A motor drive utilizes redundant current feedback to monitor force being produced by a motor and to provide safe limited force producing operation of the motor. A first set of current sensors provides a first current measurement, and a second set of current sensors provides a second current measurement. The two current measurements are provided to two diverse force producing calculations, where each force producing calculation provides a value of the force produced by the motor. The motor drive compares the output of the two algorithms to each other. If the output of the two force producing calculations is the same, within an acceptable band, the controller continues operating as commanded. If the output of the two force producing calculations differs beyond the acceptable band, then the controller may generate a fault message provided back to a central controller, stop operation of the motor, or a combination thereof.

A power converter for an electric power system comprises a switching circuit (102) for supplying, in a first operating mode of the power converter, voltages for driving a rotating electric machine. The power converter comprises a contactor system (110) and a controller (109) for using, in a second operating mode of the power converter, the switching circuit and at least one of windings (115) of the rotating electric machine as a voltage-decreasing direct voltage converter between direct voltage terminals of the power converter. Therefore, the switching circuit of the power converter can be utilized both for driving the rotating electric machine and, for example, for charging a battery element connected to a direct voltage terminal of the power converter.

A brake device for an AC generator, whose speed can be flexibly controlled, and can function properly even when functions of the control unit are lost.

A brake device for an AC generator, whose speed can be flexibly controlled, and can function properly even when functions of the control unit are lost.

A braking energy recovery system (50) for an electric motor (62) comprises first regulator (52), energy storage device (54), second regulator (56), sensor (60), and controller (58). The first regulator (52) outputs a DC link voltage to the energy storage device (54). The second regulator (56) couples to the energy storage device and outputs a motor drive signal to the electric motor (62). The sensor (60) senses an operating characteristic of the electric motor. The controller (58) outputs to the first regulator an energy management signal (74) that comprises a time variant signal as a function of (i) motor speed and/or (ii) back EMF determined via the sensed characteristic, whereby the first regulator dynamically regulates the DC link voltage to maintain substantially constant an energy balance that comprises a sum of (a) rotational and/or linear kinetic energy of the electric motor and (b) energy stored in the energy storage device.

A braking energy recovery system (50) for an electric motor (62) comprises first regulator (52), energy storage device (54), second regulator (56), sensor (60), and controller (58). The first regulator (52) outputs a DC link voltage to the energy storage device (54). The second regulator (56) couples to the energy storage device and outputs a motor drive signal to the electric motor (62). The sensor (60) senses an operating characteristic of the electric motor. The controller (58) outputs to the first regulator an energy management signal (74) that comprises a time variant signal as a function of (i) motor speed and/or (ii) back EMF determined via the sensed characteristic, whereby the first regulator dynamically regulates the DC link voltage to maintain substantially constant an energy balance that comprises a sum of (a) rotational and/or linear kinetic energy of the electric motor and (b) energy stored in the energy storage device.

An information related to the position of an actuator coupled to a cable which is coupled to a motor is received. A filter is used to provide an input to a motor controller coupled to the motor, to adjust torque on the motor such that a strength curve is implemented relative to the position of the actuator.

A vehicle includes an electric motor, a storage battery which supplies power to the electric motor, and a power line which configures a power transmission path between the electric motor and the storage battery. The power line is arranged to extend in a front-rear direction of the vehicle along a bottom surface of the vehicle. A part of the power line is covered by a protection member from below with a gap between the power line and the bottom surface. A fixing point of the protection member to the bottom surface is positioned on a front side of the protection member and on an outer side of the protection member in a vehicle width direction.

A power conversion device includes a first power conversion circuit portion and a second power conversion circuit portion delivering power to and from first and second motors of which shaft centers are disposed along a first direction, three first connection terminals connecting the first power conversion circuit portion and the first motor, and three second connection terminals connecting the second power conversion circuit portion and the second motor. The first power conversion circuit portion and the second power conversion circuit portion are configured such that, when seen in radial directions of the first motor and the second motor, at least a portion thereof overlaps at least any of the first motor and the second motor. Three first connection terminals are disposed along the first direction on one side in a second direction. Three second connection terminals are disposed along the first direction on the other side in the second direction.

During power running operation of a load, a control unit turns off a switch unit to supply AC power from an uninterruptible power supply unit to the load. During regenerative operation of the load, in a case where an AC power supply can recover regenerative power, the control unit turns off the switch unit to supply the regenerative power to the AC power supply via the uninterruptible power supply unit. In contrast, in a case where the AC power supply cannot recover the regenerative power, the control unit turns on the switch unit to cause an auxiliary load unit to consume the regenerative power.