# US 10,500,971 B2 · Circuit assembly for linking different electrical voltage levels, as well as control method

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- Number: US 10,500,971 B2
- Document ID: US10500971B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/756,743
- Filed: 2016-08-31
- Published: 2018-08-30
- Granted: 2019-12-10
- Earliest claimed: 2015-09-02
- Assignees: RWTH Aachen
- Applicants: RWTH Aachen
- Inventors: Murat Senol; Rik W. De Doncker
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10500971B2

## CPC

- B60L 15/007: {Physical arrangements or structures of drive train converters specially adapted for the propulsion motors of electric vehicles}
- B60L 58/20: having different nominal voltages
- H02P 27/06: using DC to AC converters or inverters (H02P27/05 takes precedence)
- B60L 2210/10: DC to DC converters
- B60L 2210/40: DC to AC converters
- B60L 2210/42: Voltage source inverters
- B60L 2220/12: Induction machines
- B60L 2220/54: Windings for different functions
- B60Y 2200/91: Electric vehicles
- B60Y 2200/92: Hybrid vehicles
- H02M 7/5387: in a bridge configuration
- H02P 2209/01: Motors with neutral point connected to the power supply
- Y02T 10/64: Electric machine technologies in electromobility
- Y02T 10/70: Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
- Y02T 10/72: Electric energy management in electromobility
- B60L: PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (arrangements or mounting of electrical propulsion units or of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion in vehicles B60K1/00, B60K6/20; arrangements or mounting of electrical gearing in vehicles B60K17/12, B60K17/14; preventing wheel slip by reducing power in rail vehicles B61C15/08; dynamo-electric machines H02K; control or regulation of electric motors H02P); SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (electric coupling devices combined with mechanical couplings of vehicles B60D1/64; electric heating for vehicles B60H1/00); ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL (control or regulation of electric motors H02P); MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES
- H02P: CONTROL OR REGULATION OF ELECTRIC MOTORS, ELECTRIC GENERATORS OR DYNAMO-ELECTRIC CONVERTERS; CONTROLLING TRANSFORMERS, REACTORS OR CHOKE COILS
- B60Y: INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO ASPECTS CROSS-CUTTING VEHICLE TECHNOLOGY
- H02M: APPARATUS FOR CONVERSION BETWEEN AC AND AC, BETWEEN AC AND DC, OR BETWEEN DC AND DC, AND FOR USE WITH MAINS OR SIMILAR POWER SUPPLY SYSTEMS; CONVERSION OF DC OR AC INPUT POWER INTO SURGE OUTPUT POWER; CONTROL OR REGULATION THEREOF (transformers H01F; dynamo-electric converters H02K47/00; controlling transformers, reactors or choke coils, control or regulation of electric motors, generators or dynamo-electric converters H02P)
- Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION

## Abstract

A circuit assembly for linking different electrical voltage levels in a motor vehicle, comprising: an electric machine containing induction coils in a star circuit connection with a star point; a first switch unit containing switch elements for generating an AC voltage for the electric machine from a DC voltage of a first voltage level; a DC voltage of a second voltage level; and a second switch unit for a bidirectional electrical energy flow between the DC voltage of the first voltage level and the DC voltage of the second voltage level, wherein the second switch unit has two switch elements arranged in series in an auxiliary switch branch, wherein the auxiliary switch branch is connected in parallel to the DC voltage of the first voltage level, and each connection of the switch elements is connected to the star point.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A circuit assembly for linking different voltage levels in a motor vehicle, with
an electric machine (1) containing induction coils (2) connected in star circuit with a star point (3),
a first switching unit (4) containing switching elements (5) for generating an AC voltage for the electric machine (1) from a DC voltage (U1) of a first voltage level,
a DC voltage (U2) of a second voltage level, and
a second switching unit (6) for a bidirectional electric energy flow between the DC voltage (U1) of the first voltage level and the DC voltage (U2) of the second voltage level, wherein the second switching unit (6) has two switching elements (8, 8′, 8″) arranged in series in an additional switching branch (7), wherein the additional switching branch (7) is connected in parallel to the DC voltage (U1) of the first voltage level and in each case a terminal (9, 10) of the switching elements (8, 8′, 8″) is connected to the star point (3),
wherein the DC voltage (U2) of the second voltage level is provided in the additional switching branch (7), and
wherein the DC voltage (U2) of the second voltage level is provided in a first branch part (12) of the additional switching branch (7) having a first switching element (8′) or in a second branch part (13) of the additional switching branch (7) having a second switching element (8″).

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The circuit assembly according to claim 1, wherein the switching elements (8, 8′, 8″) of the second switching unit (6) are controlled such that a predetermined energy flow occurs between the DC voltage (U1) of the first voltage level and the DC voltage (U2) of the second voltage level and the electric machine (1) or between the DC voltage (U1) of the first voltage level and the DC voltage (U2) of the second voltage level.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The circuit assembly according to claim 1, wherein between a terminal (9) of a first switching element (8′) of the second switching unit (6) and a terminal (10) of a second switching element (8″) of the second switching unit (6) a branch point (V) is arranged, which is electrically connected to the star point (3).

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The circuit assembly according to claim 1, wherein the DC voltage (U2) of the second voltage level is provided between the branch point (V) and the star point (3).

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The circuit assembly according to claim 1, wherein the electrical machine (1) is a three-phase AC machine.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The circuit assembly according to claim 1, wherein the supply voltage of the DC voltage (U1) of the first voltage level is higher than the supply voltage of the DC voltage (U2) of the second voltage level.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The circuit assembly according to claim 1, wherein the first switching unit (4) and the second switching unit (6) are arranged on a common carrier.

### Claim 8

A method for controlling a converter connected between a DC voltage (U1) of a first voltage level and a DC voltage (U2) of a second voltage level, which has an electric machine (1) having induction coils (2) arranged in a star point circuit, with a first switching unit (4) associated with the electrical machine (1) and a second switching unit (6) for a bidirectional flow of energy between the DC voltage (U1) of the first voltage level and the DC voltage (U2) of the second voltage level,
wherein the DC voltage (U2) of the second voltage level is provided in an additional switching branch (7),
wherein the DC voltage (U2) of the second voltage level is provided in a first branch part (12) of the additional switching branch (7) having a first switching element (8′) or in a second branch part (13) of the additional switching branch (7) having a second switching element (8″)
the method comprising controlling the switching elements (8, 8′, 8″) of the second switching unit (6) in such a way that a star point current (iSt) of the electric machine (1) flows in a predetermined direction with a predetermined magnitude corresponding to the predetermined energy flow from the DC voltage (U1) of the first voltage level to the DC voltage (U2) of the second voltage level or from the DC voltage (U2) of the second voltage level to the DC voltage (U1) of the first voltage level.