Electric Power Converting Device

• US 20170338733A1
• Filed: 11/06/2015
• Published: 11/23/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Astemo Ltd. (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: KASHIHARA, Masayoshi, IGARASHI, Hiroaki
• Granted Patent: US 9,991,785 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/16547 voltage or current in AC supplies switching for protection H02H; circuits for emergency power supply H02J9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/42 AC power supplies
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/52 Testing for short-circuits, leakage current or ground faults
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/32 Means for protecting converters other than automatic disconnection
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/48 using discharge tubes with control electrode or semiconductor devices with control electrode
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/5395 by pulse-width modulation
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 27/08 with pulse width modulation
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 29/024 Detecting a fault condition, e.g. short circuit, locked rotor, open circuit or loss of load
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 29/0241 the fault being an overvoltage

Abstract

The objective of the present invention is to provide an electric power converting device with which can executes a ground fault detection in a short time with its inexpensive configuration. In one step, the electric power converting device performs level comparison of a difference between output values of low pass filters, with a threshold value −E. If a W-phase is shorted to ground at a time when the U-phase and V-phase lower arm IGBTs are ON and W-phase upper IGBT is ON, the difference between the output values of the low pass filters and becomes small. In another step, a level comparison is made between the absolute value of a difference between the U-phase current value iu and U-phase current command value iu′, and a threshold value F. If the absolute value is lower than the threshold value, the result is determined to be normal, and if the absolute value is greater than the threshold value, the result is determined to be abnormal, because the U-phase is shorted to ground. In another step, a level comparison is made between the absolute value of a difference between the V-phase current iv and the V-phase current command value iv′, and a threshold value F. If the absolute value is lower than the threshold value, the result is determined to be normal, and if the absolute value is greater than the threshold value, the result is determined to be abnormal, because the V-phase is shorted to ground.

Claims

1. An electric power converting device for converting DC power to AC power by a PWM signal with a predetermined carrier period, comprising:

a voltage detector which detects a voltage value between a positive electrode or a negative electrode of a DC power supply connected to the electric power converting device, and a housing of the electric power converting device at a predetermined timing based on the PWM signal; and

a control unit which outputs information on a ground fault of the AC power based on a voltage value detected by the voltage detector.

2. The electric power converting device according to claim 1,

wherein the voltage detector detects the voltage value through a first low pass filter of which time constant is smaller than the carrier period, and a second low pass filter of which time constant is larger than the carrier period, and

the control unit outputs information on the ground fault of the AC power based on a difference between an output value of the first low pass filter and an output value of the second low pass filter.

3. The electric power converting device according to claim 1,

wherein the control unit outputs information on the ground fault of the AC power, when fluctuations in the voltage value becomes larger than a predetermined value within a period of the carrier period.

4. The electric power converting device according to claim 1,

wherein the control unit detects a value of current which flows into any two phases out of a U-phase, a V-phase, and a W-phase of a motor generator, and identifies a phase of which detected current value is larger than a predetermined value as a phase which is shorted to ground.