Patent ID: 8884577
Filing Date: 2014-11-11
Classification: G01R,H02M,H02P

Abstract:
1. A control apparatus for a rotary electric machine with terminals receiving power from a DC power supply with positive and negative terminals, comprising: a DC-AC converting circuit provided with serially connected circuits each having a high-potential-side switching element and a low-potential-side switching element, the high-potential-side and low-potential-side switching elements selectively connecting the terminals of the rotary electric machine to the positive and negative output terminals of the power supply for controlling a controlled variable of the rotary electric machine; a connecting/disconnecting circuit arranged between the DC-AC converting circuit and the power supply so as to selectively and electrically connect or disconnect an electric path connecting both the DC-AC converting circuit and the power supply; current detecting means that detects a current passing in the rotary electric machine; determining means that determines whether or not the high-potential-side and low-potential-side switching elements have an abnormality; and first failsafe performing means that turns OFF all the switching elements in the DC-AC converting circuit when the determining means determines that the high-potential-side and low-potential-side switching elements have the abnormality; open/close control means that makes the connecting/disconnecting circuit open when the determining means determines that the high-potential-side and low-potential-side switching elements have the abnormality; second determining means that determines whether or not the abnormality has been resolved depending on the current detected by the current detecting means after the first failsafe performing means has turned OFF all the switching elements; current determining means that determines whether or not the current detected by the current detecting means is outside a current detectable range previously given to the current detecting means; turning-on means that turns ON a switching element alternately designated among the high-potential-side and low-potential-side switching elements while avoiding a state where potential at all the terminals of the rotary electric machine become the same potential, when the second determining means determines that the abnormality has not been resolved yet and the current determining means determines that the detected current is outside the current detectable range; and identifying means that identifies a location at which the abnormality occurs as a short circuit, based on changes in the current detected by the current detecting means in response to alternately turning ON the switching element by the turning-on means.