ELECTRICAL SYSTEM USING PHASE-SHIFTED CARRIER SIGNALS AND RELATED OPERATING METHODS

• US 20100071970A1
• Filed: 05/28/2009
• Published: 03/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations Incorporated (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: CAMPBELL, JEREMY B., WELCHKO, BRIAN A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,269,434 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 180/65.100
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 1/00 Arrangement or mounting of electrical propulsion units B60K7/00 takes precedence; arrangement or mounting of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion B60K6/00; electric transmission arrangements B60K17/12; electric equipment or propulsion of electrically-propelled vehicles per se B60L; current-collectors for power supply lines of electrically-propelled vehicles B60L5/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/02 characterised by the form of the current used in the control circuit
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/46 with more than three phases
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2220/12 Induction machines
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2220/58 with more than three phases
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/51 characterised by AC-motors
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 11/33 Drive circuits, e.g. power electronics H02K11/38 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 3/28 Layout of windings or of connections between windings windings for pole-changing H02K17/06, H02K17/14, H02K19/12, H02K19/32
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/5387 in a bridge configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/53871 with automatic control of output voltage or current
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 25/22 Multiple windings; Windings for more than three phases
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 27/08 with pulse width modulation
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 5/74 controlling two or more ac dynamo-electric motors H02P5/46, H02P5/60 take precedence
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making

Abstract

An automotive drive system and methods for making the same are provided. The system includes a three-phase motor and an inverter module. The three-phase motor includes a first set of windings each having a first magnetic polarity; and a second set of windings each having a second magnetic polarity that is opposite the first magnetic polarity. The first set of windings being electrically isolated from the second set of windings. The inverter module includes a first set of phase legs and a second set of phase legs. Each one of the first set of phase legs is coupled to a corresponding phase of the first set of windings, and each one of the second set of phase legs is coupled to a corresponding phase of the second set of windings.

Claims

1. A system having a DC energy source, comprising:

a three-phase motor driven by a first phase current signal (i_a), a second phase current signal (i_b) and a third phase current signal (i_c), the three-phase motor, the motor comprising;

a first set of normal polarity windings each having a first magnetic polarity; and

a second set of reversed polarity windings each having a second magnetic polarity that is opposite the first magnetic polarity, the first set of normal polarity windings being electrically isolated from the second set of reversed polarity windings;

an inverter module coupled between the DC energy source and the motor, the inverter module comprising;

a first set of normal polarity phase legs each being coupled to a corresponding one of the first set of windings; and

a second set of reversed polarity phase legs each being coupled to a corresponding one of the second set of reversed polarity windings.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein the inverter module comprises:

a first inverter sub-module;

a second inverter sub-module; and

a third inverter sub-module, and

wherein each of the first, second and third inverter sub-modules includes one of the first set of normal polarity phase legs and one of the second set of reversed polarity phase legs.

3. A system according to claim 1, wherein the first inverter sub-module comprises a first normal polarity phase leg and a first reversed polarity phase leg, wherein the first set of normal polarity windings comprises first normal polarity winding, and wherein the second set of reversed polarity windings comprises a first reversed polarity winding, and wherein the system further comprises:

a first motor cable, comprising;

a first conductor that couples the first normal polarity phase leg to the first normal polarity winding, wherein the first conductor is designed to carry one-half of a first phase current signal ((−

i_a)/2)) to the first normal polarity winding; and

a second conductor that couples the first reversed polarity phase leg to the first reversed polarity winding, wherein the second conductor designed to carry the other one-half of the first phase current signal ((+i_a)/2) to the first reversed polarity winding, and

wherein the one-half of the first phase current signal ((−

i_a)/2) is equal in magnitude and opposite in phase to the other one-half of the first phase current signal ((+i_a)/2) provided to the first reversed polarity winding of the second set of reversed polarity windings.

4. A system according to claim 3, wherein the first conductor and the second conductor are twisted together.

5. A system according to claim 4, wherein the first conductor and the second conductor are enclosed within a conductive shield that surrounds the first conductor and the second conductor.

6. A system according to claim 4, wherein the first conductor is encased in a first insulative sheath and the second conductor is encased in a second insulative sheath, and wherein the first conductor and the second conductor are enclosed within a conductive shield that surrounds the first conductor and the second conductor.

7. A system according to claim 6, wherein the conductive shield is encased in a third insulative sheath that surrounds the conductive shield, .the first conductor, and the second conductor.

8. A system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a controller coupled to the inverter module, the controller being configured to control the first set of normal polarity phase legs of inverter module and the second set of reversed polarity phase legs of inverter module as two distinct three-phase sets to achieve a desired power flow between the energy source and the motor by;

modulating the first set of normal polarity phase legs using a first carrier signal; and

modulating the second set of reversed polarity phase legs using a second carrier signal, the second carrier signal being phase-shifted relative to the first carrier signal.

9. A system according to claim 8, wherein the controller is configured to:

identify a modulation mode for the inverter module; and

determine the second carrier signal by adding a phase shift to the first carrier signal, wherein the phase shift is based on the modulation mode.

10. A system according to claim 9, wherein if the modulation mode is a continuous modulation mode, the controller is configured to determine the second carrier signal by adding a 90°

phase shift to the first carrier signal.

11. A system according to claim 10, wherein if the modulation mode is a discontinuous modulation mode, the controller is configured to determine the second carrier signal by adding a 180°

phase shift to the first carrier signal.

12. A system according to claim 1, wherein:

the first set of normal polarity windings comprises a first three-phase set of normal polarity windings; and

the second set of reversed polarity windings comprises a second three-phase set of reversed polarity windings, wherein the first three-phase set of normal polarity windings and the second three-phase set of reversed polarity windings have an identical winding structure.

13. A system according to claim 1, wherein:

the first set of normal polarity phase legs comprises three normal polarity phase legs, each being connected to a respective phase of the first three-phase set of normal polarity windings; and

the second set of reversed polarity phase legs comprises three reversed polarity phase legs, each being connected to a respective phase of the second three-phase set of reversed polarity windings.

14. A system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a capacitor coupled to the inverter module and the energy source, wherein the capacitor is electrically parallel to the energy source.

15. An automotive drive system having an energy source, comprising:

a three-phase motor driven by a first phase current signal (i_a), a second phase current signal (i_b) and a third phase current signal (i_c), the three-phase motor, the motor comprising;

a first set of windings each having a first magnetic polarity;

a second set of windings each having a second magnetic polarity that is opposite the first magnetic polarity, the first set of windings being electrically isolated from the second set of windings;

an inverter module coupled between the energy source and the motor, the inverter module comprising;

a first set of phase legs each being coupled to a corresponding phase of the first set of windings,

a second set of phase legs each being coupled to a corresponding phase of the second set of windings; and

a capacitor coupled to the inverter module and the energy source, wherein the capacitor is electrically parallel to the energy source.

16. An automotive drive system according to claim 15, wherein the inverter module comprises:

a first inverter sub-module;

a second inverter sub-module; and

a third inverter sub-module, and

wherein each of the first, second and third inverter sub-modules, includes one of the first set of phase legs and one of the second set of phase legs.

17. An automotive drive system according to claim 15, wherein the first inverter sub-module comprises a first normal polarity phase leg and a first reversed polarity phase leg, wherein the first set of windings comprises a first normal polarity winding, and wherein the second set of windings comprises a first reversed polarity winding, and wherein the system further comprises:

a first motor cable, comprising;

a first conductor that couples the first normal polarity phase leg to the first normal polarity winding, wherein the first conductor is designed to carry one-half of a first phase current signal ((−

i_a)/2)) to the first normal polarity winding; and

a second conductor that couples the first reversed polarity phase leg to the first reversed polarity winding, wherein the second conductor designed to carry the other one-half of the first phase current signal ((+i_a)/2) to the first reversed polarity winding, and

wherein the one-half of the first phase current signal ((−

i_a)/2) is equal in magnitude and opposite in phase to the other one-half of the first phase current signal ((+i_a)/2) provided to the first reversed polarity winding of the second set of windings.

18. An automotive drive system according to claim 17, wherein the first conductor is encased in a first insulative sheath and the second conductor is encased in a second insulative sheath, wherein the first conductor and the second conductor are twisted together, and wherein the first conductor and the second conductor are enclosed within a conductive shield that surrounds the first conductor and the second conductor, and wherein the conductive shield is encased in a third insulative sheath that surrounds the conductive shield, .the first conductor, and the second conductor.

19. The automotive drive system of claim 15, wherein the energy source is selected from the group consisting of a battery, a fuel cell, an ultracapacitor, and a generator output.

20. A method of making an automotive drive system, comprising:

providing a three-phase motor comprising;

a first set of windings each having a first magnetic polarity; and

a second set of windings each having a second magnetic polarity that is opposite the first magnetic polarity, the first set of windings being electrically isolated from the second set of windings;

providing an inverter module comprising a first set of phase legs and a second set of phase legs;

coupling each one of the first set of phase legs to a corresponding phase of the first set of windings via a corresponding AC motor cable that includes a twisted pair of conductors; and

coupling each one of the second set of phase legs to a corresponding phase of the second set of windings via a corresponding AC motor cable that includes a twisted pair of conductors.