# US 4,393,338 A · Vehicle propulsion motor control apparatus

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- Number: US 4,393,338 A
- Document ID: US4393338A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 06/258,852
- Filed: 1981-04-29
- Granted: 1983-07-12
- Earliest claimed: 1981-04-29
- Assignees: Westinghouse Electric Corp.
- Inventors: Stanley W. Jones; James H. Franz, Jr.
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US4393338A

## CPC

- H02P 7/281: the DC motor being operated in four quadrants
- B60L 7/22: Dynamic electric resistor braking, combined with dynamic electric regenerative braking
- H02P 3/12: by short-circuit or resistive braking
- Y02T 10/64: Electric machine technologies in electromobility
- Y02T 10/72: Electric energy management in electromobility
- H02P: CONTROL OR REGULATION OF ELECTRIC MOTORS, ELECTRIC GENERATORS OR DYNAMO-ELECTRIC CONVERTERS; CONTROLLING TRANSFORMERS, REACTORS OR CHOKE COILS
- B60L: PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (arrangements or mounting of electrical propulsion units or of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion in vehicles B60K1/00, B60K6/20; arrangements or mounting of electrical gearing in vehicles B60K17/12, B60K17/14; preventing wheel slip by reducing power in rail vehicles B61C15/08; dynamo-electric machines H02K; control or regulation of electric motors H02P); SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (electric coupling devices combined with mechanical couplings of vehicles B60D1/64; electric heating for vehicles B60H1/00); ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL (control or regulation of electric motors H02P); MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES
- Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION

## Abstract

A solid-state direct current motor control apparatus including a programmed microprocessor operative with a plurality of series motors to determine the selection of a power mode of operation, a brake mode of operation and a coast mode of operation, with a desired energization of particular motor fields before the brake mode of operation.

## Claims

### Claim 1

In control apparatus for a plurality of direct current motors operative with a voltage source and an effort request signal for determining one of a power mode of operation and a brake mode of operation for said motors, with each of said motors having an armature and a field, the combination of:
circuit means having first and second terminals and a first circuit including the armature and field of a first motor and a second circuit including the armature and the field of a second motor connected between said first and second terminals, said circuit means having third and fourth terminals and a third circuit including the first motor armature and the second motor field and a fourth circuit including the first motor field and the second motor armature connected between said third and fourth terminals,
first switch means connected with said voltage source and controlling the current through said first and second circuits to establish said power mode, and
second switch means connected to control the current through said third and fourth circuits to establish the brake mode,
with the first switch means including a power diode connected to be conductive in a first direction and provided to conduct power mode current through the first and second motor armatures in said first direction, and with the second switch means including a brake diode connected to be conductive in a second direction and provided to conduct brake mode current through the first and second motor armatures in said second direction.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The control apparatus of claim 1, including control means responsive to said effort request signal and coupled to make the first switch means conductive through the power diode to determine said power mode of operation and coupled to make the second switch means conductive through the brake diode to determine said brake mode of operation.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1,
with said circuit means providing a first bridge arrangement between the first and second terminals and including the first and second circuits connected in parallel and providing a second bridge arrangement between the third and fourth terminals and including the third and fourth circuits connected in parallel.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The control apparatus of claim 1, with said control means being coupled to make each of the first and the second switch means conductive to energize at least one of the motor fields connected between the first and fourth terminals in preparation for going to the brake mode of operation.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The control apparatus of claim 1, including current sensing means operative with said control means and connected between the first and fourth terminals for sensing the current flow through the field of one of said first and second motors.