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US 2018/0181099 A1Published application
Electric motor drive system for low-voltage motor
AssigneeGeneral Dynamics—OTS, Inc.
InventorRussell Steinbach
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to an electric motor drive system for driving a low-voltage motor. The low-voltage motor includes a rotor and a stator that comprises a number of single-turn coils. A motor drive controller can control the low-voltage motor. The motor drive controller includes a current source inverter. The current source inverter includes driver circuitry configured to generate switching commands, a variable current source and motor commutation circuitry. The variable current source can generate a variable current that regulates power in the low-voltage motor. The motor commutation circuitry receives the variable current and switching commands, and commutates phase currents that are output to the low-voltage motor.
Claims21
An electric motor drive system, comprising:
- a low-voltage motor comprising:
- a rotor;
- and
- a stator, comprising:
- two or more phase windings;
- and
- a number of single-turn coils, wherein each phase winding comprises a plurality of the single-turn coils connected together, and wherein each of the single-turn coils is a single conductive loop that includes only one conductor on each side of the single-turn coil;
- and
- a motor drive controller configured to control the low-voltage motor, the motor drive controller comprising:
- a current source inverter, comprising:
- driver circuitry configured to generate switching commands;
- a variable current source configured to:
- generate a variable current that regulates power in the low-voltage motor;
- and
- motor commutation circuitry configured to receive the variable current and switching commands, and to commutate phase currents that are output to the low-voltage motor.
12 more elements
15-16. (canceled)
An electric motor drive system, comprising:
- a low-voltage motor comprising a rotor and a stator that comprises a number of single-turn coils;
- and
- a motor drive controller configured to control the low-voltage motor, the motor drive controller comprising:
- a current source inverter, comprising:
- driver circuitry configured to generate switching commands;
- a variable current source configured to:
- generate a variable current that regulates power in the low-voltage motor, wherein the variable current source comprises:
- a Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) waveform generator configured to generate, based on the digital voltage commands, a pulse width modulated (PWM) command signal having a pulse width that is modulated using digital voltage commands to change the pulse width, wherein the pulse width modulated command signal has a duty cycle that is adjusted by the processor based on a sensed current signal to control power supplied to the low-voltage motor;
- gate driver circuitry configured to generate a gate drive signal based on the pulse width modulated command signal;
- and
- a buck converter circuit configured to generate the variable current in response to the gate drive signal;
- and
- motor commutation circuitry configured to receive the variable current and switching commands, and to commutate phase currents that are output to the low-voltage motor.
10 more elements
An electric motor drive system, comprising:
- a low-voltage motor comprising a rotor and a stator that comprises a number of single-turn coils;
- and
- a motor drive controller configured to control the low-voltage motor, the motor drive controller comprising:
- a current source inverter, comprising:
- driver circuitry configured to generate switching commands;
- a variable current source configured to:
- generate a variable current that regulates power in the low-voltage motor, wherein the variable current source comprises:
- a Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) waveform generator configured to generate, based on digital voltage commands, a pulse width modulated (PWM) command signal having a pulse width that is modulated using the digital voltage commands to change the pulse width, wherein the pulse width modulated command signal has a duty cycle that varies to control power supplied to the low-voltage motor;
- a first phase delay element configured to receive a PWM command signal, and to introduce a 120-degree phase delay to the PWM command signal to generate a first phase-delayed drive signal;
- a second phase delay element configured to receive the first phase-delayed drive signal, and to introduce another 120-degree phase delay to the first phase-delayed drive signal to generate a second phase-delayed drive signal;
- a first circuit comprising:
- a first gate driver configured to receive the PWM command signal and to generate a first gate drive signal;
- and a first buck converter circuit configured to receive the first gate drive signal and an input voltage, and to generate a first variable current;
- a second circuit comprising:
- a second gate driver configured to receive the first phase-delayed drive signal and to generate a second gate drive signal;
- and a second buck converter circuit configured to receive the second gate drive signal and the input voltage, and to generate a second variable current;
- and
- a third circuit comprising:
- a third gate driver configured to receive the second phase-delayed drive signal and to generate a third gate drive signal;
- and a third buck converter circuit configured to receive the third gate drive signal and the input voltage, and to generate a third variable current;
- and
- a summer configured to sum the first, second and third variable currents to generate the variable current;
- and
- motor commutation circuitry configured to receive the variable current and switching commands, and to commutate phase currents that are output to the low-voltage motor.
21 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.