Bidirectional DC/AC inverter

• US 7,450,401 B2
• Filed: 09/18/2006
• Issued: 11/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Jidoshokki
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Jidoshokki
• Inventors: Iida, Takahide
• Primary Examiner(s): Berhane; Adolf
• Application Number:
  US11/523,121
• Publication Number:
  US 20070086222A1
• Time in Patent Office: 785 Days
• Field of Search: 363/16, 363/34, 363/78, 363/79, 363/95, 363/97
• US Class Current: 363/16
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2207/20 Charging or discharging characterised by the power electronics converter
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/02 for charging batteries from ac mains by converters
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/4807 having a high frequency intermediate AC stage
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/797 using semiconductor devices only

Abstract

An input voltage Vc to a bridge circuit is made variable by making a switching element, which is on a lower side among a plurality of switching elements constituting the bridge circuit, a coil and a capacitor, which constitute a filter, operate as an active filters at the time of charging the battery.

Claims

1. A bidirectional DC/AC inverter, comprising:

a first power conversion unit;

a second power conversion unit;

a third power conversion unit; and

a control unit for controlling respective operations of the first through third power conversion units,

wherein the first power conversion unit converts an inputted AC power into a DC power, and the second power conversion unit converts the immediately aforementioned DC power into an AC power, and the third power conversion unit converts the immediately aforementioned AC power into a DC power thereby supplying the DC power to a battery at the time of charging said battery,

the third power conversion unit converts a DC power obtained from the battery into an AC power, and the second power conversion unit converts the immediately aforementioned AC power into a DC power, and the first power conversion unit converts the immediately aforementioned DC power into an AC power thereby outputting the AC power from the aforementioned bi-directional DC/AC inverter, and

the control unit makes a switching element, a capacitor, which constitute the first power conversion unit, and a coil, which constitutes a filter which is connected to the first power conversion unit, operate as an active filter at least during a period of time in which a terminal voltage of the battery is equal to or greater than a predetermined voltage, thereby making an input voltage to the second power conversion unit adjustable at the time of charging the battery.

2. The bidirectional DC/AC inverter according to claim 1, wherein said control unit makes a duty of a switching element constituting said second power conversion unit fixed at least during a period of time in which the terminal voltage of said battery is equal to or greater than said predetermined voltage at the time of charging the battery.

3. The bidirectional DC/AC inverter according to claim 1, wherein said control unit makes a duty of a switching element constituting said second power conversion unit variable during a period of time until the terminal voltage of said battery becomes said predetermined voltage, thereby making an input voltage to the battery variable, at the time of charging the battery.

4. The bidirectional DC/AC inverter according to claim 2, wherein said control unit makes a duty of a switching element constituting said second power conversion unit variable during a period of time until the terminal voltage of said battery becomes said predetermined voltage, thereby making an input voltage to the battery variable, at the time of charging the battery.

5. The bidirectional DC/AC inverter according to claim 3, wherein said predetermined voltage is a terminal voltage of said battery, at which voltage the battery can be charged by a constant current or power when the active filter makes the input voltage to said second power conversion unit the lowest.

6. The bidirectional DC/AC inverter according to claim 4, wherein said predetermined voltage is a terminal voltage of said battery, at which voltage the battery can be charged by a constant current or power when the active filter makes the input voltage to said second power conversion unit the lowest.

7. A bidirectional DC/AC inverter, comprising:

a filter comprising a coil;

a first bridge circuit, being constituted by plural switching elements, each of which is connected to a diode in parallel, and connected to the filter;

a second bridge circuit, being constituted by plural switching elements, each of which is connected to a diode in parallel, and connected to the first bridge circuit;

a capacitor, being installed between the first and second bridge circuits;

a third bridge circuit, being constituted by plural switching elements, each of which is connected to a diode in parallel, and connected to the second bridge circuit by way of a transformer; and

a control circuit for making the second bridge circuit function as converting a DC power into an AC power, and the first and third bridge circuits respectively function as converting an AC power into a DC power at the time of charging a battery, and for making the first and third bridge circuits respectively function as converting a DC power into an AC power, and the second bridge circuit function as converting an AC power into a DC power at the time of outputting an AC power from the aforementioned bidirectional DC/AC inverter,

wherein the control circuit makes a predetermined switching element among individual switching elements, which constitute the first bridge circuit, the coil and the capacitor operate as an active filter at least during a period of time in which a terminal voltage of the battery is equal to or greater than a predetermined voltage, thereby making an input voltage to the second bridge circuit adjustable, at the time of charging the battery.

8. The bidirectional DC/AC inverter according to claim 7, wherein said control circuit makes a duty of a switching element constituting said second bridge circuit variable during a period of time until the terminal voltage of said battery becomes said predetermined voltage, thereby making an input voltage to the battery variable, at the time of charging the battery.

9. A drive control method for a bidirectional DC/AC inverter which comprises:

a first power conversion unit;

a second power conversion unit;

a third power conversion unit; and

a control unit for controlling respective operations of the first through third power conversion units,

wherein the first power conversion unit converts an inputted AC power into a DC power, and the second power conversion unit converts the immediately aforementioned DC power into an AC power, and the third power conversion unit converts the immediately aforementioned AC power into a DC power thereby supplying the DC power to a battery at the time of charging said battery,

the third power conversion unit converts a DC power obtained from the battery into an AC power, and the second power conversion unit converts the immediately aforementioned AC power into a DC power, and the first power conversion unit converts the immediately aforementioned DC power into an AC power thereby outputting the AC power from the aforementioned hi-directional DC/AC inverter, comprising;

making a switching element, a capacitor, which constitute the first power conversion unit, and a coil, which constitutes a filter which is connected to the first power conversion unit, operate as an active filter at least during a period of time in which a terminal voltage of the battery is equal to or greater than a predetermined voltage, thereby making an input voltage to the second power conversion unit adjustable at the time of charging the battery.

10. The drive control method for a bidirectional DC/AC inverter according to claim 9, making a duty of a switching element constituting said second power conversion unit variable during a period of time until the terminal voltage of said battery becomes said predetermined voltage, thereby making an input voltage to the battery variable, at the time of charging the battery.