A method of operating an electric or hybrid system comprising a synchronous reluctance electric motor coupled to an electric or hybrid powertrain is described herein. The method comprises determining (i) a torque demand required of the electric motor and (ii) a speed of rotation of the rotor of the electric motor, and storing kinetic energy in a rotor of the electric motor from the powertrain in response to at least one of (i) the determined torque demand falling below a selected torque demand threshold and (ii) the speed of the rotor being below a selected rotor speed threshold. The method further comprises operating the electric motor by powering the electric motor with electricity to deliver energy to the powertrain in response to at least one of: (i) the determined torque demand rising above a selected torque demand threshold and (ii) the speed of the rotor falling below a selected rotor speed threshold.

To provide a characteristic evaluation device that can properly evaluate a characteristic of a shaft coupling while considering a delay in a response of a motor, a characteristic evaluation device of a shaft coupling includes: a motor system including a drive motor, a rotation angle sensor configured to acquire a rotation angle of a drive shaft, and a motor control unit configured to control the drive motor based on a torque command; a rotational load connected to a driven shaft; and a processor configured to output the torque command and calculate a frequency response of a gain of an amplitude of an angular velocity ω of the rotation angle, wherein the processor is configured to calculate a characteristic of the shaft coupling based on a response characteristic of the motor system and the frequency response.

To provide a characteristic evaluation device that can properly evaluate a characteristic of a shaft coupling while considering a delay in a response of a motor, a characteristic evaluation device of a shaft coupling includes: a motor system including a drive motor, a rotation angle sensor configured to acquire a rotation angle of a drive shaft, and a motor control unit configured to control the drive motor based on a torque command; a rotational load connected to a driven shaft; and a processor configured to output the torque command and calculate a frequency response of a gain of an amplitude of an angular velocity ω of the rotation angle, wherein the processor is configured to calculate a characteristic of the shaft coupling based on a response characteristic of the motor system and the frequency response.

A method of operating an electric or hybrid system comprising a synchronous reluctance electric motor coupled to an electric or hybrid powertrain is described herein. The method comprises determining (i) a torque demand required of the electric motor and (ii) a speed of rotation of the rotor of the electric motor, and storing kinetic energy in a rotor of the electric motor from the powertrain in response to at least one of (i) the determined torque demand falling below a selected torque demand threshold and (ii) the speed of the rotor being below a selected rotor speed threshold. The method further comprises operating the electric motor by powering the electric motor with electricity to deliver energy to the powertrain in response to at least one of: (i) the determined torque demand rising above a selected torque demand threshold and (ii) the speed of the rotor falling below a selected rotor speed threshold.

A method of operating an electric or hybrid system comprising a synchronous reluctance electric motor coupled to an electric or hybrid powertrain is described herein. The method comprises determining (i) a torque demand required of the electric motor and (ii) a speed of rotation of the rotor of the electric motor, and storing kinetic energy in a rotor of the electric motor from the powertrain in response to at least one of (i) the determined torque demand falling below a selected torque demand threshold and (ii) the speed of the rotor being below a selected rotor speed threshold. The method further comprises operating the electric motor by powering the electric motor with electricity to deliver energy to the powertrain in response to at least one of: (i) the determined torque demand rising above a selected torque demand threshold and (ii) the speed of the rotor falling below a selected rotor speed threshold.

Examples include a method for controlling a variable speed drive of an electric motor. The variable speed drive is connected to a torque sensor for sensing a torque supplied by the electric motor. The method includes performing, by the electric motor, a predetermined torque sequence. The method also includes measuring, by the torque sensor, a measured torque sequence corresponding to the predetermined torque sequence, and comparing the predetermined torque sequence and the measured torque sequence. As a result of the comparison, one or more torque sensor transfer function parameters are determined.

Examples include a method for controlling a variable speed drive of an electric motor. The variable speed drive is connected to a torque sensor for sensing a torque supplied by the electric motor. The method includes performing, by the electric motor, a predetermined torque sequence. The method also includes measuring, by the torque sensor, a measured torque sequence corresponding to the predetermined torque sequence, and comparing the predetermined torque sequence and the measured torque sequence. As a result of the comparison, one or more torque sensor transfer function parameters are determined.

The present disclosure is constructed on the prior art inverter architecture, a pulse code width modulation (PCWM). This is an open loop motor control system without sensing its rotor position. The present disclosure employs a closed loop method to track the optimum efficiency motor operating point directly. A bench load test is conducted to gather information for an AI type control, which includes both load angle vs. voltage command charts and power factor vs. voltage command charts, with load levels as parameters for certain frequency command ranges. This way, the optimum efficiency motor operating points are generated a priori. The AI type control is mechanized to track the optimum efficiency motor operating points.

The present disclosure is constructed on the prior art inverter architecture, a pulse code width modulation (PCWM). This is an open loop motor control system without sensing its rotor position. The present disclosure employs a closed loop method to track the optimum efficiency motor operating point directly. A bench load test is conducted to gather information for an AI type control, which includes both load angle vs. voltage command charts and power factor vs. voltage command charts, with load levels as parameters for certain frequency command ranges. This way, the optimum efficiency motor operating points are generated a priori. The AI type control is mechanized to track the optimum efficiency motor operating points.

In the fault-tolerant direct thrust-force control (FT-DTC) method, the generalized Clarke transform matrix and its inverse matrix are derived according to the fault-tolerant phase currents. The stator fluxes in α-β plane are deduced based on these. Based on the requirement of circular stator flux trajectory, virtual stator fluxes are defined, and then compensatory voltages in the α-β plane are obtained. Actual stator voltages in the α-β plane are calculated by modulation function of voltage source inverter. Combining with the compensatory voltages, the actual stator voltages and the stator currents, the virtual stator fluxes and the thrust-force are estimated by the flux and thrust-force observers. The thrust-force reference, the stator flux amplitude reference, the observed thrust-force and virtual stator flux are applied to predict virtual stator voltage references. The actual stator voltage references is calculated according to virtual voltage references and compensatory voltages, and are fed to voltage source inverter.