Contactless power transmission device and power transfer system

• US 10,020,688 B2
• Filed: 06/08/2016
• Issued: 07/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Misawa, Takahiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Fureman, Jared
• Assistant Examiner(s): Evans, James
• Application Number:
  US15/177,003
• Publication Number:
  US 20170018966A1
• Time in Patent Office: 762 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/53871 with automatic control of output voltage or current

Abstract

A power supply ECU executes turn-on current control for controlling a turn-on current It to a target value Itr by adjusting a drive frequency f, turn-on current It indicating an output current Io of an inverter at a rising of an output voltage Vo of the inverter. Target value Itr is set to fall within a range where a recovery current is not produced in the inverter. In the turn-on current control, when a startup frequency indicating drive frequency f at a startup of the inverter is fa0, the control unit adjusts drive frequency f to be more than or equal to fa0. When turn-on current It is larger than target value Itr, the control unit adjusts drive frequency f in the direction toward startup frequency fa0.

Claims

1. A contactless power transmission device, comprising:

a power transmission unit configured to transmit electric power to a power reception device in a contactless manner;

a voltage-source inverter configured to supply transmission power in accordance with a drive frequency to the power transmission unit; and

a control unit configured to control the inverter,

the control unit executing turn-on current control for controlling a turn-on current by adjusting the drive frequency, the turn-on current indicating an output current of the inverter at a rising of an output voltage of the inverter, in the turn-on current control,

when a startup frequency indicating the drive frequency at a startup of the inverter is a first frequency, the control unit adjusting the drive frequency to be more than or equal to the first frequency, and

when the startup frequency is a second frequency which is higher than the first frequency, the control unit adjusting the drive frequency to be less than or equal to the second frequency,

when the turn-on current is larger than a predetermined limit value, the control unit adjusting the drive frequency in a direction toward the startup frequency.

2. The contactless power transmission device according to claim 1, wherein

when the drive frequency is more than or equal to the first frequency and when the turn-on current is larger than the limit value, the control unit decreases the drive frequency, and

when the drive frequency is less than or equal to the second frequency and when the turn-on current is larger than the limit value, the control unit increases the drive frequency.

3. The contactless power transmission device according to claim 1, wherein an adjustment amount of the drive frequency adjusted by the control unit when the turn-on current is larger than the limit value is larger than an adjustment amount of the drive frequency adjusted by the control unit when the turn-on current is smaller than the limit value.

4. A power transfer system, comprising:

a power transmission device; and

a power reception device,

the power transmission device including

a power transmission unit configured to transmit electric power to the power reception device in a contactless manner,

a voltage-source inverter configured to supply transmission power in accordance with a drive frequency to the power transmission unit, and

a control unit configured to control the inverter,

the control unit executing turn-on current control for controlling a turn-on current by adjusting the drive frequency, the turn-on current indicating an output current of the inverter at a rising of an output voltage of the inverter,

in the turn-on current control,

when a startup frequency indicating the drive frequency at a startup of the inverter is a first frequency, the control unit adjusting the drive frequency to be more than or equal to the first frequency, and

when the startup frequency is a second frequency which is higher than the first frequency, the control unit adjusting the drive frequency to be less than or equal to the second frequency,

when the turn-on current is larger than a predetermined limit value, the control unit adjusting the drive frequency in a direction toward the startup frequency.

5. The power transfer system according to claim 4, wherein

when the drive frequency is more than or equal to the first frequency and when the turn-on current is larger than the limit value, the control unit decreases the drive frequency, and

when the drive frequency is less than or equal to the second frequency and when the turn-on current is larger than the limit value, the control unit increases the drive frequency.

6. The power transfer system according to claim 4, wherein an adjustment amount of the drive frequency adjusted by the control unit when the turn-on current is larger than the limit value is larger than an adjustment amount of the drive frequency adjusted by the control unit when the turn-on current is smaller than the limit value.