Circuit configuration for supplying an electric motor

• US 6,741,062 B2
• Filed: 02/19/2003
• Issued: 05/25/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Innova Patent GmbH
• Original Assignee: Innova Patent GmbH
• Inventors: Fuchs, Elmar
• Primary Examiner(s): Duda, Rina
• Assistant Examiner(s): MILLER, PATRICK L
• Application Number:
  US10/368,788
• Publication Number:
  US 20030169016A1
• Time in Patent Office: 461 Days
• Field of Search: 318/800, 318/801, 318/5, 318/7, 318/60, 318/139, 318/3, 318/4, 318/757, 318/273, 318/362-382
• US Class Current: 318/800
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/0096 Means for increasing hold-up time, i.e. the duration of time that a converter's output will remain within regulated limits following a loss of input power
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 5/4585 having a rectifier with controlled elements
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 3/18 for stopping or slowing an ac motor

Abstract

A circuit configuration supplies an electric motor with a stator and a rotor. The stator has a large number of electromagnets, arranged in particular in the form of a ring, and the rotor has a large number of permanent magnets that are associated with the electromagnets on the stator and are arranged, in particular, in the form of a ring. A rectifier circuit converts the a.c. voltage which is drawn from the supply network to a d.c. voltage. A converter circuit converts the d.c. voltage to a controllable frequency a.c. voltage for supplying the electric motor with electrical drive energy. An energy storage circuit which contains at least one accumulator is connected between the rectifier circuit and the converter circuit.

Claims

1. In a cable car system having an electric motor driving the cable car system, the electric motor having a stator with a plurality of groups of electromagnets, a circuit configuration for supplying the electric motor, comprising:

a rectifier circuit for receiving an a.c. voltage from a supply network and for converting the a.c. voltage to a d.c. voltage;

a plurality of converter circuits each associated with a respective one of the plurality of electromagnets for converting the d.c. voltage to a controllable-frequency a.c. voltage for driving the electric motor; and

a plurality of energy storage circuits each associated with a respective one of the plurality of electromagnets and containing an accumulator connected between said rectifier circuit and a respective said converter circuit for modeling a flywheel mass for assuring that movement of the cable car system stops smoothly upon a cessation of the a.c. voltage from the supply network.

2. The circuit configuration according to claim 1, wherein said accumulator comprises at least one rechargeable battery.

3. The circuit configuration according to claim 1, wherein said accumulator of said energy storage circuits comprise a group of series-connected rechargeable batteries.

4. The circuit configuration according to claim 1, wherein said energy storage circuit comprises at least one capacitor connected in parallel with said accumulator.

5. An electric motor drive assembly, comprising:

an electric motor having a stator with a plurality of annularly disposed electromagnets and a rotor with a plurality of annularly disposed permanent magnets associated with said electromagnets of said stator;

a rectifier circuit for receiving an a.c. voltage from a supply network and for converting the a.c. voltage to a d.c. voltage;

a converter circuit connected to said electric motor, said converter circuit being configured to convert the d.c. voltage to a controllable-frequency a.c. voltage for driving said electric motor; and

an energy storage circuit containing an accumulator connected between said rectifier circuit and said converter circuit for modeling a flywheel mass assuring that a movement of the electric motor stops smoothly upon a cessation of the a.c. voltage from the supply network.

6. The assembly, according to claim 5, wherein said stator of said electric motor has a plurality of groups of electromagnets, and said converter circuit is one of a plurality of converter circuits each connected with a respective one of said groups of electromagnets, and said energy storage circuit is one of a plurality of energy storage circuits each associated with a respective one of said groups of electromagnets.