Drive unit for driving a motor

• US 9,573,475 B2
• Filed: 11/17/2015
• Issued: 02/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ABB Schweiz AG (ABB Limited)
• Original Assignee: ABB Schweiz AG (ABB Limited)
• Inventors: Stemmler, Christoph, Hoff, Thomas von, Ehrler, Urs
• Primary Examiner(s): Fureman, Jared
• Assistant Examiner(s): Yeshaw, Esayas
• Application Number:
  US14/943,610
• Publication Number:
  US 20160068068A1
• Time in Patent Office: 462 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/26 characterised by the motors or the generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/26 Rail vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/40 Working vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/26 Transition between different drive modes
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0046 relating to electric energy storage systems, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/15 with additional electric power supply with capacitors charged by engine-driven generators B60L50/40; with batteries charged by engine-driven generators B60L50/61
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/61 by batteries charged by engine-driven generators, e.g. series hybrid electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/24 Using the vehicle's propulsion converter for charging
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/10 for monitoring or controlling batteries
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/04 the motors being associated with current generators
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/0859 specially adapted to the type of the starter motor or integrated into it
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/0862 characterised by the electrical power supply means, e.g. battery
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2011/0885 Capacitors, e.g. for additional power supply
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2011/0896 Inverters for electric machines, e.g. starter-generators
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• 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 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/906 Motor or generator

Abstract

A drive unit for driving and starting a motor in the form of an internal combustion engine designed for driving a traction generator coupled to the motor.

Claims

1. A drive unit comprising:

a power converter, which is connectable to a working machine, comprising an intermediate circuit, which is coupleable firstly to a first inverter and secondly to a second inverter, wherein the first inverter is designed to be connectable to a motor on an AC voltage side of the first inverter and is connected to the intermediate circuit on a DC voltage side of the first inverter, and wherein the second inverter is connected to the intermediate circuit on a DC voltage side of the second inverter and is connectable to the working machine on an AC voltage side of the second inverter, and wherein the second inverter is designed to drive the working machine in such a way that the working machine is operable either as a motor or as a generator;

a link to at least one energy storage;

a switching unit connected to the power converter, wherein the switching unit is operable in a first operating mode or second operating mode, wherein in the first operating mode the switching unit is designed to couple the power converter to the at least one energy storage in order to enable an energy flow from the at least one energy storage via the switching unit to the intermediate circuit of the power converter and wherein in the second operating mode the switching unit is designed to disconnect the power converter from the at least one energy storage;

wherein the drive unit comprises an energy storage charging unit, which is connectable to the power converter to provide energy to the energy storage,

wherein the charging of the energy storage by the energy charging unit is carried out, if the switching unit is in its second operating mode, and

wherein the switching unit is designed to couple the power converter to a supply network terminal in order to enable an energy flow from the intermediate circuit of the power converter via the switching unit toward the supply network terminal.

2. The drive unit as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, the switching unit is in the second operating mode, if the energy storage is not electrically connected to the switching unit.

3. The drive unit as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the drive unit comprises an auxiliary energy storage, which is connectable to the intermediate circuit of the power converter.

4. The drive unit as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that a converter unit is connected between the auxiliary energy storage and the intermediate circuit of the power converter.

5. The drive unit as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that the auxiliary energy storage is designed to be operable in charging or discharging operation, wherein in the charging mode the switching unit is operated in the first operating mode, in which the energy storage is coupled to the intermediate circuit of the power converter via the switching unit, such that energy from the energy storage is feedable into the intermediate circuit via the switching unit, said energy then being transferred from the intermediate circuit via the converter unit into the auxiliary energy storage, and, if the auxiliary energy storage is operated in the discharging mode, the auxiliary energy storage is coupled to the intermediate circuit of the power converter via the converter unit in order that energy from the auxiliary energy storage is provided to the intermediate circuit of the power converter.

6. The drive unit as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the switching unit has a load protection element designed to protect the energy storage against electrical overload.

7. The drive unit as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that the load protection element is a diode.

8. The drive unit as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the drive unit comprises a control unit, which is designed to control a coupling between the power converter, the switch unit, the energy storage, the auxiliary energy storage and the supply network terminal depending on an operating mode of the drive unit.

9. The drive unit as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the auxiliary energy storage is embodied as a supercap.

10. The drive unit as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the intermediate circuit of the power converter is embodied as a DC voltage intermediate circuit.

11. The drive unit as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the switching unit comprises mechanical and/or electrical switching means.

12. The drive unit as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the energy storage is a battery.

13. A vehicle comprising a drive unit including:

a power converter, which is connectable to a working machine, comprising an intermediate circuit, which is coupleable firstly to a first inverter and secondly to a second inverter, wherein the first inverter is designed to be connectable to a motor on an AC voltage side of the first inverter and is connected to the intermediate circuit on a DC voltage side of the first inverter, and wherein the second inverter is connected to the intermediate circuit on a DC voltage side of the second inverter and is connectable to the working machine on an AC voltage side of the second inverter, and wherein the second inverter is designed to drive the working machine in such a way that the working machine is operable either as a motor or as a generator;

a link to at least one energy storage;

a switching unit connected to the power converter, wherein the switching unit is operable in a first operating mode or second operating mode, wherein in the first operating mode the switching unit is designed to couple the power converter to the at least one energy storage in order to enable an energy flow from the at least one energy storage via the switching unit to the intermediate circuit of the power converter and wherein in the second operating mode the switching unit is designed to disconnect the power converter from the at least one energy storage;

wherein the drive unit comprises an energy storage charging unit, which is connectable to the power converter to provide energy to the energy storage,

wherein the charging of the energy storage by the energy charging unit is carried out, if the switching unit is in its second operating mode, and wherein the switching unit is designed to couple the power converter to a supply network terminal in order to enable an energy flow from the intermediate circuit of the power converter via the switching unit toward the supply network terminal.

14. The vehicle as claimed in claim 13, characterized in that the vehicle is a rail vehicle.

15. The vehicle as claimed in claim 13, characterized in that the vehicle is provided with a hybrid drive.

16. A drive unit comprising:

a power converter having an intermediate circuit;

the intermediate circuit connected to a first inverter and a second inverter;

the first inverter connected to a motor;

the second inverter connected to a working machine having a first mode and a second mode;

in the first mode, the working machine is operated as a motor to supply a torque to start a second motor connected to the working machine;

in the second mode, the working machine is operated as a generator;

a switching unit connected to the power converter, the switching unit having a first operating mode and a second operating mode;

in the first operating mode, the switching unit couples the power converter to an energy storage to enable an energy flow from the energy storage through the switching unit and to the intermediate circuit of the power converter;

in the second operating mode, the switching unit connects a supply network terminal to the power converter to enable an energy flow from the intermediate circuit of the power converter, through the switching unit, to the supply network terminal, and the energy storage is connected to an energy storage charging unit.