To provide a controller for an AC rotary machine capable of performing on/off control of the switching device of the set which does not fail, by considering the state of the AC rotary machine related to the windings of the failed set. A controller for an AC rotary machine, about a set in which the switching device failed, stops dq-axis current control, and turns on, in the case of the short circuit failure, and turns off, in the case of the open circuit failure, at least the respective phase switching devices of the positive electrode side or the negative electrode side which is the same side as the failed switching device; and about a set which does not fail, continues dq-axis current control and changes the current component of the d-axis according to the state of the AC rotary machine related to the windings of the failed set.

To provide a controller for an AC rotary machine capable of performing on/off control of the switching device of the set which does not fail, by considering the state of the AC rotary machine related to the windings of the failed set. A controller for an AC rotary machine, about a set in which the switching device failed, stops dq-axis current control, and turns on, in the case of the short circuit failure, and turns off, in the case of the open circuit failure, at least the respective phase switching devices of the positive electrode side or the negative electrode side which is the same side as the failed switching device; and about a set which does not fail, continues dq-axis current control and changes the current component of the d-axis according to the state of the AC rotary machine related to the windings of the failed set.

A motor device includes a stator unit including a plurality of first slots, a rotor unit rotatable relative to the stator unit, a winding unit, and a transfer switch unit. The winding unit includes first and second windings installed in the first slots. Number of poles of the first winding is less than that of the second winding. The transfer switch unit is electrically connected to the first and second windings, and is controlled to allocate access to electricity to each of the first and second windings.

A motor device includes a stator unit including a plurality of first slots, a rotor unit rotatable relative to the stator unit, a winding unit, and a transfer switch unit. The winding unit includes first and second windings installed in the first slots. Number of poles of the first winding is less than that of the second winding. The transfer switch unit is electrically connected to the first and second windings, and is controlled to allocate access to electricity to each of the first and second windings.

An electric motor is disclosed that includes a stator winding defining a plurality of poles, with the winding being controllable to switch between a first number of poles and a second number of poles. A rotor rotatable within the stator includes a first group of magnetic flux barriers being without permanent magnet material and a second group of magnetic flux barriers at least partially filled with a permanent magnet material. A method of operating a line-start electric motor is also disclosed.

An electric motor is disclosed that includes a stator winding defining a plurality of poles, with the winding being controllable to switch between a first number of poles and a second number of poles. A rotor rotatable within the stator includes a first group of magnetic flux barriers being without permanent magnet material and a second group of magnetic flux barriers at least partially filled with a permanent magnet material. A method of operating a line-start electric motor is also disclosed.

A motor control apparatus includes: a high-pole-number controller that generates a voltage command for high-pole-number drive of an electric motor and controls operation of the electric motor under the high-pole-number drive; a low-pole-number controller that generates a voltage command for low-pole-number drive of the electric motor and controls operation of the electric motor under the low-pole-number drive; and a priority pole-number determiner that determines which one of the high-pole-number drive and the low-pole-number drive is to be given priority during switching between the high-pole-number and low-pole-number drives. Moreover, during the switching, of the high-pole-number and low-pole-number controllers, the controller corresponding to the drive given priority by the priority pole-number determiner calculates the voltage command for the drive given priority; and the controller corresponding to the drive not given priority calculates, based on the voltage command for the drive given priority, the voltage command for the drive not given priority.

A motor control apparatus includes: a high-pole-number controller that generates a voltage command for high-pole-number drive of an electric motor and controls operation of the electric motor under the high-pole-number drive; a low-pole-number controller that generates a voltage command for low-pole-number drive of the electric motor and controls operation of the electric motor under the low-pole-number drive; and a priority pole-number determiner that determines which one of the high-pole-number drive and the low-pole-number drive is to be given priority during switching between the high-pole-number and low-pole-number drives. Moreover, during the switching, of the high-pole-number and low-pole-number controllers, the controller corresponding to the drive given priority by the priority pole-number determiner calculates the voltage command for the drive given priority; and the controller corresponding to the drive not given priority calculates, based on the voltage command for the drive given priority, the voltage command for the drive not given priority.

An electric drive system includes a battery pack, a power inverter module (PIM), an electric machine, a switching circuit, and a controller. The electric machine has three or more phase legs. The PIM has a DC-side connected to the battery pack, and an alternating current (AC)-side connected to the electric machine. The switching circuit includes AC switches, and for each phase leg also includes three or more winding sections each electrically connectable to or disconnectable from the battery pack and PIM via the AC switches. The controller commands a binary switching state of each respective AC switch based on the rotary speed to implement one of three different speed-based operating modes of the electric machine, and to thereby vary a conductive path from the PIM to the electric machine through one or more of the connected winding sections.

A control device for a pole-number switching electric motor applied to a system including an electric motor capable of switching a number of poles, and an inverter electrically connected to stator windings of the electric motor; includes: a basic operation unit configured to operate the inverter to control a current amplitude which is magnitude of a current vector flowing in the stator winding, and a switching operation unit configured to operate the inverter to reduce the current amplitude before switching and increase the current amplitude after switching. The switching operation unit, the pole number switching period, operates the inverter so that a total value of the current amplitude before switching and the current amplitude after switching does not exceed a limiting current value.