Controller and associated drive assembly for power sharing, time sliced control of a brushless direct current motor

A controller for controlling a brushless direct current (BLDC) motor, wherein the BLDC motor includes a predetermined number of phase windings, said controller comprising:

• a drive assembly in electrical communication with a power supply and the BLDC motor, wherein said drive assembly is capable of receiving a voltage output of the power supply and is capable of providing a pulse-width-modulated input voltage to the BLDC motor, wherein said drive assembly comprises a plurality of half-bridge assemblies that each include two switching elements, wherein at least two half-bridge assemblies are electrically connected to each phase winding of the BLDC motor, wherein each switching element is capable of operating at an operating frequency with a first duty ratio such that the at least two half-bridge assemblies are capable of providing the pulse-width-modulated input voltage to the respective phase winding of the BLDC motor at the operating frequency with a second duty ratio higher than the first duty ratio, and wherein the second duty ratio equals the product of the number of half-bridge assemblies electrically connected to the respective phase winding and the first duty ratio;
• and
• a processing element in electrical communication with said drive assembly and the BLDC motor, wherein said processing element is capable of controlling operation of the drive assembly.

A drive assembly for providing a pulse-width-modulated input voltage to a brushless direct current (BLDC) motor, wherein said drive assembly comprises a plurality of half-bridge assemblies that each include two switching elements, wherein at least two half-bridge assemblies are electrically connected to each phase winding of the BLDC motor, and wherein each switching element is capable of operating at an operating frequency with a first duty ratio such that the at least two half-bridge assemblies are capable of providing a pulse-width-modulated input voltage to the respective phase winding of the BLDC motor at the operating frequency with a duty ratio higher than the first duty ratio.

A drive assembly for providing a pulse-width-modulated input voltage to a brushless direct current (BLDC) motor, wherein said drive assembly comprises a plurality of half-bridge assemblies that each include two switching elements, wherein at least two half-bridge assemblies are electrically connected to each phase winding of the BLDC motor, wherein each switching element is capable of operating at an operating frequency with a first duty ratio such that the at least two half-bridge assemblies are capable of providing a pulse-width-modulated input voltage to the respective phase winding of the BLDC motor at the operating frequency with a duty ratio higher than the first duty ratio, and the second duty ratio equals the product of the number of half-bridge assemblies electrically connected to the respective phase winding and the first duty ratio.