MULTI-TASKING POWER PROCESSOR FOR A VEHICLE ELECTRIC SYSTEM

• US 20110121769A1
• Filed: 11/20/2009
• Published: 05/26/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Original Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Inventors: Nguyen, Vietson M., Rozman, Gregory I.
• Granted Patent: US 8,299,738 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 318/400.27
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/12 Buck converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/14 Boost converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/20 characterised by converters located in the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/48 for electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/38 Arrangements for parallely feeding a single network by two or more generators, converters or transformers
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 27/06 using dc to ac converters or inverters H02P27/05 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• 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: 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]

Abstract

A multi-tasking power processor (104) for a vehicle electric system (100) is provided. The multi-tasking power processor (104) includes a low voltage direct current bus interface (201), a high voltage direct current bus interface (202), and a motor interface (203). The multi-tasking power processor (104) also includes converter circuitry (200) selectively configurable as a direct current boost converter and a direct current buck converter between the low voltage direct current bus interface (201) and the high voltage direct current bus interface (202). The multi-tasking power processor (104) is further configurable as a motor drive between the motor interface (203) and the high voltage direct current bus interface (202).

Claims

1. A multi-tasking power processor (104) for a vehicle electric system (100), comprising:

a low voltage direct current bus interface (201);

a high voltage direct current bus interface (202);

a motor interface (203); and

converter circuitry (200) selectively configurable as a direct current boost converter and a direct current buck converter between the low voltage direct current bus interface (201) and the high voltage direct current bus interface (202), and further configurable as a motor drive between the motor interface (203) and the high voltage direct current bus interface (202).

2. The multi-tasking power processor (104) of claim 1 wherein the converter circuitry (200) further comprises motor interface contactors (K1) and low voltage direct current bus interface contactors (K2, K3) selectively configurable to electrically connect and disconnect the motor interface (203) and the low voltage direct current bus interface (201) to the converter circuitry (200).

3. The multi-tasking power processor (104) of claim 2 wherein the low voltage direct current bus interface (201) is further comprised of an energy storage interface (216) and a battery interface (224), and the low voltage direct current bus interface contactors (K2, K3) are further comprised of a separately configurable energy storage contactor (K2) and battery contactor (K3).

4. The multi-tasking power processor (104) of claim 2 wherein the converter circuitry (200) further comprises a plurality of switches (205) disposed between a high side (206) and a low side (208) of the high voltage direct current bus interface (202) to control current flow on a plurality of phases (210, 212, 214), and further wherein the plurality of phases (210, 212, 214) are electrically connected to the motor interface contactors (K1).

5. The multi-tasking power processor (104) of claim 4 wherein the plurality of switches (205) provide a variable voltage and variable frequency on the plurality of phases (210, 212, 214) when the converter circuitry (200) is selectively configured as the motor drive.

6. The multi-tasking power processor (104) of claim 4 wherein the plurality of phases (210, 212, 214) are electrically connected to a plurality of phase contactors (K4), the plurality of phase contactors (K4) are electrically connected to a plurality of inductors (L1, L2, L3) which are coupled at a node (218) electrically connected to the low voltage direct current bus interface contactors (K2, K3).

7. The multi-tasking power processor (104) of claim 6 wherein the plurality of inductors (L1, L2, L3) provides a three-phase boost between the low voltage direct current bus interface (201) and the high voltage direct current bus interface (202) when the converter circuitry (200) is selectively configured as the direct current boost converter, and the plurality of inductors (L1, L2, L3) provides a three-phase buck between the low voltage direct current bus interface (201) and the high voltage direct current bus interface (202) when the converter circuitry (200) is selectively configured as the direct current buck converter.

8. The multi-tasking power processor (104) of claim 6 wherein the plurality of phase contactors (K4) electrically disconnect the plurality of inductors (L1, L2, L3) when the converter circuitry (200) is selectively configured as the motor drive.

9. The multi-tasking power processor (104) of claim 1 wherein a controller (204) monitors a motor speed (302) of a motor (118) coupled to the motor interface (203) and selectively configures the converter circuitry (200) as the motor drive in response to the motor speed (302) being at or below a lower speed threshold (304) and selectively configures the converter circuitry (200) as the direct current buck converter in response to the motor speed (302) reaching an upper speed threshold (306).

10. The multi-tasking power processor (104) of claim 9 wherein the motor (118) is a cooling fan.

11. A method for providing a multi-tasking power processor (104) in a vehicle electric system (100), comprising:

coupling the multi-tasking power processor (104) to a motor (118), a low voltage direct current bus (124), and a high voltage direct current bus (112) of the vehicle electric system (100);

selectively configuring converter circuitry (200) of the multi-tasking power processor (104) as a direct current boost converter and a direct current buck converter between the low voltage direct current bus (124) and the high voltage direct current bus (112); and

reconfiguring the converter circuitry (200) as a motor drive between the motor (118) and the high voltage direct current bus (112).

12. The method of claim 11 further wherein selectively configuring the converter circuitry (200) as the direct current boost converter and the direct current buck converter further comprises opening motor interface contactors (K1) and closing low voltage direct current bus interface contactors (K2, K3), and further wherein reconfiguring the converter circuitry (200) as the motor drive further comprises closing the motor interface contactors (K1) and opening the low voltage direct current bus interface contactors (K2, K3).

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the low voltage direct current bus (124) is coupled to energy storage (120) and a battery (122), and the low voltage direct current bus interface contactors (K2, K3) are further comprised of a separately configurable energy storage contactor (K2) and battery contactor (K3).

14. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

controlling current flow on a plurality of phases (210, 212, 214) using a plurality of switches (205) disposed between a high side (206) and a low side (208) of the high voltage direct current bus (112), wherein the plurality of phases (210, 212, 214) are electrically connected to the motor interface contactors (K1).

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the plurality of switches (205) provide a variable voltage and variable frequency on the plurality of phases (210, 212, 214) when the converter circuitry (200) is selectively configured as the motor drive.

16. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

electrically connecting the plurality of phases (210, 212, 214) to a plurality of phase contactors (K4);

electrically connecting the plurality of phase contactors (K4) to a plurality of inductors (L1, L2, L3); and

coupling the plurality of inductors (L1, L2, L3) at a node (218) electrically connected to the low voltage direct current bus interface contactors (K2, K3).

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

providing a three-phase boost between the low voltage direct current bus (124) and the high voltage direct current bus (112) through the plurality of inductors (L1, L2, L3) when the converter circuitry (200) is selectively configured as the direct current boost converter; and

providing a three-phase buck between the low voltage direct current bus (124) and the high voltage direct current bus (112) through the plurality of inductors (L1, L2, L3) when the converter circuitry (200) is selectively configured as the direct current buck converter.

18. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

opening the plurality of phase contactors (K4) to electrically disconnect the plurality of inductors (L1, L2, L3) when the converter circuitry (200) is selectively configured as the motor drive.

19. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

monitoring a motor speed (302) of the motor (118);

reconfiguring the converter circuitry (200) as the motor drive in response to the motor speed (302) being at or below a lower speed threshold (304); and

selectively configuring the converter circuitry (200) as the direct current buck converter in response to the motor speed (302) reaching an upper speed threshold (306).

20. The method of claim 11 wherein the motor (118) is a cooling fan.