Systems and methods for a vehicle inverter connection bus

• US 10,384,548 B2
• Filed: 04/28/2016
• Issued: 08/20/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Global Sourcing LLC (Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: GE Global Sourcing LLC (Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation)
• Inventors: Ratadiya, Sarit, Kumar, Ajith Kuttannair, Sekhar, Tharunendra, Murphy, Mark Allen, Hubbell, Jacob Alan, Ruybal, Kevin, Nikolov, Emil Nikolaev
• Primary Examiner(s): Lam, Thanh
• Application Number:
  US15/140,812
• Publication Number:
  US 20170313196A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,209 Days
• Field of Search: 310 68 R, 310 68 D, 310 71
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/00 Supplying electric power to auxiliary equipment of vehicles circuit arrangements for charging batteries H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/28 Trailers
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/51 characterised by AC-motors
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/00 Circuit arrangements for dc mains or dc distribution networks
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/48 for electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 5/00 Circuit arrangements for transfer of electric power between ac networks and dc networks H02J3/36 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

A bus assembly is provided having a bus bar with first and second conductive layers extending along an insulator sheet interposed between the first and second conductive layers. The first and second conductive layers are partially aligned with respect to each other to form a first overlap region of the insulator sheet. The bus assembly includes a first set of arms having a set of diodes and a second set of arms having a set of switches. The bust bar includes a plurality of bus links coupling the plurality of arms to the bus bar forming a plurality of inverters. Each of bus links include a respective first bracket and a respective second bracket aligned with each other forming a second overlap region of the insulator sheet. The first bracket is electrically coupled to the first conductive layer and the second bracket is electrically coupled to the second conductive layer.

Claims

1. A bus assembly comprising:

a bus bar having first and second conductive layers extending along an insulator sheet interposed between the first and second conductive layers, wherein the first and second conductive layers are at least partially aligned with respect to each other to form a first overlap region of the insulator sheet;

a plurality of arms, wherein a first set of the arms include a set of diodes and a second set of the arms include a set of switches; and

a plurality of bus links that couple the plurality of arms to the bus bar forming a plurality of inverters, wherein each of the plurality of bus links include a respective first bracket and a respective second bracket aligned with each other to form a second overlap region of the insulator sheet, the first bracket electrically coupled to the first conductive layer and the second bracket electrically coupled to the second conductive layer, wherein the second overlap region is within the first overlap region.

2. The bus assembly of claim 1, wherein a distal end of the plurality of bus links extends orthogonally with respect to the insulator sheet.

3. The bus assembly of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the first and second brackets are separated by a spacer configured to separate the first bracket from the second bracket based on a predetermined stray inductance.

4. The bus assembly of claim 3, wherein the spacer is configured to separate the first and second brackets at a distance of at least 0.25 inches.

5. The bus assembly of claim 1, wherein the first and second brackets have a width of three inches.

6. The bus assembly of claim 1, wherein the insulator sheet forms a gap between the first and second conductive layers, the gap being no more than a half inch.

7. The bus assembly of claim 1, wherein the pair of conductive layers have a height of six inches.

8. The bus assembly of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of capacitor buses each having a respective single unitary body configured to electrically couple at least three capacitors to each arm of the second set of arms.

9. The bus assembly of claim 8, wherein the bus assembly is operably coupled as part of an electric drive subsystem, and the at least three capacitors adjust a resonance frequency of the electric drive subsystem, the resonance frequency ranging from three to four and a half kilohertz.

10. The bus assembly of claim 8, wherein the capacitor buses are configured to reduce ripple voltage of the bus bar relative to a bus bar having a parallel cable.

11. The bus assembly of claim 1, wherein the bus bar carries a direct current signal associated with controlling a traction motor of a propulsion-generating vehicle.

12. The bus assembly of claim 1, wherein the first conductive layer corresponds to a positive polarity of a DC voltage and the second conductive layer corresponds to a negative or ground polarity of the DC voltage.

13. A bus assembly comprising:

a bus bar having first and second conductive layers extending along an insulator sheet interposed between the first and second conductive layers, wherein the first and second conductive layers are at least partially aligned with respect to each other to form a first overlap region of the insulator sheet;

a set of diodes electrically coupled to the first and second conductive layers;

plural sets of switches electrically coupled to the first and second conductive layers in parallel to the set of diodes; and

plural sets of capacitors coupled to the sets of switches, wherein each set of the sets of capacitors respectively includes at least three capacitors mounted on a single unitary body.

14. The bus assembly of claim 13, further comprising a plurality of bus links that are configured to electrically couple the set of diodes and the sets of switches to the bus bar, wherein each of the plurality of bus links include a first and second bracket aligned with each other to form a second overlap region of the insulator sheet, the first bracket fastened to the first conductive layer and the second bracket fastened to the second conductive layer, wherein the second overlap region is within the first overlap region.

15. The bus assembly of claim 14, wherein a distal end of each of the plurality of bus links extends orthogonally with respect to the insulator sheet, each distal end is electrically coupled to the set of diodes or one set of the set of switches.

16. The bus assembly of claim 14, wherein each of the plurality of bus links are configured to have at least a portion of the first bracket positioned a distance from the second bracket based on a predetermined stray inductance.

17. The bus assembly of claim 16, wherein the distance is at least 0.25 inches.

18. The bus assembly of claim 13, wherein the bus bar carries a direct current signal associated with controlling a traction motor of a propulsion-generating vehicle.

19. A method of forming a bus of an electric drive subsystem, comprising:

coupling a first conductive layer and a second conductive layer to opposing sides of an insulator sheet, wherein the first and second conductive layers are at least partially aligned with respect to each other relative to the insulator sheet to form a first overlap region of the insulator sheet;

fastening a first bracket of a bus link to the first conductive layer and a second bracket of the bus link to the second conductive layer, wherein the first bracket and the second bracket are aligned with each other to form a second overlap region of the insulator sheet, the second overlap region is within the first overlap region; and

electrically coupling a phase module and a capacitor bus to the bus link, wherein the capacitor bus has a single unitary body and includes at least three capacitors.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the at least three capacitors are configured to adjust a resonance frequency of the electric drive subsystem to a range of three to four and a half kilohertz.

21. A vehicle electric drive system comprising:

a DC electrical power source having first and second polarities;

a controller;

at least one traction motor; and

a bus assembly comprising;

a DC link bus bar having first and second conductive layers extending along an insulator sheet interposed between the first and second conductive layers, wherein the first and second conductive layers are at least partially aligned with respect to each other to form a first overlap region of the insulator sheet, and wherein the first and second conductor layers are respectively electrically coupled to the first and second polarities of the DC electrical power source;

a plurality of arms, the arms comprising laminated bus bars, plural diodes electrically connected to one or more of the laminated bus bars, and one or more sets of switches electrically connected to one or more of the laminated bus bars; and

a plurality of bus links that couple the plurality of arms to the DC link bus bar forming a plurality of inverters, wherein each of the plurality of bus links include a respective first bracket and a respective second bracket aligned with each other to form a second overlap region of the insulator sheet, the first bracket electrically coupled to the first conductive layer and the second bracket electrically coupled to the second conductive layer, wherein the second overlap region is within the first overlap region;

wherein the controller is configured to control the switches for the inverters to electrically power the at least one traction motor for movement of the vehicle along a route.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the first and second brackets are angled, with each of the first and second brackets comprising a respective first portion parallel to the DC link bus bar and a respective second portion perpendicular to the DC link bus bar, and wherein the laminated bus bars are attached to the second portions of the first and second brackets and are perpendicular to the DC link bus bar.