Patent ID: 8040096
Filing Date: 2011-10-18
Classification: B60L,H02M,H02P,Y02T

Abstract:
1. A rotary electric system comprising: a rotary electric machine provided with a rotor and star-connected multiphase stator windings with a neutral point, the rotary electric machine working to rotate the rotor when the multiphase stator windings are energized; a direct current power source having a high-side electrode and a low-side electrode; a multiphase inverter including a high-side switching element and a low-side switching element per phase of the multiphase stator windings, the high-side and low-side switching elements being connected with each other in series, the multiphase inverter working to energize the multiphase stator windings based on power supplied from the direct current power source when driven; a switch member including at least one of a first switch and a second switch, the first switch being connected between the neutral point of the multiphase stator windings and the high-side electrode, the second switch being connected between the neutral point of the multiphase stator windings and the low-side electrode; and a contoller connected with the high-side and low-side switching elements per phase of the multiphase stator windings and with the switch member and working to turn the switch member off and on to thereby switch control of the multiphase inverter between full-wave driving mode and half-wave driving mode, the full-wave driving mode allowing the controller to drive all of the high-side and low-side switching elements per phase of the multiphase stator windings, the half-wave driving mode allowing the controller to drive any one of the high-side switching element and the low-side switching element per phase of the multiphase stator windings; wherein the switch member includes the first switch connected between the neutral point of the multiphase stator windings and the high-side electrode, and the controller is configured to: determine whether an open fault occurs in at least one of the high-side switching elements for the respective phases of the multiphase stator windings; turn off all of the high-side switching elements for the respective phases of the multiphase stator windings when it is determined that the open fault occurs in at least one of the high-side switching elements for the respective phases of the multiphase stator windings; turn the first switch on; and sequentially turn on and off the low-side switching elements for the respective phases of the multiphase stator windings to thereby drive the multiphase inverter in the half-wave driving mode.