Electromechanical energy conversion system
First Claim
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1. A motor control system comprising:
- a brushless electric machine having field and wound members movable relative to each other, said wound member having a plurality of energizable windings;
a position sensor associated with said motor to provide a position indication of relative position of said field and wound members;
switching means associated with said motor for measuring a controllable parameter of the motor operation;
a switching array including a plurality of solid state switching devices connected to selectively energize said windings;
a programmable microprocessor operatively connected to receive said position indications and said measured controllable parameter and to control said switching array; and
said microprocessor being programmed to determine the instantaneous on/off state for each of said switching devicesto energize said windings at a predetermined pulse energy level determined according to said measured controllable parameter, andto commutate said winding energization according to said position indications.
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Abstract
An electromechanical energy conversion system comprising a brushless motor and a stored program controller for controlling motor operation in a plurality of modes in accordance with internally generated and/or external commands.
98 Citations
23 Claims
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1. A motor control system comprising:
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a brushless electric machine having field and wound members movable relative to each other, said wound member having a plurality of energizable windings; a position sensor associated with said motor to provide a position indication of relative position of said field and wound members; switching means associated with said motor for measuring a controllable parameter of the motor operation; a switching array including a plurality of solid state switching devices connected to selectively energize said windings; a programmable microprocessor operatively connected to receive said position indications and said measured controllable parameter and to control said switching array; and said microprocessor being programmed to determine the instantaneous on/off state for each of said switching devices to energize said windings at a predetermined pulse energy level determined according to said measured controllable parameter, and to commutate said winding energization according to said position indications. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. An electromechanical energy conversion system comprising:
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a brushless motor having a rotor and a stator having a plurality of energizeable windings; sensors associated with said motor for sensing the relative position of said rotor and stator and for producing a sector signal indicative of the sector in which a rotor pole is located and a sector change signal when a rotor pole moves from one sector to another; switching circuitry connected to said windings for controlling the flow of current therethrough; means for measuring the rotor velocity; and control means connected to said sensors, said means for measuring rotor velocity and said switching circuitry, said control means comprising a current modulator for comparing the measured rotor velocity with a commanded rotor velocity and for producing a current command signal for energizing windings when winding currents fall below a first value and for deenergizing windings when winding currents exceed a second va1ue, and a logic array for controlling said switching circuitry in accordance with said sector and current command signals so as to maintain the measured rotor velocity approximately equal to the commanded rotor velocity. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7)
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8. An electromechanical conversion system comprising:
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a brushless motor having a rotor and a stator having a plurality of energizeable windings; sensors associated with said motor for sensing the relative position of said rotor and stator and for producing a sector signal indicative of the sector in which a rotor pole is located; switching circuitry connected to said windings for controlling the flow of current therethrough; means for measuring the rotor position; and control means connected to said sensors, said means for measuring rotor position and said switching circuitry, said control means comprising a current modulator for comparing the measured rotor position with a commanded rotor position and for producing a current command signal for energizing windings when winding currents fall below a first value and for deenergizing windings when winding currents exceed a second value, and a logic array for controlling said switching circuitry in accordance with said sector and current command signals so as to maintain the actual rotor position approximately equal to the commanded rotor position. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. An electromechanical energy conversion system comprising:
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a brushless motor having a rotor and a stator having a plurality of energizeable windings; sensors associated with said motor for sensing the relative position of said rotor and stator and for producing electrical signals indicative thereof; switching circuitry connected to said windings for controlling the flow of current therethrough; power measuring means for producing an electrical signal indicative of the power delivered by said motor; and control means connected to said sensors, said switching circuitry and said power measuring means, said control means comprising a current modulator for producing a current command signal having a variable duty cycle, and a logic array for controlling said switching circuitry so as to maximize the power delivered by said motor. - View Dependent Claims (14)
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15. A method for controlling the conversion of energy by an electromechanical system employing a brushless motor having a rotor and a stator having a plurality of energizeable windings, comprising the steps of:
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sensing the relative position of said rotor and stator; producing a sector signal indicative of a sector in which a rotor pole is located; energizing said windings in accordance with said sector signal; sensing the current flowing through said windings; producing a sector change signal when a rotor pole moves from one sector to another; measuring the rotor velocity; comparing said measured rotor velocity with a commanded rotor velocity; and modulating the flow of current through said windings by energizing windings when winding currents fall below a first value and deenergizing windings when winding currents exceed a second value so as to maintain said measured velocity approximately equal to said commanded velocity. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18)
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19. A method for controlling the conversion of energy by an electromechanical system employing a brushless motor having a rotor and a stator having a plurality of windings, comprising the steps of:
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sensing the relative position of said rotor and stator; producing a sector signal indicative of a sector in which a rotor pole is located; energizing said windings in accordance with said sector signal; sensing the current flowing through said windings; measuring the rotor position; comparing said measured rotor position with a commanded rotor position; and modulating the flow of current through said windings by energizing windings when winding currents fall below a first value and deenergizing windings when winding currents exceed a second value so as to maintain said measured position approximately equal to said commanded position.
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20. A method for controlling the conversion of energy by an electromechanical system employing a brushless motor having a rotor and a stator having a plurality of windings, comprising the steps of:
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sensing the relative position of said rotor and stator; producing a sector signal indicative of a sector in which a rotor pole is located; energizing said windings in accordance with said sector signal; sensing the current flowing through said windings; producing a sector change signal when a rotor pole moves from one sector to another; measuring the rotor velocity; measuring the rotor position; comparing said measured velocity with a commanded velocity; comparing said measured position with a commanded position; and modulating the flow of current through said windings by energizing windings when winding currents fall below a first value and deenergizing windings when winding currents exceed a second value so as to initially maintain said measured rotor velocity approximately equal to said commanded rotor velocity and tc subsequently maintain said measured rotor position approximately equal to said commanded rotor position. - View Dependent Claims (21)
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22. A method for controlling the conversion of energy by an electromechanical system employing a brushless motor having a rotor and a stator having a plurality of windings comprising the steps of:
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sensing the relative position of said rotor and stator; energizing said windings by switching the voltage applied thereto; producing an indication of the power delivered by said motor; and varying the duty cycle of said switching so as to maximize said indication of motor power. - View Dependent Claims (23)
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Specification