This application generally relates to electric machines with coils or windings (e.g., generators and motors), and more particularly to systems, apparatus, and methods that configure coils or windings of electric machines, for instance dynamically in response to operational condition and under load.

An electric motor drive device includes a wire-connected-state switching unit to switch a wire connected state of stator windings of an electric motor to either a delta connected state or a star connected state, an inverter to drive the electric motor, and a relay-voltage detection circuit to detect a relay voltage (VR) that is a power-supply voltage of the wire-connected-state switching unit, and to deactivate the inverter when the relay voltage (VR) is decreased below a threshold.

In a motor driving apparatus including a DC power supply circuit of variable output voltage value, an inverter of variable frequency, and a connection switching device for selecting connection, switching of the connection switching device is performed in a state where an output voltage of the DC power supply circuit is increased, a rotational speed of a motor is increased, and a current flowing through the motor is made not greater than a predetermined threshold. For example, the switching of the connection switching device is performed in a state where the current through the motor is made zero. For example, the switching is performed in a state where the output voltage of the DC power supply circuit is set at a value corresponding to the rotational speed of the motor during the switching. It is possible to prevent increase in apparatus size and switch the connection of windings while the motor is rotating.

An electric motor drive unit includes a winding switching unit that switches a configuration of windings of an electric motor, a winding switching instruction unit that generates an instruction signal for the winding switching unit, and a winding configuration retention unit to which the instruction signal generated by the winding switching instruction unit is input, and if the input instruction signal has a first value, outputs a signal corresponding to the input instruction signal to the winding switching unit, and if the input instruction signal has a second value different from the first value, continues outputting a signal that has been output to the winding switching unit before the reception of the second value, the first value indicating an instruction on the configuration of the windings.

A controller includes: a connection switch that switches a connection state of a winding of a synchronous motor during a rotating operation of the synchronous motor; a current detector that detects a rotary machine current flowing in the synchronous motor; a position/speed estimator that estimates a magnetic pole position and speed of a rotor; a voltage applicator that applies a voltage to the synchronous motor; and a control circuitry that generates a voltage command given to the voltage applicator on the basis of the magnetic pole position and the speed, and outputs a switching operation command for switching the connection state to the connection switch. The control circuitry generates the voltage command to bring the rotary machine current close to zero before the connection state of the winding is switched.

An electric motor drive device includes: a main substrate mounted with a power supply circuit that generates, on the basis of alternating-current power supplied from an alternating-current power supply, a drive power to drive a compressor motor; a plurality of connection switching relays that perform switching between connections for the compressor motor; a small substrate mounted with the connection switching relays; a relay drive circuit that switches the connection switching relays; lead wires that connect the compressor motor and the small substrate to the power supply circuit; and lead wires that connect the small substrate and the compressor motor.

A motor-driving apparatus for driving a motor having a plurality of windings respectively corresponding to a plurality of phases is provided. The motor-driving apparatus includes a first inverter having a plurality of first switching devices and connected to first ends of the plurality of windings and a second inverter having a plurality of second switching devices and connected to second ends of the plurality of windings. A third switching device is configured to selectively connect and disconnect points at which a number of turns of each of the windings is divided in a preset ratio. A controller is configured to adjust an on/off state of the first to third switching devices based on required output of the motor.

A motor drive device includes an inverter to apply power to a motor, and a plurality of relays to switch a connection state of the motor by each switching its state between a first state and a second state. A timing at which at least one of the plurality of relays switches from the first state to the second state is different from a timing at which the other relays switch from the first state to the second state.

A motor drive system can detect a misconnection. A motor drive system for driving a motor including a plurality of stator windings includes: an inverter that converts a DC voltage supplied from a DC voltage source into an AC voltage and applies the AC voltage to the motor; a connection switching device that is disposed between the inverter and the motor and can switch a connection state of the stator windings; and a controller that performs abnormality determination on a connection state of the connection switching device on the basis of a current value of a current flowing in each of the stator windings.

An over-current protection circuit for a motor capable of selecting one of a plurality of connection states has a plurality of decision circuits, a combining circuit, and a nullifying circuit. The combining circuit combines results of the comparisons in the plurality of decision circuits. The nullifying circuit nullifies part of the comparisons in the plurality of decision circuits. The number of outputs of the over-current protection circuit is one, so that for controlling the driving and stopping of the inverter needs just one terminal is required for receiving the output of the combining circuit. Moreover, because the over-current protection circuit is formed of hardware, the protection can be performed at a high speed.