Systems and methods for multiple source power conversion

• US 7,936,083 B2
• Filed: 05/08/2008
• Issued: 05/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Dawsey, Robert T., Stancu, Constantin C., Selogie, Mark L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Fleming; Fritz M
• Application Number:
  US12/117,543
• Publication Number:
  US 20090278405A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,090 Days
• Field of Search: 307/9.1, 307/10.1, 307 72- 75, 180/65.21, 180/65.22, 180/65.245, 180/65.25, 180/65.26, 180/65.265, 180/65.275, 180/65.285, 903/907, 903/908, 903/944
• US Class Current: 307/9.1
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/10 Arrangements incorporating converting means for enabling loads to be operated at will from different kinds of power supplies, e.g. from ac or dc
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making

Abstract

An embodiment of a system for multiple source power conversion is implemented in a vehicle that includes an alternating current (AC) power source and first and second direct current (DC) power sources. The system includes an inverter, a DC-to-DC converter, and a controller. The controller receives external commands, inverter feedback signals, and DC-to-DC converter feedback signals, and executes and inverter control algorithm and DC-to-DC converter control algorithm. An embodiment of a method for multiple source power conversion between an AC power source, and first and second DC power sources includes receiving external commands from a remote source, inverter feedback signals from an inverter, and DC-to-DC converter feedback signals from a DC-to-DC converter. The method also includes executing an inverter control algorithm and a DC-to-DC converter control algorithm to generate drive signals for the inverter and DC-to-DC converter, respectively, based on the received commands and feedback signals.

Claims

1. A system for multiple source power conversion in a vehicle that includes a first direct current (DC) power source, a second DC power source, and an alternating current (AC) electric motor that functions as a traction device of the vehicle, the system comprising:

an inverter having a plurality of first switches, a first DC input/output (I/O) connector, a second DC I/O connector, and an AC I/O connector, wherein the first DC I/O connector is coupled with the second DC power source, and the AC I/O connector is coupled with the AC electric motor, and wherein the the first switches are controllable to convert DC power received via the first DC I/O connector from the second DC power source into AC power, which is provided to the AC electric motor;

a DC-to-DC converter having a plurality of second switches, a third DC I/O connector, and a fourth DC I/O connector, wherein the third DC I/O connector is coupled with the second DC I/O connector of the inverter, and the fourth DC I/O connector is coupled with the first DC power source; and

a single controller coupled to the inverter and the DC-to-DC converter, wherein the single controller receives external commands, inverter feedback signals, and DC-to-DC converter feedback signals, and executes a first control algorithm for controlling the first switches of the inverter and a second control algorithm for controlling the second switches of the DC-to-DC converter based on the external commands, the inverter feedback signals, and the DC-to-DC converter feedback signals, wherein the single controller executes the first and second control algorithms in a cyclic manner in which, during a single switching cycle of the first and second switches, the single controller executes a portion of the first control algorithm to generate first drive signals for the first switches of the inverter and executes a portion of the second control algorithm to generate second drive signals for the second switches of the DC-to-DC converter, and wherein the controller generates the first and second drive signals so that the first switches of the inverter and the second switches of the DC-to-DC converter are synchronized to switch at a same frequency and out of phase.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the DC-to-DC converter includes a bidirectional DC-to-DC converter.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the first and second switches include a plurality of high frequency switching devices.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the plurality of high frequency switching devices includes devices selected from a group that includes insulated gate bipolar transistors, metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistors, and integrated gate commutated thyristors.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

the first DC power source coupled with the first DC I/O connector;

the AC electric motor coupled with the AC I/O connector; and

the second DC power source coupled with the fourth DC I/O connector.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the first DC power source includes a fuel cell power module, and the second DC power source includes a battery.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the first DC power source includes a battery power module, and the second DC power source includes an ultracapacitor.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the inverter, the DC-to-DC converter, and the controller are enclosed within one housing.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a heat dissipation device adapted to dissipate heat generated by the inverter and the DC-to-DC converter.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more electromagnetic interference (EMI) filters adapted to provide EMI filtering for the inverter and the DC-to-DC converter.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more DC bus capacitors adapted to perform DC bus voltage filtering.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the switching cycle is less than or equal to 100 microseconds.

13. An apparatus for multiple source power conversion in a vehicle that includes a first direct current (DC) power source, a second DC power source, and an alternating current (AC) electric motor that functions as a traction device of the vehicle, the apparatus comprising:

a single controller that executes an inverter control algorithm and a DC-to-DC converter control algorithm, wherein the single controller executes the inverter control algorithm and the DC-to-DC converter algorithm in a cyclic manner in which, during a single switching cycle of first and second switches of an inverter and a DC-to-DC converter, the single controller executes a portion of the inverter control algorithm to generate first drive signals for the first switches of the inverter and executes a portion of the DC-to-DC converter algorithm to generate second drive signals for the second switches of the DC-to-DC converter, and wherein the controller generates the first and second drive signals so that the first switches of the inverter and the second switches of the DC-to-DC converter are synchronized to switch at a same frequency and out of phase;

the inverter coupled to the single controller and controlled by the inverter control algorithm, the inverter having the first switches, a first DC input/output (I/O) connector, a second DC I/O connector, and an AC I/O connector, and wherein the inverter converts DC power received via the first DC I/O connector from the second DC power source into AC power, which is provided to the AC electric motor; and

the DC-to-DC converter coupled to the single controller and controlled by the DC-to-DC converter control algorithm, the DC-to-DC converter having the second switches, a third DC I/O connector and a fourth DC I/O connector, wherein the third DC I/O connector is coupled to the second DC I/O connector,

wherein the inverter control algorithm and the DC-to-DC converter control algorithm communicate variables within the single controller for coordinating three-way power transfer among the AC electric motor, the first DC power source, and the second DC power source.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the DC-to-DC converter includes a bidirectional DC-to-DC converter.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the first switches of the inverter and the second switches of the DC-to-DC converter include a plurality of high frequency switching devices.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the plurality of high frequency switching devices includes devices selected from a group that includes insulated gate bipolar transistors, metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistors, and integrated gate commutated thyristors.

17. A method for multiple source power conversion between an alternating current (AC) electric motor that functions as a traction device of a vehicle, a first direct current (DC) power source of the vehicle, and a second DC power source of the vehicle, the method performed by a single controller of the vehicle and comprising the steps of:

receiving external commands from a remote source;

receiving inverter feedback signals from an inverter;

receiving DC-to-DC converter feedback signals from a DC-to-DC converter;

executing an inverter control algorithm in order to generate first drive signals for first switches of the inverter based on the external commands and the inverter feedback signals; and

executing a DC-to-DC converter control algorithm in order to generate second drive signals for second switches of the DC-to-DC converter based on the external commands and the DC-to-DC converter feedback signals,

wherein at least some of the first drive signals cause the inverter to convert DC power received from the second DC power source into AC power, and to provide the AC power to the AC electric motor, and

wherein the single controller executes the inverter control algorithm and the DC-to-DC converter algorithm in a cyclic manner in which, during a single switching cycle of the first and second switches, the single controller executes a portion of the inverter control algorithm to generate the first drive signals for the inverter and executes a portion of the DC-to-DC converter control algorithm to generate the second drive signals for the DC-to-DC converter, and wherein the controller generates the first and second drive signals so that the first switches of the inverter and the second switches of the DC-to-DC converter are synchronized to switch at a same frequency and out of phase.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the step of receiving the external commands includes receiving at least one command selected from a group that includes motor speed commands, torque commands, DC-to-DC power commands, and/or current commands.

19. A method of manufacturing a system for power conversion between multiple power sources in a vehicle that includes an alternating current (AC) electric motor that functions as a traction device of the vehicle and at least two direct current (DC) power sources, the method comprising the steps of:

electrically coupling together a single controller, an inverter having first switches, and a bi-directional DC-to-DC converter (BDC) having second switches; and

storing an inverter control algorithm and a BDC control algorithm in a data storage device that is accessible to the single controller, wherein the inverter control algorithm and the BDC control algorithm are executable by the single controller in a cyclic manner, and result in the single controller producing drive signals that cause the inverter to convert DC power received from the at least two DC power sources into AC power, and to provide the AC power to the AC electric motor, wherein execution in the cyclic manner includes the single controller, during a single switching cycle of the first and second switches, executing a portion of the inverter control algorithm to generate first drive signals for the inverter and executing a portion of the BDC control algorithm to generate second drive signals for the BDC, and wherein the first and second drive signals are generated so that the first switches of the inverter and the second switches of the DC-to-DC converter are synchronized to switch at a same frequency and out of phase.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

coupling the AC electric motor to an AC input/output (I/O) connector of the inverter;

coupling a second DC power source of the at least two DC power sources to a first DC I/O connector of the inverter;

coupling a second DC I/O connector of the inverter to a third DC I/O connector of the BDC; and

coupling a second DC power source of the at least two DC power sources to a fourth I/O connector of the BDC.