Power Output Apparatus And Vehicle Having The Same

• US 20080073135A1
• Filed: 09/26/2005
• Published: 03/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.), Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.), Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Oyobe, Hichirosai, Ishikawa, Tetsuhiro, Minezawa, Yukihiro
• Granted Patent: US 7,819,213 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 180/65.4
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 1/02 comprising more than one electric motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/365 with the gears having orbital motion
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/445 Differential gearing distribution type
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/007 Physical arrangements or structures of drive train converters specially adapted for the propulsion motors of electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/20 AC to AC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2220/14 Synchronous machines
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2220/54 Windings for different functions
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0046 relating to electric energy storage systems, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0069 relating to the isolation, e.g. ground fault or leak current
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0092 with use of redundant elements for safety purposes
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/04 Cutting off the power supply under fault conditions protective devices and circuit arrangements in general H01H; H02H
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/16 with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/61 by batteries charged by engine-driven generators, e.g. series hybrid electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/22 Constructional details or arrangements of charging converters specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/24 Using the vehicle's propulsion converter for charging
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/305 Communication interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 55/00 Arrangements for supplying energy stored within a vehicle to a power network, i.e. vehicle-to-grid [V2G] arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/08 including control of electric propulsion units, e.g. motors or generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/00 Control systems specially adapted for hybrid vehicles hybrid vehicle design, B60K6/00; electric vehicles B60L
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/50 Control strategies for responding to system failures, e.g. for fault diagnosis, failsafe operation or limp mode
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/04 : Monitoring the functioning of the control system
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/008 : Plural converter units for generating at two or more independent and non-parallel outputs, e.g. systems with plural point of load switching regulators
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 25/16 : characterised by the circuit arrangement or by the kind of wiring
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 27/06 : using dc to ac converters or inverters H02P27/05 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 3/06 : for stopping or slowing an individual dynamo-electric motor or dynamo-electric converter
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 31/00 : Arrangements for regulating or controlling electric motors not provided for in groups H02P1/00 - H02P5/00, H02P7/00 or H02P21/00 - H02P29/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 9/10 : Control effected upon generator excitation circuit to reduce harmful effects of overloads or transients, e.g. sudden application of load, sudden removal of load, sudden change of load
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 : Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 : Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 : Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 : Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 : Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 : Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 : Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 : Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 : Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/126 : the energy generation units being or involving electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV], i.e. power aggregation of EV or HEV, vehicle to grid arrangements [V2G]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/906 : Motor or generator

Abstract

A power output apparatus generates a commercial AC voltage across neutral points of first and second motor generators. The power output apparatus includes a leakage detecting device, and upon detection of leakage by the leakage detecting device, causes an AC output cutoff circuit to operate and also shuts down one or both of the first and second motor generators according to the operational states at the time. Further, the leakage detecting device performs checking of the leakage detecting function in response to a test signal from a control device, before outputting the commercial AC voltage.

Claims

1. A power output apparatus, comprising:

first and second motor generators;

first and second inverters connected to said first and second motor generators, respectively;

a control device controlling operations of said first and second inverters to drive said first and second motor generators and to generate an AC voltage across neutral points of said first and second motor generators;

an AC output cutoff circuit provided between an output line pair connected to the neutral points of said first and second motor generators and an output terminal for outputting said AC voltage to an AC load; and

a leakage detecting device detecting presence/absence of leakage based on currents flown through said output line pair in opposite directions from each other by a voltage difference generated between said neutral points when said AC load receives supply of said AC voltage from said neutral points via said output line pair, and generating a cutoff command upon detection of the leakage to cause said AC output cutoff circuit to cut off output of said AC voltage and to stop the operation of at least one of said first and second inverters.

2. The power output apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said leakage detecting device outputs said cutoff command to said AC output cutoff circuit and to said control device, and

said control device, upon receipt of said cutoff command from said leakage detecting device, stops one of said first and second inverters according to operational states of said first and second motor generators.

3. The power output apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

said first motor generator is coupled to an internal combustion engine of a vehicle,

said second motor generator is coupled to driving wheels of said vehicle, and

said operational states include

a first state where said second motor generator is driving said driving wheels, and

a second state where said second motor generator is not driving said driving wheels and said first motor generator is in a regenerative operation.

4. The power output apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said control device stops said first inverter when receiving said cutoff command from said leakage detecting device during said first state.

5. The power output apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said control device stops said second inverter when receiving said cutoff command from said leakage detecting device during said second state.

6. The power output apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said first motor generator is coupled to an internal combustion engine of a vehicle,

said second motor generator is coupled to driving wheels of said vehicle,

said leakage detecting device outputs said cutoff command to said AC output cutoff circuit and to said control device, and

said control device stops said first and second inverters when receiving said cutoff command from said leakage detecting device during the time when said second motor generator is not driving said driving wheels and said first motor generator is not in a regenerative operation.

7. The power output apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said leakage detecting device performs functional checking as to whether presence/absence of leakage can be detected normally or not, before starting output of said AC voltage to said AC load.

8. The power output apparatus according to claim 7, wherein

said leakage detecting device includes

a testing power supply line on which a current is flown at the time of said functional checking,

a flux-collecting core through which said output line pair and said testing power supply line extend,

a coil wound around said flux-collecting core, and

a signal generating unit generating said cutoff command when a voltage difference between ends of said coil exceeds a prescribed value.

9. The power output apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said AC voltage is a commercial AC voltage.

10. A vehicle comprising the power output apparatus recited in claim 1, wherein said power output apparatus supplies said AC voltage to said AC load connected to said output terminal.

11. The power output apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said control device controls the operations of said first and second inverters to generate AC voltages of anti-phases from each other at the neutral points of said first and second motor generators.

12. The power output apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said leakage detecting device detects the leakage when there occurs an imbalance between the currents flown through said output line pair in the opposite directions from each other by the voltage difference between said neutral points.