A method for controlling switching between a full-winding
control mode and a half-winding
control mode for a symmetrical winding configuration of a multi-phase
electric machine (10), the
machine (10) including a
stator (18) and a rotor (14), split
stator windings for each phase of the
machine (10), each
stator winding (24) having a first winding portion and a second winding portion, an
inverter circuit (50) including a pair of
inverter switches (56) for each phase of the
machine (10), the pair of
inverter switches (56) for each phase being electrically coupled to the first and second winding portions for that phase in the stator (18) and a plurality of switching arrangements for switching between the full-winding mode and the half-winding mode,wherein each switch
assembly is electrically coupled to the pair of inverter switches (56) and the first and second winding sections for a particular phase, and wherein each switch
assembly includes a first AC switching device (90) and a second AC switching device (90), the method comprising: , identifying the
motor speed and torque command signals for the machine; determining whether the
motor speed and torque command signals require full winding mode or half winding mode; determining whether the winding
control mode of the machine (10) transitions from the half-winding mode to the full-winding mode if the
motor speed and torque command signals require the full-winding mode, and determining whether the winding control mode transitions from the full-winding mode to the half-winding mode if the motor speed and torque command signals require the half-winding mode; providing switching control commands for the plurality of switching arrangements for a direct-axis current, a quadrature-axis current, and the
current loop gains for full stator windings, provided that the motor speed and torque command signals require the full-winding mode and the winding mode does not transition from the half-winding mode to the full-winding mode, or providing switching control commands for the plurality of switching arrangements for the direct-axis current, the quadrature-axis current, and the
current loop gain for half-stator windings, provided that the motor speed and torque command signals require the half-winding mode and the winding mode does not transition from the full-winding mode to the half-winding mode; setting the direct-axis and quadrature-axis current to zero if the motor speed and torque command signals require the full-winding mode or the half-winding mode and it is determined that the winding mode is transitioning from the half-winding mode to the full-winding mode or from the full-winding mode to the half-winding mode; waiting for a phase current in each of the stator windings (24) to be less than a predetermined minimum current after the direct axis and quadrature axis currents have been set to zero; deactivating the inverter
circuit switching signals and the half-winding
mode switching signals transmitted to the AC switching devices (90) for the full-winding mode, or deactivating the inverter
circuit switching signals and the full-winding
mode switching signals transmitted to the AC switching devices (90) for the half-winding mode after the direct-axis and quadrature-axis currents are set to zero; waiting for a predetermined
delay time after the inverter
circuit switching signals and the half-winding
mode switching signals or the full-winding mode switching signals are deactivated; setting the direct-axis current, the quadrature-axis current and the
current loop gain to predetermined values for the full-winding mode or the half-winding mode after the
delay time has elapsed; activating the inverter switching signals and the full-winding mode switching signals transmitted to the AC switching devices (90) for the full-winding mode, or activating the inverter switching signals and the half-winding mode switching signals transmitted to the AC switching devices (90) for the half-winding mode; and providing the switching control commands for the plurality of switching arrangements for the direct axis current, the quadrature axis current, and the current loop gains for the full stator windings and the half stator windings, respectively.