Method for controlling operating speed and torque of electric motor

• US 10,312,844 B2
• Filed: 03/12/2018
• Issued: 06/04/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thunder Power New Energy Vehicle Development Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Thunder Power New Energy Vehicle Development Company Limited
• Inventors: Lai, Sheng-Fu
• Primary Examiner(s): Dinh, Thai T
• Application Number:
  US15/918,832
• Publication Number:
  US 20180205338A1
• Time in Patent Office: 449 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/2045 for optimising the use of energy
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/12 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/421 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/423 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/44 by parameter estimation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/60 using power supplied by batteries in combination with fuel cells B60L50/75
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/08 including control of electric propulsion units, e.g. motors or generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/081 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/083 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/188 Controlling power parameters of the driveline, e.g. determining the required power
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0097 Predicting future conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 23/0022 Model reference adaptation, e.g. MRAS or MRAC, useful for control or parameter estimation
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 31/00 Arrangements for regulating or controlling electric motors not provided for in groups H02P1/00 - H02P5/00, H02P7/00 or H02P21/00 - H02P29/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 6/08 Arrangements for controlling the speed or torque of a single motor H02P6/10, H02P6/28 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 7/285 controlling armature supply only
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility

Abstract

Systems and methods for controlling the operating speed and the torque of an electric motor using an operational model are described. An operational model for the electric motor, including a plot of engine performance parameters, is used for reference, and a most efficient output path, which may pass through an optimal operation region in the operational model, is selected. The most efficient output path may be determined, for example, according to locations of a current output state and a to-be-reached target state in the operational model, enabling the operating state of the motor to reach the target state from the current operating state. By selecting a more efficient output path, the operating efficiency of the motor may be optimized, the life of a battery improved and/or the operating mileage of the vehicle may be increased, without significantly reducing the driving experience.

Claims

1. An electric vehicle motor controller, comprising:

a central processing unit (CPU); and

a storage device including an operational model stored thereon, the operational model including a plurality of operation positions and an optimal operation region of an electric motor, each operation position corresponding to a speed parameter, a torque parameter and an operating efficiency parameter of the electric motor;

wherein the CPU is configured to;

receive an input indicating a detected current speed parameter and a current torque parameter of the electric motor;

determine a current operation position of the electric motor in the operational model based on the current speed parameter and the current torque parameter;

determine two transition paths based on the current operation position, and the operational model, the two transition paths including a first path consisting of one vector, and a second path consisting of two vectors;

select one of the two transition paths for controlling the electric motor;

control the electric motor using the selected transition path;

amend the operation model by revising an efficiency parameter on a selected position in the operational model according to a calculated efficiency parameter on the target operation position.

2. The controller of claim 1, wherein the CPU is further configured to select an optimal intermediate operation position in the optimal operation region as a vertex of the second path.

3. The controller of claim 2, wherein:

the optimal intermediate operation position is selected as a position having a shortest linear distance from the optimal operation region to the current operation position.

4. The controller of claim 1, wherein the electric motor is controlled according to the first or second path by changing at least one of a driving voltage and a driving current applied to the electric motor such that the current operation position at any time during the transition to the target operation position is on the selected transition path in the operational model.

5. The controller of claim 1, wherein determining the two transition paths based on the current speed and torque parameters comprises:

determining a target speed parameter and a target torque parameter corresponding to a target operation position of the electric motor in the operational model; and

determining the two transition paths based on connections between the current operation position and the target operation position.

6. The controller of claim 5, wherein amending the efficiency parameter on the selected position in the operation model according to the calculated efficiency parameter on the target operation position comprises:

receiving a detected input voltage and current of the motor at the target operation position;

calculating an actual operating efficiency of the motor at the target operation position according to the torque and the speed of the motor at the target operation position and the detected input voltage and current at the target operation position;

calculating a correction coefficient according to the actual operating efficiency corresponding to the target operation position in the operational model and the calculated actual operation efficiency of the motor at the target operation position;

selecting at least one position to be corrected close to the target operation position;

calculating a distance between the target operation position and the position to be corrected;

calculating a correction quantity according to the calculated correction coefficient calculated and the calculated distance; and

correcting a position of the position to be corrected in the operational model according to the correction quantity.