INVERTER CONTROL APPARATUS AND AIR CONDITIONER

• US 20170288594A1
• Filed: 03/30/2017
• Published: 10/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi-Johnson Controls Air Conditioning Incorporated (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi-Johnson Controls Air Conditioning Incorporated (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: KASAHARA, Rei, LI, Dongsheng
• Granted Patent: US 9,893,670 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 13/00 Compression machines, plants or systems, with reversible cycle defrosting cycles F25B47/02
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2313/0293 related to the indoor fan, e.g. controlling speed
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2313/0294 related to the outdoor fan, e.g. controlling speed
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2600/021 Inverters therefor
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 49/025 Motor control arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 21/24 Vector control not involving the use of rotor position or rotor speed sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 27/08 with pulse width modulation
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 6/04 Arrangements for controlling or regulating the speed or torque of more than one motor H02P6/10 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 6/18 without separate position detecting elements
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 30/70 Efficient control or regulation technologies, e.g. for control of refrigerant flow, motor or heating

Abstract

A controller of an inverter control apparatus includes an A/D conversion unit that performs digital conversion of an input signal when a signal for either an A/D converter start trigger or an A/D converter start trigger is input thereinto; a first inverter control unit that generates the A/D converter start trigger which starts the A/D conversion unit, based on A/D converter start timing information and a first carrier signal; a second inverter control unit that generates the A/D converter start trigger which starts the A/D conversion unit, based on A/D converter start timing information and a second carrier signal; and an A/D start factor selection unit that receives either the A/D converter start trigger or the A/D converter start trigger and selects an A/D start factor at a predetermined period timing of an operation period of the first carrier signal and the second carrier signal.

Claims

1. An inverter control apparatus comprising:

inverter circuits configured to convert direct current power into three-phase alternating current power, and to supply three-phase alternating current power to synchronous motors;

current detection units configured to detect currents flowing through the inverter circuits; and

an inverter control unit configured to determine and output voltage command values supplied to the synchronous motors based on the detected currents,

wherein the inverter control unit includes

an A/D conversion unit that converts the detected currents into digital data;

a first inverter control unit that generates a first trigger which starts conversion in the A/D conversion unit, based on start timing information of the A/D conversion unit and a first carrier signal;

a second inverter control unit that generates a second trigger which starts conversion of the A/D conversion unit, based on start timing information of the A/D conversion unit and a second carrier signal; and

an A/D start factor selection unit that receives either the first trigger or the second trigger, and selects an A/D start factor in a predetermined period of an operation periods of the first carrier signal and the second carrier signal.

2. The inverter control apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein counting up and down is repeated one time or multiple times in a half period of the first and second carrier signals,

wherein in a case where the period is divided into multiple periods at switchover between the counting up and the counting down, the first inverter control unit generates the first trigger based on the first carrier signal of a first period obtained by dividing the half period, and performs inverter control computation of a first of the inverters using a period other than the first period based on a conversion result from the A/D conversion unit started by the first trigger.

3. The inverter control apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein when the number of first periods is one, the number of periods other than the first period is n, the n being a natural number equal to or greater than one.

4. The inverter control apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein the first inverter control unit splits the inverter control computation into multiple computations, and executes the multiple computations in the periods other than the first period.

5. The inverter control apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the first carrier signal and the second carrier signal are synchronously generated such that counting up and down of the first carrier signal substantially coincide with that of the second carrier signal.

6. The inverter control apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein counting up and down of the first carrier signal and the second carrier signal is repeated one time or multiple times in a half period of the first and second carrier signals, and the first carrier signal and the second carrier signal are synchronously generated such that counting up and down of the first carrier signal substantially coincide with that of the second carrier signal, and

wherein in a case where the period is divided into multiple periods at switchover between the counting up and the counting down, the first inverter control unit generates the first trigger based on the first carrier signal of a first period obtained by dividing the period, and the second inverter control unit generates the second trigger based on the second carrier signal, the period of which is divided and which corresponds to a period other than the first period.

7. The inverter control apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a third inverter circuit configured to convert the direct current power into three-phase alternating current power, and to supply three-phase alternating current power to a synchronous motor; and

a third current detection unit configured to detect current flowing through the third inverter circuit,

wherein the inverter control unit includes

a second A/D conversion unit that converts current flowing through the third inverter circuit into digital data; and

a third inverter control unit that generates a third trigger which starts the second A/D conversion unit, based on start timing information regarding the second A/D conversion unit and a third carrier signal.

8. An air conditioner comprising:

the inverter control apparatus according to claim 1.

9. The air conditioner according to claim 8,

wherein the synchronous motors comprise a first fan motor and a second fan motor configured to blow air against a compressor, a heat exchanger, and a heat exchanger;

wherein the inverter circuit comprises a first inverter circuit configured to control the first fan motor; and

a second inverter circuit configured to control the second fan motor.

10. The air conditioner according to claim 8, further comprising:

wherein the synchronous motors comprise a first fan motor and a second fan motor configured to blow air against a compressor, a heat exchanger, and a heat exchanger;

wherein the inverter circuits comprises

a first inverter circuit configured to control the first fan motor;

a second inverter circuit configured to control the second fan motor; and

a third inverter circuit configured to control the compressor.