In-Wheel Motor Torque Switching for Reliability Under State Variation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing technologies fail to address the decrease in reliability of electric motors independently driving vehicle wheels due to variations in operation rate and state, such as temperature and magnetic flux, leading to potential reliability issues.

Innovation Solution

An electric motor control device that includes a control information transmission/reception unit, an electric motor state acquisition unit, and a torque command switching unit to adjust torque commands based on vehicle driving state and motor state information, switching between original and corrected torque commands to stabilize operation rates and temperatures.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If independent control of in-wheel motors is implemented to improve traveling performance and safety, then wheel slip suppression and road adaptation are improved, but variation in operation rate between motors increases leading to decreased reliability

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetraveling performanceVSAvoidelectric motor reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The control device acquires operation rate information from each in-wheel motor and uses this feedback to dynamically adjust torque commands. The control information transmission/reception unit receives operation rate information, and the control processing unit adjusts torque distribution based on this feedback, ensuring balanced operation rates and preventing reliability degradation from excessive operation rate variation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Temperature

If torque command is increased for upstream motor in coolant circulation path, then cooling efficiency is improved, but this approach does not address reliability decrease due to driving state variations

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecooling efficiencyVSAvoidelectric motor reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
TemperatureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The control device dynamically changes torque command parameters based on real-time operation rate information. Instead of fixed torque distribution or simple coolant path-based adjustment, the system modifies torque commands according to actual motor operation rates, temperature conditions, and driving states, achieving comprehensive reliability improvement through multi-parameter adaptive control.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Productivity

If operation rate of electric motor is increased to meet driving demands, then vehicle performance is improved, but reliability of electric motor decreases due to high operation rate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevehicle performanceVSAvoidelectric motor reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The control device dynamically adjusts torque commands based on real-time operation rate information from each motor. Rather than static torque distribution, the system continuously adapts torque allocation to maintain balanced operation rates across motors, optimizing vehicle performance while preventing any single motor from excessive operation that would degrade reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentEP4691831A1Electric motor control device
Publication Date: 2026.02.11 HITACHI LTD
  • EP4691831A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4691831A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4691831A1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

An object of the present invention is to suppress a decrease in reliability of each electric motor that independently drives each wheel of a vehicle. An electric motor control device 3 is a device that controls each electric motor 2 that independently drives each wheel 1 of a vehicle 10. The electric motor control device 3 includes: a control information transmission/reception unit 31 that receives, from a higher-level control device 4, control information 41 including a torque command 412 for the electric motor 2 and driving state information 411 regarding a driving state of the vehicle 10; an electric motor state acquisition unit 32 that acquires electric motor state information 321 regarding a state of the electric motor 2; and a torque command switching unit 33 that switches between controlling the electric motor 2 according to the torque command 412 and controlling the electric motor 2 according to a corrected torque command 371 obtained by correcting the torque command 412 based on the control information 41 received from the higher-level control device 4 and the electric motor state information 321 acquired by the electric motor state acquisition unit 32.