its right side. According to aspects of the present disclosure, the fixed side 220 includes the previously described integrated mounting and communication structure 160, which is implemented as a printed circuit board (PCB) 160A, which is operable to be integrated with the inverter 122A; the fixed side resonant LCC 124A only; various electrical connectors that electrically couple the inverter 122A to the fixed side resonant LCC 124A only; the primary winding L1; and various electrical connectors that electrically couple the fixed side resonant LCC 124A only to the primary winding L2. According to aspects of the present disclosure, the rotating side 230 includes an integrated mounting and communication structure 162 implemented as a PCB 162A and operable to integrate with the secondary winding L2; the rectifier 142A; and various electrical connectors that electrically couple the secondary winding L2 to the rectifier system 142A.

[0032] Although the resonant inverter 122A, the electric machine 140A, and the controller 170 are depicted as separate components, it should be understood that the resonant inverter 122A, the electric machine 140A, and the controller 170 may be configured and arranged in any suitable combination of components. For example, the controller 170 may be incorporated into the resonant inverter 122A; the resonant inverter 122A may be incorporated into the electric machine 140A; and / or the resonant inverter 122A and the controller 170 may be incorporated into the electric machine 140A.

[0033] Still reference Figure 2 The fixed side 220 is configured to transfer power using inductive power transfer, and the rotating side 230 is configured to receive power from the fixed side 220 via inductive power transfer. The fixed side 220 includes a DC vehicle battery 110A, a DC link capacitor C dc, resonant inverter 122A, only fixed side resonant LCC 124A and primary or stator side coil L1. The resonant inverter 122A receives a DC input signal from the vehicle battery 110A and converts the DC input signal into an AC output signal of a desired resonant frequency. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the resonant inverter 120A is a full-bridge inverter circuit, which is operable to include four power electronic switching devices T1, T2, T3, T4, configured and arranged as shown. The switching devices T1, T2, T3, T4 can be implemented in any suitable format, including but not limited to metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors (metal oxide semiconductorfield effect transistor, MOSFET), BJT, FET, IGBT, IGFET and the like. The inverter controller 170 is electrically coupled to each of the switching devices T1, T2, T3, T4 to control the switching operation of the resonant inverter 120A. The inverter controller 170 turns on and off the switching devices T1, T2, T3, T4 to generate an AC output signal V at a desired resonant frequency. inv_0 The inverter controller 170 includes a computing device (with memory) including a computer, microprocessor, digital signal processor, and the like operable to execute software commands and programs, and may include associated firmware such that the controller 170 is configured and operable to control the on / off switching operation of the resonant inverter 120A. The controller 170 is also configured to send various control commands to the DC-excited motor 140A via the PCBs 160A, 162A to control, for example, the torque and / or speed of the motor 140A.

[0034] Only the stationary side resonant LCC 124A interconnects the resonant inverter 122A with the primary or stator side coil L1. Figure 2 In the non-limiting example embodiment of the present disclosure depicted in FIG. 1 , only the stationary-side resonant LCC 124A includes a primary or stator-side inductor L f1 , stator side series capacitor C1 and stator side parallel capacitor C f1 The primary or stator side inductor L f1 and stator-side series capacitor C1 are coupled together in series and coupled to the positive terminal of the primary or stator-side coil L1, while the stator-side shunt capacitor C f1 Coupled in parallel with the primary or stator side coil L1.

[0035] The rotating side 230 includes a secondary or rotor side coil L2 electrically coupled to a rectifier 142A. The secondary or rotor side coil L2 is close enough to the primary or stator side coil L1 to be within the EMF generated by the primary or stator side coil L1 so that M is between the primary or stator side coil L1 and the secondary or rotor side coil L2. The secondary or rotor side coil L2 uses M to generate an AC charging signal, and the rectifier 142A converts the AC charging signal to a DC charging signal (Irotor). In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the rectifier 142A is a bridge rectifier circuit including four diodes D1, D2, D3, and D4. The DC charging signal is provided to the rotor of the electric machine 140A. The rotor at Figure 2 is represented as a resistor R rotor The parallel inductor L rotor .

[0036] Energy is transferred between the primary or stator side coil L1 and the secondary or rotor side coil L2 via M, but any L1 / L2 leakage inductance does not contribute directly to the active power transfer. Leakage inductance can also be undesirable because it causes the voltage to change with load. In a conventional method of reducing leakage inductance and increasing M, a rotor side compensation circuit (e.g., a rotor side capacitance circuit / element) is provided on the rotating side 230. However, for applications such as systems 100, 100A, in which the rotor side rotates relative to the stator side, it is difficult to manufacture a rotor with a rotor side compensation circuit. Embodiments of the present disclosure avoid the need for a rotor side compensation circuit / element by configuring and arranging only a fixed side resonant LCC 124A so that the compensation provided by the rotor side compensation circuit / element on the rotating side 230 in a conventional RT design is provided instead by the design and component value setting of the fixed side resonant LCC 124A alone.

[0037] Figure 3 Depicted are integrated mounting and communication structures 162, secondary winding 146, electrical connector 150, and rectifier system 142 (all in Figure 1 ) may be implemented as additional details of the integrated winding / rectifier 300. Figure 3 A 3D view and front-side view of winding / rectifier 300 are depicted, which includes a PCB mounting / communication element 310, a PCB-based secondary coil 312, a configuration of diodes 322 arranged as a rectifier circuit, a rectifier assembly 320, and a rotor shaft 324, configured and arranged as shown. Generally speaking, the rotor shaft is the central component of the electric motor. The rotor shaft is the carrier shaft of the rotor's laminated core and is therefore connected to the rotor shaft via the controller 170 ( Figure 2142A). The PCB mounting / communication element 310 is an example embodiment of the integrated mounting and communication structure 162; the PCB-based secondary coil 312 is an example embodiment of the secondary winding L2; and the diode 322 is configured to form a rectifier circuit, which is an example embodiment of the rectifier 142A. The PCB mounting / communication element 310 is a multi-layer PCB structure that is operable to incorporate the PCB-based secondary coil 312 (with or without a magnetic core) in one or more of its layers, together with some or all of the electrical connectors 150. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the rectifier diodes 322 can be incorporated into one or more layers of the PCB mounting / communication element 310. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the rectifier diodes 322 are spaced apart from each other and are mounted within a rectifier assembly 320, which is mounted (e.g., by soldering or another suitable joining mechanism) to an exposed surface of the PCB mounting / communication element 310. According to aspects of the present disclosure, the PCB mounting / communication element 310 and the rectifier assembly 320 are physically engaged with each other so that they function as an integrated structure that houses the PCB-based secondary coil 312, the rectifier diodes 322, and some or all of the electrical connectors 150. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the rectifier assembly can be configured to include suitable thermal management elements that are operable to dissipate heat generated on the rotating side 230 during operation of the electric motor 140, 140A. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the rectifier assembly 320 has an elongated cylindrical shape with a height dimension extending away from the PCB mounting / communication element 310. The elongated cylindrical shape and height dimension provide sufficient volume in the rectifier assembly 320 to accommodate the suitable thermal management elements previously described along with some or all of the electrical connectors 150.

[0038] Figure 4 and Figure 5 Depicted are alternative configurations of winding / rectifier structures 400, 500, respectively. More specifically, Figure 4 Depicted are front and left side views of a winding / rectifier 400 having a PCB mounted / communication element 410, a PCB based secondary coil 412, a configuration of diodes 422 arranged as a rectifier circuit, a rectifier assembly 420, and a rotor shaft 424, configured and arranged as shown. The winding / rectifier structure 400 has similarities to the winding / rectifier structure 300 ( Figure 3 ) with substantially the same features and functionality as shown in , except that the PCB mounting / communication element 410 is physically mounted (e.g., by welding or another suitable joining mechanism) to an exposed outer surface of the rectifier assembly 420; and the rectifier assembly 420 is physically mounted (e.g., by welding or another suitable joining mechanism) to an exposed outer surface of the rotor shaft 424.

[0039] Figure 5 Depicted is a left side view of a winding / rectifier 500 having a PCB mounted / communication element 510, a PCB based secondary coil 512, a configuration of diodes 522 arranged as a rectifier circuit, a rectifier assembly 520, and a rotor shaft 524, configured and arranged as shown. The winding / rectifier structure 500 has similarities to the winding / rectifier structure 300 ( Figure 3 ) with substantially the same features and functionality as shown in , except that the PCB mounting / communication element 510 is physically mounted (e.g., by welding or another suitable joining mechanism) to the exposed outer surface of the rotor shaft 524; and the rectifier assembly 420 is also physically mounted (e.g., by welding or another suitable joining mechanism) to the exposed outer surface of the rotor shaft 524. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the rectifier assembly 520 is also physically mounted (e.g., by welding or another suitable joining mechanism) to the exposed surface of the PCB mounting / communication element 510.

[0040] Figure 6 , Figure 7 , Figure 8 and Figure 4 1 depicts an example of how a winding / rectifier 400 may be manufactured in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. Although the manufacturing operations focus on the winding / rectifier 400, substantially the same manufacturing operations may be used to form the winding / rectifier 300 ( Figure 3 ) and / or winding / rectifier 500 ( Figure 5 ). For the sake of brevity, conventional techniques related to making and using aspects of the present disclosure may or may not be described in detail herein. In particular, various aspects of manufacturing PCBs, electrical components, electronic connections, bonding techniques, and the like that can be used to implement the various technical features described herein are well known. Therefore, for the sake of brevity, many conventional implementation details are only briefly mentioned herein or omitted entirely, without providing well-known system and / or process details.

[0041] like Figure 6 As shown, known PCB manufacturing techniques have been used to form the initial structure and layers of the PCB mounting / communication element 410 with an opening 602 for the formation and attachment of the rotor shaft 424. Figure 7 As shown, known manufacturing techniques have been applied to form a PCB-based secondary coil 412 in one or more layers of the PCB mounting / communication component 410. In addition, known manufacturing techniques are also used to form an electrical connector 150 ( Figure 1 ).

[0042] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the PCB-based secondary coil 412 may be formed as a plurality of turns of conductive structures or traces on or in the PCB mounting / communication element 410 and surrounding a rotor shaft 424 ( Figure 4 ) extends through opening 602. The PCB-based secondary coil 412 may be formed in one or more of the multiple layers of the PCB mounting / communication element 410. Some or all of the electrical connectors 150 ( Figure 1 4) may be formed in or on the PCB mounting / communication element 410 for electronically coupling the PCB-based secondary coil 412 to the diode 422. Any suitable form of interconnect mechanism (e.g., copper wire layers and the like) may be used as the electrical connector 150.

[0043] like Figure 8 As shown, known manufacturing techniques have been used to manufacture the rectifier assembly 420 having the diode 422 and the previously described features associated with the electrical connector 150 and the heat sink element. Known manufacturing techniques have been further used to physically mount (e.g., by soldering or another suitable bonding mechanism) the PCB mounting / communication element 410 to the exposed outer surface of the rectifier assembly 420. Finally, as Figure 4 As shown, known manufacturing techniques have been used to physically mount (eg, by welding or another suitable joining mechanism) the rectifier assembly 420 to the exposed outer surface of the rotor shaft 424 .

[0044] although Figures 3 to 8 Focus on Figure 1 The example embodiment of the integrated mounting and communication structure 162, secondary winding 146, electrical connector 150 and rectifier system 142 shown in FIG, but substantially the same structural options and manufacturing options apply to Figure 1 1 , the integrated mounting and communication structure 160 , the inverter system 122 , the electrical connector 128 , the RT system 124 , the electrical connector 130 , and the primary winding 126 are shown in FIG.

[0045] Therefore, it can be seen from the foregoing detailed description that the integrated mounting and / or communication structure (e.g., PCB) described herein provides technical advantages and technical effects. The secondary winding and rectifier subsystem are assembled in the same PCB structure, which significantly simplifies the design, prototype development, and production of the associated RT. The embodiments of the present disclosure also reduce or eliminate the termination and interconnection difficulties between the rectifier and secondary winding assemblies. The embodiments of the present disclosure also allow the assembly area (e.g., the assembly area that accommodates the diodes of the rectifier) ​​to be directly mounted on the motor shaft using an aluminum support sleeve, which provides high mechanical robustness and simpler thermal management. Therefore, according to aspects of the present disclosure, the integrated mounting and communication structure implements a motor design that prioritizes compact size; reduced cost; simplification of electrical, mechanical, and thermal design; and reduced eddy current losses.

[0046] For ease of illustration and explanation, the various components / modules of the system shown herein are depicted separately. In embodiments of the present disclosure, the functions performed by the various components / modules / models may be distributed differently than shown without departing from the scope of the various embodiments of the present disclosure described herein, unless otherwise explicitly stated.

[0047] The terms used herein are for the purpose of describing specific embodiments only and are not intended to be limiting. As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an", and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms "comprises" and / or "comprising", when used in this specification, specify the presence of the features, integers, steps, operations, elements and / or parts, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements parts and / or groups thereof.

[0048] The figures described herein are illustrative. There may be many variations of the figures or the steps (or operations) described therein without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure. For example, actions may be performed in different orders, or actions may be added, deleted or modified. In addition, the term "coupling" describes having a signal path between two elements, and does not imply a direct connection between elements, without intermediate elements / connections therebetween. All of these variations are considered to be a part of the present disclosure.

[0049] The following definitions and abbreviations will be used in the interpretation of the claims and specification. As used herein, the terms "comprises," "comprising," "includes," "including," "has," "having," "contains," or "containing" or any other variation thereof are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a composition, mixture, process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements is not necessarily limited to only those elements but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such composition, mixture, process, method, article, or apparatus.

[0050] Additionally, the term "exemplary" is used herein to mean "serving as an example, instance, or illustration." Any embodiment or design described herein as "exemplary" is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments or designs. The terms "at least one" and "one or more" are understood to include any integer greater than or equal to one, i.e., one, two, three, four, etc. The term "plurality" is understood to include any integer greater than or equal to two, i.e., two, three, four, five, etc. The term "connected" may include both indirect "connections" and direct "connections."

[0051] The terms "about," "substantially," "approximately," and variations thereof are intended to include the degree of error associated with measurement of a particular quantity based on the equipment available at the time the application was filed. For example, "about" may include a range of ±8% or 5% or 2% of a given value.

[0052] The flowcharts and block diagrams in the figures illustrate the architecture, functions and operations of possible implementations of the systems, methods and computer program products according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. In this regard, each block in the flowchart or block diagram may represent a module, segment or portion of an instruction, which includes one or more executable instructions for implementing one or more specified logical functions. In some alternative embodiments, the functions indicated in the blocks may appear outside the order indicated in the figure. For example, two blocks shown in succession may actually be executed substantially simultaneously, or the blocks may sometimes be executed in reverse order, depending on the functions involved. It will also be noted that each block illustrated in the block diagram and / or flowchart, and the combination of blocks in the block diagram and / or flowchart, can be implemented by a dedicated hardware-based system that performs a specified function or action or performs a combination of dedicated hardware and computer instructions.

[0053] Although the present disclosure has been described with reference to one or more exemplary embodiments, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for its elements without departing from the scope of the present invention. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt specific circumstances or materials to the teachings of the present disclosure without departing from its essential scope. Therefore, it is intended that the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed as the best mode contemplated for carrying out the present invention, but that the present invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. An electric drive motor system, comprising: Fixed side; Rotating side; a first mounting and communication structure on the rotating side; a secondary winding physically coupled to said first mounting and communication structure; and A rectifier system is physically coupled to the first mounting and communication structure. 2 . The electric drive motor system of claim 1 , further comprising a first set of electrical connectors physically coupled to the first mounting and communication structure.

3. The electric drive motor system according to claim 2, wherein: The first set of electrical connectors electrically couples the secondary winding to the rectifier system.

4. The electric drive motor system according to claim 3, wherein: The rectifier system also includes a rectifier circuit in the rectifier assembly housing.

5. The electric drive motor system according to claim 4, wherein: The rectifier system physically coupled to the first mounting and communication structure includes a rectifier assembly housing physically coupled to the first mounting and communication structure.

6. The electric drive motor system according to claim 5, wherein: A portion of the first set of electrical connectors extends through the rectifier assembly housing to the rectifier circuit.

7. The electric drive motor system according to claim 1, wherein: The first mounting and communication structure includes a printed circuit board (PCB) having multiple layers.

8. The electric drive motor system according to claim 7, wherein: The secondary winding is formed in one or more of the multiple layers of the PCB.

9. The electric drive motor system of claim 1 , further comprising: a second mounting and communication structure on the fixed side; a primary winding physically coupled to said second mounting and communication structure; a resolver compensation system coupled to said second mounting and communication structure; and An inverter system is physically coupled to the second mounting and communication structure.

10. The electric drive motor system of claim 9, further comprising a second set of electrical connectors physically coupled to the second mounting and communication structure, wherein: The second set of electrical connectors electrically couples the primary winding, the resolver compensation system, and the inverter system.

11. A method of manufacturing an electric drive motor system, the method comprising: forming a fixed side; forming a rotating side; forming a first mounting and communication structure on the rotating side; forming a secondary winding physically coupled to the first mounting and communication structure; and A rectifier system is formed that is physically coupled to the first mounting and communication structure.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising forming a first set of electrical connectors physically coupled to the first mounting and communication structure.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein: The first set of electrical connectors electrically couples the secondary winding to the rectifier system.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein: The rectifier system also includes a rectifier circuit in the rectifier assembly housing.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein: The rectifier system physically coupled to the first mounting and communication structure includes a rectifier assembly housing physically coupled to the first mounting and communication structure.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein: A portion of the first set of electrical connectors extends through the rectifier assembly housing to the rectifier circuit.

17. The method according to claim 11, wherein: The first mounting and communication structure includes a printed circuit board (PCB) having multiple layers.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein: The secondary winding is formed in one or more of the multiple layers of the PCB.

19. The method according to claim 11, further comprising: a second mounting and communication structure on the fixed side; a primary winding physically coupled to said second mounting and communication structure; a rotary transformer system coupled to said second mounting and communication structure; and An inverter system is physically coupled to the second mounting and communication structure.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising a second set of electrical connectors physically coupled to the second mounting and communication structure, wherein The second set of electrical connectors electrically couples the primary winding, the resolver compensation system, and the inverter system.

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