Direct current traction motor control system
AssigneeTransportation IP Holdings, LLC
InventorRandy McCall
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A direct current traction motor control system includes plural motors of with each of the motors configured to be coupled with a different axle of a vehicle and to rotate the axle to propel the vehicle. The motors are coupled with a DC bus and configured to receive DC via the DC bus to power the motors. The system also includes plural switch assemblies with each of the switch assemblies having an H-bridge circuit coupled with a different motor of the motors to control rotation of the motor. The system includes a controller configured to communicate control signals to the switch assemblies to individually control the H-bridge circuits to control one or more of torques output by the motors or rotation directions of the motors.
Claims20
A system comprising:
- plural motors with each of the motors configured to be coupled with a different axle of a vehicle and to rotate the axle to propel the vehicle, the motors coupled with a direct current (DC) bus and configured to receive DC via the DC bus to power the motors;
- plural switch assemblies with each of the switch assemblies having an H-bridge circuit in which one of the motors is disposed between a first leg and a second leg, wherein each of the first leg and the second leg comprises two switches with the one of the motors connected between at least one of the two switches of each of the first leg and the second leg, wherein the H-bridge circuit is configured to control rotation of the one of the motors;
- and
- a controller configured to communicate control signals to the switch assemblies to individually control the H-bridge circuits to control one or more of torques output by the motors or rotation directions of the motors.
A method comprising:
- communicating control signals to switch assemblies of plural direct current (DC) motors with each of the DC motors coupled with a different axle of a vehicle to rotate the axles and propel the vehicle, the switch assemblies including H-bridge circuits in which one of the DC motors is disposed between a first leg and a second leg, wherein each of the first leg and the second leg comprises two switches with the one of the DC motors connected between at least one of the two switches of each of the first leg and the second leg;
- determining whether one or more of a torque or a rotation direction of one or more of the DC motors is to change;
- and
- responsive to determining that the one or more of the torque or the rotation direction of the one or more DC motors is to change, changing the control signal that is communicated to one or more of the H-bridge circuits to direct the one or more of the DC motors to change the one or more of the torque or the rotation direction.
An automobile drive system comprising:
- plural direct current (DC) motors with each of the DC motors configured to be coupled with a different axle of an automobile and to rotate the axle to propel the automobile;
- plural H-bridge circuits with each of the H-bridge circuits in which one of the DC motors is disposed between a first leg and second leg, wherein each of the first leg and the second leg comprises two switches with the one of the DC motors connected between at least one of the two switches of each of the first leg and the second leg, wherein each of the H-bridge circuits is configured to control rotation of the one of the DC motors;
- and
- a controller configured to communicate control signals to the H-bridge circuits to individually control one or more of torques output by the DC motors or rotation directions of the DC motors.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.