Voltage converting device, computer readable recording medium with program recorded thereon for causing computer to execute failure processing, and failure processing method

• US 7,400,104 B2
• Filed: 11/21/2003
• Issued: 07/15/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Sato, Eiji
• Primary Examiner(s): IP, SHIK LUEN PAUL
• Application Number:
  US10/537,262
• Publication Number:
  US 20060156096A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,698 Days
• Field of Search: 318/759, 318/732, 318/800, 318/801, 318/564, 318/139, 290/34, 701/22, 701/35, 361/23, 363/23, 363/132
• US Class Current: 318/376
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/20 AC to AC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/15 with additional electric power supply with capacitors charged by engine-driven generators B60L50/40; with batteries charged by engine-driven generators B60L50/61
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/51 characterised by AC-motors
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/007 Plural converter units in cascade push-pull DC/DC converters with pre-regulator H02M3/3374; DC-AC converters following a DC-DC stage including a high frequency transformer H02M7/4807; DC-AC converters following a DC-DC conversion stage generating periodically varying voltages H02M7/4826
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/32 Means for protecting converters other than automatic disconnection
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/158 including plural semiconductor devices as final control devices for a single load
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/53873 with digital control
• 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

A control device detects whether or not an up-converter fails, based on a DC voltage from a voltage sensor, an output voltage from a voltage sensor, and a duty ratio in controlling switching of NPN transistors. If a failure in the up-converter is detected, the control device then controls an inverter and an AC motor such that regenerative electric power generation in the AC motor is prohibited.

Claims

1. A voltage converting device comprising:

an electric load having an electric power generating function;

a capacitor connected to an input of said electric load;

a down-converter down-converting a voltage of said capacitor;

first control means controlling an amount of electric power generated by said electric load; and

second control means outputting to said first control means a command for instructing prohibition of electric power generation in said electric load or for instructing decrease in an amount of electric power generated by said electric load, when said down-converter fails.

2. The voltage converting device according to claim 1, wherein said down-converter has a voltage-up-converting function.

3. The voltage converting device according to claim 2, wherein

said electric load is a motor having an electric power generating function,

said second control means outputs to said first control means a command for instructing restriction of a regenerative electric power generating function of said motor when said down-converter fails, and

said first control means restricts an amount of regenerative electric power generated by said motor based on said command.

4. The voltage converting device according to claim 1, wherein

said electric load is a motor having an electric power generating function,

said second control means outputs to said first control means a command for instructing restriction of a regenerative electric power generating function of said motor when said down-converter fails, and

said first control means restricts an amount of regenerative electric power generated by said motor based on said command.

5. The voltage converting device according to claim 4, wherein

said second control means outputs to said first control means a command for instructing prohibition of regenerative electric power generation of said motor, and

said first control means controls said amount of regenerative electric power generated by said motor to zero based on said command.

6. The voltage converting device according to claim 4, further comprising another electric load different from said motor, wherein

said second control means outputs to said first control means a command for instructing restriction of said amount of regenerative electric power generated by said motor to a value smaller than power consumption in said another electric load, and

said first control means restricts said amount of regenerative electric power generated by said motor based on said command.

7. A voltage converting device comprising:

a first electric load having an electric power generating function;

a capacitor connected to an input of said first electric load;

a down-converter down-converting a voltage of said capacitor;

a second electric load that operates by receiving electric power generated by said first electric load;

first control means controlling an amount of power consumption in said second electric load; and

second control means outputting to said first control means a command for instructing increase in an amount of power consumption in said second electric load, when said down-converter fails.

8. The voltage converting device according to claim 7, wherein

said second electric load is a motor,

said first control means further controls torque of said motor,

said second control means outputs to said first control means a command for instructing said motor to output positive torque, and

said first control means controls the torque of said motor to a positive value based on said command.

9. A computer device for causing a computer to execute failure processing in a voltage converting device,

said voltage converting device including

an electric load having an electric power generating function,

a capacitor connected to an input of said electric load, and

a down-converter down-converting a voltage of said capacitor,

wherein the computer device causes the computer to execute

a first step of generating a command for instructing prohibition of electric power generation in said electric load or for instructing decrease in an amount of electric power generated by said electric load, when said down-converter fails, and

a second step of controlling an amount of electric power generated by said electric load based on the command generated in said first step.

10. The computer device according to claim 9, wherein

said electric load is a motor having an electric power generating function, and

in said first step, a command for instructing restriction of a regenerative electric power generating function of said motor is generated.

11. The computer device according to claim 10, wherein

in said first step, a command for instructing prohibition of regenerative electric power generation of said motor is generated.

12. The computer device according to claim 10, wherein

said voltage converting device further includes another electric load different from said electric load, and

in said first step, a command for instructing restriction of an amount of regenerative electric power generated by said motor to a value smaller than power consumption in said another electric load is generated.

13. A computer device for causing a computer to execute failure processing in a voltage converting device,

said voltage converting device including

a first electric load having an electric power generating function,

a capacitor connected to an input of said electric load,

a down-converter down-converting a voltage of said capacitor, and

a second electric load that operates by receiving electric power generated by said first electric load,

wherein the computer device causinn the computer to execute

a first step of generating a command for instructing increase in an amount of power consumption in said second electric load, when said down-converter fails, and

a second step of controlling an amount of power consumption in said second electric load, based on the command generated in said first step.

14. The computer device according to claim 13, wherein

said second electric load is a motor, and

in said first step, a command for instructing said motor to output positive torque is generated when said down-converter fails, and

in said second step, the torque of said motor is controlled to a positive value based on the command generated in said first step.

15. A failure processing method in a voltage converting device,

said voltage converting device including

an electric load having an electric power generating function,

a capacitor connected to an input of said electric load, and

a down-converter down-converting a voltage of said capacitor,

said failure processing method comprising:

a first step of generating a command for instructing prohibition of electric power generation in said electric load or for instructing decrease in an amount of electric power generated by said electric load, when said down-converter fails; and

a second step of controlling an amount of electric power generated by said electric load based on the command generated in said first step.

16. The failure processing method according to claim 15, wherein

said electric load is a motor having an electric power generating function, and

in said first step, a command for instructing restriction of a regenerative electric power generating function of said motor is generated.

17. The failure processing method according to claim 16, wherein

in said first step, a command for instructing prohibition of regenerative electric power generation of said motor is generated.

18. The failure processing method according to claim 16, wherein

said voltage converting device further includes another electric load different from said electric load, and

in said first step of said failure processing method, a command for instructing restriction of an amount of regenerative electric power generated by said motor to a value smaller than power consumption in said another electric load is generated.

19. A failure processing method in a voltage converting device,

said voltage converting device including

a first electric load having an electric power generating function,

a capacitor connected to an input of said electric load,

a down-converter down-converting a voltage of said capacitor, and

a second electric load that operates by receiving electric power generated by said first electric load, wherein

said failure processing method comprises:

a first step of generating a command for instructing increase in an amount of power consumption in said second electric load, when said down-converter fails; and

a second step of controlling an amount of power consumption in said second electric load, based on the command generated in said first step.

20. The failure processing method according to claim 19, wherein

said second electric load is a motor, and

in said first step of said failure processing method, a command for instructing said motor to output positive torque is generated when said down-converter fails, and

in said second step, the torque of said motor is controlled to a positive value based on the command generated in said first step.