Patent ID: 8867181

Claim:
A method for detecting a phase current sensor fault in a multi-phase electrical machine, the method comprising: receiving an input torque command T* and measuring a set of feedback signals of the electrical machine including a phase current Ix for each phase thereof; generating direct and quadrature command phase currents Id*, Iq* for the machine corresponding to the value of an input torque command T*; determining a total command current Is=f(Id*, Iq*); generating a negative sequence current Ineg =f(Ix); combining Ineg and Is to provide a normalized negative sequence current Inn=Ineg/Is; comparing the normalized negative sequence current Inn to a predetermined threshold value INN* to determine the presence of a phase current sensor fault; and executing a control action when Inn>INN*, wherein the control action comprises reducing the phase currents Ix flowing to the machine or reducing a phase voltages Vx applied to the machine.