POWER MODULE AND ELECTRIC DEVICE FOR THE COMBINED POWERING AND CHARGING OF AN ACCUMULATOR AND A MOTOR RESPECTIVELY

• US 20140292243A1
• Filed: 10/30/2012
• Published: 10/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Valeo Siemens eAutomotive France SAS (Valeo SE)
• Original Assignee: Valeo Systemes De Controle Moteur (Valeo SE)
• Inventors: Bouchez, Boris, De Sousa, Luis, Silvestre, Bndicte
• Granted Patent: US 9,793,836 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 318/400.29
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/003 Constructional details, e.g. physical layout, assembly, wiring or busbar connections
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/797 using semiconductor devices only
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 6/14 Electronic commutators

Abstract

The invention relates to a power module (9) for converting an electric current flowing between an accumulator and an alternating-current motor, said module (9) comprising switching means (10) that can be controlled to authorise the powering of the motor and/or the charging of the accumulator, and an intrinsic control unit (13) connected to said switching means (10) and capable of delivering opening and/or closing signals to said switching means (10), said intrinsic control unit (13) being further capable of exchanging data with a remote control unit, with a potential barrier.

Claims

1. A power module for converting an electric current flowing between an accumulator and an alternating-current motor, said module comprising:

switching means configured to be controlled to authorize the powering of the motor and/or the charging of the accumulator; and

an intrinsic control unit connected to said switching means for delivering opening and/or closing signals to said switching means, and for exchanging data with a remote control unit, this exchange of data employing a potential barrier.

2. The module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the switching means comprise at least one arm formed from two switches, assembled in series, controlled from said intrinsic control unit.

3. The module as claimed in claim 2, wherein the switching means comprise means for driving the switches linked up to both said intrinsic control unit and to the switches, said driving means being able to supply a current for closing and/or opening the switches from the opening and/or closing signals of said intrinsic control unit.

4. The module as claimed in claim 1, further comprising measuring means linked up to said intrinsic control unit.

5. The module as claimed in claim 1, further comprising powering means, linked up at least to said intrinsic control unit and/or to said switching means.

6. The module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the switching means are arranged to form an H-bridge structure that can be linked up to a phase of the motor.

7. The module as claimed in claim 1, further comprising at least one decoupling capacitor arranged to protect the switching means.

8. The power module as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a data communications bus, linked up to said intrinsic control unit and able to exchange data with said remote control unit, with a potential barrier on the bus.

9. The power module as claimed in claim 8, further comprising galvanic isolation means on said communications bus.

10. A voltage converter comprising:

at least one power module as claimed in claim 1; and

a remote control unit configured for exchanging data with the intrinsic control unit of the module across a potential barrier.

11. The converter as claimed in claim 10, further comprising a plurality of power modules and a single remote control unit configured for exchanging data with each intrinsic control unit across a single potential barrier.

12. The converter as claimed in claim 10, being an inverter for the combined powering and charging of an accumulator and an alternating-current motor, respectively.

13. The converter as claimed in claim 12, the converter being an inverter and the motor being a poly-phase motor, wherein the inverter is equipped with a number of power modules equal to the number of phases of said motor, each of said power modules being linked up to one of said phases of said motor.

14. The converter as claimed in claim 10, being a DC/DC converter for the combined powering and charging of an accumulator and an alternating-current motor, respectively.

15. The converter as claimed in claim 14, being arranged for adapting the voltage level between the accumulator and an inverter.

16. An electric device for combined powering and charging, comprising:

an alternating-current motor;

an accumulator;

an inverter equipped with at least one power module as claimed in claim 1; and

a remote control unit, able to exchange data with the intrinsic control unit of the power module or modules.

17. The electric device as claimed in claim 16, comprising:

a DC/DC converter comprising at least one power module for converting an electric current flowing between the accumulator and the alternating-current motor, the power module comprising;

switching means configured to be controlled to authorize the powering of the motor and/or the charging of the accumulator; and

an intrinsic control unit connected to said switching means for delivering opening and/or closing signals to said switching means, and for exchanging data with a remote control unit, this exchange of data employing a potential barrier

the DC/DC converter being arranged between the accumulator and the inverter.

18. A method for implementing a device as claimed in claim 17, wherein the device is implemented by superimposing a plurality of electronic layers, the layers being such that:

a first layer forms the inverter,

a second layer forms the remote control unit, and

a third layer forms the DC/DC converter.