US 10,148,212 B2Granted

DC to DC converter sourcing variable DC link voltage

AssigneeThermo King Corporation

InventorsRyan Wayne Schumacher, Marcelo Andrade Dias

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Abstract

An inverter-converter system includes a DC source, a DC to DC boost converter, a DC link capacitor, an inverter circuit, a variable speed electric machine, and a controller. The DC to DC boost converter receives an input DC voltage from the DC source. The inverter circuit converts the variable boosted voltage to an AC voltage to drive the variable speed electric machine. The controller senses a plurality of parameters from the variable speed electric machine, and controls the DC to DC boost converter to boost up the input DC voltage to a variable output voltage based on the plurality of parameters and/or the voltage (or load) needed by the variable speed electric machine. The design of the inverter-converter system can achieve an electrical efficiency and cost savings for the overall system.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A DC to DC boost converter, comprising:

a first boost circuit having a first inductor and a first set of switches, the first inductor having a first end and a second end;
and
a second boost circuit having a second inductor and a second set of switches, the second inductor having a first end and a second end,
wherein the first end of the first inductor connects to a DC source to receive an input DC voltage, the second end of the first inductor connects to the first end of the second inductor,
wherein the first inductor is connected to the second inductor in series when the first set of switches is off;
wherein when the second set of switches is off, the first set of switches is controlled to boost the input DC voltage to a first boosted voltage using the first inductor without the second inductor;
wherein when the first set of switches is off, the second set of switches is controlled to boost the input DC voltage to a second boosted voltage using the first inductor and the second inductor;
and
wherein the second boosted voltage is greater than the first boosted voltage, the first boosted voltage is greater than the input DC voltage.

6 more elements

An inverter-converter system, comprising:

a DC to DC boost converter, the DC to DC boost converter includes:
a first boost circuit having a first inductor and a first set of switches, the first inductor having a first end and a second end, and
a second boost circuit having a second inductor and a second set of switches, the second inductor having a first end and a second end,
wherein the first end of the first inductor connects to a DC source to receive an input DC voltage, the second end of the first inductor connects to the first end of the second inductor,
wherein the first inductor is connected to the second inductor in series when the first set of switches is off,
wherein when the second set of switches is off, the first set of switches is controlled to boost the input DC voltage to a first boosted voltage using the first inductor without the second inductor,
wherein when the first set of switches is off, the second set of switches is controlled to boost the input DC voltage to a second boosted voltage using the first inductor and the second inductor;
and
wherein the second boosted voltage is greater than the first boosted voltage, the first boosted voltage is greater than the input DC voltage;
the DC source providing the input DC voltage to the DC to DC boost converter;
a variable speed electric machine;
and
a controller that determines a load of the variable speed electric machine and controls the first and the second sets of switches based on the sensed load of the variable speed electric machine,
wherein the DC to DC boost converter is configured to source one of the first boosted voltage and the second boosted voltage to the variable speed electric machine based on the sensed load of the variable speed electric machine.

11 more elements

A method for operating a DC to DC boost converter, the DC to DC boost converter including a first boost circuit having a first inductor and a first set of switches, the first inductor having a first end and a second end;

and a second boost circuit having a second inductor and a second set of switches, the second inductor having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end of the first inductor connects to a DC source to receive an input DC voltage, the second end of the first inductor connects to the first end of the second inductor, wherein the first inductor is connected to the second inductor in series when the first set of switches is off,
the method comprising:
receiving the input DC voltage from the DC source;
sensing a load of a variable speed electric machine;
when the load of the variable speed electric machine is sensed to require a first boosted voltage, switching the second set of switches off and the first set of switches being controlled to boost the input DC voltage to the first boosted voltage using the first inductor without the second inductor;
and
when the load of the variable speed electric machine is sensed to require a second boosted voltage, switching the first set of switches off and the second set of switches being controlled to boost the input DC voltage to the second boosted voltage using the first inductor and the second inductor,
wherein the second boosted voltage is greater than the first boosted voltage, the first boosted voltage is greater than the input DC voltage.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 15/400,316Filed 6 Jan 2017
Published: US 2018/0198399 A112 Jul 2018
Granted: 4 Dec 2018
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification10 codes

H02P 25/02
Arrangements or methods for the control of AC motors characterised by the kind of AC motor or by structural details: characterised by the kind of…
H02M 3/158
With automatic control of output voltage or current, e.g. switching regulators: including plural semiconductor devices as final control devices…
H02M 7/06
By static converters: using discharge tubes without control electrode or semiconductor devices without control electrode
H02P 27/06
Using variable-frequency supply voltage, e.g. inverter or converter supply voltage: using DC to AC converters or inverters