A drive device for operating an electrical machine has a regulator for driving a rotor winding, which has a highside switch and a de-energization switch. A first terminal of the rotor winding can be connected to a positive supply terminal via the high-side switch, the first terminal of the rotor winding can be connected to a negative supply terminal via a semiconductor component, and a second terminal of the rotor winding can be connected to the negative supply terminal via the de-energization switch. The drive device is arranged to enter a safe state in the presence of at least one fault by disconnecting and/or de-energizing the rotor winding from the positive supply terminal. At least one of the switches is designed to be redundant; and/or the regulator has a plurality of measuring points.

A drive control device includes: a driver including a circuit and configured to drive a motor; and a controller configured to control the driver. The controller is configured to: in a period other than a stop period during driving of the motor, control the driver by a PWM control of a synchronous rectification type, the stop period lasting for a specified time or longer during the driving of the motor; and in the stop period during the driving of the motor, suspend the PWM control of the synchronous rectification type and control the driver such that the motor is set to a short-circuit brake state or a disconnected state.

A drive control device includes: a driver including a circuit and configured to drive a motor; and a controller configured to control the driver. The controller is configured to: in a period other than a stop period during driving of the motor, control the driver by a PWM control of a synchronous rectification type, the stop period lasting for a specified time or longer during the driving of the motor; and in the stop period during the driving of the motor, suspend the PWM control of the synchronous rectification type and control the driver such that the motor is set to a short-circuit brake state or a disconnected state.

The invention results in improved switching from the idling mode to an active short circuit mode of an electric machine. According to the invention, the switch from the idling mode to the active electric short circuit mode is delayed until predefined voltage conditions have been reached on the external terminals of an electric machine or until the rotor of the electric machine is in a predetermined position corresponding to the required voltage conditions.

A motor control system shorts motor windings of a motor by using enhancement metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs) so that the motor generates braking torque when all or some electric control units of the motor are disabled or failed. The motor control system comprises: a motor comprising a plurality of motor phase terminals; a plurality of electric control units electrically connected to the motor and configured to control the motor, wherein the electric control units configured to output control signals, respectively; a plurality of power sources, each of the power sources electrically connected to a respective one of the electric control units; and a shorting circuit connected between the power sources and the motor, the shorting circuit configured to selectively short the motor phase terminals in response to one or more of the control signals of the electric control units.

A motor control system shorts motor windings of a motor by using enhancement metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs) so that the motor generates braking torque when all or some electric control units of the motor are disabled or failed. The motor control system comprises: a motor comprising a plurality of motor phase terminals; a plurality of electric control units electrically connected to the motor and configured to control the motor, wherein the electric control units configured to output control signals, respectively; a plurality of power sources, each of the power sources electrically connected to a respective one of the electric control units; and a shorting circuit connected between the power sources and the motor, the shorting circuit configured to selectively short the motor phase terminals in response to one or more of the control signals of the electric control units.

In a motor driving apparatus including an inverter connectable to n motors (n being an integer not less than 2) each including a rotor having a permanent magnet, braking operation is performed on i (i being an integer from 1 to n−1) of the n motors, and then braking operation is performed on j (j being an integer from 1 to n−i) of the n motors other than the i motors. It is possible to reduce the risks of failure of the inverter and demagnetization of the motors due to overcurrent by reducing current flowing through the inverter and the motors when the braking operation is performed.

In a motor driving apparatus including an inverter connectable to n motors (n being an integer not less than 2) each including a rotor having a permanent magnet, braking operation is performed on i (i being an integer from 1 to n−1) of the n motors, and then braking operation is performed on j (j being an integer from 1 to n−i) of the n motors other than the i motors. It is possible to reduce the risks of failure of the inverter and demagnetization of the motors due to overcurrent by reducing current flowing through the inverter and the motors when the braking operation is performed.

The invention relates to a method and to a device for changing from the idle operating state of an electric motor (5) having three phase terminals (5-1, 5-2, 5-3) to a short-circuit operating state. Thereby significant voltage rises are avoided. For this purpose, after receiving (120) a request for changing of the operating state of the electric motor (5) to the short-circuit operating state, three switching elements (1-1, 1-2, 1-3) are closed. Thereby the switching elements (1-1, 1-2, 1-3) are at least partially closed successively and the times of closing the individual switching elements are predetermined as a function of control parameters of the electric motor.

The invention relates to a method and to a device for changing from the idle operating state of an electric motor (5) having three phase terminals (5-1, 5-2, 5-3) to a short-circuit operating state. Thereby significant voltage rises are avoided. For this purpose, after receiving (120) a request for changing of the operating state of the electric motor (5) to the short-circuit operating state, three switching elements (1-1, 1-2, 1-3) are closed. Thereby the switching elements (1-1, 1-2, 1-3) are at least partially closed successively and the times of closing the individual switching elements are predetermined as a function of control parameters of the electric motor.