Patent GB-1450790-A (GB)
Title: Direct current motor control arrangement for use in battery- powered automobiles
IPC: H02P7/29
Filed: 1973-12-11
Abstract: 1450790 Control of D.C. motors K MATSUMOTO 11 Dec 1973 [15 Dec 1972] 57296/73 Heading H2J A battery-powered vehicle is driven by a D.C. series motor 31, 32 supplied through a chopper circuit 2 from battery groups 11-14, which are interconnected with one another and with supply lines 111, 141 by thyristors 61, 62, 63 and diodes 71-78, whereby appropriate firing of the thyristors connects the groups 11-14 in parallel, series-parallel or series to produce respective operating conditions or steps 1, 2, 3 having respective output voltages of “ E B , ¢ E B  and EB, the firing signals for thyristors 61, 62, 63 and for the main and auxiliary thyristors (21, 22) of the chopper circuit 2, Fig. 2 (not shown) being supplied from a pulse generator circuit 100 (Fig. 5) in response to the difference between a signal U S  dependent on the setting of an accelerator pedal controlling a signal generator circuit 700 and a signal U S  obtained from a circuit 800 detecting the motor current, the arrangement being such that control of the motor is divided into three speed ranges-low, medium and high, respectively corresponding to the three operating conditions or steps 1, 2 and 3-during which the various connections of the battery groups are effected in dependence on the varying time ratio of the chopper circuit 2 produced by the difference signal (U S -U C ), therebeing an automatic change from condition 1 to 2 or from 2 to 3, when the time ratio in the existing condition exceeds a preset maximum value, and conversely an automatic change from condition 3 to 2 or from 2 to 1, when the time ratio in the existing condition falls below a preset minimum value. Thus if a change in speed corresponding to a change in accelerator pedal setting cannot be obtained by changing the time ratio of the chopper circuit, a change in operating condition is effected to meet the new requirement, with a corresponding change in time ratio to meet the new operating condition. A signal representative of (U S -U C ) is applied to a time ratio control circuit 400 and also to circuits 530, 540 respectively detecting preset maximum and minimum values of (U S -U) C , the circuit 400 controlling the chopper circuit 2 through pulse generator circuits 100, 300 and the circuits 530, 540 supplying trigger circuits 510, 520, which respectively supply step-up and step-down signals U and D to a battery changeover signal generator circuit 200 controlling the thyristors 61, 62, 63 through the circuit 100. Figure 4 shows the operating sequence for each step 1, 2 and 3, the time ratio of the chopper circuit being defined as T H /T H +T L  where, during each cycle, T H  is the time for which the chopper output voltage is highest and T L  is the time for which the output voltage is lowest (including zero), the total time T for each cycle being approximately equal to T H  + T L . Operation for the three steps is as follows: Step 1.-At time t 1A  thyristors 61, 62, 63 are fired to charge the capacitor (23) of the chopper circuit 2, completion of this operation turning off thyristors 61, 62, 63. The chopper main thyristor (21) is fired at time t 1AA  and a voltage of “ E B  (all battery groups in parallel) is applied to the motor, until the chopper auxiliary thyristor (22) is fired at time t 2  to turn off thyristor (21). After a non-conducting period the sequence is repeated, the average output voltage from the chopper circuit being “ E B α where α is the time ratio. Step 2.-Thyristors 61, 62, 63 are fired as before at time t 1A , but at time t 1AA  thyristors 61, 63 are fired again together with the thyristor (21) to apply a voltage of ¢ E B  to the motor (battery groups in series parallel), until the thyristor (22) is fired at time t 2 . At time t 2A  thyristor (21) is again fired and a voltage of “ E B  is applied to the motor until thyristor (22) is again fired to end the cycle, during which the average output voltage of the chopper is “ E B  (1+α). Step 3.-At time t 1AA  the thyristors (21), 61, 62, 63 are fired to apply a voltage of E B  to the motor (battery groups in series), until the thyristor (22) is fired at time t 2 . At time t 2A  the thyristors (21), 61, 63 are fired to apply a voltage of ¢ E B  to the motor, which voltage changes to E B  at time t 1A  when the thyristor 62 is again fired. The average output voltage during the cycle is ¢ E B  (1 + α), the chopper being continuously conductive during each cycle subsequent to the first. Members 100, 200 comprise circuits of interconnected flip-flops, logic gates, amplifiers, one shot multivibrators and time delay units, Figs. 6, 7 and 10 (not shown), and typical operating characteristics of these members and the members 300, 400, 510, 520, 530, 540 are described, Figs. 8, 9, 11 and 12 (not shown). The variation of the pulsating amplitude of the motor current with the motor operating condition is discussed.