Brushless Motor Coil Segmentation for Steering Reliability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing brushless motors used for steering in vehicles face challenges in maintaining high reliability and output while minimizing cost and space, especially when failures occur, as duplicating sets of motors increases costs and reduces output due to the need for insulating materials between coils.
Innovation Solution
A three-phase brushless motor system with two electrically independent controllers and coils (group A and group B) where the number of magnetic poles of the stator teeth and rotor satisfies a specific ratio, allowing for independent operation and reduced need for insulating materials, ensuring continuous torque generation even with coil failures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If two sets of brushless motors and controllers are provided to ensure continuous operation, then reliability is improved, but cost and space increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the motor coils into two electrically independent groups (Group A and Group B), where each group can independently generate rotating magnetic fields. This segmentation allows one group to take over if the other fails, achieving redundancy without duplicating the entire motor system. The segmentation principle resolves the contradiction by creating functional independence within a single integrated structure.
Solution Approach 2:
Each coil group (A and B) is designed to be multi-functional, capable of independently producing the complete rotating magnetic field required for motor operation. This universality means that either group can perform the full motor function alone, providing failover capability without requiring separate backup systems, thus improving reliability while controlling cost and space.
2Reliability
If two electrically independent coils are wound around each tooth of the stator, then reliability is improved, but the capacity occupied by coils decreases due to insulating material space
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the coils into two independent groups distributed across the stator teeth, where each group contains sufficient coils to independently generate a rotating magnetic field. This segmentation approach achieves reliability through electrical independence while optimizing the spatial arrangement to minimize insulating material requirements, thereby preserving coil capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the functionality of two separate motor systems into a single integrated system by having both coil groups share the same stator structure. This merging eliminates the need for duplicate insulating materials and structural components, achieving reliability through functional redundancy while maximizing the use of available space for active coils.
3Power
If the number of magnetic poles and coils is increased to improve output, then motor performance is improved, but the need for insulating material increases, reducing effective coil capacity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality optimization by strategically arranging the coils in two groups across specific stator teeth positions. This arrangement ensures that each group has the necessary magnetic pole configuration to generate rotating fields independently, maximizing output capability while minimizing the total insulating material required by optimizing the local distribution of coils rather than uniformly increasing insulation throughout.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system achieves double safety and improved motor output without increasing costs or space, as each group of coils can generate a rotating magnetic field independently, ensuring continuous operation and detection of the rotor's angle even if one system fails.
Implementation Method 1
a stator in which a coil is wound around each of a plurality of teeth and which generates a rotating magnetic field by applying three-phase voltages of a U phase, a V phase, and a W phase to each coil from two electrically independent controllers; and a rotor which has a plurality of magnets and is rotated by the rotating magnetic field of the stator
Data Source
AI summary
A motor drive system has a brushless motor having coils classified into a group A and a group B, a stator having 12 teeth, around each of which any one of the coils classified into the group A and the group B is wound, and a shaft and a rotor which are provided inside the stator; a controller which applies three-phase voltages to each coil of the group A; a controller which applies the three-phase voltages to each coil of the group B; and a sensor portion which outputs an electric signal according to the rotation angle of the shaft to the controllers. Both the total number of the coils of the group A and the total number of the coils of the group B are 6.