Method for operating a drive unit, and a drive unit

1. A method for operating a drive unit having an electric machine, comprising:

operating the electric machine in a normal operating mode with current supplied by an inverter on at least two phases, wherein selected phase voltages for the electric machine are set on the at least two phases, wherein at least two switches including a high-side switch and a low-side switch are allocated to each phase; and

wherein in the normal operating mode, a transformation is carried out from rotor-fixed manipulated variables to stator-fixed manipulated variables, and wherein at least one of (i) the stator-fixed manipulated variables include the phase voltages, and (ii) the manipulated variables are limited to a predefined maximum magnitude; and

wherein after an occurrence of an error of the inverter, operating the inverter in at least one emergency operating mode for further operation of the electric machine;

wherein if the error of the inverter relates to a short-circuit between two phases, a second emergency operating mode is implemented.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein in the at least one emergency operating mode the electric machine produces a torque.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein if the error of the inverter relates to a faulty switch, a first emergency operating mode is implemented.

4. The method as recited in claim 3 , wherein in the first emergency operating mode a further switch allocated to the phase associated with the faulty switch is one of opened or closed.

5. The method as recited in claim 3 , wherein in the first emergency operating mode the transformation is carried out taking into account the faulty switch.

6. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein in the second emergency operating mode, only one of the rotor-fixed manipulated variables in the form of a torque-forming manipulated variable is set.

7. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein in the second emergency operating mode, only one of the rotor-fixed manipulated variables in the form of a field-forming manipulated variable is set at least temporarily as soon as the field-forming manipulated variable reaches a maximum value.

8. A drive unit, comprising:

an inverter; and

an electric machine;

wherein, in a normal operating mode, the electric machine is operated with current provided by the inverter on at least two phases, wherein selected phase voltages for the electric machine are set on the at least two phases, wherein at least two switches including a high-side switch and a low-side switch are allocated to each phase; and

wherein in the normal operating mode, a transformation is carried out from rotor-fixed manipulated variables to stator-fixed manipulated variables, and wherein at least one of (i) the stator-fixed manipulated variables include the phase voltages, and (ii) the manipulated variables are limited to a predefined maximum magnitude; and; and

wherein after an occurrence of an error of the inverter, the inverter is operated in at least one emergency operating mode for further operation of the electric machine;

wherein if the error of the inverter relates to a short-circuit between two phases, a second emergency operating mode is implemented.

9. The drive unit as recited in claim 8 , wherein the electric machine is an electric motor in the form of a permanently excited synchronous machine.

10. The drive unit as recited in claim 9 , wherein the drive unit is provided for use in one of a power steering system or a drive system of a motor vehicle.