Motor control apparatus

A motor control apparatus capable of performing, for an electric motor having a plurality of windings, switching of the number of poles of the electric motor between m different numbers of poles, where m is an integer greater than or equal to 2,

• the control apparatus comprising:
• a high-pole-number controller that generates a voltage command for high-pole-number drive of the electric motor, where the number of poles of the electric motor is larger, and controls operation of the electric motor under the high-pole-number drive;
• a low-pole-number controller that generates a voltage command for low-pole-number drive of the electric motor, where the number of poles of the electric motor is smaller, and controls operation of the electric motor under the low-pole-number drive;
• and
• a priority pole-number determiner that determines which one of the high-pole-number drive and the low-pole-number drive is to be given priority during switching between the high-pole-number drive and the low-pole-number drive,
• wherein
• during the switching between the high-pole-number drive and the low-pole-number drive, of the high-pole-number controller and the low-pole-number controller, the controller corresponding to the drive given priority by the priority pole-number determiner calculates the voltage command for the drive given priority, and
• the controller corresponding to the drive not given priority calculates, based on the voltage command for the drive given priority, the voltage command for the drive not given priority.