Motor drive device (10) for driving a motor (800) having a plurality of coil sets (80, 85), each of which is formed from coils (81, 82, 83, 86, 87, 88) having a plurality of phases, the
motor drive device comprising: a plurality of
inverter circuits (50, 60) provided in correspondence with the plurality of coil sets and supplying
electric power to the plurality of coil sets (80, 85) by converting
electric power supplied from an
electric power source (15); an electric power supply on / off
control circuit (20, 25) which is provided in each power supply
system between the electric power source (15) and the
inverter circuit (50, 60), and electrically passes or interrupts the electric power source (15) to and from the
inverter circuit (50, 60); a fault detection part (71, 72) which detects a fault in the inverter circuit (50, 60) in each power supply
system; a drive control part (41, 42) which stops the inverter circuit from driving the motor in a failing power supply
system, the failing power supply system corresponding to the power supply system having the fault detected by the fault detecting part; and an on / off control part (31, 32) which controls the electric power supply on / off circuit of the failing power supply system to be in a regenerative current conducting state when the fault detection part (71, 72) detects the fault, the regenerative current conducting state allowing the regenerative current to flow in one direction from the inverter circuit (50, 60) to the electric power source (15), and wherein: the electrical power supply on / off circuit (20, 25) includes a series connection of at least one first on / off switch (21, 26) and at least one second on / off switch (22, 27); the first on / off switch (21, 26) is a
semiconductor switching element having a parasitic
diode which allows a current to flow in only one direction from the inverter circuit (50, 60) to the electric power source (15); and the second on / off switch (22, 27) is a
semiconductor switching element having a parasitic
diode which allows a current to flow in only one direction from the electric power source (15) to the inverter circuit (50, 60); and the on / off control part (31, 41) is adapted to control the first on / off switch (21, 26) and the second on / off switch (22, 27) independently of each other; and the on / off control part (31, 41) turns off the first on / off switch (21, 26) and turns on the second on / off switch (22, 27) in the failing power supply system when the fault detection part (71, 72) detects the fault.