Method and apparatus of controlling electric vehicle

• US 6,836,085 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2002
• Issued: 12/28/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Meidensha
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Meidensha
• Inventors: Kawada, Akiyoshi, Uwabu, Toshiaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Martin, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): Smith, Tyrone W.
• Application Number:
  US10/254,586
• Publication Number:
  US 20030057003A1
• Time in Patent Office: 824 Days
• Field of Search: 318/138.439, 318/440, 318/139, 318/430, 318/432, 318/434, 318/700, 318/254, 318/720
• US Class Current: 318/139
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 5/06 with obstacle mounting facilities, e.g. for climbing stairs, kerbs or steps
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2220/14 Synchronous machines
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/60 using power supplied by batteries in combination with fuel cells B60L50/75
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 7/003 Dynamic electric braking by short circuiting the motor
• 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

A method controls an electric vehicle which is so constituted as to drive a synchronous motor by way of a switch and an inverter circuit. A battery acts as a source of driving a controlling power. The synchronous motor has a permanent magnet acting as an outer rotor. The method includes the following operations of:

1) detecting that the electric vehicle has an acceleration signal of zero;

2) detecting that an actual speed of the electric vehicle is less than a predetermined percent of a rated speed;

3) supplying a current to a winding of a fixed phase of the synchronous motor, by way of the inverter circuit; and

4) generating a braking force.

Claims

1. A method of controlling an electric vehicle which is so constituted as to drive a synchronous motor by way of a switch and an inverter circuit, a battery acting as a source of driving a controlling power, the synchronous motor having a permanent magnet acting as an outer rotor, the method comprising the following operations of:

1) detecting that the electric vehicle has an acceleration signal of zero;

2) detecting that an actual speed of the electric vehicle is less than a predetermined percent of a rated speed;

3) supplying a current to a winding of a fixed phase of the synchronous motor, by way of the inverter circuit; and

4) generating a braking force,

wherein a capacitor is disposed between a first power source terminal and a second power source terminal of a position detector for detecting a rotary position of the permanent magnet of the synchronous motor,

a relay which is energized when the switch is open is disposed in parallel with the capacitor, and

the controlling power is supplied from the battery to a controller of the inverter circuit by way of a contact of the relay.

2. The method of controlling the electric vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the current supplied to the winding of the fixed phase of the synchronous motor is controlled by turning on a first predetermined switching element of a fixed phase of the inverter circuit while turning off a second predetermined switching element of the fixed phase of the inverter circuit.

3. The method of controlling the electric vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein when the battery acting as the source of driving the controlling power is cut off,

the electric vehicle causes a short circuit to a terminal of the synchronous motor in case that an external force is so applied to the electric vehicle as to start moving the electric vehicle, and

an inductive voltage caused to the winding of the synchronous motor allows the current to flow in the winding of the synchronous motor, to thereby generate a braking torque.

4. The method of controlling the electric vehicle as claimed in claim 3, wherein the short circuit of the terminal of the synchronous motor is caused by turning on the switching element which is disposed at a negative pole of the inverter circuit.

5. The method of controlling the electric vehicle as claimed in claim 3, wherein the short circuit of the terminal of the synchronous motor is caused by closing a contact of a relay when the switch is open.

6. The method of controlling the electric vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the predetermined percent is 10 percent.

7. The method of controlling the electric vehicle as claimed in claim 6, wherein the predetermined percent is in a range from 5 percent to 8 percent.

8. The method of controlling the electric vehicle as claimed in claim 7, wherein the predetermined percent is 5 percent.

9. An apparatus of controlling an electric vehicle, comprising:

1) a battery acting as a source of driving a controlling power;

2) a synchronous motor connected to the battery by way of a switch, the synchronous motor having a permanent magnet acting as an outer rotor and having a position detector; and

3) an inverter circuit interposed between the synchronous motor and the battery, the inverter circuit including a controller which outputs a control signal for controlling the synchronous motor, the controller comprising;

a) a brake speed detector receiving a speed signal and an acceleration signal of the electric vehicle, and carrying out a first detection for detecting that the acceleration signal is zero and a second detection for detecting that an actual speed of the electric vehicle is less than a predetermined percent of a rated speed;

b) an optimum current command operator receiving the first detection and the second detection carried out by the brake speed detector, and setting up a current signal for generating a braking torque; and

c) a pulse width modulation signal generator receiving the first detection and the second detection carried out by the brake speed detector, and selecting a switching element of a fixed phase of the inverter circuit,

wherein the controller is a microcomputer, and

the controller further comprises;

a speed detector receiving a position signal from the position detector;

a proportional integral controller receiving an acceleration signal from an accelerator, corresponding to an angle of the accelerator;

a 3/2 phase coordinate converter receiving the speed signal from the speed detector, and a current signal from a current detector, and then making a conversion from a 3-phase coordinate to 2-phase coordinate;

a d/g-axis current controller controlling a d/a-axis current after receiving the following signals;

1) the current signal from the optimum current command operator,

2) the speed signal from the speed detector, and

3) a current signal from the 3/2 phase coordinate converter;

a dead time compensator receiving the current signal from the optimum current command operator; and

a 2/3 phase coordinate converter receiving a voltage signal from the d/g-axis current controller for a conversion to three phases.

10. The apparatus of controlling the electric vehicle as claimed in claim 9, wherein the predetermined percent is 10 percent.

11. The apparatus of controlling the electric vehicle as claimed in claim 10, wherein the predetermined percent is in a range from 5 percent to 8 percent.

12. The apparatus of controlling the electric vehicle as claimed in claim 11, wherein the predetermined percent is 5 percent.