A controller for a switched reluctance motor, which includes a rotor, a stator, and coils wound around the stator and which is mounted on a vehicle as a traveling drive source, the controller including: a control unit performing regenerative control to apply a positive voltage and a negative voltage to the coils so that a current value of the coils becomes a first target current value in a predetermined regenerative region. Further, when the battery charge state value is a predetermined value or more, the control unit reduces a section where a negative voltage is applied to the coils to be narrower than that in a case where a battery charge state value is less than the predetermined value.

A drive system with one or more electrically driven axles, a transmission subsystem, which is drivingly coupled to the drive gearbox of each of the electrically driven axles, synchronous and asynchronous motors, which are each drivingly coupled to the transmission subsystem, and a controller. Each of the axles has a drive gearbox that transmits rotary power to an associated set of vehicle wheels. The controller controls the synchronous motor and/or the asynchronous motor responsive to at least a torque request and a shaft speed of the synchronous motor and/or the shaft speed of the asynchronous motor. Over a significant portion of the operating range of the drive system, the controller is configured to vary the respective magnitudes of the rotary power provided by the motors to satisfy the torque request in a manner that maximizes a combined efficiency of the motors in a predetermined manner.

A control apparatus includes: a rotor temperature estimation unit estimating a temperature of a rotor based on stator temperature information from a first temperature sensor for identifying a temperature of a stator, refrigerant temperature information from a second temperature sensor for identifying a temperature of refrigerant used to cool an electric motor, and rotation speed information about the rotor from a resolver for identifying a rotation speed of the rotor; and an electric motor control unit controlling at least one of an output characteristic and a drive condition of the electric motor based on the temperature of the rotor estimated by the rotor temperature estimation unit.

A work machine includes a frame, a traction system supporting the frame, a power source mounted on the frame, a switched reluctance motor, an inverter configured to control power to the motor from a power source, and a controller. The controller is configured to receive a signal indicating a desired torque and determine if the desired torque is between an upper threshold and a lower threshold. If the desired torque is between the upper threshold and the lower threshold, pulse width modulation is used to produce a PWM adjusted torque command, and the motor is commanded based on the PWM adjusted torque command. The PWM adjusted torque command is configured to cycle between the upper threshold and the lower threshold to produce the desired torque.

A method of operating an electric or hybrid system comprising a synchronous reluctance electric motor coupled to an electric or hybrid powertrain is described herein. The method comprises determining (i) a torque demand required of the electric motor and (ii) a speed of rotation of the rotor of the electric motor, and storing kinetic energy in a rotor of the electric motor from the powertrain in response to at least one of (i) the determined torque demand falling below a selected torque demand threshold and (ii) the speed of the rotor being below a selected rotor speed threshold. The method further comprises operating the electric motor by powering the electric motor with electricity to deliver energy to the powertrain in response to at least one of: (i) the determined torque demand rising above a selected torque demand threshold and (ii) the speed of the rotor falling below a selected rotor speed threshold.

A traction motor with a switched reluctance motor of a motor vehicle includes a ferromagnetic rotor, a stator with stator poles each including a winding with at least one winding strand, and at least two winding strands of a stator pole or at least two winding strands arranged on diametrically opposite stator poles being assigned to a motor phase, the at least two winding strands being between a first supply line connected to a DC voltage source and a second supply line connected to a ground connection, and each winding strand being assigned an upper electronic switch and a lower electronic switch each having a freewheeling diode arranged in parallel, and a controller to control the electronic switches of the circuits as a function of a position of the rotor.

A method of operating an electric or hybrid system comprising a synchronous reluctance electric motor coupled to an electric or hybrid powertrain is described herein. The method comprises determining (i) a torque demand required of the electric motor and (ii) a speed of rotation of the rotor of the electric motor, and storing kinetic energy in a rotor of the electric motor from the powertrain in response to at least one of (i) the determined torque demand falling below a selected torque demand threshold and (ii) the speed of the rotor being below a selected rotor speed threshold. The method further comprises operating the electric motor by powering the electric motor with electricity to deliver energy to the powertrain in response to at least one of: (i) the determined torque demand rising above a selected torque demand threshold and (ii) the speed of the rotor falling below a selected rotor speed threshold.

An electrical system includes a power inverter connected to a battery and outputting a polyphase voltage, and a cycloidal reluctance machine. A machine rotor provides output torque, and is surrounded and separated from the stator by an airgap. The rotor includes permanent magnets providing a fixed-orientation rotor field. The stator includes windings proximate the permanent magnets and electrically connected to the inverter to form stator electromagnets. The rotor field augments the stator field to boost output torque. The rotor is eccentrically positioned with respect to the stator to move with two degrees of freedom (2DOF), including rotating motion and orbiting motion about a center axis of the stator. A rotor constraint mechanism constrains motion of the rotor, such that the rotor is able to generate and transmit the output torque to a coupled load in at least one of the 2DOF.

An electrical system includes a power inverter connected to a battery and outputting a polyphase voltage, and a cycloidal reluctance machine. A machine rotor provides output torque, and is surrounded and separated from the stator by an airgap. The rotor includes permanent magnets providing a fixed-orientation rotor field. The stator includes windings proximate the permanent magnets and electrically connected to the inverter to form stator electromagnets. The rotor field augments the stator field to boost output torque. The rotor is eccentrically positioned with respect to the stator to move with two degrees of freedom (2 DOF), including rotating motion and orbiting motion about a center axis of the stator. A rotor constraint mechanism constrains motion of the rotor, such that the rotor is able to generate and transmit the output torque to a coupled load in at least one of the 2 DOF.

A drive system with one or more electrically driven axles, a transmission subsystem, which is drivingly coupled to the drive gearbox of each of the electrically driven axles, synchronous and asynchronous motors, which are each drivingly coupled to the transmission subsystem, and a controller. Each of the axles has a drive gearbox that transmits rotary power to an associated set of vehicle wheels. The controller controls the synchronous motor and/or the asynchronous motor responsive to at least a torque request and a shaft speed of the synchronous motor and/or the shaft speed of the asynchronous motor. Over a significant portion of the operating range of the drive system, the controller is configured to vary the respective magnitudes of the rotary power provided by the motors to satisfy the torque request in a manner that maximizes a combined efficiency of the motors in a predetermined manner.