ELECTRICAL ACTUATOR FOR VEHICLE TRANSMISSION SYSTEM

• US 20150096863A1
• Filed: 10/08/2014
• Published: 04/09/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Valeo Embrayages (Valeo SE)
• Original Assignee: Valeo Embrayages (Valeo SE)
• Inventors: Maurel, Herv, Maurel, Pascal
• Granted Patent: US 10,221,901 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 192/84.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/003 to auxiliary motors, e.g. for pumps, compressors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/025 using field orientation; Vector control; Direct Torque Control [DTC]
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/20 for control of the vehicle or its driving motor to achieve a desired performance, e.g. speed, torque, programmed variation of speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/10 DC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/40 DC to AC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2220/12 Induction machines
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2220/14 Synchronous machines
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/421 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/423 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/425 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/145 Structure borne vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0061 relating to electrical machines
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0084 relating to control modules
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/16 with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 28/00 Electrically-actuated clutches arrangements for synchronisation F16D23/02; clutches actuated directly by means of an electromagnet F16D27/00; automatic clutches F16D43/00 - F16D45/00; external control F16D48/00
• 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 7/05 by means of electronic switching
• 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 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 : Electric energy management in electromobility

Abstract

An actuator for a vehicle transmission system, comprising:

• • an electrical machine comprising an armature and an inductor,
  • a static converter comprising a plurality of commutation cells, the static converter being arranged so as to electrically connect the electrical circuit of the armature to an electrical energy source, and
  • a system for controlling the commutation cells of the static converter, said system being configured so that the torque constant of the electrical machine can assume at least two different values depending on the control applied to said cells.

Claims

1. An actuator (2) for a vehicle transmission system (3) comprising:

an electrical machine (6) comprising an armature and an inductor, the machine (6) being such that the ratio between a variable representing the electromagnetic torque (T) exerted on the machine (6) and a variable representing the current (I) flowing in the electrical circuit of the armature involves a constant (K), (K) being the torque constant of the electrical machine (6),

a static converter (31) comprising a plurality of commutation cells (41), the static converter (31) being arranged so as to electrically connect the electrical circuit of the armature to an electrical energy source, and

a system (32) for controlling the commutation cells (41) of the static converter (31), said system being configured so that the torque constant (K) of the electrical machine (6) can assume at least two different values depending on the control applied to said cells (41).

2. The actuator according to claim 1, comprising a reduction gearbox (7) having a fixed reduction ratio.

3. The actuator according to claim 1, the static converter (31) comprising three arms (40) mounted in parallel, each arm (40) comprising two commutation cells (41) in series separated from one another by a neutral point (42), each neutral point (42) allowing electrical connection of the converter (31) to the electrical circuit of the armature.

4. The actuator according to claim 1, the electrical machine (6) being a DC machine comprising three brushes (51, 52, 53), each brush being connected to one of the neutral points (42) of the static converter (31).

5. The actuator according to claim 4, the brushes (51, 52, 53) being arranged so that when they interact with the collector (50) of the DC machine (6),

when the current (I) flows between the first (51) and the second brush (52) in the electrical circuit of the armature, said current passes through all the turns of the electrical circuit of the armature, and

when the current (I) flows between the third brush (53) and one of the first (51) and the second brush (52) in the electrical circuit of the armature, said current passes through only a portion of the turns of the electrical circuit of the armature.

6. The actuator according to claim 5, the brushes (51, 52, 53) being arranged in such a way that when they interact with the collector (50) of the DC machine (6), the current (I) flowing between the third (53) and the first brush (51) in the electrical circuit of the armature passes through a number of turns equal to that through which it passes when it flows between the third (53) and the second brush (52) in the electrical circuit of the armature.

7. The actuator according to claim 5, the brushes (51, 52, 53) being arranged so that when they interact with the collector (50) of the DC machine (6), the current (I) flowing between the third (53) and the first brush (51) in the electrical circuit of the armature passes through a first number (n₁) of turns differing from a second number (n₂) of turns passed through by said current (I) when it flows between the third (53) and the second brush (52) in the electrical circuit of the armature.

8. The actuator according to claim 4, the control system (32) of the commutation cells (41) being configured at least to allow:

the commutation cells (41) to be controlled so that the current (I) flowing in the electrical circuit of the armature flows both in the first brush (51), and in the second brush (52), and in a portion of the arms to whose neutral points (42) said brushes (51, 52) are connected, and

the commutation cells (41) to be controlled so that the current (I) flowing in the electrical circuit of the armature flows both in the third brush (53), and in one of the first (51) and the second brush (52), and in a portion of the arms to whose neutral points (42) said brushes (51, 52, 53) are connected.

9. The actuator according to claim 3, the electrical machine (6) being a synchronous machine and the static converter (31) constituting a three-phase inverter.

10. The actuator according to claim 9, the control system (32) of the commutation cells (41) being configured to apply vector control to the commutation cells (41) of the three-phase inverter (31), said control allowing the internal angle (W) of the machine to assume at least two different values.

11. An assemblage, comprising:

an actuator (2) according to claim 1, and

a vehicle transmission system (3), said system (3) comprising an apparatus capable of being displaced by the actuator (2).

12. The assemblage according to claim 11, the transmission system (3) being a dry clutch, a double dry clutch, and a gearbox synchronizer.

13. A method for controlling an actuator (2) according to claim 1, in which method control of the commutation cells (41) of the static converter (31) allows the value of the torque constant (K) of the electrical machine (6) to assume at least one high value and at least one low value.

14. The method according to claim 13, comprising the step (91) according to which the commutation cells (41) are controlled so that the torque constant (K) assumes the high value when the actuator (2) is holding the transmission system (3) in a given state.

15. The method according to claim 13, comprising the step (92) according to which the commutation cells (41) are controlled so that the torque constant (K) assumes the low value in order to displace the actuator (2).

16. The method according to claim 14, wherein the transmission system (3) is a single or double clutch whose inactive state is the coupled state, and wherein the commutation cells (41) are controlled in such a way that the torque constant (K) assumes the high value so that the actuator (2) holds the transmission system (3) in the decoupled state.

17. The method according to claim 14, wherein the transmission system (3) is a single or double clutch whose inactive state is the decoupled state, and wherein the commutation cells (41) are controlled in such a way that the torque constant (K) assumes the high value so that the actuator (2) holds the transmission system (3) in the coupled state.

18. The method according to one of claim 13, wherein the control system (32) is configured so as to apply auxiliary control to the commutation cells (41) when it receives an information item relating to the existence of a fault.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the transmission system (3) is a single or double clutch whose inactive state is the coupled state, and wherein the auxiliary control acts on the commutation cells (41) of the static converter (31) in such a way that:

the commutation cell (41) of each arm (40) connecting the neutral point (42) and the respectively positive (47) and negative (48) DC input of the static converter (31) is nonconductive, and

the commutation cell (41) of each arm (40) connecting the neutral point (42) and the respectively negative (48) and positive (47) DC input of the static converter (31) is conductive, in order to brake the electrical machine (6) when it is driven by the load of the transmission system (3).

20. The method according to claim 18, wherein the transmission system (3) is a single or double clutch whose inactive state is the decoupled state, and wherein the auxiliary control acts on the commutation cells (41) of the static converter (31) so as to make all said commutation cells (41) of the static converter (31) nonconductive, in order not to brake the electrical machine (6) when it is driven by the load of the transmission system (3).

22. The actuator according to claim 2, the static converter (31) comprising three arms (40) mounted in parallel, each arm (40) comprising two commutation cells (41) in series separated from one another by a neutral point (42), each neutral point (42) allowing electrical connection of the converter (31) to the electrical circuit of the armature.

23. The actuator according to claim 2, the electrical machine (6) being a DC machine comprising three brushes (51, 52, 53), each brush being connected to one of the neutral points (42) of the static converter (31).

24. The actuator according to claim 3, the electrical machine (6) being a DC machine comprising three brushes (51, 52, 53), each brush being connected to one of the neutral points (42) of the static converter (31).

25. The actuator according to claim 5, the control system (32) of the commutation cells (41) being configured at least to allow:

the commutation cells (41) to be controlled so that the current (I) flowing in the electrical circuit of the armature flows both in the first brush (51), and in the second brush (52), and in a portion of the arms to whose neutral points (42) said brushes (51, 52) are connected, and

the commutation cells (41) to be controlled so that the current (I) flowing in the electrical circuit of the armature flows both in the third brush (53), and in one of the first (51) and the second brush (52), and in a portion of the arms to whose neutral points (42) said brushes (51, 52, 53) are connected.

26. The actuator according to claim 6, the control system (32) of the commutation cells (41) being configured at least to allow:

the commutation cells (41) to be controlled so that the current (I) flowing in the electrical circuit of the armature flows both in the first brush (51), and in the second brush (52), and in a portion of the arms to whose neutral points (42) said brushes (51, 52) are connected, and

the commutation cells (41) to be controlled so that the current (I) flowing in the electrical circuit of the armature flows both in the third brush (53), and in one of the first (51) and the second brush (52), and in a portion of the arms to whose neutral points (42) said brushes (51, 52, 53) are connected.

27. The actuator according to claim 7, the control system (32) of the commutation cells (41) being configured at least to allow:

the commutation cells (41) to be controlled so that the current (I) flowing in the electrical circuit of the armature flows both in the first brush (51), and in the second brush (52), and in a portion of the arms to whose neutral points (42) said brushes (51, 52) are connected, and

the commutation cells (41) to be controlled so that the current (I) flowing in the electrical circuit of the armature flows both in the third brush (53), and in one of the first (51) and the second brush (52), and in a portion of the arms to whose neutral points (42) said brushes (51, 52, 53) are connected.

21. An actuator for a vehicle transmission system, comprising:

an electrical machine,

a static converter comprising a plurality of commutation cells, the static converter being arranged so as to electrically connect the electrical circuit of the armature to an electrical energy source, and

a system for controlling the commutation cells of the static converter, said system being configured so as to permit defluxing of the electrical machine so that the torque constant of said electrical machine can assume at least two different values.