A haptic system includes a haptic engine in which a reluctance motor is driven by a driver controller operated in conjunction with an impedance-estimator that uses amplitude-modulated calibration signals. An enveloped-calibration signal is superimposed on a haptic-drive signal to quickly, and accurately, estimate the driving coil's impedance, while minimizing power penalty.

Apparatus and methods are provided for operating an electric motor, comprising selectively energising the coils of a stator having a plurality of stator teeth, each stator tooth having a said coil mounted thereon. The stator coils of a subset of the stator teeth are energised during a given time period to attract a corresponding rotor tooth into alignment with each of the stator teeth in the subset over the given time period. The stator coil of at least one stator tooth in the subset is energised during a portion of the given time period before the at least one stator tooth overlaps the corresponding rotor tooth.

Apparatus and methods are provided for operating an electric motor, comprising selectively energising the coils of a stator having a plurality of stator teeth, each stator tooth having a said coil mounted thereon. The stator coils of a subset of the stator teeth are energised during a given time period to attract a corresponding rotor tooth into alignment with each of the stator teeth in the subset over the given time period. The stator coil of at least one stator tooth in the subset is energised during a portion of the given time period before the at least one stator tooth overlaps the corresponding rotor tooth.

A method for controlling switched reluctance machine (SRM) utilizing a SRM control system. The method allows for adaptive pulse positioning over a wide range of speeds and loads. An initial rotor position is provided for the SRM utilizing an initialization mechanism. A pinned point on a phase current waveform is defined during an initial current rise phase of the current waveform. A slope of the current rise is determined as the current waveform reaches the pinned point. The slope is then fed to the commutation module of the SRM control system. An error signal from calculated inductance or current slope is used as an input to a control loop in the SRM control system. The time determining module determines an optimum time signal to fire a next pulse. The optimum time signal is fed to the SRM for turning the plurality of SRM switches to on and off states.

An electrical system includes a power inverter module (PIM) connected to DC and AC voltage buses and having a pair of inverter phase legs, at least one of which includes a plurality of semiconductor switche. A cycloidal electric machine with plurality of electrical phases is connected to the PIM via the AC voltage bus, and has a stator and a rotor with eccentric stator and rotor axes. The rotor moves with two degrees of freedom, including rotating motion about the rotor axis and orbiting motion about the stator axis. A controller applies, for each respective phase, a phase-specific offset value to a carrier signal and to a voltage reference signal. This generates a modified carrier signal and a modified reference signal, respectively, which in turn generate a pulse width modulation (PWM) signal. The electric machine is powered via the PIM by energizing the semiconductor switches using the PWM signal.

An electrical system includes a power inverter module (PIM) connected to DC and AC voltage buses and having a pair of inverter phase legs, at least one of which includes a plurality of semiconductor switche. A cycloidal electric machine with plurality of electrical phases is connected to the PIM via the AC voltage bus, and has a stator and a rotor with eccentric stator and rotor axes. The rotor moves with two degrees of freedom, including rotating motion about the rotor axis and orbiting motion about the stator axis. A controller applies, for each respective phase, a phase-specific offset value to a carrier signal and to a voltage reference signal. This generates a modified carrier signal and a modified reference signal, respectively, which in turn generate a pulse width modulation (PWM) signal. The electric machine is powered via the PIM by energizing the semiconductor switches using the PWM signal.

An electrical system includes a power inverter module (PIM) connected to DC and AC voltage buses and having a pair of inverter phase legs, at least one of which includes a plurality of semiconductor switch. A cycloidal electric machine with plurality of electrical phases is connected to the PIM via the AC voltage bus, and has a stator and a rotor with eccentric stator and rotor axes. The rotor moves with two degrees of freedom, including rotating motion about the rotor axis and orbiting motion about the stator axis. A controller applies, for each respective phase, a phase-specific offset value to a carrier signal and to a voltage reference signal. This generates a modified carrier signal and a modified reference signal, respectively, which in turn generate a pulse width modulation (PWM) signal. The electric machine is powered via the PIM by energizing the semiconductor switches using the PWM signal.

An electrical system includes a power inverter module (PIM) connected to DC and AC voltage buses and having a pair of inverter phase legs, at least one of which includes a plurality of semiconductor switch. A cycloidal electric machine with plurality of electrical phases is connected to the PIM via the AC voltage bus, and has a stator and a rotor with eccentric stator and rotor axes. The rotor moves with two degrees of freedom, including rotating motion about the rotor axis and orbiting motion about the stator axis. A controller applies, for each respective phase, a phase-specific offset value to a carrier signal and to a voltage reference signal. This generates a modified carrier signal and a modified reference signal, respectively, which in turn generate a pulse width modulation (PWM) signal. The electric machine is powered via the PIM by energizing the semiconductor switches using the PWM signal.

A controller for a switched reluctance motor is provided. The switched reluctance motor includes a rotor, a stator, and a coil wound on the stator. The switched reluctance motor is mounted on a vehicle as a drive source for propelling the vehicle. The controller includes an electronic control unit. The electronic control unit is configured to execute first control for exciting the coil at a first current value in a first exciting range. The electronic control unit is configured to, when the electronic control unit determines that the vehicle is not able to start moving even when the electronic control unit executes the first control, execute second control for exciting the coil at a second current value larger than the first current value in a second exciting range narrower than the first exciting range.

A controller for a switched reluctance motor is provided. The switched reluctance motor includes a rotor, a stator, and a coil wound on the stator. The switched reluctance motor is mounted on a vehicle as a drive source for propelling the vehicle. The controller includes an electronic control unit. The electronic control unit is configured to execute first control for exciting the coil at a first current value in a first exciting range. The electronic control unit is configured to, when the electronic control unit determines that the vehicle is not able to start moving even when the electronic control unit executes the first control, execute second control for exciting the coil at a second current value larger than the first current value in a second exciting range narrower than the first exciting range.