Charging apparatus and electric vehicle including the same

• US 9,376,025 B2
• Filed: 02/05/2014
• Issued: 06/28/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Jung, Anyeol, Lee, Dongyup, Kim, Jungbum, Lim, Junyoung, Kim, Youngjin, Senol, Murat, De Doncker, Rik
• Primary Examiner(s): Lin, Sun
• Application Number:
  US14/173,519
• Publication Number:
  US 20140217974A1
• Time in Patent Office: 874 Days
• Field of Search: 320/109
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/025 using field orientation; Vector control; Direct Torque Control [DTC]
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/12 Buck converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/14 Boost 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 2240/12 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/423 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/20 characterised by converters located in the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/22 Constructional details or arrangements of charging converters specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/24 Using the vehicle's propulsion converter for charging
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/007 Plural converter units in cascade push-pull DC/DC converters with pre-regulator H02M3/3374; DC-AC converters following a DC-DC stage including a high frequency transformer H02M7/4807; DC-AC converters following a DC-DC conversion stage generating periodically varying voltages H02M7/4826
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/1582 Buck-boost converters H02M3/1584 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/1584 with a plurality of power processing stages connected in parallel
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/06 using discharge tubes without control electrode or semiconductor devices without control electrode
• 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 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

A charging apparatus and an electric vehicle including the same are disclosed. The charging apparatus includes a converter for, in a charging mode, converting an input alternating current (AC) voltage into a direct current (DC) voltage, and a controller for controlling the converter. The converter includes a motor, and a switching unit for supplying the input AC voltage to the motor by performing a switching operation. The converter also includes an inverter for, in a motor operation mode, converting a DC voltage from a battery into an AC voltage by performing a switching operation of three-phase switching elements and driving the motor. In the charging mode, the inverter operates switching elements of at least one phase of the three-phase switching elements and converts the voltage received from the motor into a predetermined DC voltage.

Claims

1. A charging apparatus comprising:

a converter configured to, in a charging mode, receive an input alternating current (AC) voltage and convert the input AC voltage into an output direct current (DC) voltage; and

a controller configured to control the converter,

wherein the converter includes;

a motor;

a switching unit configured to selectively supply the input AC voltage to the motor by performing a switching operation; and

an inverter configured to, in a motor operation mode, convert a battery DC voltage from a battery into an output AC voltage by performing a switching operation of three-phase switching elements and drive the motor, and, in the charging mode, operate switching elements of at least one phase of the three-phase switching elements and convert a voltage received from the motor into a predetermined DC voltage and supply the predetermined DC voltage to the battery.

2. The charging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, in the charging mode, a switching element of the switching unit, the motor, and the switching elements of one phase of the inverter operate in a buck mode or a boost mode.

3. The charging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, in the charging mode:

when a lower-arm switching element of the switching elements of one phase of the inverter is turned on and then turned off in a state in which a switching element of the switching unit is turned on, the switching element of the switching unit, the motor, and the switching elements of one phase of the inverter operate in a boost mode, and

when the switching element of the switching unit is turned on and then turned off in a state in which the lower-arm switching element of the switching elements of one phase of the inverter is turned off, the switching element of the switching unit, the motor, and the switching elements of one phase of the inverter operate in a buck mode.

4. The charging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the inverter, the controller, and the switching unit are located on a same circuit board.

5. The charging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to, in the charging mode, control the switching elements of one phase of the three-phase switching elements of the inverter such that a rotator of the motor is aligned with a predetermined location, and control output of a switching control signal to the switching elements of one phase of the three-phase switching elements of the inverter such that a torque command component of a current command component is zero.

6. The charging apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the controller is configured to, in the charging mode, sense the location of the rotator of the motor and control the switching elements of a nearest phase of the three-phase switching elements of the inverter such that the rotator is located in correspondence with the nearest phase of the three phases of a stator of the motor.

7. The charging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller includes:

a speed calculator configured to calculate rotator speed information of the motor based on a location signal of a rotator of the motor or a detected current flowing in the motor;

a current command generator configured to generate a current command value based on the rotator speed information and a speed command value;

a voltage command generator for generating a voltage command value based on the current command value and the detected current; and

a switching control signal output unit configured to output a switching control signal that drives the inverter based on the voltage command value.

8. The charging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, in the charging mode, a switching element of the switching unit, the motor, and the switching elements of two phases of the inverter operate in a buck mode or a boost mode.

9. The charging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, in the charging mode:

when a lower-arm switching element of the switching elements of two phases of the inverter is turned on and then turned off in a state in which a switching element of the switching unit is turned on, the switching element of the switching unit, the motor, and the switching elements of two phases of the inverter operate in a boost mode, and

when the switching element of the switching unit is turned on and then turned off in a state in which the lower-arm switching element of the switching elements of two phases of the inverter is turned off, the switching element of the switching unit, the motor, and the switching elements of two phases of the inverter operate in a buck mode.

10. The charging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to, in the charging mode, control the operation of the switching elements of two phases of the three-phase switching elements of the inverter in correspondence with a location of a rotator of the motor.

11. The charging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to, in the charging mode, control the switching elements of two phases of the three-phase switching elements of the inverter such that a rotator of the motor is aligned with a predetermined location and control output of a switching control signal to the switching elements of two phases of the three-phase switching elements of the inverter such that a torque command component of a current command component is zero.

12. The charging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to, in the charging mode, sense a location of a rotator of the motor and control the switching elements of two phases of the three-phase switching elements of the inverter such that the location of the rotator is maintained.

13. The charging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to, in the charging mode, control the switching elements of two phases of the three-phase switching elements of the inverter such that a rotator of the motor is aligned with a predetermined location and control matching of a sum of current vectors applied to two phases of a stator of the motor and a direction of a flux vector of the rotator of the motor.

14. An electric vehicle comprising:

a battery; and

a charging apparatus including a converter configured to, in a charging mode, receive an input alternating current (AC) voltage and convert the input AC voltage into a direct current (DC) voltage and a controller configured to control the converter,

wherein the converter includes;

a motor;

a switching unit configured to selectively supply the input AC voltage to the motor by performing a switching operation; and

an inverter configured to, in a motor operation mode, convert a battery DC voltage from a battery into an output AC voltage by performing a switching operation of three-phase switching elements and drive the motor, and, in the charging mode, operate switching elements of at least one phase of the three-phase switching elements and convert a voltage received from the motor into a predetermined DC voltage and supply the predetermined DC voltage to the battery.

15. The electric vehicle according to claim 14, wherein, in the charging mode:

when a lower-arm switching element of the switching elements of one phase of the inverter is turned on and then turned off in a state in which a switching element of the switching unit is turned on, the switching element of the switching unit, the motor, and the switching elements of one phase of the inverter operate in a boost mode, and

when the switching element of the switching unit is turned on and then turned off in a state in which the lower-arm switching element of the switching elements of one phase of the inverter is turned off, the switching element of the switching unit, the motor, and the switching elements of one phase of the inverter operate in a buck mode.

16. The electric vehicle according to claim 14, wherein the controller is configured to, in the charging mode, control the switching elements of one phase of the three-phase switching elements of the inverter such that a rotator of the motor is aligned with a predetermined location and control output of a switching control signal to the switching elements of one phase of the three-phase switching elements of the inverter such that a torque command component of a current command component is zero.

17. The electric vehicle according to claim 14, wherein, in the charging mode:

when a lower-arm switching element of the switching elements of two phases of the inverter is turned on and then turned off in a state in which a switching element of the switching unit is turned on, the switching element of the switching unit, the motor, and the switching elements of two phases of the inverter operate in a boost mode, and

when the switching element of the switching unit is turned on and then turned off in a state in which the lower-arm switching element of the switching elements of two phases of the inverter is turned off, the switching element of the switching unit, the motor, and the switching elements of two phases of the inverter operate in a buck mode.

18. The electric vehicle according to claim 14, wherein the controller is configured to, in the charging mode, control the switching elements of two phases of the three-phase switching elements of the inverter such that a rotator of the motor is aligned with a predetermined location and control output of a switching control signal to the switching elements of two phases of the three-phase switching elements of the inverter such that a torque command component of a current command component is zero.

19. The electric vehicle according to claim 14, wherein the controller is configured to, in the charging mode, sense a location of a rotator of the motor and control the switching elements of two phases of the three-phase switching elements of the inverter such that the location of the rotator is maintained.

20. The electric vehicle according to claim 14, wherein the controller is configured to, in the charging mode, control the switching elements of two phases of the three-phase switching elements of the inverter such that a rotator of the motor is aligned with a predetermined location and control matching of a sum of current vectors applied to two phases of a stator of the motor and a direction of a flux vector of the rotator of the motor.