Systems and methods for active damping in a steer-by-wire handwheel actuator system

A method for active damping, the method comprising:

• providing at least one signal to lower transistors of at least one transistor associated with a multi-phase inverter circuit associated with a motor, wherein:
• the at least one signal corresponds to a duty ratio of the lower transistors;
• in response to the duty ratio of the lower transistors being 0 percent, operating the multi-phase inverter circuit as a multi-phase full wave rectifier;
• in response to the duty ratio of the lower transistors being 100 percent, actively damping energy provided to the multi-phase inverter circuit;
• in response to the duty ratio of the lower transistors being between 0 percent and 100 percent:
• for lower transistors in an on condition, actively damping energy provided to the multi-phase inverter circuit with the phases of the multi-phase inverter circuit being shorted;
• and
• for lower transistors in an off condition, operating the multi-phase inverter circuit as a multi-phase full wave rectifier;
• determining whether a back electromotive force value associated with the motor is greater than a batter voltage value of an associated battery;
• and
• in response to a determination that the back electromotive force value associated with the motor is greater than the battery voltage value of the associated battery, disconnect the multi-phase inverter circuit.

An apparatus for active damping, the apparatus comprising

• a multi-phase inverter circuit associated with a motor, the multi-phase inverter circuit includes at least one of a power circuit, a high side gate drive, a low side gate drive, a bleeder resistor, and at least one transistor;
• and
• a controller configured to:
• provide at least one signal to or high side transitions and low side transistors of the at least one transistor, wherein:
• the at least one signal corresponds to a duty ratio of the lower transistors;
• determine whether a back electromotive force value associated with the motor is greater than a batter voltage value of an associated battery;
• and
• in response to a determination that the back electromotive force value associated with the motor is greater than the battery voltage value of the associated battery, disconnect the multi-phase inverter circuit.