A fault-tolerant control device for dual three-phase motors in electric power steering

Abstract

This specification discloses a fault-tolerant control device for a dual three-phase motor in electric power steering, addressing the issues of system safety and power assist retention during motor phase failures. The solution includes a dual three-phase motor, a first system, a second system, a reverse power supply protection circuit, and a main control module. The dual three-phase motor comprises a first three-phase winding and a second three-phase winding. The first system includes a first phase-loss MOS circuit, a first phase-loss MOS drive module, and a first PCB Track Fuse. The second system includes a second phase-loss MOS circuit, a second phase-loss MOS drive module, and a second PCB Track Fuse. Each of the first and second phase-loss MOS circuits includes switching devices for the corresponding three phases of the winding. The drive module can independently control the switching devices. The PCB Track Fuse is connected in series with the corresponding phase-loss MOS circuit. After the main control module detects a fault, the drive module controls the phase-loss MOS circuit to isolate the faulty phase. In extreme fault situations, the PCB Track Fuse blows or the reverse power supply protection circuit is de-energized, ensuring system safety and retaining some power assist.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of automotive electronics technology, and more particularly to a fault-tolerant control device for dual three-phase motors used in electric power steering. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of intelligent driving and drive-by-wire chassis technology, the functional safety requirements for automotive electronic steering systems are becoming increasingly stringent. To improve system reliability, redundancy design has become a widely adopted technical approach in the industry. However, existing redundancy solutions still have several problems that urgently need to be addressed.

[0003] First, mainstream solutions typically employ two completely independent control systems for backup, leading to a significant increase in the number of components and material costs, which is detrimental to product cost control and market promotion. Second, when any unit in the system fails, existing solutions often adopt a strategy of cutting off the entire failed system. This results in a sudden and significant drop in power steering output, a sharp decline in driving experience, and potential safety risks. Furthermore, for hardware faults with a high probability of occurrence in motor drive systems, such as phase short circuits and power device breakdowns, existing designs largely rely on software-level fault-tolerance algorithms, lacking effective mechanisms for rapid, hierarchical, and thorough isolation at the hardware level, making it difficult to ensure the continued safe operation of the system under extreme fault conditions.

[0004] Therefore, how to build a system architecture that can achieve smooth performance degradation and has hardware-level fault isolation capabilities while controlling costs has become a key technical problem that needs to be solved in this field. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This specification provides an embodiment of a fault-tolerant control device for dual three-phase motors used in electric power steering to solve at least one of the technical problems mentioned above.

[0006] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the embodiments in this specification are implemented as follows:

[0007] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a fault-tolerant control device for a dual three-phase motor for electric power steering is provided, comprising: a main control module, a power conversion module, a communication module, a dual three-phase motor, a motor angle position sensor, a first system, and a second system; wherein, the power conversion module is electrically connected to the main control module; the communication module is electrically connected to the main control module; the dual three-phase motor has a first three-phase winding and a second three-phase winding; the motor angle position sensor is electrically connected to the main control module; the first system includes a first three-phase bridge pre-drive module, a first phase-loss MOS drive module, a first power reverse connection protection circuit, a first three-phase inverter circuit, a first phase-loss MOS circuit, and a first PCB Track Fuse; the second system includes a second three-phase bridge pre-drive module, a second phase-loss MOS drive module, a second power reverse connection protection circuit, a second three-phase inverter circuit, a second phase-loss MOS circuit, and a second PCB Track Fuse;

[0008] The main control module is electrically connected to the first three-phase bridge pre-drive module, the first phase-loss MOS drive module, the second three-phase bridge pre-drive module, and the second phase-loss MOS drive module, respectively.

[0009] The first power reverse connection protection circuit is connected between the power supply and the power input terminal of the first three-phase inverter circuit. The first three-phase bridge pre-drive module is connected to the control terminal of the first three-phase inverter circuit. The output terminal of the first three-phase inverter circuit is connected to the input terminal of the first phase-loss MOS circuit. The output terminal of the first phase-loss MOS circuit is connected to the input terminal of the first PCB Track Fuse. The output terminal of the first PCB Track Fuse is connected to the first three-phase winding of the dual three-phase motor.

[0010] The second power supply reverse connection protection circuit is connected between the power supply and the power input terminal of the second three-phase inverter circuit. The second three-phase bridge pre-drive module is connected to the control terminal of the second three-phase inverter circuit. The output terminal of the second three-phase inverter circuit is connected to the input terminal of the second phase-loss MOS circuit. The output terminal of the second phase-loss MOS circuit is connected to the input terminal of the second PCB Track Fuse. The output terminal of the second PCB Track Fuse is connected to the second three-phase winding of the dual three-phase motor.

[0011] The first phase-loss MOS drive module is connected to the control terminal of the first phase-loss MOS circuit and is used to independently control the switching state of the MOS transistors corresponding to the three phases in the first phase-loss MOS circuit.

[0012] The second phase-out MOS drive module is connected to the control terminal of the second phase-out MOS circuit and is used to independently control the switching state of the MOS transistors corresponding to the three phases in the second phase-out MOS circuit.

[0013] In some optional implementations, the first phase-loss MOS circuit includes three MOS transistors, each corresponding to one of the three phases of the first three-phase winding, and the first phase-loss MOS driving module can independently control the switching state of each MOS transistor; the second phase-loss MOS circuit also includes three MOS transistors, each corresponding to one of the three phases of the second three-phase winding, and the second phase-loss MOS driving module can independently control the switching state of each MOS transistor.

[0014] In some alternative implementations, the first PCB Track Fuse includes three PCB trace fuses, each PCB trace fuse being connected in series between the output terminal of the corresponding MOSFET of the first phase-down MOS circuit and the corresponding phase of the first three-phase winding; the second PCB Track Fuse also includes three PCB trace fuses, each PCB trace fuse being connected in series between the output terminal of the corresponding MOSFET of the second phase-down MOS circuit and the corresponding phase of the second three-phase winding.

[0015] In some optional embodiments, the first power reverse connection protection circuit includes a switching circuit connected in series between the power supply and the power input terminal of the first three-phase inverter circuit, for realizing power reverse connection protection and system power supply isolation; the second power reverse connection protection circuit has the same circuit topology as the first power reverse connection protection circuit.

[0016] In some optional embodiments, the switching circuit includes a first N-MOS transistor and a second N-MOS transistor. The source of the first N-MOS transistor is connected to the power supply, and the drain of the first N-MOS transistor and the drain of the second N-MOS transistor are connected at a common node, such that the body diode of the first N-MOS transistor and the body diode of the second N-MOS transistor form an anti-series connection. The source of the second N-MOS transistor is connected to the power input terminal of the first three-phase inverter circuit.

[0017] In some alternative implementations, the main control module is a single microcontroller chip.

[0018] In some alternative implementations, the motor angle position sensor includes a redundant Wheatstone bridge circuit packaged within an integrated circuit package.

[0019] In some alternative implementations, the MOSFETs in the first phase-out MOS circuit and / or the second phase-out MOS circuit are replaced by relays.

[0020] In some alternative implementations, the first PCB Track Fuse and / or the second PCB Track Fuse are replaced by a fuse.

[0021] In some optional implementations, the communication module may use a CAN bus, LIN bus, or FlexRay bus for communication.

[0022] One embodiment of this specification can achieve at least the following beneficial effects:

[0023] The technical solution of this application adopts a single main control module to coordinate the power conversion module, communication module, and motor angle position sensor, which can form a shared resource layer and avoid the waste of materials in a fully redundant design from the source. At the same time, the two independent windings of the dual three-phase motor are respectively configured with a first system and a second system with a completely symmetrical structure to form a parallel drive layer, thereby ensuring that there is still backup power in the event of failure of any system. This modular division can achieve the goal of low cost and high reliability from the system architecture level. Meanwhile, the technical solution of this application also constructs a three-level fault defense system through specific connection relationships. The first three-phase bridge pre-drive module and the first three-phase inverter circuit form a basic drive chain. The first phase-loss MOS circuit and the first PCB Track Fuse connected in series between the inverter circuit output terminal and the motor winding form a phase-level double isolation barrier. The first power reverse connection protection circuit connected at the power input constitutes a system-level protection switch. This progressive connection structure from drive to isolation and from phase level to system can ensure that the device can achieve precise isolation through phase-loss MOS when a phase fault occurs, achieve forced protection through fuse when the isolation element fails, and achieve fault isolation through power cut-off when the system collapses. Thus, at the hardware level, it achieves smooth performance degradation and continuous system operation under fault conditions. Attached Figure Description

[0024] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments or prior art of this specification, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments recorded in this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0025] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the circuit connection relationship of a fault-tolerant control device for dual three-phase motors for electric power steering provided by the present invention;

[0026] Figure 2 To Figure 1 The circuit connection diagram of a fault-tolerant control device for electric power steering provided by the present invention is shown after the components are numbered. Detailed Implementation

[0027] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of one or more embodiments of this specification clearer, the technical solutions of one or more embodiments of this specification will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with specific embodiments and corresponding drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this specification, and not all of them. Based on the embodiments in this specification, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the protection scope of one or more embodiments of this specification.

[0028] It should be understood that although the terms first, second, third, etc., may be used in this application to describe various information, this information should not be limited to these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish information of the same type from one another.

[0029] The technical concept of this application will be explained first, followed by a detailed description of the technical solution. The technical concept of this application lies in constructing a collaborative control architecture with hybrid redundancy and hierarchical isolation to resolve the inherent contradiction between cost and reliability in steer-by-wire systems. Specifically, the technical solution of this application adopts a hybrid design of non-critical component sharing and critical path redundancy. That is, a single main control module, power supply, and communication module constitute a shared decision-making and power supply foundation. Simultaneously, two sets of completely symmetrical first and second drive and isolation systems are independently configured for the two sets of windings of the dual three-phase motors. This design can reduce system complexity and material costs while ensuring functional backup.

[0030] Building upon this architecture, this invention further proposes a three-tiered, deep fault isolation mechanism spanning the phase and system levels to achieve smooth performance degradation under fault conditions. The first tier utilizes independently controlled phase-disconnect MOSFETs for rapid soft turn-off at the phase level. If this tier fails (e.g., a MOSFET short circuit), the second tier employs hard-blow isolation via PCB fuses connected in series with each phase. When a single system experiences a comprehensive, unforgivable fault, the third tier cuts off power to the entire faulty system via a reverse connection protection circuit. This multi-tiered protection, from fine to coarse, from software triggering to physical fusing, ensures that the system can maintain its auxiliary function to the maximum extent even when encountering fatal faults such as short circuits in power components, thus achieving cost-effective fault tolerance and safety enhancement at the hardware level.

[0031] The following is in conjunction with the appendix Figure 1 and 2The following is a detailed description of the system composition and connection relationships of the components in this application: This application provides a fault-tolerant control device for a dual three-phase motor used in electric power steering, comprising: a main control module 1, a power conversion module 2, a communication module 3, a dual three-phase motor 16, a motor angle position sensor 17, a first system, and a second system; wherein, the power conversion module 2 is electrically connected to the main control module 1, the communication module 3 is electrically connected to the main control module 1, the dual three-phase motor 16 has a first three-phase winding and a second three-phase winding; the motor angle position sensor 17 is electrically connected to the main control module 1; the first system includes a first three-phase bridge pre-drive module 4, a first phase-loss MOS drive module 5, a first power reverse connection protection circuit 6, a first three-phase inverter circuit 7, a first phase-loss MOS circuit 8, and a first PCB Track Fuse 9.

[0032] The second system includes a second three-phase bridge pre-drive module 10, a second phase-loss MOS drive module 11, a second power supply reverse connection protection circuit 12, a second three-phase inverter circuit 13, a second phase-loss MOS circuit 14, and a second PCB Track Fuse 15.

[0033] Among them, the main control module 1 is electrically connected to the first three-phase bridge pre-drive module 4, the first phase-loss MOS drive module 5, the second three-phase bridge pre-drive module 10, and the second phase-loss MOS drive module 11, respectively.

[0034] The first power supply reverse connection protection circuit 6 is connected between the power supply and the power input terminal of the first three-phase inverter circuit 7. The first three-phase bridge pre-drive module 4 is connected to the control terminal of the first three-phase inverter circuit 7. The output terminal of the first three-phase inverter circuit 7 is connected to the input terminal of the first phase-loss MOS circuit 8. The output terminal of the first phase-loss MOS circuit 8 is connected to the input terminal of the first PCB Track Fuse 9. The output terminal of the first PCB Track Fuse 9 is connected to the first three-phase winding of the dual three-phase motor 16.

[0035] The second power supply reverse connection protection circuit 12 is connected between the power supply and the power input terminal of the second three-phase inverter circuit 13. The second three-phase bridge pre-drive module 10 is connected to the control terminal of the second three-phase inverter circuit 13. The output terminal of the second three-phase inverter circuit 13 is connected to the input terminal of the second phase-loss MOS circuit 14. The output terminal of the second phase-loss MOS circuit 14 is connected to the input terminal of the second PCB Track Fuse 15. The output terminal of the second PCB Track Fuse 15 is connected to the second three-phase winding of the dual three-phase motor 16.

[0036] The first phase-loss MOS drive module 5 is connected to the control terminal of the first phase-loss MOS circuit 8 and is used to independently control the switching state of the MOS transistors corresponding to the three phases in the first phase-loss MOS circuit 8.

[0037] The second phase-out MOS drive module 11 is connected to the control terminal of the second phase-out MOS circuit 14 and is used to independently control the switching state of the MOS transistors corresponding to the three phases in the second phase-out MOS circuit 14.

[0038] The working principle of the above technical solution is described below: This embodiment of the invention provides a fault-tolerant control device for dual three-phase motors used in electric power steering, constructing a hardware architecture with hybrid redundancy and hierarchical isolation. The device generally adopts the design principle of sharing non-critical components and redundancy of critical paths, and can be divided into a non-redundant shared part and a redundant drive isolation part. The shared part, as the control core and basic support of the system, adopts a single-module design, including a main control module 1, a power conversion module 2, a communication module 3, a dual three-phase motor 16, and a motor angle position sensor 17. The main control module 1 can be a single microcontroller chip, which can solve the problems of multi-system synchronization and communication delay. The power conversion module 2 is responsible for level conversion, the communication module 3 realizes data interaction, the dual three-phase motor 16 integrates two sets of independent windings into a single housing to save space, and the motor angle position sensor 17 adopts a redundant Wheatstone bridge circuit and is integrated into a package to provide reliable angle feedback for the system.

[0039] The redundant part includes two completely symmetrical drive isolation systems, labeled as the first system and the second system, respectively. The first system is dedicated to driving and controlling the first three-phase windings of the dual three-phase motor 16. Its energy path is as follows: the power supply passes sequentially through the first power supply reverse connection protection circuit 6, the first three-phase inverter circuit 7, the first phase-loss MOS circuit 8, and the first PCB Track Fuse 9 before connecting to the motor windings. The control signal path is as follows: the main control module 1 drives the inverter circuit through the first three-phase bridge pre-drive module 4 and independently controls the three-phase phase-loss MOS transistors through the first phase-loss MOS drive module 5. The second system has the exact same structure and operating mechanism, including the second three-phase bridge pre-drive module 10, the second phase-loss MOS drive module 11, the second power supply reverse connection protection circuit 12, the second three-phase inverter circuit 13, the second phase-loss MOS circuit 14, and the second PCB Track Fuse 15, independently driving and controlling the second three-phase windings of the motor.

[0040] The modules described above in this application's technical solution can form a defense-in-depth system through specific connections. Specifically, the main control module 1 is connected to the first three-phase bridge pre-drive module 4, the first phase-loss MOS drive module 5, the second three-phase bridge pre-drive module 10, and the second phase-loss MOS drive module 11, enabling unified coordination and independent control. Within each system, the first phase-loss MOS circuit 8 and the first PCB Track Fuse 9 are connected in series between the output of the first three-phase inverter circuit 7 and the motor windings, forming a phase-level fault-tolerant path. This system achieves fault-tolerant control through a three-level fault isolation mechanism: the first level of isolation, through the first phase-loss MOS circuit 8, enables active soft shutdown at the phase level, allowing the system to degrade operation even in the event of a single-phase fault. The second level of isolation, through the first PCB Track Fuse 9, achieves passive forced isolation by fusing when the phase-loss MOS is short-circuited. The third level of isolation, through the first power supply reverse connection protection circuit 6, cuts off the power supply to the entire system in the event of a system-level fault.

[0041] This invention achieves hardware-level fault tolerance for motor phase faults without significantly increasing costs by combining a hybrid architecture that reduces costs through shared components and redundancy through drive isolation components, along with a three-level in-depth fault isolation mechanism. This effectively solves the cost problem of full redundancy schemes, the problem of sudden power assist changes after a fault, and the problem of complete isolation of hardware short-circuit faults, ensuring the high reliability and safety performance of the electric power steering system.

[0042] The technical solution of this application adopts a single main control module to coordinate the power conversion module, communication module, and motor angle position sensor, which can form a shared resource layer and avoid the waste of materials in a fully redundant design from the source. At the same time, the two independent windings of the dual three-phase motor are respectively configured with a first system and a second system with a completely symmetrical structure to form a parallel drive layer, thereby ensuring that there is still backup power in the event of failure of any system. This modular division can achieve the goal of low cost and high reliability from the system architecture level. Meanwhile, the technical solution of this application also constructs a three-level fault defense system through specific connection relationships. The first three-phase bridge pre-drive module and the first three-phase inverter circuit form a basic drive chain. The first phase-loss MOS circuit and the first PCB Track Fuse connected in series between the inverter circuit output terminal and the motor winding form a phase-level double isolation barrier. The first power reverse connection protection circuit connected at the power input constitutes a system-level protection switch. This progressive connection structure from drive to isolation and from phase level to system can ensure that the device can achieve precise isolation through phase-loss MOS when a phase fault occurs, achieve forced protection through fuse when the isolation element fails, and achieve fault isolation through power cut-off when the system collapses. Thus, at the hardware level, it achieves smooth performance degradation and continuous system operation under fault conditions.

[0043] Based on the foregoing technical solution, this specification also provides some specific implementation schemes of the technical solution, which will be described below.

[0044] In an optional embodiment, the first phase-loss MOS circuit 8 includes three MOS transistors, each corresponding to one of the three phases of the first three-phase winding, and the first phase-loss MOS driving module 5 can independently control the switching state of each MOS transistor; the second phase-loss MOS circuit 14 also includes three MOS transistors, each corresponding to one of the three phases of the second three-phase winding, and the second phase-loss MOS driving module 11 can independently control the switching state of each MOS transistor.

[0045] In this embodiment, the first phase-loss MOS circuit 8 can be configured with three independent MOS transistors. These three MOS transistors are electrically connected to the three phases of the first three-phase winding in the dual three-phase motor 16, meaning each of the U, V, and W phases is connected in series with a dedicated MOS transistor. Simultaneously, the corresponding first phase-loss MOS drive module 5 has independent control capabilities, able to receive instructions from the main control module 1 and perform individual and precise control over the on / off state of any one of the three MOS transistors without affecting the normal operation of the other phase MOS transistors.

[0046] Completely symmetrically, the second phase-disconnect MOS circuit 14 of the second system also consists of three MOS transistors, each corresponding to one of the three phases of the second three-phase winding. The second phase-disconnect MOS drive module 11 also has the ability to independently control the switching states of these three MOS transistors. This design in the technical solution of this embodiment allows the main control module 1 to quickly and accurately cut off the current path of only the faulty phase through the corresponding drive module when any phase winding or corresponding power drive section of any system fails, thereby achieving phase-level fault isolation.

[0047] In an optional embodiment, the first PCB Track Fuse 9 includes three PCB trace fuses, each PCB trace fuse being connected in series between the output terminal of the corresponding MOS transistor of the first phase-break MOS circuit 8 and the corresponding phase of the first three-phase winding; the second PCB Track Fuse 15 also includes three PCB trace fuses, each PCB trace fuse being connected in series between the output terminal of the corresponding MOS transistor of the second phase-break MOS circuit 14 and the corresponding phase of the second three-phase winding.

[0048] In this embodiment, the first PCB Track Fuse 9 is specifically implemented by including three independent PCB trace fuses. Each fuse can be a specific PCB copper foil trace whose current carrying capacity is calculated according to the Onderdonk equation. These three fuses are connected in series between the output terminal of the corresponding MOS transistor in the first phase-break MOS circuit 8 and the U, V, and W phases of the first three-phase winding of the dual three-phase motor 16, providing an independent protection path for each phase.

[0049] Correspondingly, the second PCB Track Fuse 15 of the second system also includes three PCB trace fuses, each fuse connected in series between the output terminal of the corresponding MOSFET in the second phase-loss MOSFET circuit 14 and the corresponding phase of the second and third phase windings of the motor. This design of providing an independent fuse for each phase in the technical solution of this embodiment constitutes a secondary hardware protection for the system after the phase-loss MOSFET circuit. In extreme cases, such as when a phase-loss MOSFET itself experiences a short-circuit fault and cannot be turned off, the corresponding PCB trace fuse will heat up due to the continuous flow of short-circuit current and eventually melt, thereby forcibly isolating the faulty phase from the circuit, preventing the fault from spreading and ensuring the continued safe operation of the rest of the system.

[0050] In an optional embodiment, the first power reverse connection protection circuit 6 includes a switching circuit connected in series between the power supply and the power input terminal of the first three-phase inverter circuit 7, for realizing power reverse connection protection and system power supply isolation; the second power reverse connection protection circuit 12 has the same circuit topology as the first power reverse connection protection circuit 6.

[0051] In this embodiment, the first power supply reverse connection protection circuit 6 can be implemented as a switching circuit connected in series between the power supply and the power input terminal of the first three-phase inverter circuit 7. This switching circuit can be constructed using two N-MOS transistors connected with their drain and source terminals in opposite directions. This topology can not only utilize the unidirectional conduction principle of diodes to achieve reverse connection protection, but also, as a controlled switch, can cut off the power supply to the first system and achieve system-level isolation when the system experiences a fatal fault in the phase-loss MOS drive module and the three-phase inverter circuit, where there is a degraded phase that cannot be isolated.

[0052] In perfect agreement, the second reverse power protection circuit 12 adopts the exact same circuit topology as the first reverse power protection circuit 6. This symmetrical design ensures that the second system has equally reliable reverse power protection and system-level fault isolation capabilities. When either system experiences an unforgivable comprehensive fault, the main control module can control its corresponding reverse power protection circuit to disconnect, completely disconnecting the faulty system from the vehicle's power supply, thereby protecting the other intact system from continuing to provide steering assistance, forming the last line of hardware safety protection for the device.

[0053] In an optional embodiment, the switching circuit includes a first N-MOS transistor and a second N-MOS transistor. The source of the first N-MOS transistor is connected to the power supply, and the drains of the first N-MOS transistor and the second N-MOS transistor are connected at a common node, such that the body diodes of the first N-MOS transistor and the second N-MOS transistor form an anti-series connection. The source of the second N-MOS transistor is connected to the power input terminal of the first three-phase inverter circuit 7.

[0054] In this embodiment, one specific implementation of the switching circuit consists of a first N-MOS transistor and a second N-MOS transistor. Their specific connection relationship is as follows: the source of the first N-MOS transistor is directly connected to the positive terminal of the power supply, while its drain is connected to the drain of the second N-MOS transistor at a common node. The source of the second N-MOS transistor is finally connected to the power input terminal of the first three-phase inverter circuit 7.

[0055] The connection method in this embodiment allows the body diodes of the first and second N-MOS transistors to form a reverse series connection. Functionally, the body diode of the first MOS transistor provides basic reverse connection protection by utilizing its unidirectional conduction characteristic when the power supply is reversed. The body diode of the second MOS transistor prevents reverse current flow and thus avoids abnormal power consumption when the power supply is normally connected but the main control module is not operating. During normal system operation, both MOS transistors are in the conducting state, exhibiting low impedance. When a fatal fault requiring system-level isolation is detected, the main control module can control the switching circuit to turn off, thereby cutting off the power supply to the entire faulty system.

[0056] In an optional embodiment, the main control module 1 is a single microcontroller chip.

[0057] In this embodiment, the main control module 1 can be implemented as a single microcontroller chip. This design uses a single MCU as the centralized processing core of the entire fault-tolerant control device, which is responsible for coordinating and managing all functional modules. This single-chip solution in this embodiment can avoid the clock synchronization problem that exists when using a dual MCU architecture, and at the same time reduce the signal delay caused by complex communication between systems.

[0058] In an optional embodiment, the motor angle position sensor 17 includes a redundant Wheatstone bridge circuit, packaged within an integrated circuit package.

[0059] In this embodiment, the specific implementation of the motor angle position sensor 17 can adopt a redundant design. It can contain two sets of Wheatstone bridge circuits. These two sets of circuits are packaged together in the same integrated circuit package to form an integrated redundant sensor unit, thereby providing a highly reliable backup of the motor rotor angle position signal for the system.

[0060] In an optional embodiment, the MOS transistors in the first phase-out MOS circuit 8 and / or the second phase-out MOS circuit 14 are replaced by relays.

[0061] In this embodiment, the MOS transistors in the first phase-loss MOS circuit 8 and / or the second phase-loss MOS circuit 14 can be replaced by relays. This alternative solution can also achieve the function of phase fault isolation, that is, the current path of the corresponding motor phase line is connected or disconnected through the mechanical contacts of the relay. When a specific phase fault is detected, the main control module can control the coil of the corresponding relay through the drive circuit to open its contacts, thereby achieving the purpose of isolating the faulty phase from the circuit.

[0062] In an optional embodiment, the first PCB Track Fuse 9 and / or the second PCB Track Fuse 15 are replaced by a fuse.

[0063] In this embodiment, the secondary protection function provided by the PCB Track Fuse can also be implemented by a traditional discrete fuse. That is, the first PCB Track Fuse 9 and / or the second PCB Track Fuse 15 can be replaced by an external fuse element, which can also achieve the circuit melting isolation function when the phase-loss MOS fails.

[0064] In optional embodiments, the communication module 3 can communicate via CAN bus, LIN bus, or FlexRay bus.

[0065] In this embodiment, the communication method of the communication module 3 is not limited to the CAN bus method. Other communication protocols commonly used in the automotive field, such as the LIN bus or FlexRay bus, can also be used. These alternative communication methods can realize data interaction between the vehicle network and the main control module 1, and complete the reliable transmission of steering commands and system status information, thereby meeting the communication network requirements of different vehicle models or system architectures.

[0066] Those skilled in the art will understand that the accompanying drawings are merely schematic diagrams of one embodiment, and the modules or processes shown in the drawings are not necessarily essential for implementing the present invention.

[0067] Those skilled in the art will understand that the modules in the apparatus of the embodiments can be distributed in the apparatus of the embodiments as described in the embodiments, or they can be located in one or more devices different from this embodiment with corresponding changes. The modules of the above embodiments can be combined into one module, or they can be further divided into multiple sub-modules.

[0068] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, and not to limit them; although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some of the technical features; and these modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A fault-tolerant control device for dual three-phase motors used in electric power steering, characterized in that, include: The system comprises a main control module (1), a power conversion module (2), a communication module (3), a dual three-phase motor (16), a motor angle position sensor (17), a first system, and a second system; among which... The power conversion module (2) is electrically connected to the main control module (1); The communication module (3) is electrically connected to the main control module (1); The dual three-phase motor (16) has a first three-phase winding and a second three-phase winding; The motor angle position sensor (17) is electrically connected to the main control module (1); The first system includes a first three-phase bridge pre-drive module (4), a first phase-loss MOS drive module (5), a first power supply reverse connection protection circuit (6), a first three-phase inverter circuit (7), a first phase-loss MOS circuit (8), and a first PCB Track Fuse (9); The second system includes a second three-phase bridge pre-drive module (10), a second phase-loss MOS drive module (11), a second power supply reverse connection protection circuit (12), a second three-phase inverter circuit (13), a second phase-loss MOS circuit (14), and a second PCB Track Fuse (15). The main control module (1) is electrically connected to the first three-phase bridge pre-drive module (4), the first phase-loss MOS drive module (5), the second three-phase bridge pre-drive module (10), and the second phase-loss MOS drive module (11), respectively. The first power supply reverse connection protection circuit (6) is connected between the power supply and the power input terminal of the first three-phase inverter circuit (7). The first three-phase bridge pre-drive module (4) is connected to the control terminal of the first three-phase inverter circuit (7). The output terminal of the first three-phase inverter circuit (7) is connected to the input terminal of the first phase-loss MOS circuit (8). The output terminal of the first phase-loss MOS circuit (8) is connected to the input terminal of the first PCB Track Fuse (9). The output terminal of the first PCB Track Fuse (9) is connected to the first three-phase winding of the dual three-phase motor (16). The second power supply reverse connection protection circuit (12) is connected between the power supply and the power input terminal of the second three-phase inverter circuit (13). The second three-phase bridge pre-drive module (10) is connected to the control terminal of the second three-phase inverter circuit (13). The output terminal of the second three-phase inverter circuit (13) is connected to the input terminal of the second phase-loss MOS circuit (14). The output terminal of the second phase-loss MOS circuit (14) is connected to the input terminal of the second PCB Track Fuse (15). The output terminal of the second PCB Track Fuse (15) is connected to the second three-phase winding of the dual three-phase motor (16). The first phase-out MOS drive module (5) is connected to the control terminal of the first phase-out MOS circuit (8) and is used to independently control the switching state of the MOS transistors corresponding to the three phases in the first phase-out MOS circuit (8); The second phase-out MOS drive module (11) is connected to the control terminal of the second phase-out MOS circuit (14) and is used to independently control the switching state of the three corresponding MOS transistors in the second phase-out MOS circuit (14).

2. The fault-tolerant control device for dual three-phase motors for electric power steering according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first phase-disconnected MOS circuit (8) includes three MOS transistors, which correspond to the three phases of the first three-phase winding respectively, and the first phase-disconnected MOS driving module (5) can independently control the switching state of each MOS transistor; the second phase-disconnected MOS circuit (14) also includes three MOS transistors, which correspond to the three phases of the second three-phase winding respectively, and the second phase-disconnected MOS driving module (11) can independently control the switching state of each MOS transistor.

3. The fault-tolerant control device for dual three-phase motors for electric power steering according to claim 2, characterized in that, The first PCB Track Fuse (9) includes three PCB trace fuses, each PCB trace fuse being connected in series between the output terminal of the corresponding MOS transistor of the first phase-broken MOS circuit (8) and the corresponding phase of the first three-phase winding; the second PCB Track Fuse (15) also includes three PCB trace fuses, each PCB trace fuse being connected in series between the output terminal of the corresponding MOS transistor of the second phase-broken MOS circuit (14) and the corresponding phase of the second three-phase winding.

4. The fault-tolerant control device for dual three-phase motors for electric power steering according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first power supply reverse connection protection circuit (6) includes a switching circuit connected in series between the power supply and the power input terminal of the first three-phase inverter circuit (7) to realize power supply reverse connection protection and system power supply isolation; the second power supply reverse connection protection circuit (12) has the same circuit topology as the first power supply reverse connection protection circuit (6).

5. The fault-tolerant control device for dual three-phase motors for electric power steering according to claim 4, characterized in that, The switching circuit includes a first N-MOS transistor and a second N-MOS transistor. The source of the first N-MOS transistor is connected to the power supply, and the drain of the first N-MOS transistor and the drain of the second N-MOS transistor are connected at a common node, so that the body diode of the first N-MOS transistor and the body diode of the second N-MOS transistor form an anti-series connection. The source of the second N-MOS transistor is connected to the power input terminal of the first three-phase inverter circuit (7).

6. The fault-tolerant control device for dual three-phase motors for electric power steering according to claim 1, characterized in that, The main control module (1) is a single microcontroller chip.

7. The fault-tolerant control device for dual three-phase motors for electric power steering according to claim 1, characterized in that, The motor angle position sensor (17) includes a redundant Wheatstone bridge circuit packaged in an integrated circuit package.

8. The fault-tolerant control device for dual three-phase motors for electric power steering according to claim 1, characterized in that, The MOS transistors in the first phase-out MOS circuit (8) and / or the second phase-out MOS circuit (14) are replaced by relays.

9. The fault-tolerant control device for dual three-phase motors for electric power steering according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first PCB Track Fuse (9) and / or the second PCB Track Fuse (15) are replaced by fuses.

10. The fault-tolerant control device for dual three-phase motors for electric power steering according to claim 1, characterized in that, The communication module (3) can communicate via CAN bus, LIN bus or FlexRay bus.

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