SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR INTELLIGENT CONTROL OF ROTATING ELECTRIC MACHINES

1 . A reconfigurable rotating electric machine, the electric machine comprising a rotor to rotate in association with a stator, at least one of the rotor and the stator having windings of one or more phases, the electric machine comprising:

a plurality of coils arranged to form the windings of one or more phases, each coil or group of coils of the plurality of coils having a pair of terminals to receive an electrical input;

a plurality of switches arranged to connect each said coil or group of coils in series or parallel with another coil or group of coils of the plurality of coils to form a plurality of defined coil topology configurations; and

a processor to control the plurality of switches, the processor having memory storing settings to determine a state of each of the plurality of switches for each of the defined coil topology configurations.

2 . The electric machine of claim 1 wherein the plurality of switches are controllable to connect the plurality of coils into at least a first topology configuration and at least a second topology configuration providing higher torque or higher speed than the at least first topology configuration.

3 . The electric machine of claim 2 wherein the plurality of switches are controllable to connect the plurality of coils into at least a third topology configuration providing higher speed or higher torque than the at least first topology configuration.

4 . The electric machine of claim 2 wherein, when the plurality of switches are controlled to connect the plurality of coils into the at least first topology configuration, each of the one or more phases includes two parallel sets of coils, each of the parallel sets of coils including coils or groups of coils arranged in series, the series-arranged coils or groups of coils of each of the parallel sets of coils being positioned consecutively around a circumference of the stator.

5 . The electric machine of claim 2 wherein, when the plurality of switches are controlled to connect the plurality of coils into the at least second topology configuration, each of the one or more phases includes two sets of coils or groups of coils arranged in series, each of the sets of coils or groups of coils being positioned consecutively around a circumference of the stator.

6 . The electric machine of claim 2 wherein, when the plurality of switches are controlled to connect the plurality of coils into the third topology configuration, each of the one or more phases includes two parallel sets of coils, each of the parallel sets of coils including coils or groups of coils arranged in series, the series-arranged coils or groups of coils of each of the parallel sets of coils including a first subgroup of coils or groups of coils positioned consecutively around a circumference of the stator and a second subgroup of coils or groups of coils positioned consecutively around a circumference of the stator, the second subgroup of coils or groups of coils being positioned at a location on the circumference of the stator spaced 90 degrees from a position of the first subgroup of coils or groups of coils on the circumference of the stator.

7 . The electric machine of claim 1 wherein at least one of the rotor and the stator have windings of at least a first phase and a second phase; and the plurality of switches are controllable to connect the plurality of coils into at least a first force expansion topology configuration to form an electrical machine having two virtual poles, each of the at least first and the second phases including an arrangement of coils positioned around a circumference of the stator, and at least a second force expansion topology configuration to form an electrical machine having more than two virtual poles.

8 . The electric machine of claim 7 wherein, when the plurality of switches are controlled to connect the plurality of coils into the at least second force expansion topology configuration, the first phase includes one or more coils associated with the second phase in the first force expansion topology configuration.

9 . The electric machine of claim 1 wherein the plurality of switches are controllable to connect the plurality of coils into at least a first force expansion topology configuration to form an electrical machine having two virtual poles and at least a second force expansion topology configuration to form an electrical machine having four virtual poles.

10 . The electric machine of claim 9 wherein the plurality of switches are further controllable to connect the plurality of coils into at least a third force expansion topology configuration to form an electrical machine having six virtual poles.

11 . The electric machine of claim 9 wherein, when the plurality of switches are controlled to connect the plurality of coils into the at least first force expansion topology configuration, each of the one or more phases includes an arrangement of coils, the arrangement of coils including a first subgroup of coils positioned consecutively around a circumference of the stator and a second subgroup of coils positioned consecutively around the circumference of the stator, the second subgroup of coils being positioned at a location on the circumference of the stator spaced 180 degrees from a position of the first subgroup of coils on the circumference of the stator.

12 . The electric machine of claim 11 wherein, when the plurality of switches are controlled to connect the plurality of coils into the at least first force expansion topology configuration, the arrangement of coils of each of the one or more phases includes a series arrangement of coils or groups of coils from the first subgroup of coils interspersed with coils or groups of coils from the second subgroup of coils.

13 . The electric machine of claim 12 wherein, when the plurality of switches are controlled to connect the plurality of coils into the at least first force expansion topology configuration, one or more of the coils or groups of coils from the first subgroup of coils is wound in a first direction and one or more of the coils or groups of coils from the first subgroup of coils is wound in a second direction, opposite the first direction; and one or more of the coils or groups of coils from the second subgroup of coils is wound in the first direction and one or more of the coils or groups of coils from the second subgroup of coils is wound in the second direction.

14 . The electric machine of claim 9 wherein, when the plurality of switches are controlled to connect the plurality of coils into the at least second force expansion topology configuration, each of the one or more phases includes an arrangement of coils, the arrangement of coils including a first, a second, a third, and a fourth subgroup of coils positioned at locations on the circumference of the stator spaced 90 degrees apart.

15 . The electric machine of claim 9 wherein, when the plurality of switches are controlled to connect the plurality of coils into the at least third force expansion topology configuration, each of the one or more phases includes an arrangement of coils, the arrangement of coils including a first, a second, a third, a fourth, a fifth, and a sixth subgroup of coils, the first, the second, and the third subgroups being positioned at non-consecutive locations on the circumference of the stator spaced 180 degrees from locations of the fourth, the fifth, and the sixth subgroups.

16 . The electric machine of claim 9 , further comprising rotor position sensors, wherein a first set of sensors is read when the plurality of switches are controlled to connect the plurality of coils into the at least first force expansion topology configuration; and a second set of sensors, separate from or partially overlapping the first set of sensors, is read when the plurality of switches are controlled to connect the plurality of coils into the at least second force expansion topology configuration.

17 . The electric machine of claim 9 , further comprising rotor position sensors operably coupled to a pulse converter, wherein the pulse converter adjusts timing of pulses received by the pulse converter based at least in part on whether the plurality of switches are controlled to connect the plurality of coils into the at least first force expansion topology configuration or the at least second force expansion topology configuration.

18 . A method to change topology configurations in a reconfigurable rotating electric machine, the method comprising:

determining, based on a received sensor signal measuring a parameter of an operational electric machine, whether to switch to an alternative coil topology configuration;

decreasing motor drive current, if the determining indicates to switch to the alternative coil topology configuration, over a specified release time period;

initializing, upon determining that motor current is below a specified threshold, routine for changing coil topology configuration;

applying signals to specified switches, arranged to connect coils or groups of coils to form a plurality of defined coil topology configurations, to establish the alternative coil topology configuration;

determining whether switches are in correct position for the alternative coil topology configuration; and

increasing motor drive current, upon determining that the switches are in correct position for the alternative coil topology configuration, over a specified ramp time period.

19 . The method of claim 18 , the method further comprising determining whether the switches are off, wherein the applying of the signals to the specified switches to establish the alternative coil topology configuration is performed upon determining that the switches are off.

20 . The method of claim 18 , the method further comprising changing a motor drive algorithm based at least in part on the alternative coil topology configuration.

21 . The method of claim 18 , the method further comprising changing a motor commutation algorithm based at least in part on the alternative coil topology configuration.