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US 12,609,646 B2Granted
Boosted converter for pulsed electric machine control
AssigneeTula eTechnology, Inc.
InventorsBabak Mazda, Adya S. Tripathi, Paul Carvell
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A boost circuit is arranged to reduce rise and fall times of pulsed power used for pulsed control operation of electric machines. Magnetic energy present in the electric machine at the end of a pulse is extracted by the boost circuit to reduce the pulse fall time. The energy is stored by the boost circuit and then applied at the beginning of a subsequent pulse to reduce the rise time. By reducing rise and fall times compared to not using such a boost circuit, machine efficiency is improved.
Claims32
A vehicle, comprising:
- an electric machine configured to propel the vehicle;
- a machine controller configured to operate the electric machine in either a continuous mode when a demanded output for the electric machine is above a threshold or in a pulsed mode when the demanded output for the electric machine is below the threshold,
- the electric machine configured to operate in the pulsed mode to generate:
- (a) a first work output during on pulses;
- and
- (b) a second work output, that is different than the first work output, between the on pulses;
- and
- a boost circuit, coupled to one or more windings of the electric machine, the boost circuit configured to store energy harvested from the one or more windings of the electric machine during ramp-down of the on pulses and then applying the stored energy to the one or more windings of the electric machine during ramp-up of subsequent on pulses,
- the applying of the stored energy acting to reduce ramp-up times of the subsequent on pulses relative to not applying the stored energy.
6 more elements
A method for operating a vehicle, the method comprising:
- receiving a torque demand;
- operating an electric machine, used to propel the vehicle, in a pulsed mode when the torque demand is less than a threshold, the electric machine in the pulsed mode generating:
- (a) a first work output during on pulses;
- and
- (b) a second work output, that is different than the first work output, between the on pulses;
- harvesting energy from one or more windings of the electric machine during ramp down of the on pulses respectively;
- storing the energy harvested during the ramp down of the on pulses respectively;
- and
- applying the harvested energy from storage to the one or more windings during ramp-up of subsequent on pulses respectively,
- the application of the stored energy acting to reduce ramp-up times of the subsequent on pulses relative to not applying the stored.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.