Motor temperature estimation based on thermal model

US8482237B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC · US

Inventors

• Daniel J. Berry · Rochester, US
• Pankaj Mithal · Kokomo, US
• Paul F. Turnbull · Canton, US
• Peter J. Savagian · Bloomfield Hills, US
• Chia-Chou Yeh · Torrance, US
• Steven E. Schulz · Torrance, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Mar 3, 2011
• Grant date: Jul 9, 2013
• Expiry date: Oct 19, 2031

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y02T10/64
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A vehicle includes a power source, a motor, and a computing device. The power source provides electrical energy to the motor, and the motor generates rotational motion from the electrical energy received. The computing device is configured to estimate a temperature of the motor in real time based at least in part on a thermal model of the motor. The thermal model includes a plurality of nodes and at least one thermal resistance. Each node represents a region of the motor and each thermal resistance represents a heat transfer path between at least two of the nodes. A method includes solving one or more energy balance equations to determine a temperature change at each node and estimating the temperature of the motor in real time based at least in part on the temperature change at each node and at least one of the thermal resistances in the thermal model.