Methods and apparatus to perform torque balance control of co-shafted motors

• US 10,158,303 B2
• Filed: 09/15/2016
• Issued: 12/18/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Chik, Mun Shin, Paschedag, Darren, Pande, Neil, Liu, Shengyi
• Primary Examiner(s): Colon Santana, Eduardo
• Assistant Examiner(s): JOSEPH, DEVON A
• Application Number:
  US15/266,773
• Publication Number:
  US 20180076743A1
• Time in Patent Office: 824 Days
• Field of Search: 318434
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 21/13 Observer control, e.g. using Luenberger observers or Kalman filters
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 21/18 Estimation of position or speed
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 5/74 controlling two or more ac dynamo-electric motors H02P5/46, H02P5/60 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 5/747 mechanically coupled by gearing
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 6/182 using back-emf in windings

Abstract

Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture to perform torque balance control of co-shafted motors are disclosed. An example method includes calculating a first torque value based on first phase currents of a first motor that is driving a shaft connected to a control surface, and calculating a second torque value based on second phase currents of a second motor that is driving the same shaft. The example method also includes determining a first shared torque value based on the first calculated torque value and a first sharing factor, and determining a second shared torque value based on the second calculated torque value and a second sharing factor. The example method also includes determining a torque error based on the first shared torque value and the second shared torque value, and determining a first torque adjustment associated with the first motor based on the torque error.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

measuring, by a linear position sensor, a linear position of a shaft connected to an aerodynamic control surface;

calculating, by executing an instruction with a processor, a first torque value based on first phase currents of a first motor that is directly coupled to the shaft;

calculating, by executing an instruction with the processor, a second torque value based on second phase currents of a second motor co-shafted onto the shaft with the first motor;

determining, by executing an instruction with the processor, a target linear position of the shaft based on the measured linear position;

determining, by executing an instruction with the processor, a first shared torque value based on the first calculated torque value and a first sharing factor associated with the first motor;

determining, by executing an instruction with the processor, a second shared torque value based on the second calculated torque value and a second sharing factor associated with the second motor;

determining, by executing an instruction with the processor, a torque error based on the first shared torque value and the second shared torque value;

determining, by executing an instruction with the processor, a first torque adjustment associated with the first motor based on the torque error and the target linear position;

determining a second torque adjustment associated with the second motor based on the torque error and the target linear position;

adjusting a first torque applied to the shaft from the first motor based on the determined first torque adjustment; and

adjusting a second torque applied to the shaft from the second motor based on the determined second torque adjustment.

2. A method of claim 1, further including:

calculating a target rotational speed based on linear position information associated with the shaft; and

determining a first target torque value associated with the first motor based on the target rotational speed and a first rotational speed associated with the first motor.

3. A method of claim 2, wherein the linear position information includes the target linear position and an estimated linear position of the shaft based on the first rotational speed.

4. A method of claim 2, wherein the linear position information includes the target linear position and the measured linear position of the shaft.

5. A method of claim 2, further including modifying the first target torque value based on the first torque adjustment.

6. A method of claim 1, wherein the first sharing factor represents a first percentage of torque generated by the first motor and the second sharing factor represents a second percentage of torque generated by the second motor.

7. An apparatus comprising:

a processor system;

a sensor to measure a linear position of a shaft connected to an aerodynamic control surface; and

a memory communicatively coupled to the processor system, the memory including stored instructions that enable the processor system to;

calculate a first torque value based on first phase currents of a first motor that is directly coupled to the shaft;

calculate a second torque value based on second phase currents of a second motor that is co-shafted onto the shaft with the first motor;

determine a target linear position of the shaft based on the measured linear position;

determine a first shared torque value based on the first calculated torque value and a first sharing factor associated with the first motor;

determine a second shared torque value based on the second calculated torque value and a second sharing factor associated with the second motor;

determine a torque error based on the first shared torque value and the second shared torque value;

determine a first torque adjustment associated with the first motor based on the torque error and the determined target linear position;

determine a second torque adjustment associated with the second motor based on the torque error and the determined target linear position;

adjust a first torque applied to the shaft by the first motor based on the determined first torque adjustment; and

adjust a second torque applied to the shaft by the second motor based on the determined second torque adjustment.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the instructions enable the processor system to:

calculate a target rotational speed based on linear position information associated with the shaft; and

determine a first target torque value associated with the first motor based on the target rotational speed and a first rotational speed associated with the first motor.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the linear position information includes the target linear position and an estimated linear position of the shaft based on the first rotational speed.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the linear position information includes the target linear position and the measured linear position of the shaft.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the instructions enable the processor system to modify the first target torque value based on the first torque adjustment.

12. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the first sharing factor represents a first percentage of torque generated by the first motor and the second sharing factor represents a second percentage of torque generated by the second motor.

18. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the first and second motors are arranged in series along a length of the shaft.

19. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the first and second motors are not coupled to a transmission or differential.

13. A tangible machine-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed, cause a processor to at least:

calculate a first torque value based on first phase currents of a first motor that is directly coupled to a shaft connected to an aerodynamic control surface;

calculate a second torque value based on second phase currents of a second motor that is co-shafted onto the shaft with the first motor;

determine a target linear position of a shaft based on a measured linear position of the shaft measured by a linear position sensor;

determine a first shared torque value based on the first calculated torque value and a first sharing factor associated with the first motor;

determine a second shared torque value based on the second calculated torque value and a second sharing factor associated with the second motor;

determine a torque error based on the first shared torque value and the second shared torque value;

determine a first torque adjustment associated with the first motor based on the torque error and the determined target linear position;

determine a second torque adjustment associated with the second motor based on the torque error and the determined target linear position;

adjust a first torque applied to the shaft by the first motor based on the determined first torque adjustment; and

adjust a second torque applied to the shaft by the second motor based on the determined second torque adjustment.

14. The tangible machine-readable storage medium of claim 13 comprising instructions that, when executed, cause the machine to at least:

determine a target rotational speed based on linear position information associated with the shaft; and

determine a first target torque value associated with the first motor based on the target rotational speed and a first rotational speed associated with the first motor.

15. The tangible machine-readable storage medium of claim 14 comprising instructions that, when executed, cause the machine to at least determine the target rotational speed based on a comparison of the target linear position and an estimated linear position of the shaft, the estimated linear position based on the first rotational speed.

16. The tangible machine-readable storage medium of claim 14 comprising instructions that, when executed, cause the machine to at least modify the first target torque value based on the first torque adjustment.

17. The tangible machine-readable storage medium of claim 13 comprising instructions that, when executed, cause the machine to at least:

determine the first sharing factor as a first percentage of torque generated by the first motor; and

determine the second sharing factor as a second percentage of torque generated by the second motor.