Voltage conversion device and vehicle

• US 7,715,217 B2
• Filed: 03/30/2006
• Issued: 05/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Manabe, Kota, Shige, Masahiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu; Bao Q
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran; Nguyen
• Application Number:
  US11/886,791
• Publication Number:
  US 20090051346A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,503 Days
• Field of Search: 63/40, 63/41, 63/58, 63/95, 63/98, 63/37, 631/20, 631/31, 631/32
• US Class Current: 363/95
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/10 DC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/40 for controlling a combination of batteries and fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/1582 Buck-boost converters H02M3/1584 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/1588 comprising at least one synchronous rectifier element H02M3/1582, H02M3/1584 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/40 Application of hydrogen technology to transportation, e.g. using fuel cells

Abstract

A DC/DC converter includes a reactor, IGBT devices, a dead time generation unit, and a DC-CPU. The dead time generation unit operates in response to a reference signal for a duty ratio, to output first and second activation signals provided with an inactive period corresponding to a dead time preventing both of the IGBT devices from conducting. The DC-CPU corrects a tentative duty ratio calculated as based on a voltage control value, in accordance with a value of a current flowing through the reactor, to output the reference signal. Preferably the DC-CPU associates the value of the current of the reactor with three states and when the value approaches a value at which a state transitions to a different state, the DC-CPU gradually switches a correction value.

Claims

1. A voltage conversion device comprising:

a reactor;

a first switching device operative in response to a first activation signal to couple one end of said reactor with a first power supply node;

a second switching device operative in response to a second activation signal to couple said one end of said reactor with a ground node;

a first dead time generation unit operative in response to a reference signal for a duty ratio, to output said first and second activation signals provided with an inactive period corresponding to a dead time preventing both said first and second switching devices from conducting; and

a control unit correcting a tentative duty ratio calculated as based on a voltage control value, in accordance with a value of a current flowing through said reactor, to output said reference signal, wherein said control unit exerts proportional-plus-integral-plus-derivative control based on a deviation between said voltage control value and an output voltage value and corrects an integral term in accordance with said value of said current of said reactor to correct said tentative duty ratio.

2. The voltage conversion device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a second dead time generation unit operative in response to said reference signal to output a third activation signal and a fourth activation signal activated in synchronization with said second activation signal and said first activation signal, respectively; and

a third switching device operative in response to said third activation signal to couple an other end of said reactor with a second power supply node;

a fourth switching device operative in response to said fourth activation signal to couple said other end of said reactor with a ground node.

3. The voltage conversion device according to claim 2, wherein said first power supply node is connected to an inverter for driving a motor and said second power supply node is connected to an electric storage device.

4. The voltage conversion device according to claim 3, wherein a fuel cell is also connected to said first power supply node via a rectification element.

5. A vehicle comprising a voltage conversion device including:

a reactor;

a first switching device operative in response to a first activation signal to couple one end of said reactor with a first power supply node;

a second switching device operative in response to a second activation signal to couple said one end of said reactor with a ground node;

a first dead time generation unit operative in response to a reference signal for a duty ratio, to output said first and second activation signals provided with an inactive period corresponding to a dead time preventing both said first and second switching devices from conducting; and

a control unit correcting a tentative duty ratio calculated as based on a voltage control value, in accordance with a value of a current flowing through said reactor, to output said reference signal, wherein said control unit exerts proportional-plus-integral-plus-derivative control based on a deviation between said voltage control value and an output voltage value and corrects an integral term in accordance with said value of said current of said reactor to correct said tentative duty ratio.

6. The vehicle according to claim 5, wherein said voltage conversion device further includes:

a second dead time generation unit operative in response to said reference signal to output a third activation signal and a fourth activation signal activated in synchronization with said second activation signal and said first activation signal, respectively; and

a third switching device operative in response to said third activation signal to couple an other end of said reactor with a second power supply node;

a fourth switching device operative in response to said fourth activation signal to couple said other end of said reactor with a ground node.

7. The vehicle according to claim 6, further comprising:

a motor driving a wheel;

an inverter connected to said first power supply node and driving said motor; and

a storage device connected to said second power supply node.

8. The vehicle according to claim 7, further comprising:

a fuel cell; and

a rectification element connected between said first power supply node and said fuel cell.