Output control system for train linear motors

Abstract

To provide an output control system for linear motors for trains that improves efficiency related to the mechanical output of linear motors for trains by configuring the mechanical output of linear motors for trains to be smaller in a low speed range and larger in a high speed range.SOLUTION: Moving poles of a slider that makes up a linear motor and fixed poles of a stator are connected to switching elements that can independently control the poles. The switching elements are numbered so that a plurality of fixed poles can be divided and controlled into a first fixed pole group indicated by a solid line and a second fixed pole group indicated by a dotted line. Efficiency related to mechanical output can be improved by performing control separately in a full operation pattern in which both the first group and the second group are operated and an intermittent operation pattern in which only the first group is operated.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 10

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to for trains The present invention relates to a control system for controlling the output of a linear motor. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, motor-powered vehicles have become widely known, including not only trains but also hybrid cars, electric cars, electric motorcycles, etc. Motors are being widely used in these vehicles because, compared to internal combustion engines such as gasoline engines, they do not emit harmful exhaust gases and have a smaller burden on the environment. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] No quotes Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, conventionally, the mechanical output of a motor relative to the electrical input is significantly affected by copper loss in the windings, which is proportional to the magnitude of the coil current, iron loss that occurs when the iron core is magnetized, bearing resistance associated with rotation, windage loss, and other mechanical losses, resulting in a small mechanical output relative to the electrical input. Therefore, in order to obtain sufficient mechanical output, methods are used such as applying a high voltage to increase the electrical input, as in trains, or conversely, reducing the coil current to suppress copper loss, as in electric or hybrid vehicles, thereby increasing the small mechanical output through the transmission. In the case of an electric vehicle having a motor for a drive engine as described above, when the coil current is increased to increase the mechanical output of the motor and increase the speed, the loss increases as the coil current is increased, and a problem occurs in which sufficient mechanical output cannot be obtained. As a result, as the mechanical output increases, the loss increases, and at high speeds, the efficiency of the mechanical output is worse than that of conventional vehicles and hybrid vehicles equipped with an engine in the drive section. In hybrid vehicles, this problem is solved by running the vehicle using only the engine when the motor assistance is lost at high speeds, but this switching is not possible in electric vehicles that are driven only by a motor.

[0005] Therefore, the problem to be solved by the present invention is: for trains The mechanical output of the linear motor is configured to be small in the low speed range and large in the high speed range. for trains Improved efficiency of linear motor mechanical output for trains An object of the present invention is to provide an output control system for a linear motor. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The output control system for a train linear motor according to claim 1 comprises: a stator having a plurality of fixed poles arranged in parallel along a predetermined moving path; a moving body including a slider having at least one moving pole arranged opposite to the fixed pole and movable along the moving path; A control unit for controlling the operation of the moving object; In a linear motor comprising: The control unit controls the operation of the slider relative to the stator to control the moving speed of the moving body, The fixed poles are numbered in sequence starting from a predetermined position; According to the assigned numbers, the fixed poles arranged along the moving path are divided into a plurality of groups according to a predetermined condition to form a plurality of sets of fixed pole groups; Depending on the moving speed of the moving object, The control unit selects the fixed pole group to be operated, At the time of low output, a selected one of the fixed pole groups is operated and the other fixed pole groups are suspended, so that the fixed poles are thinned out and operated; As the moving speed is increased, the number of fixed pole groups to be operated is increased, When the control unit controls the number of sets of the fixed pole group to be operated to control the moving speed of the moving body, The control unit is provided with a driving control means, a cruising control means, and a judgment means, and an in-vehicle communication network is provided to connect the control unit, an accelerator device having a master controller and outputting an input signal corresponding to a predetermined amount of operation of pushing or pulling the master controller, and a throttle device having a throttle body that opens and closes based on the input signal and outputting an opening signal corresponding to a predetermined throttle opening of the throttle body, When the throttle device outputs a predetermined opening degree signal based on an input signal corresponding to the operation amount output by the accelerator device via the in-vehicle communication network, the control unit Linear motor and outputting an output control signal for controlling the output related to the the determining means determines, based on the opening signal, whether to control the linear motor by the running control means for normally running a train having a driving engine, or by the cruising control means for cruising the train; When the determination means determines that control is to be performed by the cruise control means and the control unit switches the driving mode related to the driving control means to the cruising mode related to the cruising control means, The speed of the train at the time of the switching is set as a cruising speed, and the opening signal related to the cruising speed is set as a first opening signal; Furthermore, the throttle opening signal when the master controller is returned at a predetermined rate with respect to the throttle opening corresponding to the first throttle opening signal and the throttle opening becomes smaller is set as a second throttle opening signal, When the second opening signal is input, the cruise control means switches the cruise mode to an intermittent cruise mode in which a full operation pattern using all of the fixed pole groups and an intermittent operation pattern using a selected portion of the fixed pole groups are alternately repeated; When the intermittent cruising mode is entered, the control unit controls to increase or decrease the number of the fixed pole groups in operation in accordance with the full operation pattern and the intermittent operation pattern alternately switched by the cruise control means, thereby maintaining the cruising speed.

[0007] The method according to claim 2 for trains The output control system for a linear motor according to the invention of claim 1 comprises: train is cruising at a specified cruising speed When the intermittent cruise mode is selected, Reducing the number of operating sets of the fixed pole group along the moving path, The above train The movement speed of train The present invention is characterized in that the cruising speed is maintained by adding the moving speed related to the inertia of the above. Effect of the Invention

[0008] The present invention for trains According to the linear motor control system, in a linear motor composed of a stator with fixed poles arranged along a predetermined moving path and a slider composed of at least one moving pole equipped on a moving body movable along the moving path, the fixed poles constituting the stator are numbered in order from a predetermined position, and are divided into groups of a predetermined number based on the numbers to constitute a plurality of groups of fixed poles. Then, at a time of low output, one fixed pole group is operated and the other fixed pole groups are stopped, so that the fixed poles are operated in a thinned manner, and as the output increases, the number of fixed poles operated is increased. This allows the linear motor to be configured so that its mechanical output is small in the low speed range and large in the high speed range, thereby improving the efficiency of the linear motor in terms of mechanical output. Furthermore, when this linear motor is applied to a train, the number of fixed poles in operation during slow-moving and cruising can be reduced, thereby reducing power consumption and improving energy conservation. Furthermore, the shape of the train is designed to reduce running resistance, allowing inertia to be maintained for a long period of time. As a result, during cruising, the moving speed based on inertia force is added to the moving speed based on the linear motor, and the number of fixed poles that are energized and operated is reduced. This makes it possible to reduce the number of fixed poles that are operated during cruising, thereby reducing power consumption and improving energy conservation. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing an outline of the configuration of a motor according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an outline of the configuration of a motor according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 3] 2 is a block diagram showing an outline of the configuration of a control unit for a motor according to the first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 4] 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an electric vehicle to which a motor according to a first embodiment is applied; [Diagram 5] 1 is a block diagram showing an outline of the configuration of a control unit of an electric vehicle to which a motor according to a first embodiment is applied. [Figure 6] 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the outline of the configuration of an accelerator pedal and an accelerator device of an electric vehicle to which a motor according to a first embodiment is applied; [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a timing chart showing an outline of a cruise control system for an electric vehicle to which the motor according to the first embodiment is applied. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing an outline of the configuration of a linear motor according to a second embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing an outline of the configuration of a control unit for a linear motor according to a second embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing an outline of the configuration of a train to which a linear motor according to a second embodiment is applied. [Figure 11]FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing an outline of the configuration of a control unit of a train to which a linear motor according to a second embodiment is applied. [Figure 12] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing an outline of the configuration of a master controller and accelerator device of a train to which a linear motor according to a second embodiment is applied. [Figure 13] FIG. 11 is a timing chart showing an outline of a train cruise control system to which a linear motor according to a second embodiment is applied. Example 1

[0010] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of a motor output control system according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Figures 1 and 2 are explanatory diagrams showing an outline of the configuration of a motor according to this embodiment.

[0011] 1, the motor 10 according to this embodiment is composed of a cylindrical motor body 10a having a substantially cylindrical rotor 11 and a stator 12 formed to surround the rotor 11, and a control unit 13 that controls the operation of the motor body 10a. The motor 10 is configured such that the control unit 13 controls a current of a predetermined magnitude input to the motor 10, thereby controlling the rotation speed of the rotor 11 rotating relative to the stator 12, and a predetermined rotational power is output from an output shaft 11a coaxial with the rotor 11. The motor 10 according to this embodiment is applicable to electric vehicles or hybrid vehicles. In this embodiment, an electric vehicle, particularly an electric car, is described below as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to electric vehicles, and may be applied to any vehicle that is equipped with a motor as at least a power source, such as a train, a locomotive that pulls a passenger car or a freight car, a ship, an aircraft, or a motorcycle.

[0012] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the rotor 11 is composed of an output shaft 11a, a plurality of rotating poles 15 made of electromagnets, and a plurality of rotor-side switching elements 16 made of semiconductors that can switch the on / off and direction of the current flowing to the rotating poles. The multiple rotating poles 15 are arranged radially around the output shaft 11a as shown in Fig. 2. Of the radially arranged rotating poles 15, a pair of rotating poles 15, 15 facing each other across the output shaft 11a are connected to one rotor-side switching element 16 to form a rotating pole pair 15, 15 as shown in Fig. 3. As shown in Fig. 2, the rotating pole pair 15, 15 has rotating poles 15, 15 with magnetic poles of opposite polarity at both ends, and is configured to be able to supply power independently to each pair via the rotor-side switching element 16 as shown in Fig. 3. Thereby, as shown in FIG. 3, the control unit 13 can supply power separately and independently to each of the rotating pole pairs 15, 15 constituting the rotor 11, and can excite each of the rotating pole pairs 15, 15 separately and independently. In addition, for ease of explanation, Figure 2 illustrates ten rotating pole pairs 15, 15; however, the number of rotating pole pairs 15, 15 is not limited to this, and the rotor 11 can have any number of rotating pole pairs 15, 15 according to the size, rated output, etc. of the motor 10.

[0013] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the stator 12 is composed of a plurality of fixed poles 17 made of electromagnets provided on the cylindrical motor body 10a that constitutes the exterior of the motor 10, and a plurality of stator-side switching elements 18 made of semiconductors that can switch the on / off of the current flowing to the fixed poles 17 and the direction of the current. The multiple fixed poles 17 are arranged in parallel along the inner wall of the motor body 10a, as shown in Fig. 2. Of the fixed poles 17, a pair of fixed poles 17, 17 facing each other across the axis of the cylindrical body constituting the motor body 10a are connected to one stator-side switching element 18 to form a fixed pole pair 17, 17, as shown in Fig. 3. As shown in Fig. 2, the fixed pole pair 17, 17 has fixed poles 17, 17 with magnetic poles of opposite polarity at both ends, and is configured so that power can be supplied independently to each pair via the rotor-side switching element 18, as shown in Fig. 3. This allows the control unit 13 to supply power separately and independently to each of the fixed pole pairs 17, 17 constituting the stator 12, and to excite each of the fixed pole pairs 17, 17 separately and independently. In addition, for ease of explanation, FIG. 2 illustrates ten fixed pole pairs 17, 17; however, the number of fixed pole pairs 17, 17 is not limited to this, and the stator 12 can have any number of fixed pole pairs 17, 17 according to the size, rated output, etc. of the motor 10.

[0014] 1 and 2, when the rotor 11 is housed in the motor body 10a, the rotor 11 is surrounded by the stator 12 with a predetermined gap therebetween within the motor body 10a, thereby forming the motor 10. Then, by passing current through the rotor-side switching elements 16 and the stator-side switching elements 18 to excite the electromagnets that form the rotating poles 15 or the fixed poles 17, the rotor 11 rotates relative to the stator 12, the motor 10 operates, and rotational power is output from the output shaft 11a.

[0015] The control unit 13 is configured to control the output of the motor 10. The control unit 13 includes a switching element management means 20 and a switching control means 21, as shown in FIG.

[0016] The switching element management means 20 is configured to separately and independently manage each of the multiple rotor side switching elements 16 or stator side switching elements 18, and to be able to identify the positions of the rotating pole pairs 15, 15 or fixed pole pairs 17, 17 connected to those switching elements 16, 18. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 3, a numbering process is performed to assign identification numbers to the switching elements 16, 18 on the rotor 11 side and the stator 12 side, respectively. As a result, the rotating pole pair 15, 15 connected to the rotor side switching element 16 or the fixed pole pair 17, 17 connected to the stator side switching element 18 are linked to each switching element 16, 18 as shown in Fig. 3, and can be easily identified. Next, the switching element management means 20 performs a process of dividing the rotating pole pairs 15, 15 or the fixed pole pairs 17, 17 into a plurality of groups based on the numbers assigned to the switching elements 16, 18 and on predetermined conditions, as shown in Fig. 3. Hereinafter, a group consisting of a plurality of rotating pole pairs 15, 15 will be referred to as a rotating pole group, and a group consisting of the fixed pole pairs 17, 17 will be referred to as a fixed pole group. In the rotating pole group shown in FIG. 2, the rotating pole pairs 15, 15 with odd numbers assigned thereto are indicated by solid lines as a first rotating pole group, and those with even numbers are indicated by dotted lines as a second rotating pole group. In addition, the fixed pole groups shown in FIG. 2 are indicated by solid lines as a first fixed pole group when the numbers assigned to the fixed pole pairs 17, 17 are odd numbers, and are indicated by dotted lines as a second fixed pole group when the numbers assigned to the fixed pole pairs 17, 17 are even numbers. In this embodiment, in order to simplify the explanation, the switching element management means 20 divides the switching elements 16, 18 into two groups, odd and even, based on the numbers assigned to them, as shown in FIG. 2. However, this is not limited to this, and the elements can be divided into any number of groups based on the numbers, for example, into three groups, A, B, C, or four groups, A, B, C, D.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 3, the switching control means 21 includes a power supply switching means 22 and a polarity switching means 23. The power supply switching means 22 is configured to perform a process of turning on the power supply to excite the electromagnet and turning off the power supply to demagnetize the electromagnet. This allows each rotating pole 15 or each fixed pole 17 to be magnetized when the power supply is turned on, or demagnetized when the power supply is turned off. The polarity switching means 23 is configured to distribute each rotating pole 15 or fixed pole 17 excited by the power supply switching means 22 to an opposing N pole or S pole for each rotating pole pair 15, 15 or each fixed pole pair 17, 17, and to switch the polarity for each rotating pole pair 15, 15 or each fixed pole pair 17, 17 depending on the direction of the current. The switching control means 21 is configured to cooperate with the power supply switching means 22 and the polarity switching means 23 to assign polarity to each group of the above-mentioned first rotating pole group, second rotating pole group, or first fixed pole group, second fixed pole group, and to freely magnetize or demagnetize the electromagnets. FIG. 2(1) shows an example in which the polarity directions are roughly grouped together and distributed so that the rotor 11 or the stator 12 can be regarded as one pair of rotating pole pairs and one pair of fixed pole pairs, and FIG. 2(2) shows an example in which the polarity directions are staggered in pairs, so that the rotor 11 or the stator 12 can be regarded as five rotating pole pairs and five fixed pole pairs. In this way, by distributing the rotating pole pairs 15, 15 to each rotating pole group and the fixed pole pairs 17, 17 to each fixed pole group, rearranging the N poles or S poles of the rotating pole pairs 15, 15 included in the rotating pole group or the fixed pole pairs 17, 17 included in the fixed pole group, and setting the polarity direction, the rotating pole pairs constituting the rotor 11 or the fixed pole pairs constituting the stator 12 can be distributed largely together, rather than being divided into small magnetic poles. This makes it possible to freely adjust the number of rotating pole pairs 15, 15 constituting the rotor 11 or the magnitude of magnetic force for each rotating pole group according to the motor's rotation speed and output, and also to freely adjust the number of fixed pole pairs 17, 17 constituting the stator 12 or the magnitude of magnetic force for each fixed pole group. This makes it possible to suppress losses such as mechanical loss, copper loss, and energy loss of the motor 10, suppress power consumption, and extract rotational power from the motor 10 with high efficiency. In this embodiment, in order to simplify the explanation, the switching control means 21 has been shown as an example of controlling switching collectively for each of two groups, the first rotating pole group and the second rotating pole group, or the first fixed pole group and the second fixed pole group, but this is not limited to this, and control can be performed to switch the power supply or polarity by arbitrarily dividing the rotating pole group or fixed pole group into two or more multiple groups based on each number.

[0018] The switching control means 21 is configured to be able to execute a predetermined process separately and independently for each of the first rotating pole group, the second rotating pole group, the first fixed pole group, and the second fixed pole group. When the switching control means 21 selects and controls all of the first rotating pole group, the second rotating pole group, the first fixed pole group, or the second fixed pole group, all of the first rotating pole group and first fixed pole group shown by solid lines in Figures 2 (1) and (2) and the second rotating pole group and second fixed pole group shown by dotted lines are excited and operate. On the other hand, when the switching control means 21 selects and controls the first rotating pole group or the first fixed pole group, in Figures 2(1) and (2), the first rotating pole group and the first fixed pole group shown by solid lines are excited and operate, while the second rotating pole group and the second fixed pole group shown by dotted lines are demagnetized and do not operate. In this manner, the switching control means 21 can select and operate the rotating pole pairs 15, 15 constituting the rotor 11 for each rotating pole group, and the fixed poles 17, 17 constituting the stator 12 for each fixed pole group. As a result, when the output of the motor 10 is reduced, the number of electromagnets to be excited is reduced, that is, the groups of the rotating pole groups or the fixed pole groups are controlled to be thinned out, that is, the rotating pole pairs 15, 15 to be operated in the rotor 11 are intermittently arranged, and the fixed pole pairs 17, 17 to be operated in the stator are intermittently arranged. In this way, by intermittently thinning out and increasing or decreasing the rotating pole pairs 15, 15 or the fixed pole pairs 17, 17 to be operated according to the output of the motor 10, when the output is low or when the rotational force is maintained, the number of electromagnets to be excited can be reduced, thereby suppressing power consumption. In addition, by intermittently thinning out and reducing the output as described above, it is possible to control the torque generated by the motor 10 so that it is low at low revolutions and high at high revolutions. Therefore, when applied to an electric vehicle, it is possible to perform control processing that approximates the output of the electric vehicle as if it were equipped with an internal combustion engine such as a gasoline engine.

[0019] When the control unit 13 controls the motor 10 to increase or decrease its output, the switching control means 21 is configured to cooperate with the power supply switching means 22 and the polarity switching means 23 to instantly excite the electromagnets that respectively constitute the rotating pole pairs 15, 15 included in a specified rotating pole group or the fixed pole pairs 17, 17 included in a specified fixed pole group, as described above, and to instantly switch the magnetic pole orientation of the excited rotating pole pairs 15, 15 or fixed pole pairs 17, 17 to distribute them appropriately. The timing for this switching is preferably, for example, the moment when the opposing rotating pole 15 on the rotor 11 side passes the midpoint between the N pole and S pole of adjacent fixed pole 17 on the stator 12 side. By switching at this timing, the electromagnet can be excited or the polarity can be switched in a portion where the magnetic flux density is small and the magnetic field lines of the adjacent N pole and S pole cancel each other out, so the effect on the output of the motor 10 can be reduced.

[0020] Here, as shown in Fig. 2, the motor 10 according to the present embodiment is configured so that, of the two rotating pole groups constituting the rotor 11, one rotating pole group is operated and the other rotating pole group is stopped to operate the rotating pole pairs 15, 15 intermittently, and also, of the two fixed pole groups constituting the stator 12, one fixed pole group is operated and the other fixed pole group is stopped to operate the fixed pole pairs 17, 17 intermittently, as described above. This makes it possible to limit the output of the motor 10 to half. When a low output is sufficient, such as when the vehicle starts running, the motor 10 is operated in an intermittent thinning mode, and when the speed increases and a high output is required, the stopped rotating pole group or fixed pole group is started to increase the number of rotating pole pairs 15, 15 or fixed pole pairs 17, 17 to be operated, and this makes it easy to deal with an increase in output. As a result, it is easy to gradually adjust the output of a motor, which previously operated at maximum torque from the beginning of driving. When applied to an electric vehicle, this makes it possible to prevent sudden starts and acceleration caused by pedal misapplication without the need for complex mechanisms.

[0021] Furthermore, when the electric vehicle is cruising, for example, when it runs at a constant cruising speed on a highway or a bypass road, an inertial force acts on the output shaft 11a of the motor 10 due to the rotation of a flywheel provided on the drive train of the electric vehicle, and the output from the motor 10 can be reduced by the amount of the inertial force. In this case, the switching control means 21 turns off the power supply to one of both operating rotating pole groups or one of both operating fixed pole groups to demagnetize, thereby reducing the power consumption of the motor 10 during cruising. An embodiment of an output control system implemented when such a motor 10 is applied to an electric vehicle will be described below.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 4, an electric vehicle 50 equipped with the motor 10 of this embodiment has a drive system consisting of a drive engine 51, a drive train 52, drive wheels 53, and a control unit 54 that controls the drive engine 51 and the drive train 52, and further has an in-vehicle communication network 54a to which the control unit 54, a throttle device 55, and an accelerator device 56 are connected.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 4, the drive engine 51 has a motor 10 and is configured to be able to output rotational power from an output shaft 11a connected to a drive train 52. The output shaft 11a has a disk-shaped flywheel 62 that is configured to be rotatable coaxially with the output shaft 11a. The flywheel 62 is configured to maintain the rotation of the output shaft 11a by inertial force so that the rotation of the output shaft 11a does not change suddenly.

[0024] The motor 10 is configured as described above, and is configured so as to be capable of receiving power from a battery 61 provided in the drive engine 51. The motor 10 according to this embodiment is not limited to being powered by the battery 61, but may be powered by a fuel cell or an overhead line.

[0025] 4, the drive train 52 is configured by arranging a clutch device 65, a transmission device 66, and a drive shaft 52a in this order from the drive engine 51 side. As a result, the rotational power generated by the drive engine 51 is transmitted to the drive wheels 53 through the drive shaft 52a. The clutch device 65 has a main rotor 67 on the drive engine 51 side and an idler rotor 68 on the transmission 66 side. The main rotor 67 and the idler rotor 68 are formed so as to be able to move toward and away from each other. As a result, when the main rotor 67 and the slave rotor 68 are pressed against each other, the power generated in the drive engine 51 is transmitted to the transmission 66 side, and when the main rotor 67 and the slave rotor 68 are separated, the power transmitted from the drive engine 51 side to the transmission 66 side is cut off. It should be noted that the clutch device 65 is not limited to a structure that mechanically brings the main rotor 67 and the slave rotor 68 closer to and farther from each other as described above. For example, the clutch device 65 may be a so-called torque converter device in which the main rotor 67 and the slave rotor 68 are disposed opposite each other in a case filled with highly viscous oil, and when the main rotor 67 is rotated, the slave rotor 68 rotates in accordance with the rotation of the main rotor 67.

[0026] The transmission 66 has a gear group (not shown) that is configured by arranging multiple gears of various sizes on multiple shafts and combining the gears. The gears in the gear group are formed so that they can be freely engaged with each other. The transmission 66 has a speed change function that adjusts the rotation speed related to the rotational power of the output shaft 11a of the drive engine 51 from low speed to high speed by appropriately combining the gears in the gear group, and transmits the rotational power to the drive wheels 53. The speed change function may be divided into multiple stages from low speed to high speed, or may be stepless. When at least one gear of the multiple gears appropriately combined in the transmission 66 separates, the rotational power transmitted to the drive shaft 52a is interrupted, which is a so-called neutral shift, and the power transmitted on the drive train 52 can be interrupted.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 4, the drive wheels 53 are configured to be drivable by power output from the drive engine 51 via the drive train 52.

[0028] The control unit 54 includes an in-vehicle communication network 54a. The in-vehicle communication network 54a is connected to the various devices included in the electric vehicle 10, such as the drive engine 51, the throttle device 55, the accelerator device 56, the clutch device 65 of the drive train 52, the transmission device 66, and the like, and is configured to be able to communicate with each other. This allows the control unit 54 to receive an opening signal transmitted from the throttle device 55 via the in-vehicle communication network 54a, output an output control signal formed based on the opening signal, and process and operate the drive engine 51 to control the output shaft 11a.

[0029] The throttle device 55 has a throttle body 55a and an opening sensor 71 capable of detecting the degree of opening of the throttle body 55a as a throttle opening. The opening sensor 71 is configured to digitally convert the magnitude of the detected analog throttle opening of the throttle body 55a to form an electronic opening signal. The formed opening signal is output from the throttle device 55 to the in-vehicle communication network 54a.

[0030] The control unit 54 includes the control unit 13 of the motor 10 in its configuration, and is configured to receive the opening signal transmitted over the in-vehicle communication network 54a, and form an output control signal for controlling the output of the motor 10 of the drive engine 51 based on the opening signal. The formed output control signal is output from the control unit 54 to the in-vehicle communication network 54a.

[0031] The accelerator device 56 has an accelerator pedal 70 that can be raised or lowered in response to an input operation by the driver. Here, the operation of depressing the accelerator pedal 70 is defined as the opening operation of the accelerator device 56, and the direction in which the accelerator pedal 70 moves as a result is defined as the forward direction. On the other hand, the operation of releasing the accelerator pedal 70 is defined as the closing operation of the accelerator device 56, and the direction in which the accelerator pedal 70 moves back is defined as the reverse direction. The accelerator device 56 is configured to generate an input signal in response to the opening and closing operation of the accelerator pedal 70. The generated input signal is output to the in-vehicle communication network 54a as needed.

[0032] The throttle device 55 is configured to receive an input signal transmitted over the in-vehicle communication network and open and close the throttle body 55a at a predetermined throttle opening based on the input signal. The throttle opening sensor 71 detects the throttle opening and generates an appropriate opening signal as described above, and the control unit 54 generates an output control signal for the drive engine 51 based on the opening signal as described above. In this way, an input signal is formed depending on the amount by which the accelerator pedal 70 is depressed or released, an opening signal for the throttle body 55a, which opens and closes based on the input signal, is formed, and the control unit 54 is configured to form an output control signal related to an increase or decrease in the output of the drive engine 51 based on the opening signal.

[0033] The drive engine 51 is configured to receive an output control signal transmitted over the in-vehicle communication network 54a, and form a request signal for requesting a predetermined amount of power to be supplied to the motor 10 based on the output control signal. The formed request signal is output from the drive engine 51 to the in-vehicle communication network 54a. A power supply device (not shown) that receives the request signal transmitted over the in-vehicle communication network 54a is configured to supply a predetermined amount of power from the battery 61 to the drive engine 51 in response to the request signal.

[0034] If the request signal is to increase the supply amount, the electric power supplied to the motor 10 is increased. This causes a process to increase the output of the drive mechanism 51, and the rotation output of the output shaft 11a can be increased. If the request signal is to reduce the supply amount, the power supplied to the motor 10 is reduced or cut off. This reduces the output of the drive mechanism 51, and the rotation output of the output shaft 11a can be reduced. In this way, the electric vehicle 50 of this embodiment is configured to transmit various signals over the in-vehicle communication network 54a provided in the control unit 54, with each device receiving and outputting signals suited to its purpose, and the control unit 54 is configured to control the driving of the vehicle by comprehensively controlling each device based on the various signals.

[0035] As shown in FIG. 5, the control unit 54 includes a control unit 13 related to the motor 10, a running control means 105, and a cruising control means 110. The driving control means 105 is configured to generate a driving control signal for controlling normal driving, and to output the driving control signal to the in-vehicle communication network 54a to control the driving of the electric vehicle 50. At this time, the driving mode of the electric vehicle 50 is set to the normal mode. The cruise control means 110 is configured to generate a cruise control signal for controlling cruising while maintaining a constant speed for a predetermined time, and output the cruise control signal to the in-vehicle communication network 54a to control cruising of the electric vehicle 50. At this time, the driving mode of the electric vehicle 50 is set to the cruise mode. Furthermore, the control unit 54 includes a determination means 100 . The determination means 100 is configured to determine whether or not the vehicle is cruising based on information related to the magnitude of the throttle opening contained in the opening signal when the control unit 54 receives the opening signal transmitted over the in-vehicle communication network 54a. Based on the determination result of the determination means 100, the vehicle is configured to switch between the normal mode and the cruising mode.

[0036] The control system for the drive engine 51 of the electric vehicle 50 having the above configuration will be described below with reference to the attached drawings. Fig. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the operation of the accelerator pedal 70 when using this control system, and Fig. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing the correlation between the operation of the drive engine based on this control system and the speed of the electric vehicle 50.

[0037] When the electric vehicle 50 is running, the throttle device 55 performs a process of converting the analog throttle opening of the throttle body 55a, which changes at any time, into a digital value by the opening sensor 71 and generating an opening signal including information indicating the magnitude of the throttle opening. The throttle device 55 also performs a process of outputting the generated opening signal to the in-vehicle communication network 54a. The control unit 54 is configured to take in the opening signal transmitted over the in-vehicle communication network 54a. The driving control means 105 forms a driving control signal based on the opening signal and outputs the driving control signal to the in-vehicle communication network 54a. The driving control signal transmitted over the in-vehicle communication network 54a is input to each in-vehicle device such as the drive engine 51, the drive train 52, the clutch device 65, the transmission device 66, etc., and is operated and processed. The driving performed by the operation processing based on this driving control signal is called normal driving, and the driving mode at this time is called the normal mode.

[0038] When the electric vehicle 50 is running at a constant speed for a predetermined time, the throttle device 55 performs a process of forming an opening signal including information indicating the magnitude of the throttle opening by digitally converting the analog throttle opening of the throttle body 55a, which is maintained at a constant opening for a predetermined time, by the opening sensor 71. The throttle device 55 also performs a process of outputting the formed opening signal to the in-vehicle communication network 54a. An opening signal including information that the throttle opening has been maintained constant for a predetermined period of time is input to the control unit 54 via the in-vehicle communication network 54a. The determination means 100 reads from the opening signal information that the throttle opening has been maintained constant for a predetermined period of time, and when it determines that the vehicle is in a cruising state, performs processing to switch from the driving control means 105 to the cruising control means 110. The speed at which the cruise control means 110 is switched to is defined as the cruising speed, and the opening signal input to the control unit 54 at this time is defined as the first opening signal. The driving mode in which the electric vehicle 50 cruises at the cruising speed is defined as the cruising mode. In the accelerator device 56 shown in Figure 6, the mode is switched from normal mode to cruising mode when the accelerator pedal 70 is released at a predetermined time point a. This mode switching does not depend on the stopping position of the accelerator pedal 70, but on whether the stopping time is equal to or longer than a predetermined time, so the position of point a depends on the magnitude of the throttle opening included in the first opening signal, and the position differs depending on the cruising speed.

[0039] When the accelerator pedal 70 is returned in the opposite direction to close the throttle body 55 during cruising mode, the throttle device 55 outputs a second opening signal to the in-vehicle communication network 54a, indicating that the throttle opening has become smaller than the throttle opening corresponding to the first opening signal. At this time, the position of the accelerator pedal 70 of the accelerator device 56 that opens the throttle body 55a at the throttle opening corresponding to the second opening signal is point b. The position of point b is a position determined by a predetermined ratio from the position of point a related to the first opening signal, and can be set arbitrarily in the control program, for example, by setting point b to a position where the throttle opening is 80% of the throttle opening related to the first opening signal.

[0040] The control unit 54 receives the second opening signal from the in-vehicle communication network 54a, and the cruise control means 100 performs processing to switch the cruise mode to the intermittent cruise mode. The intermittent cruising mode is a mode in which the second rotating pole group and second fixed pole group of the motor 10 shown by dotted lines in Figure 2 (1) or (2) are periodically excited, and the motor 10 maintains a cruising speed by alternating between a full operation pattern in which the first and second rotating pole groups, and the first and second fixed pole groups are all used, and an intermittent operation pattern in which only the first rotating pole group and the first fixed pole group are used to halve the output.

[0041] During the intermittent cruising mode, the cruising control means 110 outputs an intermittent cruising control signal to the in-vehicle communication network 54a in place of the cruising control signal. The intermittent cruising control signal is formed so as to alternately include information for operating the motor 10 in the full operation pattern and information for operating the motor 10 in the intermittent operation pattern at predetermined time intervals. As a result, the drive engine 51 which receives the intermittent cruise control signal from the in-vehicle communication network 54a performs a processing operation to operate the motor 10 alternately between the full operation pattern and the intermittent operation pattern. This allows the motor 10 to periodically change its output, and the full operation pattern and the intermittent operation pattern can alternately repeat periodic operation, and also alternately repeat intermittent operation.

[0042] Here, when the motor 10 constituting the drive engine 51 of the electric vehicle 50 is in an intermittent operation pattern using only the first rotating pole group and the first fixed pole group, it is difficult for the motor 10 alone to maintain a cruising speed for a long period of time compared to the full operation pattern. In this embodiment, this problem is solved by providing a flywheel 62 on the output shaft 11a as shown in Fig. 4. The flywheel 62 tries to keep the output shaft 11a and the drive shaft 52a rotating by inertia, so that even in an intermittent operation pattern, the cruising speed can be maintained without a sudden decrease in speed due to the inertial output of the flywheel 62. However, even if the vehicle speed can be maintained, the vehicle speed will gradually decrease due to running resistance, etc. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 7, when the full operation pattern is turned off, the cruise control means 110 performs a process of gradually increasing the output of the motor 10, which has been switched to the harp output pattern, as the output of the flywheel 62 gradually decreases due to the intermittent cruise control signal. As a result, the drive engine 51 to which the intermittent cruise control signal has been input can maintain a constant rotational power output from the output shaft 11a, and the electric vehicle 50 can maintain a constant cruising speed for a long period of time, as shown in FIG. 7.

[0043] When the accelerator pedal 70 is depressed in the forward direction during intermittent cruising mode, the throttle device 55 outputs a third opening signal to the in-vehicle communication network 54a, indicating that the throttle opening has become larger than the throttle opening corresponding to the second opening signal. The control unit 54 receives the third opening signal from the in-vehicle communication network 54a, and the determination means 100 performs a process of comparing the first opening signal with the third opening signal. When the throttle opening corresponding to the third opening signal is equal to or smaller than the throttle opening corresponding to the first opening signal, the determination means 100 determines that the accelerator pedal 70 is positioned in the opposite direction, forward of point a shown in Fig. 6. In this case, that is, when the position of the accelerator pedal 70 is between points a and b, the cruise control means 110 performs processing to maintain the intermittent cruise mode. On the other hand, when the throttle opening corresponding to the third opening signal is equal to or greater than the throttle opening corresponding to the first opening signal, the determination means 100 determines that the accelerator pedal 70 is located further forward than point a shown in Fig. 3. In this case, that is, when the accelerator pedal 70 is located further back than point a, the determination means 100 performs a process of switching from the cruise control means 110 to the driving control means 105, and the intermittent cruise mode is switched to the normal mode. As a result, the electric vehicle 50 is switched from cruising to normal driving, and is accelerated by the motor 10 in all operation patterns.

[0044] On the other hand, if the accelerator pedal 70 is returned in the reverse direction to close the throttle during intermittent cruising mode, the throttle device 55 outputs a fourth opening signal to the in-vehicle communication network 54a, indicating that the throttle opening has become smaller than the throttle opening corresponding to the second opening signal. The control unit 54 receives the fourth opening signal from the in-vehicle communication network 54a, and the determination means 100 performs processing to determine where the throttle opening corresponding to the fourth opening signal is located relative to the position of the accelerator pedal shown in Figure 6 at point c. Here, the position of point c, like point b, is a position determined by a predetermined ratio from the position of point a related to the first opening signal, and is a position that can be arbitrarily set in the control program, for example, by setting point c to a position where the throttle opening is 50% of the throttle opening related to the first opening signal. If the throttle opening corresponding to the fourth opening signal is equal to or greater than the throttle opening when the accelerator pedal 70 is at point c, the determination means 100 determines that the accelerator pedal 70 is located further forward than point c shown in Fig. 6. In this case, that is, when the accelerator pedal 70 is located between points b and c, the cruise control means 110 performs processing to maintain the intermittent cruise mode. On the other hand, if the throttle opening corresponding to the fourth opening signal is equal to or less than the throttle opening when the accelerator pedal 70 is at point c, the determination means 100 determines that the accelerator pedal 70 is located in the opposite direction, forward of point c shown in Fig. 6. In this case, the determination means 100 performs a process of switching from the cruise control means 110 to the driving control means 105, and the intermittent cruise mode is switched to the normal mode. As a result, the mode is switched from cruising to normal driving, and the electric vehicle 50 is decelerated by the regenerative braking of the motor 10 that has been switched to the full operation pattern.

[0045] In this way, the cruising mode or intermittent cruising mode is configured to be maintained between points a and c of the accelerator pedal 70 shown in Figure 6, and some play is provided to allow the accelerator pedal 70 to move to a certain extent even during cruising. This provides a so-called play state between points a and c of accelerator pedal 70, allowing for some leeway in operating accelerator pedal 70. By making it possible to move accelerator pedal 70 while cruising, it is possible to prevent a decrease in attention due to simplified driving operations over long periods of time, such as in auto-cruise, and to prevent drowsy driving, distracted driving, etc.

[0046] When the accelerator pedal 70 moves out of the range between points a and c and the cruising mode or intermittent cruising mode is released, the amount of depression of the accelerator pedal 70 is made constant again, and an operation is performed to make the throttle opening in the throttle device 55 constant, and the control unit 54 again performs the processing related to the first opening signal described above, and then performs the processing to switch from the normal mode to the cruising mode. In this way, by opening or closing the accelerator pedal 70 of the accelerator device 56, not only can the acceleration or deceleration of the vehicle be controlled, but it is also possible to switch between a normal mode for normal powered driving and a cruising mode in which the speed is maintained constant while cruising, and further, during the cruising mode, it is possible to switch to an intermittent cruising mode in which the motor 10 alternates between a full operation pattern and an intermittent operation pattern. In the intermittent operation pattern, one of the two rotating pole groups constituting the rotor 11 of the motor 10 is rested and the rotating pole pair 15, 15 is intermittently excited as shown in Figure 2, and also, one of the two fixed pole groups constituting the stator 12 is rested and the fixed pole pair 17, 17 is intermittently excited as shown in Figure 2. Such mode switching and pattern switching can be easily achieved by additionally installing the control program installed in the conventional control unit 54, without incorporating any special device. In the intermittent cruising mode, power consumption during cruising is reduced, improving the life of the battery 21a and extending the cruising distance. In this embodiment, the rotating pole pairs 15, 15 and the fixed pole pairs 17, 17 are divided into two groups for the sake of simplicity, but the present invention is not limited to this and they may be divided into two or more rotating pole groups or fixed pole groups for control. In this case, the output of the motor 10 can be controlled in even finer steps, and power consumption during cruising can be suppressed more effectively. Example 2

[0047] Next, an embodiment of the linear motor output control system of the present invention will be described with reference to the attached drawings. Fig. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing an outline of the configuration of a linear motor according to a second embodiment.

[0048] As shown in FIG. 8, the linear motor 150 according to this embodiment has a moving body 151 and a moving path 152. The movement path 152 includes a guide rail 153, and has a stator 154 that is arranged along the guide rail 153. The stator 154 is composed of a fixed pole 155 that is made up of a plurality of electromagnets arranged in parallel. The moving body 151 has a slider 156 disposed opposite to the stator 154. The slider 156 is composed of a moving pole 157 made up of at least one electromagnet. 9, the linear motor 150 has a stator-side control unit 160 and a slider-side control unit 165. The stator-side control unit 160 is configured to control the magnetization or demagnetization of the electromagnet that constitutes the fixed pole 155, and to control switching of the polarity of the fixed pole 155. The slider-side control unit 165 is configured to control the magnetization or demagnetization of the electromagnet that constitutes the moving pole 157, and to control switching of the polarity of the moving pole 157. The stator side control unit 160 and the slider side control unit 165 cooperate with each other to move the slider 156 arranged opposite the stator 155 along the guide rail 153. This allows the moving body 151 to be controlled to move forward or backward along the guide rail 153. Incidentally, the linear motor 150 according to this embodiment is assumed to be of a scale applicable to vehicles, but is not limited thereto, and can also be applied, for example, to industrial machinery or production lines equipped with a predetermined conveying path, or to trains, automatic doors equipped with sliding doors such as entrances and exits of houses, and the like.

[0049] As shown in FIG. 9, the stator 154 is composed of a plurality of fixed poles 155 and a plurality of stator side switching elements 161 made of semiconductors that can switch the on / off of the current flowing to the fixed poles 155 and the direction of the current. The stator side switching elements 161 are each independently connected to a stator side control unit 160. As shown in Fig. 8, the fixed poles 155 are arranged in parallel along a predetermined moving path 152 having a guide rail 153. As shown in Fig. 9, one stator side switching element 161 is connected to one fixed pole 155, and power can be supplied to each fixed pole 155 via the stator side switching element 161 independently. This allows the stator side control unit 160 to supply power to each of the fixed poles 155 constituting the stator 154 independently, and excite the electromagnets of each of the fixed poles 155 independently.

[0050] As shown in FIG. 9, the slider 156 is composed of at least one moving pole 157 and at least one slider-side switching element 166 made of a semiconductor that can switch the on / off of the current flowing to the moving pole 157 and the direction of the current, and the slider-side switching element 166 is independently connected to a slider-side control unit 165. 8, the moving pole 157 is disposed opposite the fixed pole 155 of the stator 154, and the moving pole 157 is connected to a slider-side switching element 166. The moving pole 157 is configured to be capable of supplying power via the slider-side switching element 166. This enables the slider side control section 165 to supply power to the moving pole 157 constituting the slider 156 and excite the electromagnet of the moving pole 157 .

[0051] When the moving body 151 is set on the moving path 152 and electricity is applied to excite the electromagnet that constitutes the fixed pole 155 or the moving pole 157, the switching elements 161, 166 assign polarities so that the fixed pole 155 and the moving pole 157 have opposing magnetic poles, and the slider 156 on the moving body 151 side and the stator 154 on the moving path side repel each other, forming a linear motor 150 in which the moving body 151 is levitated at a predetermined interval from the moving path 152. The stator side switching element 161 successively switches the magnetic pole of the fixed pole, so that the electromagnet of the moving pole 157 of the slider 156 and the electromagnet of the fixed pole 155 attract and repel each other, thereby allowing the slider 156 to slide relative to the stator 154, and the linear motor 150 can move the moving body 151 along the moving path 152.

[0052] As shown in FIG. 9, the stator side control unit 160 and the slider side control unit 165 include switching element management means 170, 175 and switching control means 171, 176, respectively.

[0053] The stator side switching element management means 170 is configured to manage the plurality of stator side switching elements 161 separately and independently, and to be able to identify the positions of the fixed poles 155 connected to these stator side switching elements 161 . The slider-side switching element managing means 175 is configured to manage the plurality of slider-side switching elements 166 separately and independently, and to be able to identify the positions of the moving poles 157 connected to those slider-side switching elements 166 . Specifically, as shown in Fig. 9, a numbering process is performed to assign identification numbers to the switching elements 161, 166 on the stator 154 side and the slider 156 side, respectively. As a result, the fixed pole 155 connected to the stator side switching element 161 and the moving pole 157 connected to the slider side switching element 166 are linked to the respective switching elements 161, 166 as shown in Fig. 9, and therefore can be easily identified.

[0054] Next, the stator side switching element management means 170 performs a process of dividing the fixed poles 155 into a plurality of groups based on the numbers assigned to the switching elements 161 and on predetermined conditions, as shown in Fig. 9. Hereinafter, a group consisting of a plurality of fixed poles 155 is referred to as a fixed pole group. In the fixed pole group shown in FIG. 2, the fixed poles 155 having odd numbers assigned thereto are indicated by solid lines as a first fixed pole group, and the fixed poles 155 having even numbers assigned thereto are indicated by dotted lines as a second fixed pole group. In addition, the moving poles 157 shown in FIG. 2 are numbered from 1 to 4 by the slider-side switching element management means 175, and any one of the moving poles 157 can be excited by the switching control means described later. In this embodiment, the stator side switching element management means 170 divides the switching elements 161 into two groups, odd and even, based on the numbers assigned to the switching elements 161 as shown in FIG. 8, but this is not limited to this. The switching elements 161 can be divided into any number of groups based on the numbers, for example, into three groups, A, B, C, or four groups, A, B, C, D, or the like.

[0055] The switching control means 171, 176 includes power supply switching means 172, 177 and polarity switching means 173, 178 as shown in FIG. The power supply switching means 172, 177 are configured to perform a process of turning on the power supply to excite the electromagnets and turning off the power supply to demagnetize the electromagnets. This allows each fixed pole 155 controlled by the stator side power supply switching means 172 and each moving pole 157 controlled by the slider side power supply switching means 177 to be magnetized when the power supply is turned on, or demagnetized when the power supply is turned off. The polarity switching means 173, 178 are configured to distribute each fixed pole 155 or each moving pole 157 excited by the power supply switching means 172, 177 to either an N pole or an S pole, and to switch the polarity of each fixed pole 155 or each moving pole 157 depending on the direction of the current.

[0056] The stator side switching control means 171 is configured to cooperate with the stator side power supply switching means 172 and the stator side polarity switching means 173 to collectively group the above-mentioned first fixed pole group and second fixed pole group, assign polarity, and freely magnetize or demagnetize the electromagnets. When the first fixed pole group shown in solid lines in FIG. 8 is operating, every other fixed pole is excited with its north pole and south pole alternated, and when the second fixed pole group shown in dotted lines is also operating, a processing operation is performed to alternate between adjacent fixed poles, for example, to assign the first fixed pole group to north poles and the second fixed pole group to south poles. In this manner, by allocating the fixed poles 155 to the first or second fixed pole group, rearranging the N or S poles of the fixed poles 155 included in each fixed pole group, and setting the polarity direction, the fixed poles 155 that make up the stator 154 can be instantly controlled by group. This makes it possible to freely adjust the magnitude of the magnetic force by adjusting the number of fixed poles 155 excited on the stator 154. As a result, it is possible to suppress losses such as mechanical loss, copper loss, and energy loss of the linear motor 150, as well as to reduce power consumption, and to operate the linear motor 150 with high efficiency. In this embodiment, in order to simplify the explanation, two groups, the first fixed pole group and the second fixed pole group, are exemplified, but this is not limited to this, and two or more fixed pole groups may be formed and controlled.

[0057] Furthermore, as described above, by instantly controlling the fixed poles 155 collectively for each group of the fixed pole group, the stator side switching control means 171 controls to reduce the number of electromagnets to be excited, that is, to thin out groups of the fixed pole group, when the output of the linear motor 150 is to be reduced, that is, the fixed poles 155 to be operated in the stator 154 are intermittently arranged along the guide rail 153. In this way, by intermittently thinning out the fixed poles 155 to be operated according to the output of the linear motor 150, when the output is low or when the moving body 151 is moving by inertia, the number of electromagnets to be excited can be reduced, thereby suppressing power consumption. In addition, by intermittently thinning out the output as described above and freely reducing the output, it is possible to temporarily increase the torque when the moving body 151 of the linear motor 150 is in a transient state where it starts to move, and then suppress the torque when the movement stabilizes and reaches a steady state.

[0058] When the stator side control unit 160 controls the output of the linear motor 150 to be increased or decreased, the stator side switching control means 171 is configured to cooperate with the stator side power supply switching means 172 and the stator side polarity switching means 173 to instantaneously excite the electromagnets that constitute the fixed poles 155 included in a predetermined fixed pole group, as described above, and to instantly switch the magnetic pole orientation of the excited fixed poles 155 for appropriate allocation. The timing for this switching is preferably, for example, the moment when the opposing moving pole 157 on the slider 156 side passes the midpoint between the N pole and S pole of adjacent fixed pole 155 on the stator 154 side. By switching at this timing, the electromagnet can be excited or the polarity can be switched in a portion where the magnetic flux density is small and the magnetic field lines of the adjacent N pole and S pole cancel each other out, so that the effect on the output of the linear motor 150 can be reduced.

[0059] On the other hand, the slider side switching control means 176 is configured to cooperate with the slider side power supply switching means 177 and the slider side polarity switching means 178 to distribute the polarity of the moving pole 157 and freely process the excitation or demagnetization of the electromagnet. The moving poles 157 shown in Fig. 8 are set as at least one reference moving pole, the first moving pole indicated by a solid line, which always operates. Based on the reference moving pole, the moving body 151 shown in Fig. 8 is configured so that the number of moving poles to be operated can be increased or decreased up to a maximum of four depending on the load. At this time, by rearranging the N poles or S poles of the moving poles 157 and setting the polarity direction depending on the load applied to the moving body 151, the moving poles 157 constituting the slider 156 can be instantly controlled separately and independently. This makes it possible to freely adjust the magnitude of the magnetic force by adjusting the number of excited moving poles 157 on the slider 156. As a result, it is possible to suppress losses such as mechanical loss, copper loss, and energy loss of the linear motor 150, as well as to reduce power consumption and operate the linear motor 150 with high efficiency. An embodiment of an output control system implemented when the linear motor 150 described above is applied to a train will be described below.

[0060] As shown in FIG. 4, a train 200 to which the linear motor 150 according to this embodiment is applied has a driving engine 201, a control unit 204 for controlling the driving engine 201, a throttle device 205, an accelerator device 206, and an in-vehicle communication network 204a to which a braking device 207 are connected. The train 200 is also configured to be able to move along a track 210 that includes a guide rail 153 and a stator 154 .

[0061] As shown in FIG. 10, the driving engine 201 has a slider 156 and is disposed opposite to a stator 154 on a track 210 . The slider 156 and the stator 154 constitute the linear motor 150 as described above.

[0062] The control unit 204 includes an in-vehicle communication network 204a. The in-vehicle communication network 204a is connected to each device included in the train 200, such as the traction engine 201, the throttle device 205, the accelerator device 206, and the like, and is configured to be able to communicate with each other. This allows the control unit 204 to, for example, receive an opening degree signal transmitted from the throttle device 205 via the in-vehicle communication network 204a, output an output control signal formed based on the opening degree signal to the in-vehicle communication network 204a, and process and operate the traction engine 201, thereby causing the train 200 to run.

[0063] The throttle device 205 has a throttle body 205a and an opening sensor 221 capable of detecting the degree of opening of the throttle body 205a as a throttle opening. The opening sensor 221 is configured to digitally convert the magnitude of the detected analog throttle opening of the throttle body 205a to form an electronic opening signal. The formed opening signal is output from the throttle device 205 to the in-vehicle communication network 204a.

[0064] The control unit 204 includes in its configuration the slider side control unit 165 of the linear motor 150, and is configured to take in the opening signal transmitted over the in-vehicle communication network 204a, and form an output control signal for controlling the output of the linear motor 150 of the drive engine 201 based on the opening signal. The formed output control signal is output from the control unit 204 to the in-vehicle communication network 204a. 10, a control station 250 that controls the operation of the train 200 is provided at a predetermined base along the track 210. In addition to a train operation control system 251 for the train 200, a stator side control unit 160 for the linear motor 150 is provided in the control station. The slider side control unit 165 and the stator side control unit 160 are configured to control the running of the linear motor 150 .

[0065] As shown in FIG. 12, the accelerator device 206 has a master controller 220 that can be operated by an input operation by the driver. Here, the operation of pushing the master controller 220 backward is defined as the opening operation of the accelerator device 206, and the direction in which the pushed master controller 220 moves forward at this time is defined as the forward direction. On the other hand, the operation of pulling the master controller 220 forward is defined as the closing operation of the accelerator device 206, and the direction in which the pulled master controller 220 returns at this time is defined as the reverse direction. The accelerator device 206 is configured to generate an input signal in response to the opening and closing operation of the master controller 220. The generated input signal is output to the in-vehicle communication network 204a as needed.

[0066] The throttle device 205 is configured to receive an input signal transmitted over the in-vehicle communication network 204a and open / close the throttle body 205a at a predetermined throttle opening based on the input signal. The throttle opening sensor 221 detects the throttle opening and generates an appropriate opening signal as described above, and the control unit 204 generates an output control signal for the drive engine 201 based on the opening signal as described above. In this way, an input signal is formed depending on the amount by which the master controller 220 is pushed or pulled, an opening signal for the throttle body 205a which opens and closes based on the input signal is formed, and the control unit 204 is configured to form an output control signal relating to an increase or decrease in the output of the drive engine 201 based on the opening signal.

[0067] The braking device 207 is configured to be able to control a braking mechanism such as a brake that the train 200 has. Here, the braking device 207 receives an output control signal transmitted on the in-vehicle communication network 204a, forms a braking signal based on the output control signal, and outputs the braking signal to the in-vehicle communication network 204a. A braking mechanism such as a brake brakes the train 200 based on the braking signal received from the in-vehicle communication network 204a. In this way, the throttle opening can be increased to accelerate the vehicle according to the amount of pushing the master controller 220, while the braking force applied by the braking mechanism can be increased to decelerate the vehicle according to the amount of pulling the master controller 220.

[0068] The traction engine 201 is configured to receive an output control signal transmitted over the in-vehicle communication network 204a, and form a request signal for requesting a predetermined amount of power to be supplied to the slider 156 based on the output control signal. The formed request signal is output from the traction engine 201 to the in-vehicle communication network 204a. A power supply device (not shown) that receives the request signal transmitted over the in-vehicle communication network 204a is configured to supply a predetermined amount of power from the overhead line or rail 210 to the traction engine 201 in response to the request signal.

[0069] If the request signal is to increase the supply amount, the power supplied to the slider 156 is increased. This increases the output of the drive mechanism 201, and increases the number of moving poles 157 that are operated among the moving poles 157 that constitute the slider 156, or increases the magnetic force. This allows the train 200 to be levitated at a constant height even if the load on the train 200 increases. If the request signal is to reduce the supply amount, the power supplied to the slider 156 is reduced or cut off. This reduces the output of the drive mechanism 201, and reduces the number of moving poles 157 to be stopped among the moving poles 157 that constitute the slider 156, or reduces the magnetic force. This allows the train 200 to be levitated at a certain height even when the load on the train 200 is small, and when the train 200 is stopped and passengers are getting on and off, the car body can be stabilized by being grounded. In this manner, the train 200 according to this embodiment is configured to transmit various signals over the in-car communication network 204a provided in the control unit 204, with each device receiving and outputting signals suited to its purpose, and the control unit 204 is configured to comprehensively control each device based on the various signals, thereby controlling the running of the vehicle.

[0070] On the other hand, the various signals output to the in-car communication network 204a are also output to a traffic communication network 251a of the traffic control system 251 of the train 200. Among the various signals, the output control signal is taken into the stator side control unit 160 in the control station via the traffic communication network 251a.

[0071] The stator side control unit 160 is configured to form a request signal for requesting a predetermined amount of power to be supplied to the stator 154 based on an output control signal received from the traffic communication network 251a. The formed request signal is output from the control station to the traffic communication network 251a. A power supply device (not shown) that receives the request signal transmitting on the traffic communication network 251a is configured to supply a predetermined amount of power to the stator 154 from the track 210 via the guide rail 153 in response to the request signal.

[0072] If the request signal is to increase the supply amount, the power supplied to the stator 154 is increased. This increases the output of the stator 154, operates both the first fixed pole group and the second fixed pole group that configure the stator 154, and increases the magnetic force of the fixed poles 155. This allows the train 200 to accelerate and operate in a full working pattern. If the request signal is to reduce the supply amount, the power supplied to stator 154 is reduced or cut off. This reduces the output of stator 154, stops the second fixed pole group that constitutes stator 154, and reduces the magnetic force of fixed pole 155 belonging to the first fixed pole group. This allows the train 200 to be slowed down or operated in an intermittent work pattern.

[0073] As shown in FIG. 11, the control unit 204 has a slider side control unit 165 related to the slider 156, a travel control means 105, and a cruise control means 110. The running control means 105 is configured to generate a running control signal for controlling normal running, and output the running control signal to the in-car communication network 204 a to control the running of the train 200 . At this time, the running mode of the train 200 is set to the normal mode. The cruise control means 110 is configured to generate a cruise control signal for controlling cruising while maintaining a constant speed for a predetermined time, and to output the cruise control signal to the in-car communication network 204a to control cruising of the train 200. At this time, the running mode of the train 200 is set to the cruise mode. Furthermore, the control unit 204 includes a determination means 100 . The determination means 100 is configured to determine whether or not the vehicle is cruising based on information related to the magnitude of the throttle opening contained in the opening signal when the control unit 204 receives the opening signal transmitted over the in-vehicle communication network 204a. Based on the determination result of the determination means 100, the vehicle is configured to switch between the normal mode and the cruising mode.

[0074] The control system for the traction engine 201 of the train 200 having the above-mentioned configuration will be described below with reference to the attached drawings. Fig. 12 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the operation of the master controller 220 in the control system, and Fig. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing the correlation between the operation of the traction engine based on the control system and the speed of the train 200.

[0075] When the train 200 is running, the throttle device 205 performs a process of converting the analog throttle opening of the throttle body 205a, which changes at any time, into a digital value by the opening sensor 221, and generating an opening signal including information indicating the magnitude of the throttle opening at any time. The throttle device 205 also performs a process of outputting the generated opening signal to the in-car communication network 204a. The control unit 204 is configured to take in the opening signal transmitted over the in-vehicle communication network 204a. The driving control means 105 forms a driving control signal based on the opening signal, and outputs the driving control signal to the in-vehicle communication network 204a. The driving control signal transmitted over the in-vehicle communication network 204a is input to each in-vehicle device such as the drive engine 201, the drive train 202, the clutch device 215, the transmission device 216, etc., and is operated and processed. The driving performed by the operation processing based on this driving control signal is called normal driving, and the driving mode at this time is called the normal mode.

[0076] When the train 200 is running at a constant speed for a predetermined time, the throttle device 205 performs a process of converting the analog throttle opening of the throttle body 205a, which is maintained at a constant opening for a predetermined time, into a digital value by the opening sensor 221, and forming an opening signal including information indicating the magnitude of the throttle opening as needed. The throttle device 205 also performs a process of outputting the formed opening signal to the in-car communication network 204a. An opening signal including information that the throttle opening has been maintained constant for a predetermined period of time is input to the control unit 204 via the in-vehicle communication network 204a. The determination means 100 reads from the opening signal information that the throttle opening has been maintained constant for a predetermined period of time, and when it determines that the vehicle is in a cruising state, performs processing to switch from the driving control means 105 to the cruising control means 110. The speed at which the cruise control means 110 is switched to is defined as the cruising speed, and the opening signal input to the control unit 204 at this time is defined as the first opening signal. The running mode in which the train 200 cruises at the cruising speed is defined as the cruising mode. In the accelerator device 206 shown in Fig. 12, the mode is switched from normal mode to cruising mode when the master controller 220 is stopped at a predetermined time point a. This mode switching does not depend on the stopping position of the master controller 220, but is performed depending on whether the stopping time is equal to or longer than a predetermined time, so the position of point a depends on the magnitude of the throttle opening included in the first opening signal, and the position differs depending on the cruising speed.

[0077] During cruising mode, when the master controller 220 is returned in the reverse direction to close the throttle, the throttle device 205 outputs a second opening signal to the in-vehicle communication network 204a, indicating that the throttle opening has become smaller than the throttle opening corresponding to the first opening signal. At this time, the position of the master controller 220 of the accelerator device 206 that opens the throttle body 205a at the throttle opening corresponding to the second opening signal is point b. The position of point b is a position determined by a predetermined ratio from the position of point a related to the first opening signal, and can be set arbitrarily in the control program, for example, by setting point b to a position where the throttle opening is 80% of the throttle opening related to the first opening signal.

[0078] The control unit 204 receives the second opening signal from the in-vehicle communication network 204a, and the cruise control means 100 performs processing to switch the cruise mode to the intermittent cruise mode. The intermittent cruising mode is a mode in which the second fixed pole group of the stator 154, shown by dotted lines in Figure 10, is periodically excited, and the cruising speed of the train 200 is maintained by alternating between a full operation pattern in which the stator 154 uses all of the first and second fixed pole groups, and an intermittent operation pattern in which only the first fixed pole group is used to halve the output. In this case, among the moving poles 157 of the slider 156 shown in FIG. 10, one of the adjacent moving poles 157 may be excited and the other may be demagnetized to operate the slider 156 using the moving poles 157 arranged intermittently.

[0079] During the intermittent cruising mode, the cruising control means 110 outputs an intermittent cruising control signal, instead of a cruising control signal, to the in-vehicle communication network 204a and the vehicle operation communication network 251a. The intermittent cruising control signal is formed so as to alternately include information for operating the stator 154 in the full operation pattern and information for operating the stator 154 in the intermittent operation pattern at predetermined time intervals. As a result, the stator side control means 160, which receives the intermittent cruise control signal from the traffic communication network 251a, performs processing operations to operate the stator 154 alternately in the full operation pattern and the intermittent operation pattern. This allows the stator 154 to periodically change its output, and the full operation pattern and the intermittent operation pattern can alternately repeat periodic operation, and also alternately repeat intermittent operation.

[0080] Here, when the train 200 is running in an intermittent operation pattern in which the output of the stator 154 is halved, it is more difficult to maintain a cruising speed for a long period of time than in a full operation pattern. To cope with this problem, the train 200 runs on the track 210 by inertia, so even in an intermittent operation pattern, the train 200 can maintain a cruising speed without a sudden speed drop. However, even though the train 200 can maintain a cruising speed, the speed of the train 200 gradually decreases due to air resistance, running resistance, and the like. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 13, when the full operation pattern is turned off, the cruise control means 110 performs processing to gradually increase the output of the stator 154, which has been switched to the harp output pattern, as the inertia gradually decreases based on the intermittent cruise control signal. This allows the train 200 to maintain a constant cruising speed for a long period of time, as shown in FIG.

[0081] During intermittent cruising mode, when the master controller 220 is pushed forward to open the throttle device 205, the throttle device 205 outputs a third opening signal to the in-vehicle communication network 204a and the operation communication network 251a, indicating that the throttle opening has become larger than the throttle opening corresponding to the second opening signal. The control unit 204 receives the third opening signal from the in-vehicle communication network 204a, and the determination means 100 performs a process of comparing the first opening signal with the third opening signal. When the throttle opening corresponding to the third opening signal is equal to or smaller than the throttle opening corresponding to the first opening signal, the determination means 100 determines that the master controller 220 is located in the opposite direction, ahead of point a shown in Fig. 12. In this case, that is, when the position of the master controller 220 is between points a and b, the cruise control means 110 performs processing to maintain the intermittent cruise mode. On the other hand, when the throttle opening corresponding to the third opening signal is equal to or greater than the throttle opening corresponding to the first opening signal, the determination means 100 determines that the master controller 220 is located further back in the forward direction than point a shown in Fig. 12. In this case, that is, when the position of the master controller 220 is further back than point a, the determination means 100 performs a process of switching from the cruise control means 110 to the running control means 105, and the intermittent cruising mode is switched to the normal mode. As a result, the train 200 is switched from cruising to normal running, and is accelerated by the linear motor 150 in all operation patterns.

[0082] On the other hand, when the master controller 220 is pulled in the opposite direction to close the throttle during intermittent cruising mode, the throttle device 205 outputs a fourth opening signal to the in-vehicle communication network 204a and the operation communication network 251a, which indicates that the throttle opening has become smaller than the throttle opening corresponding to the second opening signal. The control unit 204, which receives the fourth opening signal from the in-vehicle communication network 204a, performs a process in which the determination means 100 determines where the throttle opening related to the fourth opening signal is located relative to the position of the master controller 220 shown in Figure 12 with respect to point c. Here, the position of point c, like point b, is a position determined by a predetermined ratio from the position of point a related to the first opening signal, and is a position that can be arbitrarily set in the control program, for example, by setting point c to a position where the throttle opening is 50% of the throttle opening related to the first opening signal. If the throttle opening corresponding to the fourth opening signal is equal to or greater than the throttle opening when the master controller 220 is at point c, the determination means 100 determines that the master controller 220 is located further forward than point c shown in Fig. 12. In this case, that is, when the master controller 220 is located between points b and c, the cruise control means 110 performs processing to maintain the intermittent cruise mode. On the other hand, if the throttle opening degree related to the fourth opening degree signal is equal to or less than the throttle opening degree when the master controller 220 is at point c, the determination means 100 determines that the master controller 220 is located in the reverse direction before point c shown in Fig. 12. In this case, the determination means 100 performs a process of switching from the cruise control means 110 to the running control means 105, and the intermittent cruise mode is switched to the normal mode. As a result, the mode is switched from cruising to normal running, and the train 200 is decelerated, for example, by regenerative braking of the linear motor 150 switched to the full operation pattern.

[0083] In this way, the cruising mode or intermittent cruising mode is configured to be maintained between points a and c of the master controller 220 shown in FIG. 12, and some play is provided to allow the master controller 220 to move to a certain extent even during cruising. This provides a so-called play state between points a and c of the master controller 220, allowing some leeway in operating the master controller 220. By making it possible to move the master controller 220 while cruising, it is possible to prevent a decrease in attention due to simplified driving operations over long periods of time, such as in auto-cruise, and to prevent drowsy driving, distracted driving, etc.

[0084] When the master controller 220 moves out of the range between points a and c and the cruising mode or intermittent cruising mode is released, the position of the master controller 220 is fixed again, and an operation is performed to make the throttle opening of the throttle device 205 constant. Then, the control unit 204 again performs the process related to the first opening signal described above and switches from the normal mode to the cruising mode. In this way, by opening or closing the master controller 220 of the accelerator device 206, not only can the acceleration or deceleration of the vehicle be controlled, but also it is possible to switch between a normal mode for normal powered driving and a cruising mode in which the speed is kept constant while cruising, and furthermore, during the cruising mode, it is possible to switch to an intermittent cruising mode in which the full operation pattern and the intermittent operation pattern of the stator 154 are alternately operated. In the intermittent operation pattern, one of the two fixed pole groups constituting the stator 154 is rested, and the fixed poles 155 are intermittently excited, as shown in FIG. Such mode switching or pattern switching can be easily achieved by additionally installing a control program installed in the conventional control unit 204, without incorporating any special device into the train 200 or the track 210, and in the intermittent cruising mode, power consumption during cruising can be reduced. [Explanation of symbols]

[0085] 10...motor, 10a...motor body, 11... rotor, 11a... output shaft, 12... stator, 13... control unit, 15... rotating pole, 16... rotor side switching element, 17... fixed pole, 18... stator side switching element, 20: switching element management means, 21: switching control means, 23: power supply switching means, 24: polarity switching means, 50...electric vehicle, 51...drive engine, 52...drive train, 52a...drive shaft, 53...drive wheel, 54...control unit, 54a...in-vehicle communication network, 55...throttle device, 55a...throttle body, 56...accelerator device, 60: engine, 61: motor, 61a: battery, 62: flywheel, 65... clutch device, 66... ​​transmission device, 67... main rotor, 68... slave rotor, 70...Accelerator pedal, 71...Opening sensor, 100...determination means, 105...travel control means, 110...cruise control means. 150: Linear motor; 151: Moving body; 152: Moving path; 153: Guide rail; 154... stator, 155... fixed pole, 156...slider; 157...moving pole; 200...train, 210...railway, 201: drive engine, 204: control unit, 204a: in-vehicle communication network, 205: throttle device, 205a: throttle body, 206: accelerator device, 207: braking device, 220...master controller, 221...opening sensor, 250...control station, 251...operation control system, 251a...operation communication network.

Claims

1. A stator including a plurality of fixed poles arranged in parallel along a predetermined moving path; a moving body including a slider having at least one moving pole arranged opposite to the fixed pole and movable along the moving path; A control unit for controlling the operation of the moving object; In a linear motor comprising: The control unit controls the operation of the slider relative to the stator to control the moving speed of the moving body, The fixed poles are numbered in sequence starting from a predetermined position; Dividing the fixed poles arranged along the moving path into a plurality of groups according to the assigned numbers and under a predetermined condition to form a plurality of sets of fixed pole groups; Depending on the moving speed of the moving object, The control unit selects the fixed pole group to be operated, At the time of low output, a selected one of the fixed pole groups is operated and the other fixed pole groups are suspended, so that the fixed poles are thinned out and operated; As the moving speed is increased, the number of fixed pole groups to be operated is increased, When the control unit controls the number of sets of the fixed pole group to be operated to control the moving speed of the moving body, The control unit is provided with a driving control means, a cruising control means, and a judgment means, and an in-vehicle communication network is provided to connect the control unit, an accelerator device having a master controller and outputting an input signal corresponding to a predetermined amount of operation of pushing or pulling the master controller, and a throttle device having a throttle body that opens and closes based on the input signal and outputting an opening signal corresponding to a predetermined throttle opening of the throttle body, when the throttle device outputs a predetermined opening signal based on an input signal corresponding to the amount of operation output by the accelerator device via the in-vehicle communication network, the control unit outputs an output control signal for controlling an output related to the linear motor based on the opening signal, the determining means determines, based on the opening signal, whether to control the linear motor by the running control means for normally running a train having a driving engine, or by the cruising control means for cruising the train; When the determination means determines that control is to be performed by the cruise control means and the control unit switches the driving mode related to the driving control means to the cruising mode related to the cruising control means, The speed of the train at the time of the switching is set as a cruising speed, and the opening signal related to the cruising speed is set as a first opening signal; Furthermore, the throttle opening signal when the master controller is returned at a predetermined rate with respect to the throttle opening corresponding to the first throttle opening signal and the throttle opening becomes smaller is set as a second throttle opening signal, When the second opening signal is input, the cruise control means switches the cruise mode to an intermittent cruise mode in which a full operation pattern using all of the fixed pole groups and an intermittent operation pattern using a selected portion of the fixed pole groups are alternately repeated; An output control system for a linear motor for a train, characterized in that when the intermittent cruising mode is activated, the control unit controls to increase or decrease the number of fixed pole groups to be operated in accordance with the full operation pattern and the intermittent operation pattern alternately switched by the cruise control means, thereby maintaining the cruising speed.

2. When the train is cruising at a predetermined cruising speed and is switched to the intermittent cruising mode, Reducing the number of operating sets of the fixed pole group along the moving path, 2. The output control system for a train linear motor according to claim 1, wherein the cruising speed is maintained by adding a moving speed related to the inertia of the train to the moving speed of the train.

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