ELECTRIC POWER SYSTEM

• US 20150008735A1
• Filed: 07/08/2014
• Published: 01/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: MIZOGUCHI, Hayato
• Granted Patent: US 9,643,499 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/10.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/2045 for optimising the use of energy
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/51 characterised by AC-motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 7/10 Dynamic electric regenerative braking B60L7/22 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 7/14 for vehicles propelled by ac motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 7/16 for vehicles comprising converters between the power source and the motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 8/003 Converting light into electric energy, e.g. by using photo-voltaic systems
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2207/20 Charging or discharging characterised by the power electronics converter
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2207/40 adapted for charging from various sources, e.g. AC, DC or multivoltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/48 for electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/1415 with a generator driven by a prime mover other than the motor of a vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/1423 with multiple batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/143 with multiple generators
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/1438 in combination with power supplies for loads other than batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/1492 by means of controlling devices between the generator output and the battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/342 The other DC source being a battery actively interacting with the first one, i.e. battery to battery charging with circuits for polarity protection H02J7/0034
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/35 with light sensitive cells
• 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

Abstract

An electric power system includes a plurality of combinations of one of electric loads, which transmit/receive electric power, and one of power converters which is connected to the one of the electric loads and performs power conversion operation according to a predetermined switching synchronization signal so that electric power is transmitted/received to/from the electric load, the combinations being connected to a predetermined intermediate point so as to be parallel to each other, and a power conversion control unit which controls operations of the power converters. The power conversion control unit variably sets switching phases of the power converters depending on operating conditions of the power converters.

Claims

1. An electric power system, comprising:

a plurality of combinations of one of electric loads, which transmit/receive electric power, and one of power converters which is connected to the one of the electric loads and performs power conversion operation according to a predetermined switching synchronization signal so that electric power is transmitted/received to/from the electric load, the combinations being connected to a predetermined intermediate point so as to be parallel to each other; and

a power conversion control unit which controls operations of the power converters, wherein

the power conversion control unit variably sets switching phases of the power converters depending on operating conditions of the power converters.

2. The electric power system according to claim 1, wherein

the power conversion control unit sets the switching phase of each of the power converters so that the power converters in a pair having the same power input/output direction with respect to the Intermediate point are set to be mutually in antiphase and, any of the power converters are set to be in equiphase so that power fluctuation at the intermediate point is suppressed.

3. The electric power system according to claim 2, wherein

the power converters includes:

a first power converter which is connected to a first load included in the electric loads;

a second power converter which is connected to a second load included in the electric loads; and

a third power converter which is connected to a third load included in the electric loads, and

the power conversion control unit sets the switching phase of a pair of two of the first power converter, the second power converter, and the third power converter so as to be mutually in antiphase, the pair having the same power input/output direction with respect to the intermediate point, and

the power conversion control unit sets the switching phase of the power converter different from the pair and whichever of the converters in the pair having a larger absolute value in the input/output power so as to be in equiphase.

6. The electric power system according to claim 3, wherein

the electric loads include a fourth load connected to the intermediate point.

7. The electric power system according to claim 6, wherein

the electric power system is installed in an electric vehicle driven by a drive motor,

the second load is a main battery which supplies source power required for driving the drive motor,

the third load is an accessory battery which supplies source power required for activating an accessory of the electric vehicle, and

the fourth load is a sub battery which is charged with electric power obtained by converting electric power outputted from the first load by the first power converter, and which outputs electric power to be charged to the main battery or the accessory battery.

8. The electric power system according to claim 1, wherein

the electric loads include a solar power generation apparatus.

9. The electric power system according to claim 1, wherein

at least one of the power converters variably converts electric power.

4. An electric power system, comprising:

a first power converter which is connected to a first load, which is one of electric loads transmitting/receiving electric power, and performs power conversion operation based on a predetermined switching synchronization signal so that electric power is transmitted/received to/from the first load;

a second power converter which is connected to a second load, which is included in the electric loads, and performs power conversion operation based on the switching synchronization signal so that electric power is transmitted/received to/from the second load;

a third power converter which is connected to a third load, which is included in the electric loads, and performs power conversion operation based on the switching synchronization signal so that electric power is transmitted/received to/from the third load; and

a power conversion control unit which controls operations of the first power converter, the second power converter, and the third power converter, wherein

the first power converter, the second power converter, and the third power converter are connected to a predetermined intermediate point so as to be parallel to each other, and

the power conversion control unit variably sets switching phases of the first power converter, the second power converter, and the third power converter depending on operating conditions of the first power converter, the second power converter, and the third power converter.

5. The electric power system according to claim 4, wherein

the power conversion control unit sets the switching phase of a pair of two of the first power converter, the second power converter, and the third power converter so as to be mutually in antiphase, the pair having the same power input/output direction with respect to the intermediate point, and

the power conversion control unit sets the switching phase of the power converter different from the pair and whichever of the power converters in the pair having a larger absolute value in the input/output power so as to be in equiphase.