Combination Charger and Motive Power Device

• US 20130293163A1
• Filed: 10/31/2012
• Published: 11/07/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Drive Labs Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Quantum Fuel Systems Technologies Worldwide Inc.
• Inventors: Flett, Fred
• Granted Patent: US 8,836,289 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 318/139
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/20 characterised by converters located in the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/24 Using the vehicle's propulsion converter for charging
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 5/00 Circuit arrangements for transfer of electric power between ac networks and dc networks H02J3/36 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 27/08 with pulse width modulation
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 7/06 for regulating or controlling an individual dc dynamo-electric motor by varying field or armature current
• 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 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

A combined battery charger and motor driver circuit assembly includes a rechargeable battery, a traction motor configured to accept a pulse-width-modulated (PWM) drive, a PNP transistor array, a charging source of chopped and rectified DC, and a control circuit configured to apply a discrete PWM drive signal to the gate of each transistor in the PNP transistor array.

Claims

1. A combined battery charger and motor driver circuit assembly comprising:

a rechargeable battery having positive and negative output terminals;

a traction motor configured to accept a pulse-width-modulated (PWM) drive that includes a pattern with at least two phase inputs;

a PNP transistor array that includes a first pair having a first transistor, whereof the collector is connected to the battery positive terminal, whereof the emitter is connected to a tie point whereto is connected the collector of a second transistor, the emitter of the second transistor being connected to the battery negative terminal, the array further including a number of pairs that is the same as the number of phase inputs the traction motor is configured to accept and the transistors each having a freewheeling diode connected from emitter to collector thereof;

a charging source of chopped and rectified DC having positive and negative output terminals, the positive output terminal being connected to the tie point of at least one pair in the PNP transistor array, the negative terminal being connected to the battery negative terminal, and the charging source being configured to alter the chop function in response to alteration of a level control signal; and

,

a control circuit configured to apply a discrete PWM drive signal to the gate of each transistor in the PNP transistor array, the drive signal being applied to all of the transistors of the array when the battery is driving the motor, and the control circuit applying a second pattern to the gate of at least one transistor when the charging source is charging the battery.

2. A method for combining a charger and an inverter in a motor driver circuit, comprising:

establishing a source of portable, rechargeable electrical power with a positive and a negative terminal;

establishing a converter for a mains power source that chops and rectifies modulatable DC power at a level compatible with recharging the rechargeable source;

defining a load having the electrical load characteristics of a traction motor, the load accepting a pulse-width-modulated (PWM) AC signal with a plurality of phases;

establishing an array of pairs of PNP transistors, with each pair joined at a tie point between the emitter of a first one and the collector of a second one, with the collectors of the first transistors of the respective pairs tied together and further tied to the positive terminal of the portable source, with the emitters of the second transistors of the respective pairs tied together and further tied to the negative terminal of the portable source, and with the tie points connected to the respective phases of the load;

providing a separate PWM control signal to each gate that turns each transistor on and off at times that collectively apply to the load a drive signal with the number of phases and the power levels for which the load is defined; and

,

providing a charge function from mains power that recharges the portable source from at least one tie point, and that applies at least one pattern of transient pulses to a gate of a second transistor of a pair, the timing of the transient pulses being synchronized to the chop timing of the mains power converter.

3. A combined charger and inverter for a motor driver circuit, comprising:

means for sourcing portable, rechargeable electrical power with a positive and a negative terminal;

means for converting a mains power source to a level compatible with recharging the rechargeable source, the means including chopping and rectifying DC power, the means being modulatable;

means for loading an output, the means having electrical load characteristics of a traction motor, the means accepting a pulse-width-modulated (PWM) AC signal with a plurality of phases; and

,

means for switching the rechargeable source to the output load and for switching the means for charging to the rechargeable source, including switching the means for charging to ground at intervals synchronized to the chopping intervals.