Apparatus for transferring energy using power electronics and machine inductance and method of manufacturing same

• US 8,653,696 B2
• Filed: 03/25/2011
• Issued: 02/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: King, Robert Dean, Steigerwald, Robert Louis
• Primary Examiner(s): Fleming, Fritz M
• Application Number:
  US13/072,085
• Publication Number:
  US 20110169449A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,061 Days
• Field of Search: 307/9.1, 307/10.1, 307/82, 320/109
• US Class Current: 307/82
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/007 Physical arrangements or structures of drive train converters specially adapted for the propulsion motors of electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/10 DC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/20 AC to AC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/40 DC to AC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2220/54 Windings for different functions
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/16 with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/61 by batteries charged by engine-driven generators, e.g. series hybrid electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/20 characterised by converters located in the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/24 Using the vehicle's propulsion converter for charging
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/92 Energy efficient charging or discharging systems for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors specially adapted for vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/907 Electricity storage, e.g. battery, capacitor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49108 : Electric battery cell making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49117 : Conductor or circuit manufacturing

Abstract

A fraction inverter circuit includes a first energy storage device configured to output a DC voltage, a first bi-directional DC-to-AC voltage inverter coupled to the first energy storage device, and a first electromechanical device. The first electromechanical device includes a first plurality of conductors coupled to the first bi-directional DC-to-AC voltage inverter, a second plurality of conductors coupled together, and a plurality of windings coupled between the first plurality of conductors and the second plurality of conductors. The traction converter circuit also includes a charge bus comprising a first conductor coupled to the second plurality of conductors of the first electromechanical device, the charge bus configured to transmit a charging current to or receive a charging current from the first electromechanical device to charge the first energy storage device via the first electromechanical device and the first bi-directional DC-to-AC voltage inverter.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a first energy storage device configured to supply electrical energy;

a bi-directional DC-to-DC converter coupled to the first energy storage device;

a DC bus coupled to the bi-directional DC-to-DC converter;

a first bi-directional inverter coupled to the DC bus;

a first electromechanical device coupled to the first bi-directional inverter;

a charge bus comprising a first conductor directly coupled to the first bi-directional inverter and an external power source and a second conductor directly coupled to the first electromechanical device and the external power source; and

a controller configured to;

selectively control switching of the first bi-directional inverter to;

convert a DC voltage on the DC bus into an AC voltage suitable for supplying to the plurality of conductors of the first electromechanical device; and

convert the charging voltage that is supplied to the plurality of conductors of the first electromechanical device into a DC voltage suitable for supplying to the DC bus for charging the first energy storage device.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the controller, in being configured to selectively control switching of the first bi-directional inverter to convert the charging voltage, is configured to selectively control switching of the first bi-directional inverter to one of buck the charging voltage and boost the charging voltage to a DC link charging voltage.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the controller is further configured to selectively control switching of the bi-directional DC-to-DC converter to:

boost a DC voltage of the first energy storage device to a DC voltage suitable for supplying to the DC bus; and

buck the DC link charging voltage to a DC voltage suitable for charging the first energy storage device.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the controller is further configured to selectively control switching of the bi-directional DC-to-DC converter such that a current waveform output from the bi-directional DC-to-DC converter is proportional to a voltage waveform output therefrom.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the controller is further configured to selectively control switching of the bi-directional DC-to-DC converter to maintain a constant DC bus output line voltage while drawing a current that is in phase with the DC bus output line voltage.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a second energy storage device configured to supply electrical energy to the DC bus;

and

wherein the controller is further configured to selectively control switching of the first bi-directional inverter to;

convert a DC voltage that is supplied by the second energy storage device into an AC voltage suitable for supplying to the plurality of conductors of the first electromechanical device; and

convert the charging voltage that is supplied by the plurality of conductors of the first electromechanical device into a DC voltage suitable for charging the second energy storage device.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the controller is further configured to selectively control switching of the first bi-directional inverter to operate in an interleaving mode to reduce current ripple.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a second bi-directional inverter coupled to the DC bus; and

a second electromechanical device having a plurality of conductors coupled to the second bi-directional inverter; and

wherein the controller is further configured to selectively control switching of the second bi-directional inverter to;

convert the DC voltage on the DC bus into an AC voltage suitable for supplying to the plurality of conductors of the second electromechanical device; and

convert an AC voltage that is supplied by the plurality of conductors of the second electromechanical device into a DC voltage suitable for supplying to the DC bus for charging the first energy storage device.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the external power source is a DC source;

and

wherein the controller is further configured to selectively control switching of the bi-directional DC-to-DC converter to discharge the first energy storage device.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a switch coupled between the first bi-directional inverter and the charge bus;

and

wherein the controller is further configured to operate the switch to selectively couple the first bi-directional inverter and the plurality of conductors of the first electromechanical device in one of a charge mode and a motoring mode.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the controller is further configured to selectively control switching of the first bi-directional inverter to rectify an AC voltage from the external power source.

12. A method of manufacturing comprising:

providing a first energy storage device;

coupling a bi-directional buck/boost converter to the first energy storage device;

coupling a voltage bus to the bi-directional buck/boost converter;

coupling a first voltage inverter to the voltage bus;

coupling a plurality of conductors of a first electromechanical device to the first voltage inverter;

coupling a conductor of a charge bus directly to the first electromechanical device and an external power source such that a charging voltage received by the charge bus from an external power source is supplied to the plurality of conductors of the first electromechanical device;

coupling another conductor of the charge bus directly to the first voltage inverter and the external power source; and

configuring a controller to;

cause the first voltage inverter to convert a DC voltage on the voltage bus to an AC voltage suitable for supplying to the plurality of conductors of the first electromechanical device; and

cause the first voltage inverter to convert the charging voltage that is supplied to the plurality of conductors of the first electromechanical device into a DC voltage suitable for supplying to the voltage bus for charging the first energy storage device.

13. The method of manufacturing of claim 12 wherein the step of configuring the controller to cause the first voltage inverter to convert the charging voltage comprises configuring the controller to boost the charging voltage to a DC link charging voltage.

14. The method of manufacturing of claim 13 further comprising configuring the controller to:

selectively control switching of the bi-directional buck/boost converter to boost a DC voltage of the first energy storage device to a DC voltage suitable for supplying to the voltage bus; and

selectively control switching of the bi-directional buck/boost converter to buck the DC link charging voltage to a DC voltage suitable for charging the first energy storage device.

15. The method of manufacturing of claim 14 further comprising:

providing a second energy storage device; and

configuring the controller to;

selectively control switching of the first voltage inverter to convert a DC voltage on the voltage bus that is supplied by the second energy storage device into an AC voltage suitable for supplying to the plurality of conductors of the first electromechanical device; and

selectively control switching of the first voltage inverter to convert the charging voltage that is supplied by the plurality of conductors of the first electromechanical device into a DC voltage suitable for charging the second energy storage device.

16. A system comprising:

an electro-mechanical machine comprising a plurality of windings;

a charge bus configured to receive charging energy at a charging voltage from a voltage source external to the system;

a voltage inverter coupled to the charge bus through the plurality of windings of the machine;

an energy storage device configured to supply electrical energy to a voltage bus;

a bi-directional voltage converter coupled between the voltage bus and the energy storage device and configured to charge the energy storage device via conversion of a voltage on the voltage bus during a charging operation; and

a controller configured to;

control the voltage inverter to modify the charging voltage to a second voltage suitable for supplying to the voltage bus to charge the energy storage device; and

control the voltage inverter to modify a DC link voltage of the voltage bus to a third voltage suitable for supplying to the plurality of windings of the machine; and

wherein one conductor of the charge bus is directly coupled to the voltage inverter and the voltage source; and

wherein another conductor of the charge bus is directly coupled to the machine and the voltage source.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the controller is further configured to:

control the bi-directional voltage converter to buck the second voltage to a forth voltage suitable for charging the energy storage device; and

control the bi-directional voltage converter to boost a voltage of the energy storage device to the second voltage.

18. The system of claim 16 wherein the controller is further configured to control the voltage inverter to rectify the charging energy received from the charge bus.

19. The system of claim 16 further comprising a second energy storage device coupled to the voltage bus;

and

wherein the controller is further configured to control the voltage inverter to modify the charging voltage to a fifth voltage suitable for charging the second energy storage device.

20. The system of claim 16 further comprising a switch coupled between the voltage inverter and the charge bus;

and

wherein the controller is further configured to selectively operate the switch between a first position, wherein the switch couples the plurality of windings of the machine to the charge bus, and a second position, wherein the switch couples the plurality of windings of the machine to the energy storage device.