Controller of electric motor

• US 7,898,200 B2
• Filed: 04/03/2008
• Issued: 03/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Atarashi, Hirofumi, Yamamoto, Keiichi, Abe, Shoei
• Primary Examiner(s): Leykin; Rita
• Application Number:
  US12/062,207
• Publication Number:
  US 20080246363A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,062 Days
• Field of Search: 318/432, 318/434, 318/440, 322/16, 310/254, 310/156.01, 310/156.32, 310/156.35, 310/156.36, 310/113
• US Class Current: 318/432
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/025 using field orientation; Vector control; Direct Torque Control [DTC]
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2220/54 Windings for different functions
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/423 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/547 Voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/549 Current
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/24 Using the vehicle's propulsion converter for charging
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/00 Control systems specially adapted for hybrid vehicles hybrid vehicle design, B60K6/00; electric vehicles B60L
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 21/0003 Control strategies in general, e.g. linear type, e.g. P, PI, PID, using robust control
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 21/02 specially adapted for optimising the efficiency at low load
• 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 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

A controller able to efficiently operate an electric motor of an axial air-gap type as an electric motor and an electricity generator is provided.

The controller of the electric motor (3) of the axial air-gap type has a rotor (11) having a permanent magnet, and a first stator (12a) and a second stator (12b) oppositely arranged through the rotor (11) in a rotation axis direction of the rotor (11); wherein the controller includes a first electric current command determining section (30) for supplying a driving electric current from a first power source (38a) to an armature winding (13a) of the first stator (12a), and rotating the rotor (11); a first electric current control section (40a); a second electric current command determining section (37) for charging a second power source (39) by electric power generated in an armature winding (13b) of the second stator (12b) when the rotor (11) is rotated by the supply of the driving electric current to the armature winding (13a) of the first stator (12a); and a second electric current control section (40b).

Claims

1. A controller of an electric motor of an axial air-gap type comprising a rotor having a permanent magnet, and a first stator and a second stator oppositely arranged through the rotor in a rotation axis direction of the rotor;

wherein the controller comprises a first current conducting control means for supplying a driving electric current from a first power source to an armature winding of the first stator in order to rotate the rotor; and

a second current conducting control means for charging a second power source by electric power generated in an armature winding of the second stator when the rotor is rotated by the supply of the driving electric current to the armature winding of the first stator, and

wherein characteristics of the armature winding of the first stator and the armature winding of the second stator are set such that an induced voltage caused in the armature winding of the second stator by rotating the rotor becomes lower than a predetermined voltage when the predetermined voltage is applied to the armature winding of the first stator by the first current conducting control means and the driving electric current is supplied thereto, the controller further comprising;

a charging state detecting means for detecting a charging state of the second power source; and

a change-over switch for switching connection between the armature winding of the second stator and a driving circuit of the armature winding of the second stator to a conducting state and an interrupting state; and

the second current conducting control means switches between an electricity generating mode for charging the second power source by electric power generated in the armature winding of the second stator, a driving mode for supplying the driving electric current from the second power source to the armature winding of the second stator, and an interruption mode for setting a portion between the armature winding of the second stator and a driving circuit of the armature winding of the second stator to the interrupting state by the change-over switch, in accordance with request torque of the electric motor and the charging state of the second power source.

3. The controller of the electric motor according to claim 1, wherein

the second current conducting control means switches between an electricity generating mode for charging the second power source by electric power generated in the armature winding of the second stator, and a driving mode for supplying the driving electric current from the second power source to the armature winding of the second stator in accordance with request torque of the electric motor.

4. The controller of the electric motor according to claim 3, wherein

the controller further comprises a charging state detecting means for detecting a charging state of the second power source, and

the second current conducting control means switches between the electricity generating mode and the driving mode, in accordance with the request torque of the electric motor and the charging state of the second power source.

2. A controller of an electric motor of an axial air-gap type comprising a rotor having a permanent magnet, and a first stator and a second stator oppositely arranged through the rotor in a rotation axis direction of the rotor;

wherein the controller comprises a first current conducting control means for supplying a driving electric current from a first power source to an armature winding of the first stator in order to rotate the rotor; and

a second current conducting control means for charging a second power source by electric power generated in an armature winding of the second stator when the rotor is rotated by the supply of the driving electric current to the armature winding of the first stator, and

wherein characteristics of the armature winding of the first stator and the armature winding of the second stator are set such that an induced voltage caused in the armature winding of the second stator by rotating the rotor becomes lower than a predetermined voltage when the predetermined voltage is applied to the armature winding of the first stator by the first current conducting control means and the driving electric current is supplied thereto, the controller further comprising;

a charging state detecting means for detecting a charging state of the second power source; and

in accordance with request torque of the electric motor and the charging state of the second power source, the second current conducting control means switches between an electricity generating mode for charging the second power source by electric power generated in the armature winding of the second stator, a driving mode for supplying the driving electric current from the second power source to the armature winding of the second stator, and an interruption mode in which both a first switching element for switching conduction and interruption on a high electric potential side of an input section of the armature winding of each phase, and a second switching element for switching conduction and interruption on a low electric potential side of the input section of the armature winding of each phase are set to an off state, wherein the first switching element and the second switching element constitute a driving circuit of the second stator and are arranged for each phase of the second stator.

5. The controller of the electric motor according to claim 2, wherein

the controller further comprises a rotational speed detecting means for detecting a rotational speed of the electric motor;

and

in the interruption mode, the second current conducting control means sets each first switching element and each second switching element to the off state when the rotational speed of the electric motor is less than a predetermined rotational speed, and sets each first switching element to an on state and sets each second switching element to the off state, or sets each first switching element to the off state and sets each second switching element to the on state, when the rotational speed of the electric motor is the predetermined rotational speed or more.

6. The controller of the electric motor according to claim 2,

wherein the second current conducting control means switches between electricity generating in the armature of the second stator and a driving mode supplying driving electric current from the second power source to the armature winding of the second stator, in accordance with the request torque of the electric motor.

7. The controller of the electric motor according to claim 6, wherein

the controller further comprises a charging state detecting means for detecting a charging state of the second power source, and

the second current conducting control means switches between the electricity generating mode and the driving mode in accordance with the request torque of the electric motor and the charging state of the second power source.

8. A controller of an electric motor of an axial air-gap type comprising a rotor having a permanent magnet, and a first stator and a second stator oppositely arranged through the rotor in a rotation axis direction of the rotor;

wherein the controller comprises a first current conducting control means for supplying a driving electric current from a first power source to an armature winding of the first stator in order to rotate the rotor; and

a second current conducting control means for charging a second power source by electric power generated in an armature winding of the second stator when the rotor is rotated by the supply of the driving electric current to the armature winding of the first stator, wherein

the controller further comprises;

a charging state detecting means for detecting a charging state of the second power source; and

a change-over switch for switching connection between the armature winding of the second stator and a driving circuit of the armature winding of the second stator to a conducting state and an interrupting state; and

the second current conducting control means switches between an electricity generating mode for charging the second power source by electric power generated in the armature winding of the second stator, a driving mode for supplying the driving electric current from the second power source to the armature winding of the second stator, and an interruption mode for setting a portion between the armature winding of the second stator and a driving circuit of the armature winding of the second stator to the interrupting state by the change-over switch in accordance with request torque of the electric motor and the charging state of the second power source.

9. A controller of an electric motor of an axial air-gap type comprising a rotor having a permanent magnet, and a first stator and a second stator oppositely arranged through the rotor in a rotation axis direction of the rotor;

wherein the controller comprises a first current conducting control means for supplying a driving electric current from a first power source to an armature winding of the first stator in order to rotate the rotor; and

a second current conducting control means for charging a second power source by electric power generated in an armature winding of the second stator when the rotor is rotated by the supply of the driving electric current to the armature winding of the first stator, wherein

the controller further comprises a charging state detecting means for detecting a charging state of the second power source; and

in accordance with request torque of the electric motor and the charging state of the second power source, the second current conducting control means switches between an electricity generating mode for charging the second power source by electric power generated in the armature winding of the second stator, a driving mode for supplying the driving electric current from the second power source to the armature winding of the second stator, and an interruption mode in which both a first switching element for switching conduction and interruption on a high electric potential side of an input section of the armature winding of each phase, and a second switching element for switching conduction and interruption on a low electric potential side of the input section of the armature winding of each phase are set to an off state, wherein the first switching element and the second switching element constitute a driving circuit of the second stator and are arranged for each phase of the second stator.

10. The controller of the electric motor according to claim 9, wherein

the controller further comprises a rotational speed detecting means for detecting a rotational speed of the electric motor;

and

in the interruption mode, the second current conducting control means sets each first switching element and each second switching element to the off state when the rotational speed of the electric motor is less than a predetermined rotational speed, and sets each first switching element to an on state and sets each second switching element to the off state, or sets each first switching element to the off state and sets each second switching element to the on state, when the rotational speed of the electric motor is the predetermined rotational speed or more.

11. A controller of an electric motor of an axial air-gap type comprising a rotor having a permanent magnet, and a first stator and a second stator oppositely arranged through the rotor in a rotation axis direction of the rotor;

wherein the controller comprises a first current conducting control means for supplying a driving electric current from a first power source to an armature winding of the first stator in order to rotate the rotor; and

a second current conducting control means for charging a second power source by electric power generated in an armature winding of the second stator when the rotor is rotated by the supply of the driving electric current to the armature winding of the first stator, wherein

magnetic circuit cross sections of the first stator and the second stator are set to the same.