Electric motor control apparatus

• US 8,232,752 B2
• Filed: 04/16/2007
• Issued: 07/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Inventors: Kezobo, Isao, Kimata, Masahiro, Kifuku, Takayuki, Tsutsumi, Kazumichi, Fujimoto, Chiaki, Inoue, Noriyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Ro, Bentsu
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chan, Kawing
• Application Number:
  US12/520,995
• Publication Number:
  US 20100060222A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,933 Days
• Field of Search: 318/400.01, 318/400.04, 318/400.06, 318/490, 318/700
• US Class Current: 318/400.06
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 5/0487 detecting motor faults B62D5/0496 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/343 in operation
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/42 AC power supplies
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/52 Testing for short-circuits, leakage current or ground faults
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/325 with means for allowing continuous operation despite a fault, i.e. fault tolerant converters
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 29/027 the fault being an over-current

Abstract

An electric motor control apparatus that can quickly and accurately locate a short-circuit fault point. The electric motor control apparatus includes: a current controller determining respective phase voltage commands according to currents flowing in respective phases of an electric motor and a torque current command; a switching element drive circuit instructing, based on the respective phase voltage commands, an inverter to perform a switching operation; the inverter receiving a switching operation signal to drive the electric motor; current detectors disposed in series with the switching elements in the respective phases of the inverter; and a short-circuit point locating mechanism storing a test pattern indicative of a predetermined combination for turning on the switching elements of the inverter, and locating a short-circuit fault point based on the test pattern and current detection values in the respective phases detected by the current detectors in response to the test pattern.

Claims

1. An electric motor control apparatus, comprising:

an inverter which comprises a plurality of switching elements, and drives an electric motor by operating the plurality of switching elements;

a current detector disposed in the inverter;

short-circuit point locating means for locating a short-circuit fault point; and

motor rotation angle detecting means for detecting a rotation angle of the electric motor, and outputting a rotation angle detection value,

wherein the short-circuit point locating means stores a test pattern indicative of a combination for turning on the switching elements, and locates the short-circuit fault point based on the test pattern, a current detection value detected by the current detector in response to the test pattern, and the rotation angle detection value, the short-circuit point locating means testing a first subset of the plurality of switching elements if an average motor voltage exceeds a threshold, and tests a second subset of the plurality of switching elements if the average motor voltage does not exceed the threshold.

2. An electric motor control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the electric motor is an electric motor provided in an electric power steering apparatus.

3. An electric motor control apparatus, comprising:

an inverter which comprises a plurality of switching elements, and drives an electric motor by operating the plurality of switching elements;

a current detector disposed in the inverter;

short-circuit point locating means for locating a short-circuit fault point; and

motor rotation angle detecting means for detecting a rotation angle of the electric motor, and outputting a rotation angle detection value,

wherein the short-circuit point locating means stores a test pattern indicative of a combination for turning on the switching elements, and locates the short-circuit fault point based on the test pattern, a current detection value detected by the current detector in response to the test pattern, the rotation angle detection value, and a rotational angular velocity obtained by differentiating the rotation angle detection value, and the short-circuit point locating means only testing the switching elements when an absolute value of the rotation angular velocity is less than a threshold value or when the rotation angle detection value is within a predetermined angle range.

4. An electric motor control apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the electric motor is an electric motor provided in an electric power steering apparatus.

5. An electric motor control apparatus, comprising:

an inverter which comprises a plurality of switching elements, and drives an electric motor by operating the plurality of switching elements;

a current detector disposed in the inverter;

short-circuit point locating means for locating a short-circuit fault point; and

terminal voltage detecting means for detecting a terminal voltage of the electric motor,

wherein the short-circuit point locating means stores a test pattern indicative of a combination for turning on the switching elements, selects a test pattern to be carried out according to a result of comparison between a detection value of the terminal voltage detecting means and a predetermined threshold, and locates the short-circuit fault point based on the test pattern and a current detection value detected by the current detector in response to the test pattern, the short-circuit point locating means testing a first subset of the plurality of switching elements if an average motor voltage exceeds a threshold, and tests a second subset of the plurality of switching elements if the average motor voltage does not exceed the threshold.

6. An electric motor control apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the electric motor is an electric motor provided in an electric power steering apparatus.