FAST SWITCHING FOR POWER INVERTER

• US 20120195087A1
• Filed: 01/31/2011
• Published: 08/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tesla Inc.
• Original Assignee: Tesla Motors Incorporated (Tesla Inc.)
• Inventors: Kroeze, Ryan, Campbell, Colin, Kalayjian, Nicholas R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,760,898 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 363/134
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/487 Neutral point clamped inverters

Abstract

An apparatus includes an inverter including a high-side switch coupled to a low-side switch, the inverter generating a time-varying drive current from a plurality of drive control signals, a positive rail voltage, and a negative rail voltage wherein controlling the switches to generate the time-varying drive current produces a potential transitory overshoot condition for one of the switches of the inverter; a drive control, coupled to the inverter, to generate the drive control signals and to set a level of each of the rail voltages responsive to a plurality of controller signals; and a controller monitoring one or more parameters indicative of the potential transitory voltage overshoot condition, the controller dynamically adjusting, responsive to the monitored parameters, the controller signals to reduce a risk of occurrence of the potential transitory voltage overshoot condition.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

an inverter including a high-side switch coupled to a low-side switch, said inverter generating a time-varying drive current from a plurality of drive control signals, a positive rail voltage, and a negative rail voltage wherein controlling the switches to generate said time-varying drive current produces a potential transitory overshoot condition for one of said switches of said inverter;

a drive control, coupled to said inverter, to generate said drive control signals and to set a level of each of said rail voltages responsive to a plurality of controller signals; and

a controller monitoring one or more parameters indicative of said potential transitory voltage overshoot condition, said controller dynamically adjusting, responsive to said monitored parameters, said controller signals to reduce a risk of occurrence of said potential transitory voltage overshoot condition;

wherein said time-varying current includes a time-varying amplitude and wherein a DC link capacitance couples a positive rail voltage of said high-side switch with a negative rail voltage of said low-side switch and wherein said parameters include said time-varying amplitude and a voltage across said DC link capacitance and wherein said controller signals include a first series of high-side pulse width modulation (PWM) signals and second series of low-side PWM signals for generation of said time-varying current and wherein said controller signals include a digital regulator signal to set said negative voltage rail at a second fixed regulated voltage in a range from about zero volts to less than said negative supply voltage.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said regulation mechanisms each include a first voltage regulator coupled to said positive rail voltage, a second voltage regulator coupled to said negative rail voltage and coupled to said first voltage regulator at a reference node and a third voltage regulator selectably switched between said reference node and an output of said second voltage regulator wherein said first voltage regulator provides said positive rail voltage with respect to a voltage of said reference node and wherein said second voltage regulator provides said negative rail voltage with respect to said reference node voltage in response to said digital regulator signal, said negative rail voltage having a first output level at about said negative rail voltage and a second output level different from said first output level set at a level sufficient to reduce said risk.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said controller includes a lookup table storing values of overshoot voltage versus instantaneous drive current and wherein said monitored parameters include one or more values from said lookup table.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said controller signals control said negative voltage rail has a variable magnitude that includes a component inversely related to a magnitude of said time-varying drive current.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said controller includes a programmatic control element controlling said PWM signals and wherein said controller includes a discrete hardware element controlling said digital regulator signal.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said discrete hardware element includes a comparator having an output providing said digital regulator signal wherein said comparator includes a first input receiving a first input voltage derived from said drive current and a second input receiving a preselected voltage threshold to configure said digital regulator signal to reduce said risk.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 including a low pass filter coupled to said first input of said comparator.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein one or more of said parameters are converted to a root means square signal or a rectified mean signal and wherein said controller signals are generated responsive to said root mean square signal or to said rectified mean signal.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said one or more parameters include an estimate of a junction temperature of one or more said components in a heat rejection path of said inverter and wherein said controller signals are responsive to said junction temperature when setting said negative voltage rail.

10. A method, the method comprising the steps of:

a) generating a time-varying drive current from a plurality of drive control signals, a positive rail voltage, and a negative rail voltage wherein said time-varying drive current produces a potential transitory overshoot condition for a switch of an inverter;

b) generating said drive control signals and setting a level of one or more of said rail voltages for said inverter responsive to a plurality of controller signals;

c) monitoring one or more parameters indicative of said potential transitory voltage overshoot condition; and

d) adjusting dynamically, responsive to said monitored parameters, said controller signals to at least reduce a risk of occurrence of said potential transitory voltage overshoot condition;

wherein said controller signals include a digital regulator signal and wherein said generated drive control signals are responsive to said digital regulator control signal.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising the step of:

e) low pass filtering said one or more parameters to produce an rms current signal;

wherein said adjusting step d) is responsive to said rms current signal.

12. The method of claim 10 further comprising the steps of:

e) low pass filtering said one or more parameters to produce an rms current signal;

f) comparing said rms current signal to a predetermined threshold allowing non-risky operation for a predetermined range of said rail voltages to produce an comparator output signal;

wherein said adjusting step d) is responsive to said comparator output signal.

13. The method of claim 10 further comprising the step of:

e) estimating a junction temperature of a device in a heat rejection path of said inverter;

wherein said one or more parameters includes said junction temperature.

14. A method, the method comprising the steps of:

a) calculating a maximum available voltage overshoot for an inverter producing a time-varying drive current;

b) determining a current voltage overshoot for said inverter responsive to said time-varying drive current;

c) operating said inverter in a first operational mode for minimization of switching losses when said current voltage overshoot is not greater than said maximum available voltage overshoot while increasing a risk of occurrence of a potential transitory voltage overshoot condition destructive to said inverter; and

d) operating said inverter in a second operational mode for reduction of said risk of occurrence of said potential transitory voltage overshoot condition when said current voltage overshoot is greater than said maximum available voltage overshoot while increasing switching losses;

wherein said controller signals include a digital regulator signal and wherein said generated drive control signals are responsive to said digital regulator signal.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising the step of:

e) low pass filtering said one or more parameters to produce an rms current signal;

wherein said adjusting step d) is responsive to said rms current signal.

16. The method of claim 14 further comprising the steps of:

e) low pass filtering said one or more parameters to produce an rms current signal;

f) comparing said rms current signal to a predetermined threshold allowing non-risky operation for a predetermined range of said rail voltages to produce an comparator output signal;

wherein said adjusting step d) is responsive to said comparator output signal.

17. The method of claim 14 further comprising the steps of:

e) estimating a junction temperature of a device in a heat rejection path of said inverter;

wherein said one or more parameters includes said junction temperature.