Electronic commutator circuits
First Claim
1. An electronic commutator circuit for use with a stator winding of a brushless dc electrical machine, the stator winding having a number of coils linked by the same number of points of common coupling, the electronic commutator circuit comprising the same number of switching stages, each switching stage being connected between a respective one of the points of common coupling and first and second dc terminals and including:
- a first reverse blocking semiconductor power device having a first anode, a first cathode, and a first holding current level associated therewith, the first anode being connected to the first dc terminal, the first reverse blocking semiconductor power device being capable of;
(i) being turned on entirely by gate control, and (ii) being turned off entirely by gate control when a current substantially greater than the first holding current level is flowing from the first anode to the first cathode; and
a second reverse blocking semiconductor power device having a second anode, a second cathode, and a second holding current level associated therewith, the second cathode being connected to the second dc terminal, the second reverse blocking semiconductor power device being capable of;
(i) being turned on entirely by gate control, and (ii) being turned off entirely by gate control when a current substantially greater than the second holding current level is flowing from the second anode to the second cathode;
wherein the electronic commutator circuit is structured to cause dc current to flow through the first and second dc terminals and thence through the stator winding responsive to each first reverse blocking semiconductor power device and each second reverse blocking semiconductor power device being turned on entirely by gate control.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention provides an electronic commutator circuit for use with a stator winding of an electrical machine. The stator winding of the electrical machine includes a number of coils linked by the same number of points of common coupling. The electronic commutator circuit comprising the same number of switching stages, each switching stage being connected between a respective one of the points of common coupling and first and second dc terminals. Each switching stage further includes a first reverse blocking semiconductor power device (such as a Reverse Blocking Gate Turn Off Thyristor (RB-GTO 1) capable of being turned on and off by gate control having its anode connected to the first dc terminal, and a second reverse blocking semiconductor power device (RB-GTO 2) capable of being turned on and off by gate control having its cathode connected to the second dc terminal.
31 Citations
60 Claims
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1. An electronic commutator circuit for use with a stator winding of a brushless dc electrical machine, the stator winding having a number of coils linked by the same number of points of common coupling, the electronic commutator circuit comprising the same number of switching stages, each switching stage being connected between a respective one of the points of common coupling and first and second dc terminals and including:
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a first reverse blocking semiconductor power device having a first anode, a first cathode, and a first holding current level associated therewith, the first anode being connected to the first dc terminal, the first reverse blocking semiconductor power device being capable of;
(i) being turned on entirely by gate control, and (ii) being turned off entirely by gate control when a current substantially greater than the first holding current level is flowing from the first anode to the first cathode; anda second reverse blocking semiconductor power device having a second anode, a second cathode, and a second holding current level associated therewith, the second cathode being connected to the second dc terminal, the second reverse blocking semiconductor power device being capable of;
(i) being turned on entirely by gate control, and (ii) being turned off entirely by gate control when a current substantially greater than the second holding current level is flowing from the second anode to the second cathode;wherein the electronic commutator circuit is structured to cause dc current to flow through the first and second dc terminals and thence through the stator winding responsive to each first reverse blocking semiconductor power device and each second reverse blocking semiconductor power device being turned on entirely by gate control. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A brushless dc electrical machine comprising a moving part, a stator, a stator winding having a number of coils linked by the same number of points of common coupling, and an electronic commutator circuit comprising the same number of switching stages, each switching stage being connected between a respective one of the points of common coupling and first and second dc terminals and including:
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a first reverse blocking semiconductor power device having a first anode, a first cathode, and a first holding current level associated therewith, the first anode being connected to the first dc terminal, the first reverse blocking semiconductor power device being capable of;
(i) being turned on entirely by gate control, and (ii) being turned off entirely by gate control when a current substantially greater than the first holding current level is flowing from the first anode to the first cathode; anda second reverse blocking semiconductor power device having a second anode, a second cathode, and a second holding current level associated therewith, the second cathode being connected to the second dc terminal, the second reverse blocking semiconductor power device being capable of;
(i) being turned on entirely by gate control, and (ii) being turned off entirely by gate control when a current substantially greater than the second holding current level is flowing from the second anode to the second cathode;wherein the electronic commutator circuit is structured to cause dc current to flow through the first and second dc terminals and thence through the stator winding responsive to each first reverse blocking semiconductor power device and each second reverse blocking semiconductor power device being turned on entirely by gate control. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. A brushless dc electrical machine comprising:
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a) a moving part; b) a stator; c) a stator winding having a number of coils linked by the same number of points of common coupling; d) an electronic commutator circuit comprising the same number of switching stages, each switching stage being connected between a respective one of the points of common coupling and first and second dc terminals and including; (1) a first reverse blocking semiconductor power device having a first anode, a first cathode, and a first holding current level associated therewith, the first anode being connected to the first dc terminal, the first reverse blocking semiconductor power device being capable of;
(i) being turned on entirely by gate control, and (ii) being turned off entirely by gate control when a current substantially greater than the first holding current level is flowing from the first anode to the first cathode; and(2) a second reverse blocking semiconductor power device having a second anode, a second cathode, and a second holding current level associated therewith, the second cathode being connected to the second dc terminal, the second reverse blocking semiconductor power device being capable of;
(i) being turned on entirely by gate control, and (ii) being turned off entirely by gate control when a current substantially greater than the second holding current level is flowing from the second anode to the second cathode, wherein the electronic commutator circuit is structured to cause dc current to flow through the first and second dc terminals and thence through the stator winding responsive to each first reverse blocking semiconductor power device and each second reverse blocking semiconductor power device being turned on entirely by gate control; ande) a controller for receiving a phase position signal and supplying a sequence of firing commands to the first and second semiconductor power devices of each switching stage of the electronic commutator circuit in order to cause a stepwise rotation of the stator magnetomotive force (MMF).
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31. An electronic commutator circuit for use with a stator winding of a brushless dc electrical machine, the stator winding having a number of coils linked by the same number of points of common coupling, the electronic commutator circuit comprising the same number of switching stages, each switching stage being connected between a respective one of the points of common coupling and first and second dc terminals and including:
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a first reverse blocking semiconductor power device having a first anode and a first cathode, the first anode being connected to the first dc terminal, wherein during normal operation of the brushless dc electrical machine a first load current will flow from the first anode to the first cathode when the first reverse blocking semiconductor power device is in a latched on state, the first reverse blocking semiconductor power device being capable of;
(i) being turned on entirely by gate control, and (ii) being turned off entirely by gate control when the first load current is flowing from the first anode to the first cathode in the latched on state; anda second reverse blocking semiconductor power device having a second anode and a second cathode, the second cathode being connected to the second dc terminal, wherein during normal operation of the brushless dc electrical machine a second load current will flow from the second anode to the second cathode when the second reverse blocking semiconductor power device is in a latched on state, the second reverse blocking semiconductor power device being capable of;
(i) being turned on entirely by gate control, and (ii) being turned off entirely by gate control when the second load current is flowing from the second anode to the second cathode in the latched on state;wherein the electronic commutator circuit is structured to cause dc current to flow through the first and second dc terminals and thence through the stator winding responsive to each first reverse blocking semiconductor power device and each second reverse blocking semiconductor power device being turned on entirely by gate control. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 51)
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37. A brushless dc electrical machine comprising a moving part, a stator, a stator winding having a number of coils linked by the same number of points of common coupling, and an electronic commutator circuit comprising the same number of switching stages, each switching stage being connected between a respective one of the points of common coupling and first and second dc terminals and including:
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a first reverse blocking semiconductor power device having a first anode and a first cathode, the first anode being connected to the first dc terminal, wherein during normal operation of the brushless dc electrical machine a first load current will flow from the first anode to the first cathode when the first reverse blocking semiconductor power device is in a latched on state, the first reverse blocking semiconductor power device being capable of;
(i) being turned on entirely by gate control, and (ii) being turned off entirely by gate control when the first load current is flowing from the first anode to the first cathode in the latched on state; anda second reverse blocking semiconductor power device having a second anode and a second cathode, the second cathode being connected to the second dc terminal, wherein during normal operation of the brushless dc electrical machine a second load current will flow from the second anode to the second cathode when the second reverse blocking semiconductor power device is in a latched on state, the second reverse blocking semiconductor power device being capable of;
(i) being turned on entirely by gate control, and (ii) being turned off entirely by gate control when the second load current is flowing from the second anode to the second cathode in the latched on state;wherein the electronic commutator circuit is structured to cause dc current to flow through the first and second dc terminals and thence through the stator winding responsive to each first reverse blocking semiconductor power device and each second reverse blocking semiconductor power device being turned on entirely by gate control. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57)
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58. A brushless dc electrical machine comprising:
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a) a moving part; b) a stator; c) a stator winding having a number of coils linked by the same number of points of common coupling; d) an electronic commutator circuit comprising the same number of switching stages, each switching stage being connected between a respective one of the points of common coupling and first and second dc terminals and including; (1) a first reverse blocking semiconductor power device having a first anode and a first cathode, the first anode being connected to the first dc terminal, wherein during normal operation of the brushless dc electrical machine a first load current will flow from the first anode to the first cathode when the first reverse blocking semiconductor power device is in a latched on state, the first reverse blocking semiconductor power device being capable of;
(i) being turned on entirely by gate control, and (ii) being turned off entirely by gate control when the first load current is flowing from the first anode to the first cathode in the latched on state; and(2) a second reverse blocking semiconductor power device having a second anode and a second cathode, the second cathode being connected to the second dc terminal, wherein during normal operation of the brushless dc electrical machine a second load current will flow from the second anode to the second cathode when the second reverse blocking semiconductor power device is in a latched on state, the second reverse blocking semiconductor power device being capable of;
(i) being turned on entirely by gate control, and (ii) being turned off entirely by gate control when the second load current is flowing from the second anode to the second cathode in the latched on state, wherein the electronic commutator circuit is structured to cause dc current to flow through the first and second dc terminals and thence through the stator winding responsive to each first reverse blocking semiconductor power device and each second reverse blocking semiconductor power device being turned on entirely by gate control; ande) a controller for receiving a phase position signal and supplying a sequence of firing commands to the first and second semiconductor power devices of each switching stage of the electronic commutator circuit in order to cause a stepwise rotation of the stator magnetomotive force (MMF).
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59. A method of commutating a brushless dc electrical machine, the brushless dc electrical machine including a moving part, a stator, a stator winding having a number of coils linked by the same number of points of common coupling, and an electronic commutator circuit comprising the same number of switching stages, each switching stage being connected between a respective one of the points of common coupling and first and second dc terminals, each one of the switching stages of the electronic commutator circuit including a first reverse blocking semiconductor power device having its anode connected to the first dc terminal and a second reverse blocking semiconductor power device having its cathode connected to the second dc terminal, the method comprising:
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in a state where a load current is flowing into the stator winding through the first reverse blocking semiconductor power device of a first one of the switching stages and out of the stator winding through the second reverse blocking semiconductor power device of a second one of the switching stages; (i) turning on the first reverse blocking semiconductor power device of a third one of the switching stages adjacent the first one of the switching stages in an indexing direction entirely by gate control and turning on the second reverse blocking semiconductor power device of a fourth one of the switching stages adjacent the second one of the switching stages in the indexing direction entirely by gate control; and (ii) turning off the first reverse blocking semiconductor power device of the first one of the switching stages entirely by gate control and turning off the second reverse blocking semiconductor power device of the second one of the switching stages entirely by gate control.
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60. A brushless dc electrical machine comprising:
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a) a moving part; b) a stator; c) a stator winding having a number of coils linked by the same number of points of common coupling; d) an electronic commutator circuit comprising the same number of switching stages, each switching stage being connected between a respective one of the points of common coupling and first and second dc terminals and including; (1) a first reverse blocking semiconductor power device having a first anode, a first cathode and a first gate, the first anode being connected to the first dc terminal; and (2) a second reverse blocking semiconductor power device having a second anode, a second cathode and a second gate, the second cathode being connected to the second dc terminal; and e) a gating control system structured and configured to;
(i) selectively turn on the first reverse blocking semiconductor power devices entirely by gate control by injecting current into the first gates, (ii) selectively turn on the second reverse blocking semiconductor devices entirely by gate control by injecting current into the second gates, (iii) selectively turn off the first reverse blocking semiconductor power devices entirely by gate control by extracting current from the first gates when in a latched on state, and (iv) selectively turn off the second reverse blocking semiconductor power devices entirely by gate control by extracting current from the second gates when in a latched on state;wherein the electronic commutator circuit is structured to cause dc current to flow through the first and second dc terminals and thence through the stator winding responsive to each first reverse blocking semiconductor power device and each second reverse blocking semiconductor power device being turned on entirely by gate control.
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Specification