Inverter control device and electric vehicle thereof

• US 20040008530A1
• Filed: 06/03/2003
• Published: 01/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Nakamura, Yoshinobu, Nakazawa, Yosuke, Mochizuki, Motoyasu, Nakashima, Hiroaki, Kitahata, Takeshi, Shibata, Hisanori, Sugimoto, Yoshinori
• Granted Patent: US 7,057,361 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 363/131
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 5/458 using semiconductor devices only
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/5387 in a bridge configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/53873 with digital control

Abstract

In a discharge control section of an inverter control device, when the connection of the battery and the smoothing capacitor is disconnected by means of a contactor, the charge accumulated on the smoothing capacitor is discharged by applying high-frequency voltage to the stator windings of the motor by controlling the main inverter circuit.

Claims

1. An inverter control device, comprising:

a capacitor smoothing a DC power source voltage that is output from a battery;

a main inverter circuit driving a motor by converting a DC power smoothed by said capacitor into a three-phase AC power;

switching means for opening and closing a connection of said battery and said capacitor; and

a control circuit discharging a charge accumulated on said capacitor when said connection between said battery and said capacitor is disconnected by said switching means, by controlling said main inverter circuit to apply a high-frequency voltage to a stator winding of said motor.

2. The inverter control device according to claim 1,

wherein said motor is arranged to be vector-controlled during normal drive, and

said control circuit applies said high-frequency voltage by setting a q axis voltage instruction value and a d axis voltage instruction value to respectively arbitrary values.

3. The inverter control device according to claim 1,

wherein said motor is arranged to be vector-controlled during normal drive, and

said control circuit applies said high-frequency voltage by setting either of a q axis voltage instruction value and a d axis voltage instruction value to zero.

4. The inverter control device according to claim 1,

wherein said control circuit applies high-frequency voltage so as to generate an alternating magnetic field in a stator of said motor.

5. The inverter control device according to any of claims 1 to 3,

wherein said control circuit applies a high-frequency voltage so as to generate a rotating magnetic field that changes over alternately in direction in a stator of said motor.

6. The inverter control device according to claim 1,

wherein said control circuit applies said high-frequency voltage to only two phases of said stator windings of said motor.

7. The inverter control device according to claim 1,

wherein said control circuit changes an amplitude of said high-frequency voltage after commencement of application to said stator windings of said motor.

8. The inverter control device according to claim 1,

wherein said control circuit changes a frequency of said high-frequency voltage after commencement of application to said stator windings of said motor.

9. The inverter control device according to claim 1,

wherein said control circuit adjusts a timing of switching so that a minute short-circuiting current flows during ON/OFF changeover of an upper arm and lower arm of said main inverter circuit when said high-frequency voltage is applied.

10. The inverter control device according to claim 1,

wherein said main inverter circuit is constituted so as to be PWM-controlled, and

said control circuit increases a carrier wave frequency of a PWM control compared to said carrier wave frequency during normal operation when a connection of said battery and said capacitor is disconnected by said switching means.

13. The inverter control device according to any of claims 1, 11 or 12,

wherein said motor is an embedded type permanent magnet motor.

14. The inverter control device according to claim 13,

wherein said motor is constituted so that a reluctance torque is larger than a torque generated by a permanent magnet.

11. An inverter control device, comprising:

a capacitor smoothing a DC power source voltage that is output from a battery;

a main inverter circuit driving a motor by converting a DC power smoothed by said capacitor into a three-phase AC power;

switching means for opening and closing a connection of said battery and said capacitor; and

a control circuit discharging a charge accumulated on said capacitor when said connection between said battery and said capacitor is disconnected by said switching means, by performing switching so that a minute short-circuiting current flows during ON/OFF changeover of an upper arm and lower arm of said main inverter circuit.

12. An inverter control device, comprising:

a capacitor smoothing a DC power source voltage that is output from a battery;

a main inverter circuit driving a motor by converting a DC power smoothed by said capacitor into a three-phase AC power;

switching means for opening and closing a connection of said battery and said capacitor;

a control circuit for discharging a charge accumulated on said capacitor when said connection between said battery and said capacitor is disconnected by said switching means, by allowing a short-circuiting current to flow between an upper arm and lower arm by simultaneously turning all of switching elements constituting said main inverter circuit ON.

15. An electric vehicle incorporating an inverter control device, said inverter control device comprising:

(a) a capacitor smoothing a DC power source voltage that is output from a battery;

(b) a main inverter circuit driving a motor by converting a DC power smoothed by said capacitor into a three-phase AC power;

(c) switching means for opening and closing a connection of said battery and said capacitor; and

(d) a control circuit discharging a charge accumulated on said capacitor when said connection between said battery and said capacitor is disconnected by said switching means, by controlling said main inverter circuit to apply a high-frequency voltage to a stator winding of said motor.

18. An electric vehicle according to any of claims 15, 16 or 17, further comprising:

a plurality of motors; and

a plurality of main inverter circuits that respectively drive said plurality of motors,

wherein said control circuit controls two or more of said plurality of main inverter circuits in parallel during capacitor discharge.

16. An electric vehicle incorporating an inverter control device, said inverter control device comprising:

(a) a capacitor smoothing a DC power source voltage that is output from a battery;

(b) a main inverter circuit driving a motor by converting a DC power smoothed by said capacitor into a three-phase AC power;

(c) switching means for opening and closing a connection of said battery and said capacitor; and

(d) a control circuit for discharging a charge accumulated on said capacitor when said connection between said battery and said capacitor is disconnected by said switching means, by performing switching so that a minute short-circuiting current flows during ON/OFF changeover of an upper arm and lower arm of said main inverter circuit.

17. An electric vehicle incorporating an inverter control device, said inverter control device comprising:

(a) a capacitor smoothing a DC power source voltage that is output from a battery;

(b) a main inverter circuit driving a motor by converting a DC power smoothed by said capacitor into a three-phase AC power;

(c) switching means for opening and closing a connection of said battery and said capacitor; and

(d) a control circuit discharging a charge accumulated on said capacitor when said connection between said battery and said capacitor is disconnected by said switching means, by allowing a short-circuiting current to flow between an upper arm and lower arm by simultaneously turning all of switching elements constituting said main inverter circuit ON.