The Modular Cascade Machines in electric vehicles

A novel Modular Cascade Machines (MCM) system, which is operated as the driving system in electric vehicles and comprised by unit machines like series batteries, is presented in this paper based on requirements for the electric driving system in electric vehicles. Thus, different power demands can be met by adjusting the number of machines, which will reduce costs, improve vehicle efficiency and enhance fault tolerance ability. Two matching methods of MCM system, single-mode and multi-mode, are studied based on the application on different types of vehicles. Their property requirements are analyzed, and the matching methods are studied respectively, with the index of the motors proposed and the MCM system designed. Efficiency simulation is conducted on the prototype to figure out the high efficiency areas of MCM system with the optimal efficiency control strategy using different matching methods, and the results show that the MCM system can expand the high efficiency area and be applicable to electric vehicle drive system.