APPARATUS FOR TRANSFERRING ENERGY USING ONBOARD POWER ELECTRONICS WITH HIGH-FREQUENCY TRANSFORMER ISOLATION AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING SAME

• US 20120112702A1
• Filed: 11/05/2010
• Published: 05/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Steigerwald, Robert Louis, King, Robert Dean, Kusch, Ruediger Soeren
• Granted Patent: US 9,290,097 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/137
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/12 Buck converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/14 Boost converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/30 AC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/40 DC to AC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2220/42 with use of more than one motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0069 relating to the isolation, e.g. ground fault or leak current
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/40 using propulsion power supplied by capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/61 by batteries charged by engine-driven generators, e.g. series hybrid electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/22 Constructional details or arrangements of charging converters specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• 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: B60L 7/14 for vehicles propelled by ac motors
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2207/20 Charging or discharging characterised by the power electronics converter
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/40 The network being an on-board power network, i.e. within a vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/48 for electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• 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: Y10T 29/49117 : Conductor or circuit manufacturing

Abstract

An apparatus for transferring energy using onboard power electronics with high-frequency transformer isolation includes a power electronic drive circuit comprises a dc bus and a first energy storage device coupled to the dc bus. A first bi-directional dc-to-ac voltage inverter is coupled to the first energy storage device and to the dc bus, and a first electromechanical device coupled to the first bi-directional dc-to-ac voltage inverter. A charging system coupled to the dc bus via a charge bus comprises a receptacle configured to mate with a connector coupled to a voltage source external to the power electronic drive circuit and an isolation transformer configured to electrically isolate the charge bus from the receptacle. A controller configured to cause the charging system to supply a charging voltage to the dc bus based on a voltage received from the voltage source external to the power electronic drive circuit.

Claims

1. A power electronic drive circuit comprising:

a dc bus;

a first energy storage device coupled to the dc bus, the first energy storage device configured to output a dc voltage;

a first bi-directional dc-to-ac voltage inverter coupled to the first energy storage device and to the dc bus;

a first electromechanical device coupled to the first bi-directional dc-to-ac voltage inverter;

a charging system coupled to the dc bus via a charge bus, the charging system comprising;

a receptacle configured to mate with a connector coupled to a voltage source external to the power electronic drive circuit; and

an isolation transformer configured to electrically isolate the charge bus from the receptacle; and

a controller configured to cause the charging system to supply a charging voltage to the dc bus based on a voltage received from the voltage source external to the power electronic drive circuit.

2. The power electronic drive circuit of claim 1 wherein the charging system further comprises:

a pair of transistors; and

a resonance capacitor; and

wherein the isolation transformer, the pair of transistors, and the resonance capacitor form an isolation ac-to-dc inverter.

3. The power electronic drive circuit of claim 2 wherein the controller is further configured to cause the isolation ac-to-dc inverter to operate in a series resonance mode.

4. The power electronic drive circuit of claim 2 wherein the controller is further configured to cause the isolation ac-to-dc inverter to operate in one of a parallel resonance mode and a series-parallel resonance mode.

5. The power electronic drive circuit of claim 2 wherein the charging system further comprises a full-wave rectifier, wherein the isolation ac-to-dc inverter and the full-wave rectifier form an isolation dc-to-dc converter.

6. The power electronic drive circuit of claim 1 further comprising a first bi-directional dc-to-dc voltage converter coupled to the dc bus;

and

wherein the controller is further configured to cause the first bi-directional dc-to-dc voltage converter to;

boost a storage voltage from the first energy storage device; and

supply the boosted storage voltage to the dc bus.

7. The power electronic drive circuit of claim 6 wherein the controller is further configured to the cause first bi-directional dc-to-dc voltage converter to:

buck a first dc voltage on the dc bus to a second dc voltage suitable for charging the first energy storage device; and

supply the second dc voltage to the first energy storage device.

8. The power electronic drive circuit of claim 7 wherein the first electromechanical device is configured to supply an ac regenerative voltage to the first bi-directional dc-to-ac voltage inverter;

and

wherein the first bi-directional dc-to-ac voltage inverter is configured to invert the ac regenerative voltage into the first dc voltage and supply the first dc voltage to the dc bus.

9. The power electronic drive circuit of claim 7 further comprising:

a second bi-directional dc-to-ac voltage inverter coupled to the dc bus; and

a second electromechanical device coupled to the second bi-directional dc-to-ac voltage inverter;

wherein the charge bus comprises;

a first conductor coupled to the charge bus; and

a second conductor coupled to the second electromechanical device; and

wherein the controller, in being configured to cause the charging system to supply the charging voltage to the dc bus, is configured to cause the second bi-directional dc-to-ac voltage inverter to boost a rectified voltage from the charge bus into the first dc voltage.

10. The power electronic drive circuit of claim 7 further comprising a second bi-directional dc-to-dc voltage converter coupled to the dc bus;

and

wherein the controller is further configured to cause the second bi-directional dc-to-dc voltage converter to;

boost a storage voltage from the first energy storage device;

supply the boosted storage voltage to the dc bus;

boost a charging voltage from the charging system;

supply the boosted charging voltage to the dc bus.

11. The power electronic drive circuit of claim 7 further comprising:

a second bi-directional dc-to-dc voltage converter comprising a pair of diodes coupled between a first conductor and a second conductor of the dc bus;

a third bi-directional dc-to-dc voltage converter comprising a pair of diodes coupled between the first and second conductors of the dc bus;

wherein the pairs of diodes of the second and third bi-directional dc-to-dc voltage converters are configured to rectify an ac voltage supplied by the charge bus into a fully-rectified dc voltage; and

wherein the controller is further configured to cause the second and third bi-directional dc-to-dc voltage converters to;

boost a storage voltage from the first energy storage device;

supply the boosted storage voltage to the dc bus.

12. The power electronic drive circuit of claim 1 further comprising a second energy storage device coupled between the pair of conductors of the dc bus, wherein the second energy storage device has a higher voltage then the first energy storage device.

13. The power electronic drive circuit of claim 1 wherein the first electromechanical device comprises one of a traction motor and an alternator.

14. A method of manufacturing a power electronic drive circuit comprising:

coupling a first dc energy storage device to a dc bus;

coupling a first bi-directional dc-to-ac voltage inverter to the dc bus;

coupling a first electromechanical device to the first bi-directional dc-to-ac voltage inverter, the first electromechanical device configured to convert mechanical energy into electrical energy and configured to convert electrical energy into mechanical energy;

coupling a charging circuit to the dc bus via a charge bus, the charging system comprising;

a receptacle configured to mate with an external voltage source connector; and

a transformer configured to electrically isolate the charge bus from the receptacle; and

configuring a controller to cause the charging system to supply a charging voltage to the dc bus based on a voltage received from an external voltage source.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein coupling the charging circuit to the dc bus comprises coupling a series resonant inverter to the charge bus, the series resonant inverter comprising:

a pair of switches coupled to the controller;

a resonant capacitor; and

the transformer.

16. The method of claim 14 further comprising coupling the charge bus to the first electromechanical device, wherein the controller is configured to cause the first electromechanical device and the first bi-directional dc-to-ac voltage inverter to boost a charging voltage from the charge bus and to supply the boosted charging voltage to the dc bus.

17. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

coupling a first bi-directional dc-to-dc voltage converter to the dc bus; and

configuring the controller to cause the first bi-directional dc-to-dc voltage converter to buck the charging voltage on the dc bus to a second voltage suitable for charging the first dc energy storage device.

18. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

coupling a second bi-directional dc-to-dc voltage converter to the dc bus; and

wherein configuring the controller to cause the charging system to supply the charging voltage to the dc bus comprises configuring the controller to cause the second bi-directional dc-to-dc voltage converter to boost a charging circuit dc voltage and to supply the boosted charging circuit dc voltage to the dc bus.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising:

coupling a second bi-directional dc-to-dc voltage converter to the dc bus, the second bi-directional dc-to-dc voltage converter comprising a first pair of diodes coupled to the dc bus;

coupling a third bi-directional dc-to-dc voltage converter to the dc bus, the third bi-directional dc-to-dc voltage converter comprising a second pair of diodes coupled to the dc bus; and

wherein coupling the charging circuit to the dc bus via the charge bus comprises coupling the charge bus to the first and second pair of diodes.

20. The method of claim 14 wherein the receptacle is configured to mate with the external voltage source connector of one of an external ac voltage source and an external dc voltage source.

21. A system comprising:

a machine configured to convert mechanical energy into electrical energy and configured to convert electrical energy into mechanical energy;

a voltage inverter coupled to the machine and configured to convert ac electrical energy into dc electrical energy and to convert dc electrical energy into ac electrical energy;

a dc bus coupled to the voltage inverter;

a first energy storage device coupled to the dc bus;

a charging system comprising;

a receptacle configured to mate with a plug coupled to a voltage source external to the power electronic drive circuit;

a full-wave rectifier coupled to the receptacle and configured to rectify a voltage received from the voltage source;

a dc-to-dc converter coupled to the full-wave rectifier;

the dc-to-dc converter comprising an isolation transformer configured to electrically isolate the charge bus from the full-wave rectifier; and

a charge bus coupled to the dc-to-dc converter and to the dc bus; and

a controller configured to cause the dc-to-dc converter to;

convert a first dc voltage received from the full-wave rectifier to a second dc voltage; and

supply the second dc voltage to the charge bus.

22. The system of claim 21 further comprising a bi-directional dc-to-dc voltage converter coupled to the dc bus;

wherein the charge bus is coupled to the machine; and

wherein the controller is further configured to;

cause the voltage inverter to boost the second dc voltage to a third dc voltage and to supply the third dc voltage to the dc bus;

cause the bi-directional dc-to-dc voltage converter to buck the third dc voltage to a fourth dc voltage suitable for charging the first energy storage device and to supply the fourth dc voltage to the first energy storage device.

23. The system of claim 21 further comprising:

a first bi-directional dc-to-dc voltage converter coupled to the dc bus;

a second bi-directional dc-to-dc voltage converter coupled to the dc bus;

wherein the charge bus is coupled to the first bi-directional dc-to-dc voltage converter; and

wherein the controller is further configured to;

cause the first bi-directional dc-to-dc voltage converter to boost the second dc voltage to a third dc voltage and to supply the third dc voltage to the dc bus;

cause the second bi-directional dc-to-dc voltage converter to buck the third dc voltage to a fourth dc voltage suitable for charging the first energy storage device and to supply the fourth dc voltage to the first energy storage device.