US 10,605,843 B2 · Inverter open/short failure detection

Abstract

The present invention relates to a power circuit of an inverter for an electric vehicle, and, more specifically, to a power circuit supplying a high voltage direct current from a high voltage power source to a drive circuit for driving an AC motor for the electric vehicle. In one case, the present invention provides a method of detecting an IGBT short circuit failure or an IGBT open circuit failure during electric vehicle key ON and charging conditions. The method includes the steps of: a) receiving information that a vehicle key has been turned on; b) detecting whether there is an IGBT short circuit failure; c) initiating vehicle failure action if an IGBT short circuit failure is detected, but detecting whether there is an IGBT open circuit failure if IGBT short failure is not detected; d) determining that the vehicle is ready to drive if IGBT short failure was not detected.

Claims2

Dependent claims

A method of detecting an IGBT short circuit failure of an IGBT open circuit failure during electric vehicle ON and charging conditions, wherein the method comprises:

a) receiving information that a vehicle key has been turned on;
b) detecting whether there is an IGBT short circuit failure;
c) initiating vehicle failure action when an IGBT short circuit failure is detected, but detecting whether there is an IGBT open circuit failure when IGBT short failure is not detected;
d) determining that the vehicle is ready to drive when IGBT short failure was not detected
wherein detecting whether there is an IGBT short circuit failure comprises:
a) detecting whether a voltage U is balanced in the middle of a +DC/−DC voltage;
b) detecting whether a voltage V is balanced in the middle of the +DC/−DC voltage when voltage U is balanced, but determining there is either a Phase U High Fault or Phase U Low Fault when it is not;
c) detecting whether a voltage W is balanced in the middle of the +DC/−DC voltage when voltage V is balanced, but determining there is either a phase V High Fault or Phase V Low Fault when it is not;
d) initiating IGBT open circuit failure detection when voltage W is balanced, but initiating vehicle failure action when it is not.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Inverter open/short failure detection

Life of this patent

Inverter open/short failure detection

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims2