Current limiting device for vehicle

• US 8,901,865 B2
• Filed: 10/08/2010
• Issued: 12/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Inventors: Fujie, Kenichi, Matsuoka, Shogo, Tsujimoto, Katsuya, Asai, Takamasa
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan, Kawing
• Application Number:
  US12/900,841
• Publication Number:
  US 20110234127A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,516 Days
• Field of Search: 318/400.01, 318/400.3, 318/700
• US Class Current: 318/400.3
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 2101/45 for motor vehicles, e.g. car alternators
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 27/06 using dc to ac converters or inverters H02P27/05 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 29/032 Preventing damage to the motor, e.g. setting individual current limits for different drive conditions

Abstract

A current limiting device includes a switching portion, a reflux portion connected to a connection point of the switching portion and an output terminal, and supplying a current to a motor generator while the switching portion is cutting off the current, a current measurement portion that measures the current flowing from the output terminal to the motor generator, and a current control portion that controls the switching portion to switch ON/OFF according to a current value measured by the current measurement portion. When the motor generator is motor-driven using electric power of a condenser, the current control portion limits the current to the motor generator by controlling the switching portion to switch ON/OFF in a case where the measured current value is equal to or exceeds a predetermined current value.

Claims

1. A current limiting device for vehicle connected to a condenser at an input terminal and to a motor generator at an output terminal, comprising:

a switching portion that passes and cuts off a current from the input terminal to the output terminal;

a reflux portion that is connected to a connection point of the switching portion and the output terminal and supplies the current to the motor generator while the switching portion is cutting off the current;

a current measurement portion that measures the current flowing from the output terminal to the motor generator; and

a current control portion that controls the current between the condenser and the motor generator by alternately switching the switching portion ON and OFF by use of PWM control by which a conductive rate of the switching portion is varied by changing an ON/OFF time ratio in a constant carrier cycle, according to a current value measured by the current measurement portion,

wherein, when the motor generator is rotary driven using electric power of the condenser, the current control portion limits the current to the motor generator by controlling the switching portion to alternately switch, during each cycle of the current measurement by the current measurement portion, the switching portion ON and OFF in a case where the measured current value is equal to or exceeds a first current value, and when the motor generator generates power, the current control portion keeps the switching portion ON.

2. The current limiting device for vehicle according to claim 1, wherein:

the first current value is a value set according to a rated current of a coil wiring of the motor generator.

3. The current limiting device for vehicle according to claim 1, wherein:

the first current value is a value set according to a rated current of a switching element used in an inverter of the motor generator.

4. The current limiting device for vehicle according to claim 1, wherein:

the current control portion controls the switching portion to switch OFF in a case where a time over which the current is limited by the switching portion is equal to or exceeds a predetermined value.

5. The current limiting device for vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising:

a temperature measurement portion that measures a temperature of the switching portion,

wherein the current control portion obtains a temperature outputted from the temperature measurement portion and controls the switching portion to switch OFF in a case where the temperature of the switching portion is equal to or exceeds a predetermined value.

6. The current limiting device for vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising:

a communication portion that communicates with the motor generator and obtains a signal from the motor generator,

wherein the current control portion controls the switching portion to switch OFF in a case where the current control portion obtains a signal accompanying an abnormality of the motor generator from the communication portion.

7. The current limiting device for vehicle according to claim 6, wherein:

the current control portion obtains a temperature of a coil wiring of the motor generator from the communication portion and controls the switching portion to switch OFF in a case where the temperature of the coil wiring is equal to or exceeds a predetermined value.

8. The current limiting device for vehicle according to claim 6, wherein:

the current control portion obtains a temperature of a switching element in an inverter of the motor generator from the communication portion and controls the switch portion to switch OFF in a case where the temperature of the switching element is equal to or exceeds a predetermined value.

9. The current limiting device for vehicle according to claim 1, wherein:

the current value measured by the current measurement portion has one of positive and negative signs depending on a direction in which the current flows.

10. The current limiting device for vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising:

an output voltage smoothing portion that smoothens an output voltage of the switching portion so as to lessen an output voltage fluctuation when the switching portion is controlled to switch ON and OFF.

11. A vehicle that incorporates the current limiting device for vehicle set forth in claim 1, wherein:

the current limiting device for vehicle further comprises an input voltage smoothing portion that is connected to the condenser by a wiring having wiring inductance L1 and to the motor generator by a wiring having wiring inductance L2 and smoothens a voltage at the input terminal generated by the wiring inductance L1 and switching of the switching portion; and

the current limiting device for vehicle is installed in the vehicle so that the wiring inductance L1 is greater than wiring inductance L2.