Motor control device, vehicle, computer program, and recording medium having computer program recorded thereon

Abstract

Provided is a motor control device capable of driving, with high power efficiency, a drive motor to which a plurality of inverters are connected. This motor control device controls driving of a first inverter and a second inverter whereby respective current supplies to a three-phase AC motor are controllable. The motor control device is configured to be switchable between a single-inverter control mode, in which either one of the first inverter and the second inverter is driven to control current supply to the motor, and a twin-inverter control mode, in which the first inverter and the second inverter together are driven to control current supply to the motor. The motor control device: computes respectively a first power loss from the single-inverter control mode and a second power loss from the twin-inverter control mode; and sets the control mode to that with a smaller power loss between the first power loss and the second power loss.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a motor control device, a vehicle, a computer program, and a recording medium having a computer program recorded thereon. [Background technology]

[0002] Hybrid electric vehicles and pure electric vehicles (hereinafter collectively referred to as electric vehicles) are equipped with a drive motor that outputs the driving force for the vehicle. In recent years, in order to increase the torque or current of the drive motor or to ensure redundancy in the drive system, it has been considered to drive the drive motor with multiple inverters.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a vehicle control device in which two inverters are connected to one motor and selectively controls the operation of the first and second inverters so that the first and second inverters operate at optimal efficiency based on the current required for the motor. Patent Document 2 discloses a motor drive system equipped with two inverters that control the respective stators of a double stator type axial gap motor having two stators. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2009-029397 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2016-131444 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the motor drive systems described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, the power supply to the drive motor can be distributed by driving the drive motor using two inverters. Therefore, it is possible to supply a large current to the drive motor while suppressing an increase in wiring resistance due to an increase in inverter temperature. Furthermore, when three-phase windings of u-phase, v-phase, and w-phase are connected to each inverter, the current supplied to each three-phase winding is distributed, thereby reducing copper loss in each three-phase winding.

[0006] However, when driving a traction motor with two inverters, it is not easy to completely synchronize the control of the two inverters due to steady-state errors of the sensors used to control the respective inverters, manufacturing variations in components, discrepancies in control timing, etc. For this reason, the power efficiency of the traction motor when driven by two inverters may be worse than when driven by only one inverter.

[0007] On the other hand, when a drive motor is driven by only one inverter, the current flowing through the electric wiring of the power supply system increases compared to when it is driven by two inverters. This increases the loss due to the wiring resistance and raises the temperature of the electric wiring. Since the wiring resistance depends on the temperature of the electric wiring, the increase in wiring resistance and the increase in loss can become a loop.

[0008] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above problems, and an object of the present disclosure is to provide a motor control device, a vehicle, a computer program, and a recording medium having a computer program recorded thereon, capable of driving a drive motor connected to multiple inverters with high power efficiency. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, according to an aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a motor control device that controls the driving of a first inverter and a second inverter, each of which is capable of controlling a supply current to a three-phase AC motor, the motor control device comprising one or more processors and one or more memories communicatively connected to the one or more processors, the one or more processors being configured to be able to switch between a single inverter control mode in which either the first inverter or the second inverter is driven to control the supply current to the motor, and a twin inverter control mode in which both the first inverter and the second inverter are driven to control the supply current to the motor, the motor control device calculating a first power loss in the single inverter control mode and a second power loss in the twin inverter control mode based on the power loss of the motor, the power loss of the first inverter, the power loss of the second inverter, the power loss in the current supply path from the first inverter to the motor, and the power loss in the current supply path from the second inverter to the motor, and setting the control mode which has the smaller power loss of the first power loss or the second power loss.

[0010] Moreover, in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, according to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a vehicle equipped with a motor drive system including a three-phase AC motor and a first inverter and a second inverter each capable of controlling a current supplied to the motor, in which a motor control device that controls the motor drive system is configured to be able to switch between a single inverter control mode in which either the first inverter or the second inverter is driven to control the current supplied to the motor, and a twin inverter control mode in which both the first inverter and the second inverter are driven to control the current supplied to the motor, and the motor control system calculates a first power loss in the single inverter control mode and a second power loss in the twin inverter control mode based on the power loss of the motor, the power loss of the first inverter, the power loss of the second inverter, the power loss in the current supply path from the first inverter to the motor, and the power loss in the current supply path from the second inverter to the motor, and sets the control mode which has the smaller power loss of the first power loss or the second power loss.

[0011] Moreover, in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, according to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a computer program applicable to a motor drive system that controls the drive of a first inverter and a second inverter, each of which is capable of controlling a supply current to a three-phase AC motor, wherein the motor drive system is configured to be switchable between a single inverter control mode in which either the first inverter or the second inverter is driven to control the supply current to the motor, and a twin inverter control mode in which both the first inverter and the second inverter are driven to control the supply current to the motor, and the computer program causes one or more processors to respectively calculate a first power loss in the single inverter control mode and a second power loss in the twin inverter control mode based on the power loss of the motor, the power loss of the first inverter, the power loss of the second inverter, the power loss in the current supply path from the first inverter to the motor, and the power loss in the current supply path from the second inverter to the motor, and set the control mode with the first power loss or the second power loss which is smaller. Effect of the Invention

[0012] As described above, according to the present disclosure, a drive motor connected to a plurality of inverters can be driven with high power efficiency. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of a vehicle to which a motor control device according to an embodiment of the present invention can be applied; [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of a motor drive system. [Diagram 3] 1 is a circuit diagram showing a configuration example of a motor drive system. [Figure 4] 1 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of a motor control device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 5]4 is a flowchart showing an example of a calculation process performed by the motor control device according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a manner in which output torque is transferred when inverters are switched. [Figure 7] 10 is a flowchart showing a process for switching an inverter to be used in consideration of a temperature of a current supply path according to the embodiment; [Figure 8] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a calculation process performed by a motor control device according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 9] 10 is a flowchart showing a process for setting an inverter to be used according to the embodiment; [Figure 10] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing power consumption of an inverter. [Figure 11] 10 is an explanatory diagram showing power consumption during continuous use and switching of an inverter. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this specification and the drawings, components having substantially the same functional configurations are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted.

[0015] <<1.Basic configuration>> First, a basic configuration common to each embodiment of the present disclosure will be described.

[0016] <1-1. Example of vehicle configuration> Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of a vehicle 1 to which a motor control device according to this embodiment can be applied. The vehicle 1 shown in Fig. 1 is a four-wheel electric vehicle equipped with a left front wheel 3LF, a right front wheel 3RF, a left rear wheel 3LR, and a right rear wheel 3RR (hereinafter collectively referred to as "wheels 3" unless a distinction is particularly required), and is configured as a two-wheel drive electric vehicle in which a drive torque output from a drive motor 10 serving as a drive force source that generates drive torque for the vehicle 1 is transmitted to the left front wheel 3LF and the right front wheel 3RF (hereinafter collectively referred to as "front wheels 3F" unless a distinction is particularly required).

[0017] The vehicle 1 may be configured as a four-wheel drive electric vehicle. In this case, the vehicle 1 may be equipped with a front-wheel drive motor and a rear-wheel drive motor, or may be equipped with an in-wheel motor mounted on each wheel.

[0018] The vehicle 1 includes a motor drive system 2 and a hydraulic brake system 16. The hydraulic brake system 16 includes brake devices 17LF, 17RF, 17LR, and 17RR (hereinafter collectively referred to as brake devices 17) provided on each wheel 3, and a brake fluid pressure control device 19 that controls the hydraulic pressure supplied to each brake device 17. Each brake device 17 is configured as a device that applies a braking force to the wheel 3 by sandwiching a brake disc that rotates together with the wheel with brake pads using the hydraulic pressure supplied. The brake fluid pressure control device 19 includes an electric motor pump that discharges brake fluid, a plurality of solenoid valves that adjust the hydraulic pressure supplied to each brake device 17, and a brake control device that controls the operation of the electric motor pump and the solenoid valves. The hydraulic brake system 16 generates a predetermined braking force on each of the front, rear, left, and right drive wheels 3LF, 3RF, 3LR, and 3RR by controlling the hydraulic pressure supplied to each brake device 17. The hydraulic brake system 16 is used in combination with a regenerative brake using a drive motor 10.

[0019] The motor drive system 2 includes a drive motor 10, an inverter unit 20, a converter unit 30, a battery 40, and a control device 50. The control device 50 functions as a motor control device that controls the drive motor 10. The specific configuration of the motor drive system 2 will be described in detail later.

[0020] The vehicle 1 also includes a vehicle condition sensor 45. The vehicle condition sensor 45 is connected to the control device 50 via a dedicated line or via communication means such as a Controller Area Network (CAN) or a Local Inter Net (LIN).

[0021] The vehicle state sensor 45 is composed of one or more sensors that detect the operation state and behavior of the vehicle 1 (hereinafter collectively referred to as the "vehicle state"). The vehicle state sensor 45 includes at least one of a steering angle sensor, an accelerator position sensor, a brake stroke sensor, a brake pressure sensor, and an engine speed sensor, and detects the operation state of the vehicle 1, such as the steering angle of the steering wheel or steering wheels, the accelerator opening, the brake operation amount, and the engine speed. The vehicle state sensor 45 also includes at least one of a vehicle speed sensor, an acceleration sensor, and an angular velocity sensor, and detects the behavior of the vehicle 1, such as the vehicle speed, longitudinal acceleration, lateral acceleration, and yaw rate. The vehicle state sensor 45 transmits a sensor signal including the detected information to the control device 50.

[0022] In this embodiment, the vehicle state sensor 45 includes at least an accelerator position sensor, a brake stroke sensor, and a vehicle speed sensor. The accelerator position sensor detects the amount of operation of the accelerator pedal by the driver. For example, the accelerator position sensor may be a sensor that detects the amount of rotation of the rotation shaft of the accelerator pedal, but is not particularly limited to this. The brake stroke sensor detects the amount of operation of the brake pedal by the driver. The brake stroke sensor may be a sensor that detects the amount of movement of an output rod connected to the brake pedal, a sensor that detects the amount of rotation of the rotation shaft of the brake pedal, or a sensor that detects the depression force of the brake pedal, but is not particularly limited to this. The vehicle speed sensor may be a sensor that detects the number of rotations of the rotation shaft of the drive motor 10 or the front wheel drive shaft 5F or the rear wheel drive shaft 5R, but is not particularly limited to this.

[0023] <1-2. Motor drive system> Next, the configuration of the motor drive system 2 will be specifically described. 2 and 3 are explanatory diagrams showing an example of the configuration of the motor drive system 2. Fig. 2 is a block diagram that typically shows the example of the configuration of the motor drive system 2, and Fig. 3 is a circuit diagram that shows the example of the configuration of the motor drive system 2.

[0024] As shown in Fig. 2, the motor drive system 2 includes a drive motor 10, an inverter unit 20, a converter unit 30, a battery 40, and a control device 50. The battery 40 is a secondary battery that can be charged and discharged. For example, the battery 40 may be a lithium ion battery rated at 200V, but the rated voltage and type of the battery 40 are not particularly limited. The battery 40 is connected to the drive motor 10 via the converter unit 30 and the inverter unit 20, and stores the power supplied to the drive motor 10. The battery 40 is provided with a battery management device 41 that detects the open circuit voltage, output voltage, battery temperature, etc. of the battery 40 and transmits them to the control device 50.

[0025] The drive motor 10 outputs a drive torque transmitted to the front wheels 3F via the differential mechanism 7 and the front drive shaft 5F. The drive of the drive motor 10 is controlled by the control device 50. The drive motor 10 has a rotor 13 and a stator 11 provided on the outer periphery of the rotor 13 with a gap therebetween. The drive motor 10 is configured as a three-phase AC motor. However, the number of phases is not particularly limited. The drive motor 10 outputs a drive torque by rotating the rotor 13 due to a rotating magnetic field formed by supplying three-phase AC current to the stator 11. In addition, the drive motor 10 has a function of performing regenerative power generation by rotating the rotor 13 upon receiving the rotation torque of the front wheels 3F transmitted via the front drive shaft 5F when the three-phase AC current is not supplied to the stator 11.

[0026] The inverter unit 20 includes a first inverter 21a and a second inverter 21b. In this embodiment, the drive motor 10 is configured as a dual three-phase motor in which a three-phase winding is provided for one stator 11 in a dual manner and controlled by two inverters, the first inverter 21a and the second inverter 21b. The first inverter 21a and the second inverter 21b each convert DC power swept from the battery 40 into three-phase AC power and supply it to the stator 11 of the drive motor 10. The first inverter 21a and the second inverter 21b also convert the three-phase AC power regenerated by the stator 11 into DC power and supply it to the converter unit 30. The drive of the inverter unit 20 is controlled by a control device 50.

[0027] The converter unit 30 includes a boost circuit 31. The boost circuit 31 boosts the voltage of the power regenerated by the drive motor 10 to a required charging voltage of the battery 40 and supplies it to the battery 40. The boost circuit 31 may have a function of boosting or lowering the output voltage of the battery 40 and supplying it to the inverter unit 20. The drive of the converter unit 30 is controlled by a control device 50. It is noted that the motor drive system 2 may not be provided with the boost circuit 31.

[0028] As shown in Fig. 3, the first inverter 21a and the second inverter 21b each include a plurality of switching elements. The operation of each switching element of the first inverter 21a and the second inverter 21b is controlled by a control device 50. The first inverter 21a and the second inverter 21b have the same configuration. Below, the configuration of the first inverter 21a will be described, and the description of the configuration of the second inverter 21b will be omitted.

[0029] The first inverter 21a includes three arm circuits 23ua, 23va, and 23wa (hereinafter, collectively referred to as arm circuits 23a unless otherwise specified). The arm circuit 23ua is electrically connected to a u-phase coil of the stator 11 of the drive motor 10. The arm circuit 23va is electrically connected to a v-phase coil of the stator 11 of the drive motor 10. The arm circuit 23wa is electrically connected to a w-phase coil of the stator 11 of the drive motor 10. Each arm circuit 23a includes an upper arm electrically connected to the positive electrode side of the battery 40 and a lower arm electrically connected to the negative electrode side of the battery 40.

[0030] The upper arm and the lower arm of each arm circuit 23a are provided with switching elements 25ua, 27ua, 25va, 27va, 25wa, and 27wa, to which diodes are electrically connected in antiparallel. The switching elements 25ua, 27ua, 25va, 27va, 25wa, and 27wa may be, for example, MOSFETs (Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistors) or IGBTs (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors), but may also be other switching elements.

[0031] The u-phase, v-phase, and w-phase coils of the stator 11 of the drive motor 10 are electrically connected to the connection parts between the upper and lower arms of the arm circuits 23ua, 23va, and 23wa. The operations of the switching elements 25ua, 27ua, 25va, 27va, 25wa, and 27wa of the arm circuits 23ua, 23va, and 23wa are controlled by the control device 50.

[0032] The second inverter 21b is configured similarly to the first inverter 21a.

[0033] The boost circuit 21 includes a coil 39, two switching elements 35, 37, and a smoothing capacitor 29. The boost circuit 21 includes an upper arm electrically connected to the upper arm sides of the first inverter 21a and the second inverter 21b, and a lower arm electrically connected to the lower arm sides of the first inverter 21a and the second inverter 21b. The upper arm and the lower arm are provided with switching elements 35, 37 to which diodes are electrically connected in anti-parallel, respectively. The switching elements 35, 37 may be, for example, MOSFETs or IGBTs, but may also be other switching elements.

[0034] When the power of the battery 40 is supplied to the first inverter 21a and the second inverter 21b, the two switching elements 35, 37 of the boost circuit 31 are switched and controlled, respectively, so that the power of the battery 40 is boosted and supplied to the first inverter 21a and the second inverter 21b. When the regeneratively generated power of the drive motor 10 is charged to the battery 40, the two switching elements 35, 37 of the boost circuit 31 are switched and controlled, respectively, so that the regeneratively generated power output from the first inverter 20a and the second inverter 20b is boosted and supplied to the battery 40. The boost ratio is adjusted by the on-off duty ratio of the switching elements 35, 37. The operation of each switching element 35, 37 is controlled by the control device 50.

[0035] One end of the coil 39 is electrically connected to the positive electrode side of the battery 40, and the other end of the coil 39 is electrically connected between the two switching elements 35, 37. The smoothing capacitor 29 is connected in parallel to the battery 40 with respect to each of the first inverter 21a and the second inverter 21b.

[0036] The control device 50 drives the drive motor 10 by controlling the drive of the first inverter 21a, the second inverter 21b, and the boost circuit 31. Specifically, the control device 50 calculates the required torque of the drive motor 10 based on the required acceleration of the vehicle 1. When the required acceleration is a positive value, the control device 50 drives the drive motor 10 by controlling the drive of each switching element provided in the first inverter 21a, the second inverter 21b, and the boost circuit 31 based on the calculated required torque. As a result, the drive motor 10 outputs the drive torque for the vehicle 1.

[0037] On the other hand, when the required acceleration is a negative value, the control device 50 controls the driving of each switching element provided in the first inverter 21a, the second inverter 21b, and the boost circuit 31 based on the calculated required torque, thereby causing the drive motor 10 to generate regenerative power. As a result, the drive motor 10 performs regenerative power generation and generates a regenerative brake torque.

[0038] In this embodiment, the control device 50 is configured to be capable of switching between a single inverter control mode in which either the first inverter 21a or the second inverter 21b is driven to control the current supplied to the drive motor 10, and a twin inverter control mode in which both the first inverter 21a and the second inverter 21b are driven to control the current supplied to the drive motor 10. The control device 50 selects the single inverter control mode or the twin inverter control mode so as to increase power efficiency.

[0039] <1-3. Functional configuration of the control device> The following is a brief description of the functional configuration of the control device 50. A specific embodiment of the control process by the processing unit 51 will be described in detail later.

[0040] The control device 50 functions as a device that controls the drive motor 10 by executing a computer program by one or more processors such as CPUs. The computer program is a computer program for causing the processor to execute the operations to be performed by the control device 50, which will be described later. The computer program executed by the processor may be recorded on a recording medium that functions as a storage unit (memory) provided in the control device 50, or may be recorded on a recording medium built into the control device 50 or any recording medium that can be externally attached to the control device 50.

[0041] Examples of recording media for recording computer programs include magnetic media such as hard disks, floppy disks, and magnetic tapes; optical recording media such as CD-ROMs (Compact Disk Read Only Memory), DVDs (Digital Versatile Disks), and Blu-ray (registered trademark); magneto-optical media such as floptical disks; memory elements such as RAMs (Random Access Memory) and ROMs (Read Only Memory); and flash memories such as USB (Universal Serial Bus) memories and SSDs (Solid State Drives), as well as other media capable of storing programs.

[0042] FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the control device 50. As shown in FIG. The control device 50 includes a processing unit 51 and a storage unit 53. The processing unit 51 includes one or more processors such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit). A part or all of the processing unit 51 may be configured with an updatable component such as firmware, or may be a program module executed by a command from the processor. However, a part or all of the processing unit 51 may be configured using hardware.

[0043] The storage unit 53 is configured with one or more storage elements (memories) such as a RAM (Random Access Memory) or a ROM (Read Only Memory) communicatively connected to the processing unit 51. However, the number and type of the storage units 53 are not particularly limited. The storage unit 53 stores computer programs executed by the processing unit 51, various parameters used in the calculation process, detection data, calculation results, and other data. In addition, the control device 50 has an interface for communicating with the battery management unit 41, the vehicle condition sensor 45, etc.

[0044] The processing unit 51 includes an acquisition unit 61, a required torque calculation unit 63, a power loss calculation unit 65, a control mode setting unit 67, and an inverter control unit 69. Each of these units may be a function realized by the execution of a computer program by a processor, but may be partially or entirely configured by hardware such as an analog circuit.

[0045] (Acquisition Department) The acquisition unit 61 acquires sensor signals output from various sensors provided in the motor drive system 2 and the vehicle 1. The sensors include temperature sensors provided in the drive motor 10, the first inverter 21a, the second inverter 21b, a current supply path from the first inverter 21a to the drive motor 10, and a current supply path from the second inverter 21b to the drive motor 10. The sensors also include a rotation sensor that detects the rotation speed of the drive motor 10.

[0046] (Required torque calculation section) The required torque calculation unit 63 calculates the required torque of the drive motor 10. Specifically, the required torque calculation unit 63 calculates the required torque (required drive torque) based on the required acceleration of the vehicle 1. The required acceleration is obtained based on, for example, the operation amount of the accelerator pedal and the operation amount of the brake pedal. When the vehicle 1 is under automatic driving control, the required torque calculation unit 63 calculates the required torque (required drive torque) based on the required acceleration required in the automatic driving control.

[0047] (Power loss calculation section) The power loss calculation unit 65 calculates the power loss of the motor drive system 2. Specifically, the power loss calculation unit 65 calculates the power loss related to the drive of the drive motor 10 based on the power loss of the drive motor 10, the power loss of the first inverter 21a, the power loss of the second inverter 21b, the power loss in the current supply path from the first inverter 21a to the drive motor 10, and the power loss in the current supply path from the second inverter 21b to the drive motor 10. The power loss calculation unit 65 calculates the power loss (first power loss A) in the single inverter control mode using the first inverter 21a, the power loss (first power loss B) in the single inverter control mode using the second inverter 21b, and the power loss (second power loss) in the twin inverter control mode using both the first inverter 21a and the second inverter 21b.

[0048] (Control mode setting section) The control mode setting unit 67 sets the control mode of the drive motor 10 to a single inverter control mode or a twin inverter control mode based on the required torque calculated by the required torque calculation unit 63 and the power loss calculated by the power loss calculation unit 65. When setting the control mode to the single inverter control mode, the control mode setting unit 67 sets the inverter to be used to the first inverter 21a or the second inverter 21b.

[0049] (Inverter control unit) The inverter control unit 69 controls the driving of either one or both of the first inverter 21a and the second inverter 21b in accordance with the control mode set by the control mode setting unit 67. When the inverter control unit 69 is set to a single inverter control mode using the first inverter 21a or the second inverter 21b, it controls the driving of the first inverter 21a or the second inverter 21b to supply three-phase AC current to the drive motor 10. In this case, the inverter control unit 69 determines a target current value capable of outputting a drive torque according to the required torque, and supplies a current to the drive motor 10 via either the first inverter 21a or the second inverter 21b.

[0050] In addition, when the inverter control unit 69 is set to the twin inverter control mode, it calculates a target current value by setting half of the required torque as the required torque for each of the first inverter 21a and the second inverter 21b, and supplies current to the drive motor 10 via the first inverter 21a and the second inverter 21b.

[0051] So far, the basic configuration common to each embodiment of the present disclosure has been described. Below, the specific control process by the control device 50 will be described in detail for each embodiment.

[0052] <<2. Preferred embodiment>> <2-1. First embodiment> First, the calculation process performed by the control device 50 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of a calculation process performed by the control device 50 according to the present embodiment.

[0053] First, the required torque calculation unit 63 of the processing unit 51 calculates the required torque of the drive motor 10 (step S11). Specifically, the required torque calculation unit 63 calculates the required torque of the drive motor 10 based on information on the vehicle speed and the required acceleration. The vehicle speed information can be obtained based on a sensor signal from a vehicle speed sensor. Furthermore, the required acceleration information can be obtained based on a sensor signal transmitted from an accelerator position sensor. The required torque becomes larger as the vehicle speed is faster and as the required acceleration is greater.

[0054] Next, the control mode setting unit 67 of the processing unit 51 judges whether the calculated required torque exceeds the rated torque that can be output from the drive motor 10 by the power supply from each of the first inverter 21a and the second inverter 21b (step S13). The value of the rated torque per inverter is set in advance according to the configuration of the inverter. Note that since the first inverter 21a and the second inverter 21b have the same configuration, the rated torque that can be output from the drive motor 10 by the power supply from each of the first inverter 21a and the second inverter 21b is the same value.

[0055] If the required torque exceeds the rated torque value per inverter (S13 / Yes), the control mode setting unit 67 sets the control mode of the drive motor 10 to the twin inverter control mode (step S19). If the required torque exceeds the rated torque per inverter, the drive motor 10 cannot output a drive torque equivalent to the required torque with power supply from one inverter, so the first inverter 21a and the second inverter 21b are made to share the power supply.

[0056] When the twin inverter control mode is set, the inverter control unit 69 controls the driving of each of the first inverter 21a and the second inverter 21b to drive the drive motor 10 (step S21). Specifically, the inverter control unit 69 sets a target current value for each of the first inverter 21a and the second inverter 21b by multiplying the required torque by half. Then, the inverter control unit 69 controls the driving of each of the first inverter 21a and the second inverter 21b based on the target current value and the rotation speed of the drive motor 10 to control the power supply to the drive motor 10.

[0057] On the other hand, if the required torque is equal to or less than the rated torque per inverter (S13 / No), the power loss calculation unit 65 of the processing unit 51 calculates the power loss when only the first inverter 21a is driven, when only the second inverter 21b is driven, and when both the first inverter 21a and the second inverter 21b are driven (step S15). For each of these cases, the power loss calculation unit 65 obtains the power loss of the drive motor 10, the power loss of the first inverter 21a, the power loss of the second inverter 21b, the power loss in the current supply path from the first inverter 21a to the drive motor 10, and the power loss in the current supply path from the second inverter 21b to the drive motor 10, and calculates the total value of the power losses.

[0058] Specifically, the power loss calculation unit 65 can calculate the power efficiency (power loss) of each of the first inverter 21a and the second inverter 21b by referring to a power efficiency map corresponding to the rotation speed, required torque, and inverter temperature of the drive motor 10, which has been obtained in advance by experiments, simulations, etc. and stored in the storage unit 53. The power loss of the first inverter 21a and the second inverter 21b corresponds to the power loss caused by driving the switching elements. The rotation speed of the drive motor 10 can be obtained based on a sensor signal output from a rotation sensor or a current waveform supplied from each inverter. The temperatures of the first inverter 21a and the second inverter 21b can be obtained based on a sensor signal output from a temperature sensor provided in each circuit.

[0059] Furthermore, the power loss calculation unit 65 can obtain the power loss of the drive motor 10 by referring to a power efficiency map corresponding to the rotation speed and required torque of the drive motor 10, which has been obtained in advance by experiments, simulations, etc. and stored in the storage unit 53. The power loss of the drive motor 10 corresponds to the copper loss of the three-phase windings connected to the first inverter 21a and the second inverter 21b. The power loss of the drive motor 10 may be corrected according to the temperature of the drive motor 10. In this case, the power loss is corrected so that the higher the temperature of the drive motor 10, the larger the power loss. The temperature of the drive motor 10 can be acquired based on a sensor signal output from a temperature sensor provided at an appropriate position near the stator 11 of the drive motor 10, for example.

[0060] Furthermore, the power loss calculation unit 65 can obtain the power loss in the current supply path from the first inverter 21a to the drive motor 10 and the power loss in the current supply path from the second inverter 21b to the drive motor 10, for example, as follows. That is, if the reference temperature in the current supply path is t, the resistance temperature coefficient is αt, and the resistance at the reference temperature t is Rt, the resistance value R at the wiring temperature T can be expressed by the following formula (1). R = Rt × (1 + αt (Tt)) … (1) Therefore, the temperature of any part of the current supply path can be used as a representative value, and the power loss of the current supply path from each inverter to the drive motor 10 can be calculated simply from the above formula (1). Alternatively, the current supply path can be divided into predetermined portions in consideration of the temperature distribution based on a thermal model of the electrical wiring, and the sum of the power losses of the respective portions can be used as the power loss of the entire current supply path.

[0061] The power loss calculated by the power loss calculation unit 65 is as follows. EL1-A=Lm1+Li1+Lw1 (required torque output by driving the first inverter 21a) EL1-B=Lm2+Li2+Lw2 (required torque output by driving the second inverter 21b) EL2=Lm1+Li1+Lw1 (required torque output by driving two inverters) EL1-A: Power loss in single inverter control mode using the first inverter 21a (first power loss A) EL1-B: Power loss in the single inverter control mode using the second inverter 21b (first power loss B) EL2: Power loss in twin inverter control mode (second power loss) Lm1: Power loss of the drive motor 10 (three-phase winding connected to the first inverter 21a) Lm2: Power loss of the drive motor 10 (three-phase winding connected to the second inverter 21b) Li1: Power loss of the first inverter 21a Li2: Power loss of the second inverter 21b Lw1: Power loss in the current supply path from the first inverter 21a to the drive motor 10 Lw2: Power loss in the current supply path from the second inverter 21b to the drive motor 10

[0062] Next, the control mode setting unit 67 judges whether the calculated first power loss AEL1-A or second power loss BEL1-B in the single inverter control mode is greater than the second power loss EL2 in the twin inverter control mode (step S17). If the first power loss AEL1-A or second power loss BEL1-B is greater than the second power loss EL2 (S17 / Yes), the control mode setting unit 67 sets the control mode of the drive motor 10 to the twin inverter control mode (step S19). When the control mode is set to the twin inverter control mode, the inverter control unit 69 controls the driving of each of the first inverter 21a and the second inverter 21b to drive the drive motor 10 (step S21).

[0063] If the first power loss AEL1-A or the second power loss BEL1-B is not greater than the second power loss EL2 (S17 / No), the control mode setting unit 67 sets the control mode of the drive motor 10 to the single inverter control mode (step S23). Next, the control mode setting unit 67 determines whether the first power loss AEL1-A in the single inverter control mode using the first inverter 21a is greater than the second power loss BEL1-B in the single inverter control mode using the second inverter 21b (step S25).

[0064] If the first power loss AEL1-A is greater than the second power loss BEL1-B (S25 / Yes), the inverter control unit 69 controls the driving of the second inverter 21b to drive the drive motor 10 (step S27). On the other hand, if the first power loss AEL1-A is not greater than the second power loss BEL1-B (S25 / No), the inverter control unit 69 controls the driving of the first inverter 21a to drive the drive motor 10 (step S29).

[0065] In this way, the processing unit 51 sets a control mode and an inverter to be used that reduce power loss in the motor drive system 2, drives the drive motor 10, and outputs the required torque. The processing unit 51 determines whether the motor drive system 2 has stopped (step S31), and unless the system has stopped, returns to step S11 and repeats the processing of each step described up to this point. On the other hand, if the system has stopped (S31 / Yes), the processing unit 51 ends the series of control processes.

[0066] When switching the inverter to be used, the inverter control unit 69 may gradually change the ratio of the output torque over a predetermined time so that the sum of the output torque by driving the first inverter 21a and the output torque by driving the second inverter 21b becomes the required torque. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 6, when the inverter to be used in the single inverter control mode is switched between the first inverter 21a and the second inverter 21b, the output torque by the inverter that was used is gradually decreased with respect to the required torque, while the output torque by the inverter to be used is gradually increased. In other words, when switching the inverter, the output torque from the drive motor 10 is maintained by switching once to the twin inverter control mode and then switching again to the single inverter control mode. This makes it possible to suppress a sudden change in torque when switching the inverter to be used.

[0067] In addition, while driving the drive motor 10 in the single inverter control mode, the control mode setting unit 67 may switch the inverter to be used so that the temperature of the current supply path from the first inverter 21a to the drive motor 10 and the temperature of the current supply path from the second inverter 21b to the drive motor 10 are each maintained below the heat resistance threshold value.

[0068] FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a process of switching the inverter to be used in consideration of the temperature of the current supply path. The flowchart shown in FIG. 7 is replaced with steps S23 to S29 in the flowchart shown in FIG. 5. As described above, when the control mode setting unit 67 determines in step S25 that the first power loss AEL1-A in the single inverter control mode using the first inverter 21a is greater than the second power loss BEL1-B in the single inverter control mode using the second inverter 21b (S25 / Yes), it determines whether or not the temperature of the current supply path from the second inverter 21b to the drive motor 10 is below the heat-resistant temperature (step S26). When the temperature of the current supply path from the second inverter 21b to the drive motor 10 is below the heat-resistant temperature (S26 / Yes), the inverter control unit 69 controls the driving of the second inverter 21b to drive the drive motor 10 (step S27). On the other hand, if the temperature of the current supply path from the second inverter 21b to the drive motor 10 is equal to or higher than the heat-resistant temperature (S26 / No), the inverter control unit 69 controls the driving of the first inverter 21a to drive the drive motor 10 (step S29).

[0069] Similarly, when the control mode setting unit 67 determines in step S25 that the first power loss AEL1-A is not greater than the second power loss BEL1-B (S25 / No), it determines whether or not the temperature of the current supply path from the first inverter 21a to the drive motor 10 is less than the heat-resistant temperature (step S28). When the temperature of the current supply path from the first inverter 21a to the drive motor 10 is less than the heat-resistant temperature (S28 / Yes), the inverter control unit 69 controls the drive of the first inverter 21a to drive the drive motor 10 (step S29). On the other hand, when the temperature of the current supply path from the first inverter 21a to the drive motor 10 is equal to or higher than the heat-resistant temperature (S28 / No), the inverter control unit 69 controls the drive of the second inverter 21b to drive the drive motor 10 (step S27).

[0070] In this way, by switching the inverter to be used so that the temperature of each current supply path is maintained below the heat resistance threshold, it is possible to prevent overheating of the current supply paths while controlling the drive of the drive motor 10 in the single inverter control mode. In addition, it is possible to prevent excessive increase in wiring resistance of the current supply paths and excessive power loss.

[0071] As described above, the control device 50 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure compares the power losses EL1-A, EL1-B, and EL2 when the single inverter control mode using the first inverter 21a, the single inverter control mode using the second inverter 21b, and the twin inverter control mode, even if the required torque is equal to or less than the rated torque of one inverter, and selects the control mode and inverter with the smallest power loss. Therefore, the drive of the drive motor 10 can be controlled in a control mode that increases the power efficiency of the motor drive system 2. In addition, when the inverters to be used are switched so that the temperatures of each current supply path are maintained below the heat resistance threshold, overheating of the current supply paths can be suppressed while controlling the drive of the drive motor 10 in the single inverter control mode.

[0072] <2-2. Second embodiment> Next, a calculation process performed by the control device 50 according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. 8 and 9 are flowcharts showing an example of the calculation process by the control device 50 according to the present embodiment.

[0073] First, the required torque calculation unit 63 of the processing unit 51 calculates the required torque of the drive motor 10 (step S11). Next, the control mode setting unit 67 of the processing unit 51 determines whether the calculated required torque exceeds the rated torque that can be output from the drive motor 10 by the power supply from each of the first inverter 21a and the second inverter 21b (step S13). If the required torque exceeds the value of the rated torque per inverter (S13 / Yes), the control mode setting unit 67 sets the control mode of the drive motor 10 to the twin inverter control mode (step S19). If the control mode is set to the twin inverter control mode, the inverter control unit 69 controls the driving of each of the first inverter 21a and the second inverter 21b to drive the drive motor 10 (step S21).

[0074] When the required torque exceeds the rated torque value per inverter, the twin inverter control mode is set and the driving of the first inverter 21a and the second inverter 21b is controlled to drive the drive motor 10, as in the first embodiment.

[0075] On the other hand, if the required torque is equal to or less than the rated torque per inverter (S13 / No), the control mode setting unit 67 sets the control mode of the drive motor 10 to the single inverter control mode (step S41). Next, the control mode setting unit 67 executes a process of setting the inverter to be used (step S43).

[0076] FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a process for setting an inverter to be used. The control mode setting unit 67 acquires the wiring temperatures of the current supply path from the first inverter 21a to the drive motor 10 and the current supply path from the second inverter 21b to the drive motor 10 (step S51). The wiring temperature of each current supply path may be a representative value of the temperature of any part of the current supply path, or the current supply path may be divided into predetermined parts in consideration of a temperature distribution based on a thermal model of the electrical wiring, and the average value of the temperatures of the respective parts may be used as the wiring temperature.

[0077] Next, the control mode setting unit 67 judges whether the drive motor 10 was in a stopped state or was set to the twin inverter control mode until the previous processing cycle (step S53). If the judgment in step S53 is positive (S53 / Yes), the control mode setting unit 67 judges whether the wiring temperature of the current supply path from the first inverter 21a to the drive motor 10 is lower than the wiring temperature of the current supply path from the second inverter 21b to the drive motor 10 (step S55).

[0078] If step S55 is judged as positive (S55 / Yes), the inverter control unit 69 controls the driving of the first inverter 21a to drive the drive motor 10 (step S57). On the other hand, if step S55 is judged as negative (S55 / No), the inverter control unit 69 controls the driving of the second inverter 21b to drive the drive motor 10 (step S59). In other words, immediately after switching to the single inverter control mode, the inverter with the low wiring temperature of the current supply path is selected to drive the drive motor 10. This makes it possible to suppress an increase in power loss due to an increase in the wiring temperature of the current supply path.

[0079] On the other hand, if step S53 is negative (S53 / No), that is, if the single inverter control mode continues, the power loss calculation unit 65 calculates the power loss when the inverter currently in use continues to be used and when the inverter to be used is switched (step S61). An example of a method for calculating the power loss when the inverter currently in use continues to be used and when the inverter to be used is switched will be described below.

[0080] The power loss calculation unit 65 calculates a third power loss until a predetermined time when the inverter currently in use continues to be used, and a fourth power loss until a predetermined time when the inverter to be used is switched. The predetermined time may be set to any appropriate value taking into consideration the operation time Ti for switching the inverter and the reference time Ta after the inverter is switched. Specifically, the predetermined time is set to a time within a range of 10 milliseconds to several hundred milliseconds, taking into consideration, for example, the responsiveness of the inverter, the stability of the output torque, the frequency of switching the inverter, and the like.

[0081] For example, assume that the drive motor 10 is currently driven in the single inverter control mode using the first inverter 21a. In this case, the power loss calculation unit 65 calculates the power loss (third power loss) EL3 until a predetermined time when the first inverter 21a continues to be used as follows. That is, the power loss calculation unit 65 calculates the power loss of the drive motor 10, the power loss of the first inverter 21a, and the power loss of the current supply path from the first inverter 21a to the drive motor 10 when the first inverter 21a is used until the predetermined time based on the current required torque and the rotation speed of the drive motor 10, and calculates the sum of these as the third power loss EL3. The third power loss EL3 corresponds to the total value of the power loss when the first inverter 21a is used for a predetermined time (Ti+Ta).

[0082] The power loss calculation unit 65 also calculates the power loss (fourth power loss EL4) until a predetermined time when switching from the first inverter 21a to the second inverter 21b as follows. That is, the power loss calculation unit 65 assumes a case where the usage ratio of the first inverter 21a to the usage ratio of the second inverter 21b is changed from 1:0 to 0:1 before the operation time Ti for switching the inverters has elapsed, and calculates the sum ELi of the power losses during this period. The power loss calculation unit 65 also assumes that the current required torque and the rotation speed of the drive motor 10 have not changed, and calculates the power loss ELa at the reference time Ta after switching to the second inverter 21b. Then, the sum of the power loss sum ELi during the inverter switching operation time Ti and the power loss ELa at the reference time Ta after switching to the second inverter 21b is set as the fourth power loss EL4.

[0083] Next, the control mode setting unit 67 judges whether or not the third power loss EL3 until a predetermined time when the inverter in use is continued to be used is less than the fourth power loss EL4 until a predetermined time when the inverter to be used is switched (step S63). If the third power loss EL3 is less than the fourth power loss EL4 (S63 / Yes), the inverter control unit 69 controls the drive of the inverter while maintaining the inverter in use, and drives the drive motor 10 (step S65). On the other hand, if the third power loss EL3 is equal to or greater than the fourth power loss EL4 (S63 / No), the inverter control unit 69 switches the inverter to be used, controls the drive of the inverter, and drives the drive motor 10 (step S67).

[0084] In this embodiment as well, when switching the inverter to be used, the inverter control unit 69 gradually changes the ratio of the output torque over a predetermined time so that the sum of the output torque by driving the first inverter 21a and the output torque by driving the second inverter 21b becomes the required torque. In other words, when switching the inverters, the control mode is switched once to the twin inverter control mode and then switched back to the single inverter control mode to maintain the output torque from the drive motor 10. This makes it possible to suppress a sudden change in torque when switching the inverter to be used.

[0085] 10 and 11 are diagrams for explaining power losses when an inverter currently in use continues to be used and when an inverter to be used is switched and used. FIG. 10 shows the power consumption (instantaneous loss) of the first inverter 21a when the drive motor 10 is driven using the first inverter 21a, the power consumption (instantaneous loss) of the second inverter 21b when the drive motor 10 is driven using the second inverter 21b, and the power consumption (instantaneous loss) at the time of inverter switching. The power consumption at the time of switching can be calculated, for example, by adding a value obtained by dividing the torque fluctuation of each inverter and the estimated value of the loss in the cooperative control of each inverter by the inverter switching time to the average value of the power consumption of the first inverter 21a and the power consumption of the second inverter 21b at the time of switching. FIG. 11 shows the power consumption consumed during the time equivalent to the inverter switching time when the first inverter 21a is continued to be used without switching the inverter, and the power consumption when the inverter to be used is switched to the second inverter 21b. The power consumption when the inverter to be used is switched to the second inverter 21b corresponds to the average value of the power consumption during the time required for inverter switching for each power consumption shown in FIG. 10.

[0086] In this example, the inverter used is switched from the first inverter 21a to the second inverter 21b when the power consumption (D) when the first inverter 21a is continued to be used without switching the inverter exceeds the power consumption (E) when the inverter used is switched to the second inverter 21b.

[0087] As described above, when the required torque is equal to or less than the rated torque of one inverter, the control device 50 according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure compares the power loss when continuing to use the inverter currently in use and when switching the inverter to be used, and maintains or switches the inverter to be used so as to reduce the power loss. Therefore, it is possible to control the driving of the drive motor 10 in a control mode that increases the power efficiency of the motor drive system 2.

[0088] Although the preferred embodiment of the present disclosure has been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings, the present disclosure is not limited to such examples. It is clear that a person having ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the present disclosure belongs can conceive of various modified or amended examples within the scope of the technical ideas described in the claims, and it is understood that these also naturally belong to the technical scope of the present disclosure.

[0089] For example, in the above embodiment, a dual three-phase motor is used as an example, but the drive motor may be a double stator axial gap motor having two stators. Even if the drive motor is an axial gap motor, when the required torque is low, it can be set to a single inverter control mode using only an inverter that supplies power to one of the stators, and the technology disclosed herein can be applied. [Explanation of symbols]

[0090] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1...vehicle, 2...motor drive system, 10...drive motor, 10F...front wheel drive motor, 10R...rear wheel drive motor, 11a...first stator, 11b...second stator, 11F, 11R...stator, 13, 13F, 13R...rotor, 16...hydraulic brake system, 19...brake control device, 20...inverter unit, 21a, 21F...first inverter, 21b, 21R...second inverter, 30...converter unit, 31...booster circuit, 33...switching means, 33a...first changeover switch, 33b...second changeover switch, 34...relay line, 40...battery, 50...control device, 101...vehicle, 102...motor drive system, 110...control device

Claims

1. A motor control device controls driving of a first inverter and a second inverter, each of which is capable of controlling a supply current to a three-phase AC motor, comprising: the motor control device includes one or more processors and one or more memories communicatively connected to the one or more processors; the one or more processors: a single inverter control mode in which either the first inverter or the second inverter is driven to control a current supplied to the motor; a twin inverter control mode in which the first inverter and the second inverter are both driven to control a current supplied to the motor; calculating a first power loss in the single inverter control mode and a second power loss in the twin inverter control mode based on a power loss of the motor, a power loss of the first inverter, a power loss of the second inverter, a power loss in a current supply path from the first inverter to the motor, and a power loss in a current supply path from the second inverter to the motor; a control mode in which the first power loss or the second power loss is smaller; During the single inverter control mode, acquiring a temperature of a current supply path from the first inverter to the motor and a temperature of a current supply path from the second inverter to the motor; A motor control device that alternates between using the first inverter and the second inverter so that the temperatures are each maintained below a heat resistance threshold value.

2. the one or more processors: During the single inverter control mode, 2. The motor control device according to claim 1, which compares a third power loss when continuing to use the inverter currently in use with a fourth power loss when switching the inverter to be used, and switches the inverter to be used between the first inverter and the second inverter when the third power loss falls below the fourth power loss.

3. the one or more processors: When switching the inverter to be used during the single inverter control mode, a process is executed to hold the output torque from the motor by switching once to a twin inverter control mode and then switching again to the single inverter control mode; calculating the third power loss until a predetermined time in a case where an inverter currently in use is continued to be used and the fourth power loss until a predetermined time in a case where an inverter to be used is switched and used, based on a power loss of the motor, a power loss of the first inverter, a power loss of the second inverter, a power loss in a current supply path from the first inverter to the motor, and a power loss in a current supply path from the second inverter to the motor; 3 . The motor control device according to claim 2 , further comprising: a motor control circuit for switching between the first inverter and the second inverter when the third power loss falls below the fourth power loss.

4. A vehicle equipped with a motor drive system including a three-phase AC motor and a first inverter and a second inverter each capable of controlling a current supplied to the motor, A motor control device for controlling the motor drive system includes: a single inverter control mode in which either the first inverter or the second inverter is driven to control a current supplied to the motor; a twin inverter control mode in which the first inverter and the second inverter are both driven to control a current supplied to the motor; calculating a first power loss in the single inverter control mode and a second power loss in the twin inverter control mode based on a power loss of the motor, a power loss of the first inverter, a power loss of the second inverter, a power loss in a current supply path from the first inverter to the motor, and a power loss in a current supply path from the second inverter to the motor; a control mode in which the first power loss or the second power loss is smaller; During the single inverter control mode, acquiring a temperature of a current supply path from the first inverter to the motor and a temperature of a current supply path from the second inverter to the motor; a vehicle, wherein the first inverter and the second inverter are alternately switched in use such that the temperatures are each maintained below a heat resistance threshold value;

5. A computer program applied to a motor drive system for controlling drive of a first inverter and a second inverter, each of which is capable of controlling a supply current to a three-phase AC motor, comprising: the motor drive system is configured to be switchable between a single inverter control mode in which either the first inverter or the second inverter is driven to control a current supplied to the motor, and a twin inverter control mode in which both the first inverter and the second inverter are driven to control a current supplied to the motor, One or more processors, calculating a first power loss in the single inverter control mode and a second power loss in the twin inverter control mode based on a power loss of the motor, a power loss of the first inverter, a power loss of the second inverter, a power loss in a current supply path from the first inverter to the motor, and a power loss in a current supply path from the second inverter to the motor; setting a control mode in which the first power loss or the second power loss is smaller; and acquiring a temperature of a current supply path from the first inverter to the motor and a temperature of a current supply path from the second inverter to the motor during the single inverter control mode, and switching an inverter to be used between the first inverter and the second inverter so that the temperatures are each maintained below a heat resistance threshold value; A computer program that executes the following:

6. A recording medium on which the computer program according to claim 5 is recorded.

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