Inverter system

• US 8,497,598 B2
• Filed: 01/28/2011
• Issued: 07/30/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lear Corporation
• Original Assignee: Lear Corporation
• Inventors: Darroman, Yann, Alvarez-Troncosco, Ignacio
• Primary Examiner(s): Barnie, Rexford
• Assistant Examiner(s): VU, TOAN T
• Application Number:
  US13/015,970
• Publication Number:
  US 20110121646A1
• Time in Patent Office: 914 Days
• Field of Search: 307/10.1
• US Class Current: 307/10.1
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/1438 in combination with power supplies for loads other than batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

A vehicle system for use in powering an AC load. The system may include an inverter system operating in cooperation with a power distribution system. The power distribution system may be configured to provide a stabilized power output to the inverter system. The inverter system be configured to inverter the stabilized power output to an output suitable for powering the AC load.

Claims

1. A vehicle stabilization module for use in a vehicle having an unstabilized power bus with an unstabilized voltage that varies within a broad voltage range depending on vehicle operating conditions, the module comprising:

a converter operable to transform the unstabilized voltage to a stabilized voltage for output to a stabilized power bus, the stabilized voltage being within a narrow voltage range regardless of the vehicle operating conditions;

a bypass operable between a first state where an input to the stabilized power bus is connected to an output of the converter to receive the stabilized voltage and a second state where the input of the stabilized power bus bypasses the output of the converter to be connected to an output of the unstabilized power bus in order to receive the unstabilized voltage;

wherein the bypass is set to the first state in the event a sensitive load is receiving power from the stabilized power bus and the unstabilized voltage is beyond the narrow voltage range defined within the broad voltage range, the sensitive load being operable when the stabilized power bus is within the narrow voltage range and inoperable when the stabilized power bus is outside of the narrow voltage range and within the broad voltage range; and

wherein the bypass is set to the second state in the event the unstabilized voltage is within the narrow voltage range;

wherein the broad voltage range spans from a first voltage to a second voltage and the narrow voltage range spans from a third voltage to a fourth voltage, the first voltage being less than the second voltage, the third voltage being less than the fourth voltage, the fourth voltage being less than the second voltage, thereby defining the narrow voltage range to be within the broad voltage range.

2. The module of claim 1 further comprising a controller operable to actuate the bypass between the first and second states, wherein the controller automatically actuates the bypass to the second state when vehicle operating conditions indicate at least one of:

(a) battery discharging during vehicle acceleration;

(b) battery charging during vehicle deceleration; and

(c) automatic engine stop/start at vehicle standstill.

3. The module of claim 1 wherein the bypass is set to the first and second states without measuring the unstabilized voltage.

4. The module of claim 1 wherein the bypass is controlled to the second state when the unstabilized voltage is within the narrow voltage range is overridden to instead control the bypass to the first state in the event vehicle acceleration is greater than an acceleration threshold.

5. The module of claim 1 wherein the bypass is controlled to the second state when the unstabilized voltage is within the narrow voltage range is overridden to instead control the bypass to the first state in the event vehicle deceleration is greater than a deceleration threshold.

6. The module of claim 1 wherein the bypass is controlled to the second state when the unstabilized voltage is within the narrow voltage range is overridden to instead control the bypass to the first state in the event a vehicle engine is stopped as part of a start/stop strategy.

7. The module of claim 1 wherein the sensitive load is a non-feedback reliant inverter system connected to the stabilized power bus to output an AC signal for use in powering an AC appliance, the inverter system including a second converter and an inverter, the non-feedback reliant inverter system being characterized as operating without measuring a voltage of the AC signal.

8. The module of claim 1 wherein the converter receives the unstabilized voltage as DC or the converter outputs the stabilized voltage as DC.

19. The module of claim 1 wherein:

the bypass is automatically set to the first state in the event an insensitive load is receiving power from the stabilized power bus and the sensitive load is not, the insensitive load being operable throughout the broad voltage.

9. A controller for use with vehicle stabilization module for use in a vehicle having an unstabilized voltage that varies within a broad voltage range depending on vehicle operating conditions, the module having a converter operable to transform the unstabilized voltage to a stabilized voltage for output to a power bus, the stabilized voltage being within the narrow voltage range regardless of the vehicle operating conditions, and a bypass operable between a first state where the power bus is connected to the converter to receive the stabilized voltage and a second state where the power bus bypasses the converter to receive the unstabilized voltage, the controller operable to:

set the bypass to the first state in the event a sensitive load is receiving power from the power bus and the unstabilized voltage is beyond a narrow voltage range defined within the broad voltage range, the sensitive load being operable when the power bus is within the narrow voltage range and inoperable when the power bus is outside of the narrow voltage range and within the broad voltage range;

set the bypass to the second state in the event the unstabilized voltage is within the narrow voltage range and the sensitive load is receiving power from the power bus; and

prevent the converter from facilitating voltage output to the power bus when the bypass is set to the second state;

set the bypass to the second state in the event the sensitive load is not receiving power from the power bus and an insensitive load is receiving power from the power bus thereby by causing the unstabilized voltage to be provided to the power bus, the insensitive load being operable throughout the broad voltage range of the unstabilized voltage;

wherein the broad voltage range spans from a first voltage to a second voltage and the narrow voltage range spans from a third voltage to a fourth voltage, the first voltage being less than the second voltage, the third voltage being less than the fourth voltage, the fourth voltage being less than the second voltage, thereby defining the narrow voltage range to be within the broad voltage range.

10. The controller of claim 9 further operable to set the bypass to the first and second states without determining the unstabilized voltage.

11. The controller of claim 9 further operable to set the bypass to the first state, regardless of whether the unstabilized voltage is within the narrow voltage range, in the event vehicle acceleration is greater than an acceleration threshold.

12. The controller of claim 9 further operable to set the bypass to the first state, regardless of whether the unstabilized voltage is within the narrow voltage range, in the event vehicle deceleration is greater than a deceleration threshold.

13. The controller of claim 9 further operable to set the bypass to the first state, regardless of whether the unstabilized voltage is within the narrow voltage range, in the event a vehicle engine is stopped as part of a start/stop strategy.

14. A vehicle system comprising:

a power bus;

an insensitive vehicle load connected to the power bus and being operable with voltage variations within a broad voltage range;

a sensitive vehicle load connected to the power bus and being operable with voltage variations within a narrow voltage range defined within the broad voltage range

a source outputting an unstabilized voltage that varies within the broad voltage range depending on vehicle operating conditions;

a stabilization module operable to transform the unstabilized voltage to a stabilized voltage for output to the power bus, the stabilized voltage being within the narrow voltage range;

a bypass operable between a first state where an input to the power bus is connected to the stabilization module to receive the stabilized voltage and a second state where the input to the power bus is connected to the source in order to bypass the stabilization module, and thereby, to receive the unstabilized voltage;

a controller operable to;

i. set the bypass to the first state in the event the sensitive load is receiving power from the power bus and the unstabilized voltage is beyond the narrow voltage range;

ii. set the bypass to the second state in the event the sensitive load is receiving power from the power bus and the unstabilized voltage is within the narrow voltage range; and

iii. set the bypass to the second state in the event the sensitive load is not consuming power from the power bus and the insensitive load is consuming power from the power bus;

wherein the sensitive load is inoperable with voltage variation outside of the narrow voltage range and within the broad voltage range, wherein the broad voltage range spans from a first voltage to a second voltage and the narrow voltage range spans from a third voltage to a fourth voltage, the first voltage being less than the second voltage, the third voltage being less than the fourth voltage, the fourth voltage being less than the second voltage, thereby defining the narrow voltage range to be within the broad voltage range.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the stabilization module is inactive when the bypass is set to the second state at least in that the stabilization module is not required to facilitate voltage output to the power bus.

16. The system of claim 14 wherein the controller sets the bypass to the first and second states without determining the unstabilized voltage.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein controller sets the bypass to the first and second states based on vehicle operating conditions.

18. The system of claim 14 wherein the sensitive load is a non-feedback reliant inverter system connected to the power bus to output an AC signal for use in powering an AC appliance, the inverter system including a converter and an inverter that operate without measuring a voltage of the AC signal, operating without measuring the voltage the AC signal rendering the inverter system non-feedback reliant.