# US 2014/0152201 A1 · Electric motor clamping system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0152201 A1 - Document ID: US20140152201A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/234,778 - Filed: 2011-07-26 - Published: 2014-06-05 - Earliest claimed: 2011-07-26 - Assignees: Moog Inc. - Inventors: Michael H. Shriver; John W. Stevens - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140152201A1 ## CPC - H02P 3/14: by regenerative braking - B64C 9/323: {associated with wings} - F03D 7/0252: {with aerodynamic drag devices on the blades} - H02P 3/08: for stopping or slowing a DC motor - H02P 3/12: by short-circuit or resistive braking - H02P 3/22: by short-circuit or resistive braking - H02P 29/025: {the fault being a power interruption} - F05B 2260/507: using servos, independent actuators, etc. - Y02E 10/72: Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction - H02P: CONTROL OR REGULATION OF ELECTRIC MOTORS, ELECTRIC GENERATORS OR DYNAMO-ELECTRIC CONVERTERS; CONTROLLING TRANSFORMERS, REACTORS OR CHOKE COILS - B64C: AEROPLANES; HELICOPTERS - F03D: WIND MOTORS - F05B: INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO WIND, SPRING, WEIGHT, INERTIA OR LIKE MOTORS, TO MACHINES OR ENGINES FOR LIQUIDS COVERED BY SUBCLASSES F03B, F03D AND F03G - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION ## Abstract An electric motor system having a power supply, an electric motor connected to the power supply, an object driven by the motor having a range of motion and a substantially neutral position within the range of motion, a power sensor configured to sense power from the power supply, a position sensor configured to sense position of the object in at least a portion of the range of motion, an energy storage, a controller connected to the power supply and the energy storage, wherein the controller is configured to brake the motor as a function of the position sensor, the neutral position and the power sensor. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An electric motor system comprising: a power supply; an electric motor connected to said power supply; an object driven by said motor having a range of motion and a substantially neutral position within said range of motion; a power sensor configured to sense power from said power supply; a position sensor configured to sense position of said object in at least a portion of said range of motion; an energy storage; a controller connected to said power supply and said energy storage; said controller configured and arranged to brake said motor as a function of said position sensor, said neutral position, and said power sensor. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The electric motor system set forth in claim 1, wherein said controller is configured to dynamically brake said motor. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The electric motor system set forth in claim 2, and further comprising a dissipation switch in series with a dissipation resistor, and wherein said controller is configured to operate said dissipation switch such that energy from said motor is dissipated with said dissipation resistor. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The electric motor system set forth in claim 1, wherein said controller is configured to regeneratively brake said motor. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The electric motor system set forth in claim 4, and further comprising a switching network, and wherein said controller is configured to operate said switching network such that energy from said motor is used to charge said energy storage when said energy storage is not fully charged. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The electric motor system set forth in claim 5, wherein said energy storage comprises a capacitor or a battery. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The electric motor system set forth in claim 5, wherein said switching network comprises six switch elements in an H bridge configuration. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The electric motor system set forth in claim 1, wherein said controller is configured to actively brake said motor. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The electric motor system set forth in claim 8, and further comprising a brake actuator. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The electric motor system set forth in claim 9, and further comprising a switching network, and wherein said controller is configured to operate said switching network such that energy from energy storage is used to brake said motor. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The electric motor system set forth in claim 10, wherein said switching network comprises six switch elements in an H bridge configuration. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The electric motor system set forth in claim 11, wherein said switch elements comprise IGBTs or MOSFETs. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The electric motor system set forth in claim 1, wherein said controller is configured to selectively actively brake, dynamically brake or regeneratively brake said motor. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The electric motor system set forth in claim 13, and further comprising a switching network and a dissipation resistor, wherein said controller is configured to operate said switching network such that energy from said motor is selectively dissipated with said dissipation resistor or used to charge said energy storage when said energy storage is not fully charged. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The electric motor system set forth in claim 1, and further comprising a power rectifier. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The electric motor system set forth in claim 15, wherein said power rectifier comprises a full wave diode rectifier. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The electric motor system set forth in claim 1, wherein said object comprises an aircraft spoiler panel on an aircraft wing. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The electric motor system set forth in claim 17, wherein said neutral position is about four degrees from said aircraft wing. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The electric motor system set forth in claim 1, wherein said object comprises a turbine blade on a power generating turbine. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The electric motor system set forth in claim 19, wherein said neutral position is a feathered position. ### Claim 21 (depends on 1) The electric motor system set forth in claim 1, wherein said position sensor comprises an encoder, a resolver or a LVDT. ### Claim 22 (depends on 1) The electric motor system set forth in claim 1, wherein said power sensor comprises a voltage sensor or a FPGA validity sensor. ### Claim 23 (depends on 1) The electric motor system set forth in claim 1, wherein said power supply comprises a three phase AC power supply. ### Claim 24 (depends on 1) The electric motor system set forth in claim 1, and further comprising an output filter. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The electric motor system set forth in claim 24, wherein said output filter comprises a common mode filter or a differential mode filter. ### Claim 26 (depends on 1) The electric motor system set forth in claim 1, and further comprising an input filter. ### Claim 27 (depends on 26) The electric motor system set forth in claim 26, wherein said input filter comprises a common mode filter or a differential mode filter. ### Claim 28 (depends on 1) The electric motor system set forth in claim 1, and further comprising a soft start switch. ### Claim 29 A method of driving an electric motor interface comprising the steps of: providing an external power supply input; providing a position sensor signal input; providing a switching network having switch gates; providing an electric motor interface for connecting to an electric motor; providing a controller; providing an energy storage interface; monitoring said external power supply input; and operating said switch gates to absorb power from said electric motor interface as a function of said position sensor input and said external power supply input. ### Claim 30 (depends on 29) The method set forth in claim 29, wherein said step of operating said switch gates comprises operating said switch gates to absorb power from said electric motor interface when said power supply input drops below a voltage threshold and said position sensor signal input is below a position threshold. ### Claim 31 (depends on 29) The method set forth in claim 29, and further comprising the step of providing a dissipation resistor interface. ### Claim 32 (depends on 31) The method set forth in claim 31, and further comprising the step of selectively directing said absorbed power to said energy storage interface or said dissipation resistor interface as a function of whether said energy storage interface is fully charged. ### Claim 33 (depends on 29) The method set forth in claim 29, and further comprising the step of using power from said energy storage interface to actively brake said electric motor as a function of said position sensor input and said external power supply input. ### Claim 34 (depends on 33) The method set forth in claim 33, wherein said step of using power from said energy storage interface to actively brake said electric motor comprises actively braking said electric motor when a rate of change of said position sensor input signal is below a speed threshold, said power supply input drops below a voltage threshold, and said position sensor signal input is below a position threshold. ### Claim 35 (depends on 34) The method set forth in claim 34, wherein said step of operating said switch gates comprises operating said switch gates to absorb power from said electric motor interface when a rate of change of said position sensor input signal is above a speed threshold, said power supply input drops below a voltage threshold, and said position sensor signal input is below a position threshold. ### Claim 36 (depends on 35) The method set forth in claim 35, and further comprising the step of providing a dissipation resistor interface. ### Claim 37 (depends on 36) The method set forth in claim 36, and further comprising the step of selectively directing said absorbed power to said energy storage interface or said dissipation resistor interface as a function of whether said energy storage interface is fully charged. ### Claim 38 (depends on 29) The method set forth in claim 29, wherein said local energy storage interface is configured to connect to a capacitor or a battery. ### Claim 39 (depends on 29) The method set forth in claim 29, and further comprising the step of providing a power rectifier, and converting an AC voltage on said power supply input into a DC voltage. ### Claim 40 (depends on 39) The method set forth in claim 39, wherein said power rectifier is a full wave diode rectifier. ### Claim 41 (depends on 29) The method set forth in claim 29, and further comprising the step of providing a soft start switch. ### Claim 42 (depends on 29) The method set forth in claim 29, wherein said position sensor signal input is configured to connect to an encoder, resolver or LVDT. ### Claim 43 (depends on 29) The method set forth in claim 29, wherein said electric motor interface is configured to connect to an aircraft wing spoiler actuator. ### Claim 44 (depends on 29) The method set forth in claim 29, wherein said electric motor interface is configured to connect to a power generating turbine blade pitch control actuator. ### Claim 45 (depends on 29) The method set forth in claim 29, wherein said external power supply input is configured for a three phase AC power source. ### Claim 46 (depends on 29) The method set forth in claim 29, and further comprising the step of filtering a signal coming in on said external power supply input or filtering a signal going out on said electric motor interface. ### Claim 47 (depends on 29) The method set forth in claim 29, and further comprising the step of providing a brake actuator interface. ### Claim 48 A driver for an electric motor comprising: an external power supply input; a power sensor having an output and configured to monitor said external power supply input; a position sensor having an output; an AC to DC power rectifier; a switching network having switch gates; an electric motor interface for connecting to an electric motor; a control configured to monitor said power sensor output and said position sensor output and configured to operate said switch gates; a local energy storage interface for temporarily supplying power; wherein said control is configured to operate said switch gates such that a recovered power is drawn from said electric motor interface as a function of said power sensor output and said position sensor output. ### Claim 49 (depends on 48) The driver set forth in claim 48, and further comprising a dissipation resistor interface. ### Claim 50 (depends on 49) The driver set forth in claim 49, wherein said control is configured to direct power from said electric motor interface to said dissipation resistor interface. ### Claim 51 (depends on 49) The driver set forth in claim 49, wherein said control is configured to operate said switching network such that energy from said motor interface is selectively directed to said dissipation resistor interface or said local energy storage interface when a local energy storage connected to said local energy storage interface is not fully charged. ### Claim 52 (depends on 48) The driver set forth in claim 48, wherein said control is configured to direct power from said electric motor interface to said local energy storage interface. ### Claim 53 (depends on 48) The driver set forth in claim 48, and further comprising a brake actuator interface. ### Claim 54 (depends on 53) The driver set forth in claim 53, wherein said control is configured to operate said switching network such that energy from said local energy storage interface is directed out said brake actuator interface. ### Claim 55 (depends on 48) The driver set forth in claim 48, wherein said switching network comprises six switch elements in an H bridge configuration. ### Claim 56 (depends on 55) The driver set forth in claim 55, wherein said switch elements comprise IGBTs or MOSFETs. ### Claim 57 (depends on 48) The driver set forth in claim 48, wherein said control is configured to selectively actively brake, dynamically brake or regeneratively brake a motor connected to said electric motor interface. ### Claim 58 (depends on 48) The driver set forth in claim 48, wherein said power rectifier comprises a full wave diode rectifier. ### Claim 59 (depends on 48) The driver set forth in claim 48, and further comprising an output filter. ### Claim 60 (depends on 59) The electric motor system set forth in claim 59, wherein said output filter comprises a common mode filter or a differential mode filter. ### Claim 61 (depends on 48) The driver set forth in claim 48, and further comprising an input filter. ### Claim 62 (depends on 61) The driver set forth in claim 61, wherein said input filter comprises a common mode filter or a differential mode filter. ### Claim 63 (depends on 48) The driver set forth in claim 48, and further comprising a soft start switch.