Motor controller, washing machine, air conditioner and electric oil pump

1. A motor controller comprising:

current regulators supplied with current command values;

a voltage command value generator supplied with outputs of said current regulators; and

a power conversion circuit for applying a voltage to a permanent magnet motor in accordance with an output of said voltage command value generator,

wherein

said motor controller has a synchronous operation mode in which position feedback is not conducted,

said motor controller has an operation mode using position feedback, and

in the synchronous operation mode, an arithmetic operation for estimating a value proportionate to a torque of the permanent magnet motor is conducted, a control constant concerning an automatic speed regulator, said current regulators or said voltage command value generator is set on the basis of the value proportionate to the torque of the permanent magnet motor, and a shift to the operation mode using position feedback is conducted.

2. A motor controller according to claim 1 , wherein the control constant is a value for generating a current command value or a current command.

3. A motor controller according to claim 1 , wherein

a position error between an actual rotation position of the permanent magnet motor and a virtual rotation position in control is found by using a voltage command value, motor current information, and the motor constant, and

an arithmetic operation for estimating the value proportionate to the torque of the permanent magnet motor is conducted by using the position error.

4. A motor controller according to claim 1 , wherein

active power of the permanent magnet motor is found by using a voltage command value, motor current information, and the motor constant, and

an arithmetic operation for estimating the value proportionate to the torque of the permanent magnet motor is conducted by using the active power.

5. A motor controller according to claim 4 , wherein

the value proportionate to the torque of the permanent magnet motor is a q-axis current estimated value,

motor input active power is found on the basis of a voltage command value and a motor current, and a motor loss is found on the basis of the motor constant and a motor current,

a motor output is found on the basis of the motor input active power and the motor loss,

a torque estimated value is found by using the motor output and a motor speed or a motor speed estimated value, and

the q-axis current estimated value is estimated on the basis of the torque estimated value.

6. A motor controller according to claim 1 , wherein the value proportionate to the torque of the permanent magnet motor is a q-axis current estimated value.

7. A motor controller according to claim 6 , further comprising an automatic speed regulator, the automatic speed regulator operating only in the operation mode using position feedback, the automatic speed regulator being supplied with a speed command, a detected speed or an estimated speed to output a current command,

wherein setting is conducted on an integral element included in the automatic speed regulator and concerning the current command on the basis of the q-axis current estimated value.

8. A motor controller according to claim 1 , wherein

a time period over which a frequency command is kept constant is provided in the synchronous operation mode, and

an arithmetic operation for estimating the value proportionate to the torque of the permanent magnet motor is conducted by using motor current information obtained during the time period.

9. A motor controller according to claim 8 , wherein the time period over which the frequency command is kept constant corresponds to at least one rotation in mechanical angle of a rotor in the permanent magnet motor.

10. A motor controller according to claim 8 , wherein the time period over which the frequency command is kept constant corresponds to at least one period in torque ripple periods caused by load characteristics.

11. A motor controller according to claim 1 , wherein an arithmetic operation for estimating the value proportionate to the torque of the permanent magnet motor is conducted on the basis of motor current information obtained immediately before the shift from the synchronous operation mode to the operation mode using position feedback.

12. A motor controller according to claim 1 , wherein an arithmetic operation for estimating the value proportionate to the torque of the permanent magnet motor is conducted by finding an average value of a plurality of arithmetic operation results for the value proportionate to the torque obtained during a definite time period in the synchronous operation mode.

13. A motor controller for a permanent magnet motor started in:

a positioning mode in which a current is let flow in a specific phase and positioning of a rotor is conducted;

a synchronous operation mode in which an AC current is let flow and position feedback is not conducted; and

an operation mode using position feedback,

wherein during a time period of the synchronous operation mode, a ratio between a first current in a phase of a current let flow at the time of positioning and a second current in a phase led in a rotation direction by 90 degrees is changed successively.

14. A motor controller according to claim 13 , wherein the first current is a d-axis current and the second current is a q-axis current, or the first current is a q-axis current and the second current is a d-axis current.

15. A motor controller according to claim 13 , wherein the first current becomes nearly equal to the second current immediately before changeover from the synchronous operation mode to the operation mode using position feedback.

16. A motor controller according to claim 13 , wherein

an arithmetic operation for estimating a value proportionate to a torque of the permanent magnet motor is conducted in the synchronous operation mode, and

the ratio between the first current and the second current obtained immediately before changeover from the synchronous operation mode to the operation mode using position feedback is changed in a direction in which the first current decreases or in a direction in which the second current increases, as the torque increases on the basis of the value proportionate to the torque of the permanent magnet motor.

17. A washing machine having a motor system, the motor system comprising:

a permanent magnet motor;

current regulators supplied with current command values;

a voltage command value generator supplied with outputs of said current regulators; and

a power conversion circuit for applying a voltage to a permanent magnet motor in accordance with an output of said voltage command value generator,

wherein

the motor system has a synchronous operation mode in which position feedback is not conducted,

the motor system has an operation mode using position feedback,

in the synchronous operation mode, an arithmetic operation for estimating a value proportionate to a torque of said permanent magnet motor is conducted, a control constant concerning an automatic speed regulator, said current regulators or said voltage command value generator is set on the basis of the value proportionate to the torque of said permanent magnet motor, and a shift to the operation mode using position feedback is conducted, and

a washing, rinsing, dehydration or drying process is executed by using said permanent magnet motor as a rotation drive source and by rotating either a pulsator in a washing vessel connected to said permanent magnet motor directly or via a changeover mechanism for engaging or disengaging with a rotation axis, or a washing/dehydration vessel supported in an outer vessel by a rotation axis so as to be freely rotatable around the rotation axis.

18. An air conditioner having a motor system, the motor system comprising:

a permanent magnet motor;

current regulators supplied with current command values;

a voltage command value generator supplied with outputs of said current regulators; and

a power conversion circuit for applying a voltage to a permanent magnet motor in accordance with an output of said voltage command value generator,

wherein

the motor system has a synchronous operation mode in which position feedback is not conducted,

the motor system has an operation mode using position feedback,

in the synchronous operation mode, an arithmetic operation for estimating a value proportionate to a torque of said permanent magnet motor is conducted, a control constant concerning an automatic speed regulator, said current regulators or said voltage command value generator is set on the basis of the value proportionate to the torque of said permanent magnet motor, and a shift to the operation mode using position feedback is conducted, and

said permanent magnet motor is used as a rotation drive source of a compressor.

19. An electric oil pump having a motor system, the motor system comprising:

a permanent magnet motor;

current regulators supplied with current command values;

a voltage command value generator supplied with outputs of said current regulators; and

a power conversion circuit for applying a voltage to a permanent magnet motor in accordance with an output of said voltage command value generator,

wherein

the motor system has a synchronous operation mode in which position feedback is not conducted,

the motor system has an operation mode using position feedback,

in the synchronous operation mode, an arithmetic operation for estimating a value proportionate to a torque of said permanent magnet motor is conducted, a control constant concerning an automatic speed regulator, said current regulators or said voltage command value generator is set on the basis of the value proportionate to the torque of said permanent magnet motor, and a shift to the operation mode using position feedback is conducted, and

thereby said permanent magnet motor is driven.