Patent · US Expired

Apparatus and method for control of a multi-pole brushless DC motor in the event of saturation detection

US6181091A · kind A · utility

9Cited by
8References
10Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJul 22, 1999
Grant dateJan 30, 2001
Priority date
Expiry dateJul 22, 2019

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH02P6/14
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A system for controlling a brushless dc motor includes a motor driver circuit that outputs a drive current to the motor and a power supply that provides power to the motor driver circuit. Feedback circuits provide signals indicative of: a speed of rotation of the motor and at least one of: a level of the supply voltage provided by the power supply, and the output current from the motor driver circuit. A processor analyzes the feedback signals and determines if a required change in drive current to the motor will result in a saturation or near saturation condition. If such a saturation or near saturation condition is anticipated, the processor initially determines if a change in commutation angle will avoid the saturation or near saturation condition and if yes, outputs a control signal to alter the commutation angle. If the processor determines that a change in commutation angle will not avoid the saturation or near saturation condition, wave shaping actions within the motor driver circuit are disabled so as to maintain synchronism between the motor and the frequency of the output drive current from the motor driver, at a cost of increased acoustic noise from the motor.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.