Propulsion motor control apparatus and method
AssigneeWestinghouse Electric Corp.
InventorsWarren C. Fry, James H. Franz, Paul J. Merlino
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A vehicle propulsion motor control apparatus includes a motor current regulating chopper apparatus and a free wheeling diode in the motor circuit. It is desired that the chopper apparatus not be commutated OFF when the free wheeling diode is conducting motor current to prevent damage to the free wheeling diode. A current detector is provided to prevent commutation of the chopper apparatus in response to sensing a current flow through the free wheeling diode.
Claims8
In control apparatus for a load circuit operative with a power supply and including a member through which current passes, with said load circuit being responsive to a control pulse to determine the operation of said load circuit, the combination of
- first switch means for coupling the control pulse to said load circuit when the first switch means is conductive,
- second switch means responsive to current passing through said member and being made conductive in accordance with the passage of current through said member,
- first signal means for applying said control pulse through the second switch means when the second switch means is conductive, and
- second signal means coupled with the second switch means and controlling the conductivity of the first switch means when the second switch means is conductive.
In current detector apparatus operative with a load circuit including a load current controlling device and a member through which load current flows and responsive to a control signal to determing the operation of the load current controlling device, the combination of
- switch means connected to apply said control signal to said load current controlling device when said switch means is conductive,
- means providing an energy pulse in response to said control signal for biasing the switch means to be conductive, and
- means coupled with said energy pulse providing means and responsive to current flow through said member and responsive to said control signal for determining the provision of said energy pulse.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.