Electric machine with integrated electronics in a circular/closed-loop arrangement

• US 7,180,212 B2
• Filed: 07/02/2004
• Issued: 02/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Visteon Global Technologies Incorporated (Visteon Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Visteon Global Technologies Incorporated (Visteon Corporation)
• Inventors: Anwar, Mohammad N., Teimor, Mehrdad, Brautigan, Jeffrey J., Luken, Richard E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lam; Thanh
• Application Number:
  US10/884,725
• Publication Number:
  US 20060002054A1
• Time in Patent Office: 963 Days
• Field of Search: 310/68.R, 310/71, 310 42- 43, 310/179
• US Class Current: 310/68.00R
• 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: H02P 25/18 with arrangements for switching the windings, e.g. with mechanical switches or relays
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/6874 in a symmetrical configuration

Abstract

An electric machine including multiple windings, a switch circuit connected to each of the windings, a positive bus bar, and a negative bus bar. The switch circuits are in communication with the windings to selectively energize each of the windings. The positive bus bar is a conductive plate connected to the switch circuits and the negative bus bar is a conductive plate positioned substantially parallel to the positive bus bar and connected electrically to the switch circuits.

Claims

1. A circuit assembly for an electric machine having a plurality of windings, the control circuit comprising:

a plurality of switch circuits in communication with the windings to selectively energize each of the windings;

a first plate made of a conductive material connected to the plurality of switch circuits and configured to act as a positive bus bar; and

a second plate made of a conductive material and configured to act as a negative bus bar, the second plate being substantially parallel to the first plate and being connected to the plurality of switch circuits.

2. The circuit assembly according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of windings are disposed in a machine housing and the switch circuits and plates are mounted to the machine housing.

3. The circuit assembly according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of windings are disposed in a machine housing and the switch circuits, first plate, and second plate are also disposed inside the machine housing.

4. The circuit assembly according to claim 1, wherein the switch circuits are mounted in a symmetric configuration along a surface of one of the first and second plates.

5. The circuit assembly according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of switch circuits are mounted in a circular configuration along a surface of one of the first and second plates.

6. The circuit assembly according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of capacitors mounted in a circular configuration on a surface of one of the first and second plate.

7. The circuit assembly according to claim 6, wherein the plurality of capacitors are concentric with a circular configuration of the plurality of switch circuits.

8. The circuit assembly according to claim 1, further comprising a capacitive bank in electrical connection with the first and second plates wherein a weighted center of the capacitive bank is equidistant from each of the plurality of switch circuits.

9. The circuit assembly according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of current sensors mounted along the surface of one of the first and second plates.

10. The circuit assembly according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of switch circuits includes a half bridge configuration connected between the first and second plates.

11. The circuit assembly according to claim 1, further comprising a dielectric layer disposed between the first and second plates.

12. The circuit assembly according to claim 11, wherein the dielectric layer is disposed between and in contact with a flat first surface of the first plate and a flat second surface of the second plate.

13. The circuit assembly according to claim 12, wherein the thickness of the dielectric layer is minimized to minimize inductance and maximize the capacitance between the first and second plate.