Constant current reluctance motor drive systems

Claim 2

A system is described in Claim 1 wherein the leading edge of the first spiked pulse corresponds to the rise of the corresponding energization interval, and the leading edge of the second spiked pulse corresponds to the fall of the energization interval.

Claim 3

An electric drive system comprising: a variable reluctance motor having n phases, where n is either greater than or equal to 1 and where each phase includes a main winding and magnetically coupled to it an auxiliary winding, having further for any rotor position at least one phase whereof the inductance of the winding increases with the movement of the rotor in one given direction; and where the phases of the motor compose one or more groups of phases in such a way that each group of phases includes at least one phase whereof its winding inductance substantially increases with the movement of the rotor in the given direction, and where each phase belongs to only one group of phases; an adjustable direct voltage power supply energizing the motor providing uni-polar voltage between its terminals between which are connected either equivalent branch of the group and series connected external inductor also included in the system, or two equivalent branches of the respective groups series connected to each other, or two equivalent branches of the respective groups and also included external inductor are series connected; circuit means for applying uni-polar energizing voltages to each main winding including respective switching means connected in series relationship with associated main winding; for each group of phases one pair of terminals between which are connected each main winding of the group and respective switching means, where the equivalent circuit between the said terminals is called an equivalent branch of the group; control means providing the switching means corresponding to a group of phases to be conductive one by one and only one at any time, each one to be conductive during the energization terminals starting at a rotor position where the respective winding inductance is essentially at its minimum and ending at the rotor position where the other phase of the same group is essentially at its minimum and it is to be energized.

Claim 4

A system of Claim 3 where a direct voltage power supply is the sink for the current carried by the corresponding auxiliary winding, the said supply is called a dump source and it is equipped with one pair of terminals, the positive and the negative one; a circuit means associated with each auxiliary winding respectively and enabling energy flow from the auxiliary winding to the corresponding dump source, where the said circuit means includes two pairs of uncontrolled rectifiers; the first pair whose cathodes are connected to the positive terminal of the corresponding dump source and whose anodes are connected to the terminals of the auxiliary winding respectively, and the second pair whose anodes are connected to the negative terminal of the corresponding dump source and whose cathodes are connected to the terminals of the auxiliary winding respectively.

Claim 5

A system of Claim 3 where each group of phases includes only two phases; and including also a direct voltage power supply being the sink for the current carried by the corresponding auxiliary winding of a phases composing a group, the said supply is called a dump source and it is equipped with one pair of terminals, the positive and the negative one; a circuit means associated with a pair of the auxiliary windings of the phases composing a group, enabling energy flow from the auxiliary windings to the corresponding dump source where said pair of auxiliary winding are series connected in such way that the current flowing through the said windings produces in one winding the flux opposing the flux produced by the energizing current flowing through the associated main winding pair, where the terminals of the said auxiliary windings having no direct connection to the other winding are called free terminals and the said free terminals are connected to the respective two pairs of uncontrolled rectifiers; the first pair whose cathodes are connected to the positive terminal of the corresponding dump source and whose anodes are connected to the free previously mentioned terminals respectively, and the second pair whose anodes are connected to the negative terminal of the corresponding dump source and whose cathodes are connected to the terminals of the auxiliary winding respectively.