The present disclosure provides a rotor structure, a permanent magnet auxiliary synchronous reluctance motor and an electric vehicle. A rotor structure includes a rotor body. The rotor body has magnetic steel slot groups. Each of the magnetic steel slot groups includes an outer layer magnetic steel slot including: a first outer layer magnetic steel slot segment, a second outer layer magnetic steel slot segment, a first bent slot, and a second bent slot. The first outer layer magnetic steel slot segment and the second outer layer magnetic steel slot segment are arranged along a radial direction of the rotor body and are opposite to each other. Extended lines of a length directional geometric centerline of the first outer layer magnetic steel slot segment and a length directional geometric centerline of the second outer layer magnetic steel slot segment define a first angle.

An apparatus for guiding an autonomous vehicle towards a docking station including an autonomous vehicle with a camera-based sensing system, a drive system for driving the autonomous vehicle, and a control system for controlling the drive system. The apparatus includes a docking station including a first fiducial marker and a second fiducial marker, wherein the second fiducial marker is positioned on the docking station to define a predetermined relative spacing with the first fiducial marker, wherein the control system is operable to receive an image provided by the camera-based sensing system, the image including a representation of the first and second fiducial markers, and to control the drive system so as to guide the autonomous vehicle towards the base station based on a difference between the representation of the first and second fiducial markers in the received image and the predetermined relative spacing between the first and second fiducial markers.

A punching method includes: punching out a plurality of electrical steel sheets in a stacked state by a mold, wherein sheet thicknesses of the electrical steel sheets are set to be 0.35 mm or less, a Vickers hardness (test force 1 kg) of the sheets is set to be 150 to 400, and an average crystal grain size of the sheets is set to be 50 to 250 μm, a clearance of the mold is set to be 7% or more of a minimum sheet thickness of the sheet thicknesses of the electrical steel sheets and equal to or lower than 7% of a total sheet thickness of the electrical steel sheets, and a pressure that a sheet presser of the mold applies to the electrical steel sheets is set to be 0.10 MPa or more.

A connector device includes a motor-side connector 30 including a motor-side terminal 31, an inverter-side connector 60 including an inverter-side terminal 70, a motor case 10 including the motor-side connector 30, and an inverter case 50 including the inverter-side connector 60, the connectors 30, 60 being fitted together when the inverter case 50 is stacked on and fastened to the motor case 10 using bolts 120. When the fastening of the cases 10, 50 is completed, a predetermined gap is ensured between opposing surfaces 36B, 80A of the connectors 30, 60.

A method for operating an electrically operated or also electrically operable motor vehicle provided with a rechargeable electric energy storage device associated with the drive motor of the motor vehicle. A target charging state is determined for the energy storage device and an operating strategy is determined for a route that is calculated, entered or predicted for the next trip, by which recuperative deceleration is enabled with a specifiable minimum amount for deceleration processes occurring along the route. A total mass of the motor vehicle, including optionally a trailer connected to the motor vehicle, deviating from an input normal value and an air resistance of the motor vehicle deviating from a predetermined normal value are taken into account.

An autonomous ground treatment appliance, in particular a robotic lawnmower, includes a housing, a running gear, a control unit, at least one wheel unit, and a sensor unit. The control unit is configured to control the autonomous ground treatment appliance. The at least one wheel unit is mounted on the housing so as to be at least partially movable relative to the housing. The sensor unit is configured to ascertain a position of the wheel unit relative to the housing.

The invention provides in some aspects a transport system comprising a guideway with a plurality of propulsion coils disposed along a region in which one or more vehicles are to be propelled. One or more vehicles are disposed on the guideway, each including a magnetic flux source. The guideway has one or more running surfaces that support the vehicles and along which they roll or slide. Each vehicle can have a septum portion of narrowed cross-section that is coupled to one or more body portions of the vehicle. The guideway includes a diverge region that has a flipper and an extension of the running surface at a vertex of the diverge. The flipper initiates switching of vehicle direction at a diverge by exerting a laterally directed force thereon. The extension continues switching of vehicle direction at the diverge by contacting the septum. Still other aspects of the invention provide a transport system, e.g., as described above, that includes a merge region with a flipper and a broadened region of the running surface. The flipper applies a lateral force to the vehicle to alter an angle thereof as the vehicle enters the merge region, and the broadened region continues the merge by contacting the septum of the vehicle, thereby, providing further guidance or channeling for the merge. The flipper, which can be equipped for full or partial deployment, is partially deployed in order to effect alteration of the vehicle angle as the vehicle enters the merge.

A vehicle provided with an electric propulsion system and a method for controlling the electric propulsion system are provided. The system includes a first Electrical Motor (EM1) connected via first Electrical Connections (EC1) to an on-board Energy Storage System (ESS1) and drivingly connected to wheels. The system further includes a second Electrical Motor (EM2) connected via second Electrical Connections (EC2) to one or several electrical energy sources and drivingly connected to wheels. The system is controlled by an Electronic Control Unit (ECU) and the Electrical Motors (EM1, EM2) are used in dependence of the State Of Charge (SOC) level in the first Energy Storage System (ESS1) and the availability of electrical energy for the second Electrical Motor (EM2). The ECU is programmed to include an energy transfer mode in which the use of the second Electric Motor (EM2) for propulsive force is increased and the use of the first Electric Motor (EM1) for regenerative breaking is increased when the State Of Charge (SOC) level in the first electrical Energy Storage System (ESS1) is below a defined level and it is estimated that there is more electrical energy available for the second Electrical Motor (EM2) than for the first Electrical Motor (EM1).

The invention provides in some aspects a transport system comprising a guideway having a plurality of regions in which one or more vehicles are propelled, where each such vehicle includes a magnet. Disposed along each region are a plurality of propulsion coils, each comprising one or more turns that are disposed about a common axis, such that the respective common axes of the plurality of coils in that region are (i) substantially aligned with one another, and (ii) orthogonal to a direction in which the vehicles are to be propelled in that region. The plurality of coils of at least one such region are disposed on opposing sides of the magnets of vehicles being propelled along that region so as to exert a propulsive force of substance on those magnets. In at least one other region, the plurality of coils disposed on only a single side of the magnets of vehicles being propelled in that region exert a propulsive force of substance thereon—regardless of whether the plurality of coils in that region are disposed on a single or multiple (e.g., opposing sides) of those magnets.

Systems and methods provide an alternative high voltage cutoff technique for disconnecting a high voltage battery from an electrical network of a vehicle in the event of a fault condition. Embodiments include a vehicle system comprising an electrical bus and a battery module coupled to the electrical bus via a contactor and a disconnector. The vehicle system further includes a controller configured to switch the contactor to an open state, upon receiving a fault condition signal, and if the contactor failed to open, activating the disconnector to break electrical connection between the battery module and the electrical bus. In some embodiments, the fault condition signal is generated upon detecting a vehicular impact. In some embodiments, the disconnector is a pyrotechnic device powered by a vehicle battery included in the vehicle system.