Methods, systems and apparatus for overmodulation of a five-phase machine

1. A method for overmodulating a reference voltage vector to optimize voltage command signals that control a five-phase inverter module to increase output voltages generated by the five-phase inverter module, the method comprising:

determining a magnitude and an angle of the reference voltage vector based on the voltage command signals;

determining whether the magnitude of the reference voltage vector is less than or equal to a threshold; and

generating a modified magnitude and a modified angle of the reference voltage vector based on the magnitude of the reference voltage vector and the angle of the reference voltage vector when the magnitude of the reference voltage vector is determined to be less than or equal to the threshold.

2. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of determining whether the magnitude of the reference voltage vector is less than or equal to a threshold, comprises:

determining whether the magnitude of the reference voltage vector is less than or equal to a linear region voltage threshold for a linear modulation region to determine whether the reference voltage vector is within the linear modulation region.

3. A method according to claim 2 , when the magnitude of the reference voltage vector is determined to be greater than the linear region voltage threshold for the linear modulation region, further comprising the step of:

determining whether the magnitude of the reference voltage vector is less than or equal to a first voltage threshold for a first overmodulation region to determine whether the reference voltage vector is within the first overmodulation region or a second overmodulation region.

4. A method according to claim 3 , when the magnitude of the reference voltage vector is determined to be less than or equal to the first voltage threshold for the first overmodulation region and the reference voltage vector is determined to be within the first overmodulation region, wherein the step of generating a modified magnitude and modified angle (α*) of the reference voltage vector comprises:

generating a modified magnitude of the reference voltage vector based on the magnitude of the reference voltage vector and a correction factor coefficient and a modified angle of the reference voltage vector that is equal to the angle of the reference voltage vector.

5. A method according to claim 3 , when the magnitude of the reference voltage vector is determined to be greater than the first voltage threshold for the first overmodulation region and the reference voltage vector is determined to be within the second overmodulation region, wherein the step of generating a modified magnitude and modified angle (α*) of the reference voltage vector comprises:

generating a modified magnitude of the reference voltage vector that varies based on a sector number (n) based on a hold angle that is a function of modulation index, and a modified angle of the reference voltage vector that is different than the angle of the reference voltage vector and that varies based on the sector number (n).

6. A method according to claim 5 , wherein the step of generating a modified magnitude of the reference voltage vector that varies based on a sector number (n) based on the hold angle that is a function of modulation index, and a modified angle of the reference voltage vector that is different than the angle of the reference voltage vector and that varies based on the sector number (n), comprises:

generating, when the angle of the reference voltage vector is in a first angular range of the sector, a modified magnitude of the reference voltage vector based on a first active voltage switching vector and a modified angle of the reference voltage vector based on the sector number;

generating, when the angle of the reference voltage vector is in a second angular range of the sector, a modified magnitude of the reference voltage vector based on the linear region voltage threshold, the angle of the reference voltage vector, the sector number (n) and the hold angle that is a function of modulation index, and a modified angle of the reference voltage vector based on the angle of the reference voltage vector, the sector number (n) and the hold angle; and

generating, when the angle of the reference voltage vector is in a third angular range of the sector, a modified magnitude of the reference voltage vector based on a second active voltage switching vector, and a modified angle of the reference voltage vector based on the sector number (n).

7. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of determining a magnitude and an angle of the reference voltage vector based on voltage command signals comprises:

determining a magnitude and an angle of the reference voltage vector based on a synchronous reference frame d-axis voltage command signal and a synchronous reference frame q-axis voltage command signal.

8. A five-phase system, comprising:

a five-phase inverter module that generates an output voltages based on voltage command signals that control the five-phase inverter module;

a five-phase machine driven by the output voltages generated by the five-phase inverter module; and

an overmodulation processor designed to overmodulate a reference voltage vector to optimize the voltage command signals to increase the output voltages generated by the five-phase inverter module, wherein the overmodulation processor is designed to determine whether a magnitude of the reference voltage vector is less than or equal to a threshold, and generate a modified magnitude and a modified angle of the reference voltage vector based on the magnitude of the reference voltage vector and an angle of the reference voltage vector when the magnitude of the reference voltage vector is determined to be less than or equal to the threshold.

9. A system according to claim 8 , wherein the overmodulation processor is designed to determine whether the magnitude of the reference voltage vector is less than or equal to a linear region voltage threshold for a linear modulation region to determine whether the reference voltage vector is within the linear modulation region.

10. A system according to claim 9 , when the magnitude of the reference voltage vector is determined to be greater than the linear region voltage threshold for the linear modulation region, wherein the overmodulation processor is designed to determine whether the magnitude of the reference voltage vector is less than or equal to a first voltage threshold for a first overmodulation region to determine whether the reference voltage vector is within the first overmodulation region or a second overmodulation region.

11. A system according to claim 10 , when the magnitude of the reference voltage vector is determined to be less than or equal to the first voltage threshold for the first overmodulation region and the reference voltage vector is determined to be within the first overmodulation region, wherein the overmodulation processor is designed to generate a modified magnitude of the reference voltage vector based on the magnitude of the reference voltage vector and a correction factor coefficient.

12. A system according to claim 10 , when the magnitude of the reference voltage vector is determined to be greater than the first voltage threshold for the first overmodulation region and the reference voltage vector is determined to be within the second overmodulation region, wherein the overmodulation processor is designed to generate a modified magnitude and a modified angle of the reference voltage vector.

13. A system according to claim 10 , when the magnitude of the reference voltage vector is determined to be greater than the first voltage threshold for the first overmodulation region and the reference voltage vector is determined to be within the second overmodulation region, wherein the overmodulation processor is designed to generate a modified magnitude of the reference voltage vector that varies based on a sector number (n) and a hold angle that is a function of modulation index and a modified angle of the reference voltage vector that is different than the angle of the reference voltage vector and that varies based on the sector number (n).

14. A system according to claim 13 , when the angle of the reference voltage vector is in a first angular range of the sector, wherein the overmodulation processor is designed to generate a modified magnitude of the reference voltage vector based on a first active voltage switching vector and a modified angle of the reference voltage vector based on the sector number.

15. A system according to claim 14 , when the angle of the reference voltage vector is in a second angular range of the sector, wherein the overmodulation processor is designed to generate a modified magnitude of the reference voltage vector based on the linear region voltage threshold, the angle of the reference voltage vector, the sector number (n) and the hold angle that is a function of modulation index, and

a modified angle of the reference voltage vector based on the angle of the reference voltage vector, the sector number (n) and the hold angle.

16. A system according to claim 15 , when the angle of the reference voltage vector is in a third angular range of the sector, wherein the overmodulation processor is designed to generate a modified magnitude of the reference voltage vector based on a second active voltage switching vector, and

a modified angle of the reference voltage vector based on the sector number (n).

17. A system according to claim 8 , wherein the overmodulation processor is further designed to:

determine the magnitude and the angle of the reference voltage vector based on a synchronous reference frame d-axis voltage command signal and a synchronous reference frame q-axis voltage command signal.

18. A method for overmodulating a reference voltage vector to optimize voltage command signals that controls a five-phase inverter module to increase output voltages generated by the five-phase inverter module, the method comprising:

determining a magnitude and an angle of the reference voltage vector based on synchronous reference frame voltage command signals;

determining whether the magnitude of the reference voltage vector is less than or equal to a linear region voltage threshold for a linear modulation region to determine whether the reference voltage vector is within the linear modulation region;

when the magnitude of the reference voltage vector is determined to be less than or equal to the first voltage threshold for the first overmodulation region and the reference voltage vector is determined to be within the first overmodulation region, generating a modified magnitude of the reference voltage vector based on the magnitude of the reference voltage vector and a correction factor coefficient, and a modified angle of the reference voltage vector that is equal to the angle of the reference voltage vector;

when the magnitude of the reference voltage vector is determined to be greater than the linear region voltage threshold for the linear modulation region, determining whether the magnitude of the reference voltage vector is less than or equal to a first voltage threshold for a first overmodulation region to determine whether the reference voltage vector is within the first overmodulation region or a second overmodulation region; and

when the magnitude of the reference voltage vector is determined to be greater than the first voltage threshold for the first overmodulation region and the reference voltage vector is determined to be within the second overmodulation region, generating a modified magnitude of the reference voltage vector, and a modified angle of the reference voltage vector that is different than the angle of the reference voltage vector.

19. A method according to claim 18 , wherein the step of generating a modified magnitude of the reference voltage vector, and a modified angle of the reference voltage vector that is different than the angle of the reference voltage vector, comprises:

generating, when the angle of the reference voltage vector is in a first angular range of the sector, a modified magnitude of the reference voltage vector based on a first active voltage switching vector and a modified angle of the reference voltage vector based on the sector number (n);

generating, when the angle of the reference voltage vector is in a second angular range of the sector, a modified magnitude of the reference voltage vector based on the linear region voltage threshold, the angle of the reference voltage vector, the sector number (n) and the hold angle that is a function of modulation index, and a modified angle of the reference voltage vector based on the angle of the reference voltage vector, the sector number (n) and the hold angle; and

generating, when the angle of the reference voltage vector is in a third angular range of the sector, a modified magnitude of the reference voltage vector based on a second active voltage switching vector, and a modified angle of the reference voltage vector based on the sector number (n).