Driving system

JP2024061762A5Inactive Publication Date: 2025-10-03MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORP
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Patent Information

Application Number
JP2024033041
Authority / Receiving Office
JP · JP
Patent Type
Applications
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2024-03-05
Publication Date
2025-10-03
Estimated Expiration
Not applicable · inactive patent

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Existing drive systems for electric railway vehicles using permanent magnet synchronous motors require multiple contactors due to no-load induced voltages, leading to a complex and large structure.

Method used

A drive system utilizing a synchronous reluctance motor without permanent magnets, directly connected to a power converter with wide gap semiconductors, eliminating the need for contactors and simplifying the structure.

Benefits of technology

The direct connection of the power converter to the reluctance motor simplifies the system structure, reducing the need for contactors and enabling efficient operation without no-load induced voltages.

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Abstract

To provide a driving system with simple structure.SOLUTION: A driving system 1 includes a motor M1, a power converter 11, and a control unit 12. The motor M1 is a synchronous reluctance motor that is rotated by being supplied with electric power. The power conversion unit 11 includes a plurality of switching elements SW11, SW12, SW13, SW14, SW15, SW16, is directly connected to the motor M1, converts power supplied from a power supply into power to be supplied to the motor M1, and supplies the converted power to the motor M1. The control unit 12 controls the plurality of switching elements SW11, SW12, SW13, SW14, SW15, SW16 included in the power conversion unit 11. The motor M1, which is a synchronous reluctance motor, is a motor of a railcar having no permanent magnets, and does not generate a no-load induced voltage due to the permanent magnets when there is no-load rotation in a state where the power conversion unit 11 is stopped.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1
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Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to drive systems. [Background technology]

[0002] Some drive systems installed in electric railway vehicles convert DC power supplied from a substation through an overhead line into desired AC power, and supply the converted AC power to an electric motor to drive the motor and generate propulsive force for the electric railway vehicle. Since the space under the floor of a railway vehicle is limited, it is preferable to generate propulsive force for the railway vehicle to travel at a target speed using a small number of electric motors.

[0003] Therefore, a synchronous motor, which is more efficient than an induction motor, is sometimes used as the electric motor. One example of this type of drive system is disclosed in Patent Document 1. The electric vehicle control device disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a plurality of permanent magnet synchronous motors, a plurality of inverters each associated with the permanent magnet synchronous motors, and a gate control device that controls the plurality of inverters. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2012-075317 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In a permanent magnet synchronous motor, when there is no load, for example when a short circuit occurs in the inverter and the inverter stops, a no-load induced voltage proportional to the motor speed is generated due to the permanent magnets. As a result, in the electric vehicle control device disclosed in Patent Document 1, when the inverter stops, a current flows from the permanent magnet synchronous motor to the inverter. To prevent a failure caused by a current caused by the no-load induced voltage flowing from the permanent magnet synchronous motor to the inverter, the electric vehicle control device disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a contactor provided between the inverter and the permanent magnet synchronous motor.

[0006] Since it is necessary to provide the same number of contactors as the permanent magnet synchronous motors, the electric vehicle control device disclosed in Patent Document 1 has a complex structure and is large in size. Note that this problem is not limited to drive systems that receive power from overhead lines, but can occur in drive systems that drive permanent magnet synchronous motors with power supplied from a power source.

[0007] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and has an object to provide a drive system with a simple structure. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to achieve the above object, a drive system of the present disclosure is a drive system that generates a propulsive force for a railway vehicle, and includes a synchronous reluctance motor, a power conversion unit, and a control unit. The synchronous reluctance motor generates a propulsive force for the railway vehicle by rotating when supplied with electric power. The power conversion unit has a plurality of switching elements and free wheel diodes connected in parallel to each of the switching elements, and is directly connected to the synchronous reluctance motor without a switch circuit, converts electric power supplied from an overhead line or a third rail into electric power to be supplied to the synchronous reluctance motor, and supplies the converted electric power to the synchronous reluctance motor. The control unit controls the plurality of switching elements of the power conversion unit. At least one of the switching elements and the free wheel diode is formed of a wide gap semiconductor. The synchronous reluctance motor is an electric motor for a railway vehicle that does not have a permanent magnet, and does not generate a no-load induced voltage due to the permanent magnet when there is no-load rotation when the power conversion unit is stopped. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the present disclosure, the power conversion unit is directly connected to the reluctance motor, and it is not necessary to provide a contactor between the power conversion unit and the reluctance motor, which makes it possible to simplify the structure of the drive system. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] Block diagram of a drive system according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] Block diagram of a control unit according to an embodiment [Diagram 3] Block diagram of a gate signal generator according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a first modified example of a drive system according to an embodiment; [Diagram 5] FIG. 11 is a block diagram of a second modified example of a drive system according to an embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] Hereinafter, a drive system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings, in which the same or equivalent parts are designated by the same reference numerals.

[0012] A drive system 1 according to an embodiment will be described below by taking a drive system that generates propulsive force for a railway vehicle as an example. The drive system 1 shown in Fig. 1 is installed, for example, under the floor of the railway vehicle, converts DC power into three-phase AC power, and supplies the three-phase AC power to a motor to drive the motor, thereby generating propulsive force for the railway vehicle.

[0013] The drive system 1 includes a terminal 1a connected to a power supply, a terminal 1b connected to ground, a filter capacitor FC1 charged with DC power supplied from the power supply, and a power conversion unit 11 which is a DC-three-phase conversion device which converts the DC power supplied from the power supply via the filter capacitor FC1 into three-phase AC power. The drive system 1 further includes a motor M1 which is a reluctance motor which rotates by receiving three-phase AC power from the power conversion unit 11, current sensors CT11, CT12, and CT13 which measure values ​​of phase currents of the motor M1, and a control unit 12 which controls a plurality of switching elements SW11, SW12, SW13, SW14, SW15, and SW16 of the power conversion unit 11.

[0014] The power conversion unit 11 is directly connected to the motor M1. Direct connection means that the power conversion unit 11 is connected to the motor M1 without passing through a switch circuit that electrically separates the motor M1 from the power conversion unit 11. The switch circuit includes, for example, an electromagnetic contactor, a semiconductor switch, a manually operated mechanical switch, etc. Since the power conversion unit 11 is directly connected to the motor M1, the structure of the drive system 1 is simpler than a drive system in which a contactor is provided between the power conversion unit and a permanent magnet synchronous motor.

[0015] Each component of the drive system 1 will be described in detail below. Terminal 1a is electrically connected to a power source (not shown). The power source is, for example, a current collector that obtains power from a power supply line. The power supply line is, for example, an overhead line or a third rail. The current collector is, for example, a pantograph or a current collector shoe. Terminal 1a is preferably electrically connected to the current collector via a contactor, a filter reactor, or the like. Terminal 1b is grounded via the wheel.

[0016] One end of the filter capacitor FC1 is electrically connected to the terminal 1a, and the other end is electrically connected to the terminal 1b. As described above, the filter capacitor FC1 forms a filter together with the filter reactor provided between the terminal 1a and the current collector, thereby reducing harmonic components.

[0017] The power conversion unit 11 is an inverter that converts DC power into three-phase AC power, for example, an inverter capable of variable voltage and variable frequency control. In the embodiment, the power conversion unit 11 includes switching elements SW11 and SW12 connected to a U-phase coil of the motor M1, switching elements SW13 and SW14 connected to a V-phase coil of the motor M1, and switching elements SW15 and SW16 connected to a W-phase coil of the motor M1. The power conversion unit 11 further includes freewheel diodes D11, D12, D13, D14, D15, and D16 connected in parallel to the switching elements SW11, SW12, SW13, SW14, SW15, and SW16, respectively.

[0018] The switching elements SW11 and SW12 are connected in series, the switching elements SW13 and SW14 are connected in series, and the switching elements SW15 and SW16 are connected in series. The connection point of the switching elements SW11 and SW12 is directly connected to the U-phase coil of the motor M1. The connection point of the switching elements SW13 and SW14 is directly connected to the V-phase coil of the motor M1. The connection point of the switching elements SW15 and SW16 is directly connected to the W-phase coil of the motor M1. The switching elements SW11 and SW12 connected in series, the switching elements SW13 and SW14 connected in series, and the switching elements SW15 and SW16 connected in series are connected in parallel with each other.

[0019] The switching elements SW11, SW12, SW13, SW14, SW15, and SW16 are switched on and off by the control unit 12. As a result, the power conversion unit 11 converts the DC power supplied from the power supply via the filter capacitor FC1 into three-phase AC power for supplying to the motor M1. Then, the power conversion unit 11 supplies the three-phase AC power to the motor M1. For example, the switching elements SW11, SW12, SW13, SW14, SW15, and SW16 are IGBTs (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors).

[0020] Since the motor M1 that receives the three-phase AC power from the power conversion unit 11 is a reluctance motor, it has a low power factor and requires reactive current. Increasing the capacity of the power conversion unit 11 is therefore an option, but increasing the capacity of the power conversion unit 11 would result in the power conversion unit 11 becoming larger. In order to reduce the iron loss of the motor M1, high frequency switching is required in the power conversion unit 11. If semiconductor elements made of silicon are used as the switching elements SW11, SW12, SW13, SW14, SW15, and SW16, the amount of heat generated by the high frequency switching increases, and the cooling device for cooling the switching elements SW11, SW12, SW13, SW14, SW15, and SW16 becomes large.

[0021] Since it is difficult to provide a vehicle control device including a large power conversion unit and a large cooling device under the floor or on the roof of a railway vehicle where space is limited, reluctance motors have not been used for motors of railway vehicles. Therefore, in the embodiment, wide-gap semiconductors are used as the switching elements SW11, SW12, SW13, SW14, SW15, and SW16 of the power conversion unit 11. As a result, it is possible to increase the capacity and perform high-frequency switching of the power conversion unit 11 while suppressing the increase in size of the power conversion unit 11, and it becomes possible to use a reluctance motor as the motor M1. A wide-gap semiconductor is a semiconductor formed using a material with a band gap larger than that of silicon, such as silicon carbide, gallium nitride-based material, diamond, etc.

[0022] The anodes of the freewheeling diodes D11, D12, D13, D14, D15, and D16 are connected to the emitters of the switching elements SW11, SW12, SW13, SW14, SW15, and SW16, respectively, and the cathodes are connected to the collectors of the switching elements SW11, SW12, SW13, SW14, SW15, and SW16, respectively, thereby preventing a reverse current from flowing through the switching elements SW11, SW12, SW13, SW14, SW15, and SW16.

[0023] The motor M1 is a reluctance motor that rotates by receiving a supply of three-phase AC power from the power conversion unit 11. In the embodiment, the motor M1 is a synchronous reluctance motor that does not have a permanent magnet. Since the motor M1 does not have a permanent magnet, no-load induced voltage is generated. Therefore, it is not necessary to provide a contactor between the power conversion unit 11 and the motor M1 to electrically separate the motor M1 from the power conversion unit 11 in order to suppress a current flow from the motor M1 to the power conversion unit 11 when the power conversion unit 11 is stopped. In other words, the power conversion unit 11 can be directly connected to the motor M1.

[0024] The current sensors CT11, CT12, and CT13 measure the values ​​of phase currents flowing through the motor M1, and send the current measurement values ​​to the control unit 12. For example, the current sensors CT11, CT12, and CT13 are CT (Current Transformer) type sensors. In detail, current sensor CT11 is attached to a bus bar connecting the connection point of switching elements SW11, SW12 and the U-phase coil of motor M1, and measures the value of U-phase current flowing from power conversion unit 11 to motor M1. Current sensor CT12 is attached to a bus bar connecting the connection point of switching elements SW13, SW14 and the V-phase coil of motor M1, and measures the value of V-phase current flowing from power conversion unit 11 to motor M1. Current sensor CT13 is attached to a bus bar connecting the connection point of switching elements SW15, SW16 and the W-phase coil of motor M1, and measures the value of W-phase current flowing from power conversion unit 11 to motor M1.

[0025] The control unit 12 outputs a torque command value τ in response to an operation of a master controller provided in a driver's cab of a railway vehicle (not shown). * Based on the current measurement values ​​obtained from the current sensors CT11, CT12, and CT13, the control circuit CT1 generates and outputs a gate signal S1 that controls the switching elements SW11, SW12, SW13, SW14, SW15, and SW16.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 2, the control unit 12 controls a torque command value τ * the control unit 12 includes a current command calculator 21 that calculates a current command value from the current command value, a voltage command calculator 22 that calculates a voltage command value from the current command value, and a rotating coordinate inverse converter 23 that performs coordinate conversion of the voltage command value. The control unit 12 further includes a position estimator 24 that estimates the magnetic pole position of a rotor of the motor M1, a rotating coordinate converter 25 that performs coordinate conversion of current measurement values, and a gate signal generator 26 that generates a gate signal S1.

[0027] The current command calculator 21 calculates a torque command value τ * The current command value i on the rotating coordinate system to obtain the target torque of the motor M1 is * d ,i *q For example, the current command value i * d ,i * q is the effective current value with respect to torque, i.e., the value that minimizes the copper loss of the motor M1. The voltage command calculator 22 calculates the current command value i * d ,i * q and the current measurement value i generated by the rotating coordinate converter 25. d ,i q Difference from (i * d -i d ),(i * q -i q ) to obtain the voltage command value v * d ,v * q Calculate.

[0028] The rotating coordinate inverse converter 23 converts the voltage command value v in the rotating coordinate system into a voltage command value v in the rotating coordinate system based on a conversion matrix using the estimated position θ^, which is the magnetic pole position of the rotor of the motor M1 estimated by the position estimator 24. * d ,v * q The voltage command value v on the two-phase coordinate system * α ,v * β Then, the rotating coordinate inverse converter 23 converts the voltage command value v in the two-phase coordinate system into * α ,v * β The voltage command value v on the three-phase coordinate system * u ,v * v ,v * w Convert to.

[0029] The position estimator 24 estimates the current measurements i obtained from the current sensors CT11, CT12, and CT13. u ,i v ,iw and the voltage command value v on the three-phase coordinate system calculated by the rotating coordinate inverse converter 23. * u ,v * v ,v * w The magnetic pole position of the rotor of the motor M1 is estimated based on the above. The estimated position θ^, which is the magnetic pole position of the rotor estimated by the position estimator 24, is expressed in electrical angle.

[0030] The rotating coordinate converter 25 converts the current measurement value i in the three-phase coordinate system into u ,i v ,i w Let i be the measured current value on the two-phase coordinate system. α ,i β Then, the rotating coordinate converter 25 converts the current measurement value i in the two-phase coordinate system into α ,i β The current measurement value i on the rotating coordinate system d ,i q Convert to.

[0031] The gate signal generator 26 performs PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) control to generate the gate signal S1. In detail, as shown in FIG. 3, the gate signal generator 26 generates a voltage command value v * u ,v * v ,v * w the estimated position θ^ to calculate the rotation speed ω^ of the motor M1; a carrier wave generator 33 that generates a carrier wave in accordance with the rotation speed ω^ of the motor M1; and a comparator 34 that generates a gate signal based on a comparison between the modulated wave and the carrier wave.

[0032] The modulated wave generator 31 receives the voltage command value v on the three-phase coordinate system from the rotating coordinate inverse converter 23. * u ,v * v ,v * wThe modulated wave is generated based on the voltage command value v * u ,v * v ,v * w is normalized by the value of the terminal voltage of the filter capacitor FC1. A differentiator 32 differentiates the estimated position θ^ to calculate the rotation speed ω^ of the motor M1.

[0033] The carrier wave generator 33 generates a carrier wave according to the rotation speed ω^ of the motor M1 calculated by the differentiator 32. The frequency of the carrier wave increases as the rotation speed of the motor M1 increases. In other words, the frequency of the carrier wave has a positive correlation with the rotation speed of the motor M1. In the embodiment, the carrier wave generator 33 uses a signal obtained by multiplying the modulated wave as the carrier wave. When the carrier wave and the modulated wave are synchronized and the carrier wave is a signal obtained by multiplying the modulated wave, the operation mode of the gate signal generator 26 is set to the synchronous multi-pulse mode. For example, when the gate signal generator 26 operates in the synchronous multi-pulse mode, the carrier wave generator 33 uses a carrier wave whose frequency is 15 times the frequency of the modulated wave.

[0034] The comparator 34 generates a gate signal S1 based on a comparison between the modulated wave generated by the modulated wave generator 31 and the carrier wave generated by the carrier wave generator 33, and outputs the gate signal S1 to the switching elements SW11, SW12, SW13, SW14, SW15, and SW16. In detail, the gate signal S1 for the switching elements SW11, SW13, and SW15 is at H (High) level when the value of the modulated wave is equal to or greater than the value of the carrier wave, and is at L (Low) level when the value of the modulated wave is less than the value of the carrier wave. The gate signal S1 for the switching elements SW12, SW14, and SW16 is at L level when the value of the modulated wave is equal to or greater than the value of the carrier wave, and is at H level when the value of the modulated wave is less than the value of the carrier wave.

[0035] The switching elements SW11, SW12, SW13, SW14, SW15, and SW16 are switched on and off in response to the gate signal S1 output by the comparator 34. The gate signal generator 26 operates in the synchronous multi-pulse mode, thereby reducing distortion of the current flowing through the motor M1, enabling the motor M1 to operate with high efficiency.

[0036] As described above, the motor M1 included in the drive system 1 according to the embodiment is a synchronous reluctance motor that does not have a permanent magnet, and therefore no-load induced voltage is generated. For this reason, when a short circuit occurs in the inverter and the inverter stops, for example, there is no need to provide a contactor for disconnecting the motor M1 from the power conversion unit 11, and the power conversion unit 11 is directly connected to the motor M1. Since there is no need to provide a contactor, the structure of the drive system 1 according to the embodiment is simpler than a drive system that includes a contactor between the power conversion unit and the motor.

[0037] The present disclosure is not limited to the above example. The drive system 1 may include a plurality of power conversion units 11 and a plurality of motors M1. Since the power conversion units 11 and the motors M1 need to be in one-to-one correspondence, the number of the power conversion units 11 and the number of the motors M1 included in the drive system 1 are the same.

[0038] As an example, the drive system 2 shown in Fig. 4 includes two power conversion units 11 and 13, two motors M1 and M2, and two filter capacitors FC1 and FC2 that are charged with power supplied from a power source (not shown). The power conversion units 11 and 13 have the same configuration. The motors M1 and M2 have the same configuration. The filter capacitors FC1 and FC2 have the same configuration. The drive system 2 further includes current sensors CT11, CT12, and CT13 that measure the value of the phase current of the motor M1, current sensors CT21, CT22, and CT23 that measure the value of the phase current of the motor M2, and a control unit 12 that controls multiple switching elements included in each of the power conversion units 11 and 13.

[0039] The filter capacitors FC1 and FC2 are connected in parallel to each other to a power supply. In detail, one end of the filter capacitor FC1 is connected to the terminal 1a, and the other end is connected to the terminal 1b. One end of the filter capacitor FC2 is connected to the terminal 1a, and the other end is connected to the terminal 1b. The filter capacitors FC1 and FC2 are charged with power supplied from the power supply.

[0040] As in the embodiment, the current sensors CT11, CT12, and CT13 measure the value of the phase current flowing through the motor M1 and send the current measurement value to the control unit 12. The current sensors CT21, CT22, and CT23 measure the value of the phase current flowing through the motor M2 and send the current measurement value to the control unit 12. As with the current sensors CT11, CT12, and CT13, the current sensors CT21, CT22, and CT23 are attached to a bus bar connecting the power conversion unit 13 and the motor M2.

[0041] The control unit 12, like the embodiment, controls the motor M1 to generate a torque command value τ * Based on the current measurements of the current sensors CT11, CT12, and CT13, the control unit 12 generates and outputs a gate signal S1 that controls a plurality of switching elements of the power conversion unit 11. The control unit 12 further generates a torque command value τ * Based on the measured values ​​of the current sensors CT21, CT22, and CT23, the control circuit 13 generates and outputs a gate signal S2 that controls a plurality of switching elements of the power conversion unit 13. The method of generating the gate signals S1 and S2 is the same as in the embodiment.

[0042] In the drive system 2 equipped with multiple motors M1 and M2, the power conversion unit 11 is directly connected to the motor M1, and the power conversion unit 13 is directly connected to the motor M2. Therefore, the structure of the drive system 2 is simpler than that of a drive system equipped with contactors between each power conversion unit and each motor.

[0043] In the example of Fig. 4, the drive system 2 includes the same number of filter capacitors FC1, FC2 as the power conversion units 11, 13, but the power conversion units 11, 13 may be commonly connected to one filter capacitor. The drive system 3 shown in Fig. 5 includes only the filter capacitor FC1. The drive system 3 differs from the drive system 2 in that the power conversion units 11, 13 are commonly connected to the filter capacitor FC1.

[0044] The drive system 1-3 may include only two of the current sensors CT11, CT12, and CT13, rather than all of the current sensors CT11, CT12, and CT13. For example, the drive system 1-3 may measure the U-phase current and V-phase current flowing through the motor M1 using the current sensors CT11 and CT12, and calculate the W-phase current from the current measurement values ​​of the U-phase current and V-phase current. In this case, the control unit 12 may generate the gate signal S1 based on the U-phase current measurement value, the V-phase current measurement value, and the calculated W-phase current value.

[0045] The numbers of power conversion units 11, 13 and motors M1, M2 included in the drive systems 2, 3 are arbitrary as long as the numbers of power conversion units and motors are the same. The drive systems 2 and 3 may each include two independent control units 12. In this case, one control unit 12 controls the power conversion unit 11, and the other control unit 12 controls the power conversion unit 13.

[0046] In the embodiment, the direct connection means a connection without an active element, but the power conversion unit 11 and the motor M1 may be connected without an active element or a passive element. The same applies to the connection between the power conversion unit 13 and the motor M2.

[0047] The direct connection between the power conversion unit 11 and the motor M1 includes a connection via a relay terminal, a relay cable, etc. For example, when the power conversion unit 11 and the motor M1 are mounted on different vehicles, the power conversion unit 11 and the motor M1 are connected via a relay terminal. The same applies to the direct connection between the power conversion unit 13 and the motor M2.

[0048] The carrier wave and the modulating wave do not have to be synchronized. When the carrier wave and the modulating wave are not synchronized and the frequency of the carrier wave is higher than the frequency of the modulating wave, this is called the asynchronous multi-pulse mode. When the gate signal generator 26 operates in the asynchronous multi-pulse mode, the distortion of the current flowing through the motor M1 is reduced, as in the synchronous multi-pulse mode, and the motor M1 can operate with high efficiency.

[0049] When the rotation speed of the motor M1 is low, the carrier wave frequency may be set to the same value as the modulating wave frequency.

[0050] The control unit 12 may obtain a measurement value from a position sensor that measures the magnetic pole position of a rotor of the motor M1, and generate the gate signal S1 according to the measurement value of the position sensor. In this case, the gate signal generator 26 does not need to include the position estimator 24, and may generate the gate signal S1 according to the measurement value of the position sensor.

[0051] The motor M1 may be any synchronous motor that does not include a permanent magnet, and may be, for example, a switched reluctance motor.

[0052] The switching elements SW11, SW12, SW13, SW14, SW15, and SW16 may be semiconductor elements made of silicon, and the freewheeling diodes D11, D12, D13, D14, D15, and D16 may be wide-gap semiconductors.

[0053] The drive system 1-3 is not limited to being installed under the floor of the railcar, and may be installed in any location. For example, the drive system 1-3 may be installed on the roof of the railcar. The drive system 1-3 can be installed not only in railway vehicles that use DC power, but also in railway vehicles that use AC power. When the drive system 1-3 is installed in a railway vehicle that uses AC power, the power is stepped down by a transformer, and the power that is converted from AC power to DC power by a converter is supplied to the drive system 1-3.

[0054] The railcar on which the traction system 1-3 is mounted is not limited to an electric railcar. As an example, the traction system 1-3 may be mounted on a diesel railcar and be supplied with electric power from a generator that is driven by an internal combustion engine. As another example, the traction system 1-3 may be mounted on a battery car and be supplied with electric power from a storage battery. The drive system 1-3 is not limited to being mounted on a railway vehicle, but may be mounted on any moving object such as an automobile, a ship, or an aircraft.

[0055] Various embodiments and modifications of the present disclosure are possible without departing from the broad spirit and scope of the present disclosure. The above-described embodiments are for explaining the present disclosure and do not limit the scope of the present disclosure. That is, the scope of the present disclosure is indicated by the claims, not the embodiments. Various modifications made within the scope of the claims and the scope of the disclosure equivalent thereto are considered to be within the scope of the present disclosure. [Explanation of symbols]

[0056] 1, 2, 3 drive system, 1a, 1b terminals, 11, 13 power conversion unit, 12 control unit, 21 current command calculator, 22 voltage command calculator, 23 rotation coordinate inverse converter, 24 position estimator, 25 rotation coordinate estimator, 26 gate signal generator, 31 modulation wave generator, 32 differentiator, 33 carrier wave generator, 34 comparator, CT11, CT12, CT13, CT21, CT22, CT23 current sensor, D11, D12, D13, D14, D15, D16 freewheel diode, FC1, FC2 filter capacitor, M1, M2 motor, S1, S2 gate signal, SW11, SW12, SW13, SW14, SW15, SW16 switching element.

Claims

1. A drive system for a railway vehicle, comprising: a reluctance motor that receives a supply of electric power and rotates to generate a propulsive force for the railway vehicle; a power conversion unit having a plurality of switching elements and freewheeling diodes, connected to the reluctance motor, converting power supplied from an overhead line or a third rail into power to be supplied to the reluctance motor, and supplying the converted power to the reluctance motor; a control unit that controls the plurality of switching elements included in the power conversion unit by PWM control that performs pulse width modulation; Equipped with the plurality of switching elements and free wheel diodes include switching elements or free wheel diodes formed of wide gap semiconductors, the power conversion unit has a capacity larger than that of a power conversion unit when a permanent magnet synchronous motor is applied to the railway vehicle drive system instead of the reluctance motor. Drive system.

2. The reluctance motor is a synchronous reluctance motor. The drive system of claim 1 .

3. the control unit uses a modulated wave corresponding to a voltage command value for obtaining a target torque of the synchronous reluctance motor and a carrier wave whose frequency increases in accordance with an increase in the rotation speed of the synchronous reluctance motor, and generates gate signals for the plurality of switching elements based on a comparison between the modulated wave and the carrier wave. The drive system of claim 2 .

4. the control unit generates gate signals for the plurality of switching elements in accordance with a magnetic pole position of a rotor of the synchronous reluctance motor. A drive system according to claim 2 or 3.

5. A plurality of the power conversion units; the number of the synchronous reluctance motors is the same as the number of the power conversion units, The power conversion units are directly connected to the corresponding synchronous reluctance motors in a one-to-one correspondence. A drive system according to any one of claims 2 to 4.

6. a filter capacitor that is charged with power supplied from the overhead line or the third rail; the plurality of power conversion units are commonly connected to the filter capacitor; 6. The drive system of claim 5.

7. further comprising the same number of filter capacitors as the plurality of power conversion units, which are charged with power supplied from the overhead line or the third rail; The filter capacitors are connected to the power conversion units in a one-to-one correspondence.

6. The drive system of claim 5.