Patent ID: 8053915
Filing Date: 2011-11-08
Classification: H02P

Abstract:
1. A vehicle rotary electric machine including a rotor and a stator and operating as a motor and a generator mounted on the vehicle, comprising: multi-phase windings electrically connected to form a Y-connection that is wound in the stator; a converter that converts AC current flowing through the multi-phase windings from/to DC current flowing through at least a battery and being electrically connected to the battery and the multi-phase windings so as to intervene the battery and the multi-phase windings, the converter having a plurality of switching elements electrically connected to the multi-phase windings, the switching element comprising: a high-side switch connected between one end of each multi-phase winding and a high electric potential end of the converter, a low-side switch connected between one end of each multi-phase winding and a low electric potential end of the converter, a high-side neutral switch connected between a neutral point of the multi-phase windings at which the other ends of each winding are electrically connected together and the high electric potential end, and a low-side neutral switch connected between the neutral point and the low electric potential end; and a controller for controlling a current path of the multi-phase windings by switching the switching elements on and off to perform a first rectification mode and a second rectification mode, the controller controlling the switching elements to allow the high-side switch and the low-side switch to be on when the first rectification mode is performed, and controlling the switching element to allow either one of a pair of switches consisting of the high-side switch and the low-side neutral switch, or the low-side switch and the high-side neutral switch, to be on when the second rectification mode is performed.