On-vehicle actuator system

• US 8,076,874 B2
• Filed: 07/25/2008
• Issued: 12/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Ueno, Kentaro, Sasaki, Mitsuhide, Innami, Toshiyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): DUDA, RINA I
• Application Number:
  US12/180,082
• Publication Number:
  US 20090026998A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,236 Days
• Field of Search: 318/139, 318/140, 318/727, 318/798, 318/801
• US Class Current: 318/139
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2220/44 Wheel Hub motors, i.e. integrated in the wheel hub
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/26 by pedal actuation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/28 Four wheel or all wheel drive
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/142 acoustic
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/51 characterised by AC-motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 7/14 for vehicles propelled by ac motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 7/26 Controlling the braking effect
• 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 motor is controlled to always consume power supplied from a power supply system or not to supply power to the power supply system, by performing control to advance or delay a phase of a 3-phase current flowing in the motor or to reduce a percentage of the generated torque with respect to an effective value of the 3-phase current of the motor, or by applying a d-axis current to the motor.

Claims

1. An on-vehicle actuator system comprising:

a motor that is driven by a 3-phase current, and is operable as an electric generator or a regenerative device;

an inverter circuit having switching devices to drive the motor;

a power supply system connected to the inverter circuit to supply electricity to the motor and the inverter circuit; and

a control unit to control a current or voltage applied to the motor by controlling an operation of the switching devices;

wherein the control unit controls the motor by operating the switching devices in such a manner that the motor never supplies electricity to the power supply system.

2. An on-vehicle actuator system according to claim 1, wherein, when the motor is generating a torque or force in a direction that reduces a revolution speed of the motor, the control unit performs control to advance or delay a phase of the 3-phase current flowing in the motor or to reduce a percentage of the generated torque with respect to an effective value of the 3-phase current of the motor, or applies a d-axis current to the motor.

3. An on-vehicle actuator system according to claim 1, wherein, when the motor is rotating in a direction opposite that of the torque or force being generated by the motor, the control unit performs control to advance or delay a phase of the 3-phase current flowing in the motor or to reduce a percentage of the generated torque with respect to an effective value of the 3-phase current of the motor, or applies a d-axis current to the motor.

4. An on-vehicle actuator system according to claim 1, wherein a semiconductor is provided between the inverter circuit and the power supply system to prevent a current from flowing from the inverter circuit to the power supply system.

5. An on-vehicle actuator system according to claim 1, wherein the power supply system can step up or step down an electricity from other power supply systems and supply it to the inverter circuit but cannot supply an electricity from the inverter circuit to the other power supply systems.

6. An on-vehicle actuator system according to claim 1,

wherein the motor is provided in an operation input device or a vehicle output device;

wherein the control unit statically generates a force or torque based on a magnitude of an operation input or vehicle output and dynamically generates a force or torque based on an amount of change in the operation input or vehicle output;

wherein the control unit controls a desired force or torque of the motor by a revolution speed.

7. An on-vehicle actuator system according to claim 1,

wherein the motor is provided in an operation input device or a vehicle output device;

wherein the motor is applied an external force from members making up the system, a human force or an external force from other actuator systems and, when the control by the inverter circuit is not performed, is rotated by the external force.

8. An on-vehicle actuator system according to claim 6,

wherein, when the motor is rotated by an external force in the same direction as the external force and generates a force or torque opposing the external force, the control unit performs control to advance or delay a phase of the 3-phase current flowing in the motor or to reduce a percentage of the generated torque with respect to an effective value of the 3-phase current of the motor, or applies a d-axis current to the motor.

9. An on-vehicle actuator system according to claim 6,

wherein, when a product of a torque and a revolution speed of the motor is negative and is greater than a predetermined threshold in a negative direction, the control unit performs control to advance or delay a phase of the 3-phase current flowing in the motor or to reduce a percentage of the generated torque with respect to an effective value of the 3-phase current of the motor, or applies a d-axis current to the motor.

10. An on-vehicle actuator system according to claim 6,

wherein, when a product of a q-axis current of the motor and a revolution speed of the motor is negative and is greater than a predetermined threshold in a negative direction, the control unit performs control to advance or delay a phase of the 3-phase current flowing in the motor or to reduce a percentage of the generated torque with respect to an effective value of the 3-phase current of the motor, or applies a d-axis current to the motor.

11. An on-vehicle actuator system according to claim 8,

wherein, when the motor is rotated by an external force and when the control unit is controlling the motor to make a revolution speed of the motor slower than that when no current is applied to the motor, the control unit performs control to advance or delay a phase of the 3-phase current flowing in the motor or to reduce a percentage of the generated torque with respect to an effective value of the 3-phase current of the motor, or applies a d-axis current to the motor.

12. An on-vehicle actuator system according to claim 8,

wherein, when the operation input unit is a pedal and when a product of a pedal step-on speed and a pedal reactionary force is negative and is greater than a predetermined threshold in a negative direction, the control unit performs control to advance or delay a phase of the 3-phase current flowing in the motor or to reduce a percentage of the generated torque with respect to an effective value of the 3-phase current of the motor, or applies a d-axis current to the motor.

13. An on-vehicle actuator system comprising:

a motor that is driven by a 3-phase current, and is operable as an electric generator or a regenerative device;

an inverter circuit having switching devices to drive the motor;

a power supply system connected to the inverter circuit to supply electricity to the motor and the inverter circuit; and

a control unit to control a current or voltage applied to the motor by controlling an operation of the switching devices;

wherein the control unit controls the motor by operating the switching devices in such a manner that the motor never generates or regenerates power at all.

14. An on-vehicle actuator system according to claim 13,

wherein, when the control unit checks, based on a q-axis current of the motor and a revolution speed of the motor, whether the motor is about to generate or regenerate power and when the control unit has decided that the motor is about to generate or regenerate power, the control unit performs control to advance or delay a phase of the 3-phase current flowing in the motor or to reduce a percentage of the generated torque with respect to an effective value of the 3-phase current of the motor, or applies a d-axis current to the motor.

15. An on-vehicle actuator system comprising:

a motor that is driven by a 3-phase current, and is operable as an electric generator or a regenerative device;

an inverter circuit having switching devices to drive the motor;

a power supply system connected to the inverter circuit to supply electricity to the motor and the inverter circuit; and

a control unit to control a current or voltage applied to the motor by controlling an operation of the switching devices;

wherein the control unit calculates power of the motor and controls the motor by operating the switching devices in such a manner that the motor consumes power at all times in that its power consumption never becomes negative.