# US 11,079,144 B2 · Linear power supply pre-regulator for electrical climate compressors

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- Number: US 11,079,144 B2
- Document ID: US11079144B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/647,846
- Filed: 2017-07-12
- Published: 2018-01-18
- Granted: 2021-08-03
- Earliest claimed: 2016-07-12
- Assignees: Hanon Systems
- Applicants: Hanon Systems
- Inventors: Christoph Neeb; Stephan Werker; Philipp Karutz
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11079144B2

## CPC

- F25B 9/006: {the refrigerant containing more than one component (F25B9/004 takes precedence)}
- B60H 1/00421: {Driving arrangements for parts of a vehicle air-conditioning (B60H1/3222 takes precedence)}
- B60H 1/00428: {electric}
- B60H 1/3222: {characterised by the compressor driving arrangements, e.g. clutches, transmissions or multiple drives (B60H1/3208, B60H1/3226 take precedence)}
- F25B 9/004: {the refrigerant being air}
- F25B 31/006: {Cooling of compressor or motor}
- F25B 49/022: {Compressor control arrangements}
- H02H 3/202: {for DC systems}
- H02H 5/04: responsive to abnormal temperature {(specially adapted for electric machines H02H7/0852)}
- H02M 1/0006: {Arrangements for supplying an adequate voltage to the control circuit of converters}
- H02M 1/0045: {Converters combining the concepts of switch-mode regulation and linear regulation, e.g. linear pre-regulator to switching converter, linear and switching converter in parallel, same converter or same transistor operating either in linear or switching mode}
- H02M 7/48: using discharge tubes with control electrode or semiconductor devices with control electrode
- H02P 9/02: Details {of the control}
- H02P 27/04: using variable-frequency supply voltage, e.g. inverter or converter supply voltage
- F25B 2600/021: Inverters therefor
- H02H 7/1213: {for DC-DC converters}
- H02P 2101/45: for motor vehicles, e.g. car alternators
- Y02T 10/88: Optimized components or subsystems, e.g. lighting, actively controlled glasses
- F25B: REFRIGERATION MACHINES, PLANTS OR SYSTEMS; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS
- B60H: ARRANGEMENTS OF HEATING, COOLING, VENTILATING OR OTHER AIR-TREATING DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR PASSENGER OR GOODS SPACES OF VEHICLES
- H02H: EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS (indicating or signalling undesired working conditions G01R, e.g. G01R31/00, G08B; locating faults along lines G01R31/08; emergency protective devices H01H)
- 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)
- H02P: CONTROL OR REGULATION OF ELECTRIC MOTORS, ELECTRIC GENERATORS OR DYNAMO-ELECTRIC CONVERTERS; CONTROLLING TRANSFORMERS, REACTORS OR CHOKE COILS
- Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION

## Abstract

Inverter for an electric compressor comprising an auxiliary voltage supply that supplies a control electronics of the inverter with a DC voltage. The auxiliary voltage supply comprises a series circuit of a linear voltage regulator and a linear pre-regulator. The linear pre-regulator comprises a transistor and is connected to the input terminal of the linear voltage regulator. The linear pre-regulator and/or the linear voltage regulator are advantageously actively cooled by a refrigerant utilized in the electric compressor.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An inverter for an electric compressor, wherein
the inverter comprises an auxiliary voltage supply which supplies a control electronics of the inverter with DC voltage,
the auxiliary voltage supply comprises a series circuit of a linear voltage regulator and a linear pre-regulator, and
the linear pre-regulator comprises a transistor which is connected to the input terminal of the linear voltage regulator, wherein only one of the linear pre-regulator and the linear voltage regulator is actively cooled by a refrigerant utilized in the electric compressor, wherein the linear pre-regulator comprises furthermore a regulation unit which operates the transistor in the linear range such that the transistor generates a voltage drop from the input voltage of the auxiliary voltage supply to a predetermined output voltage, and wherein the transistor is disposed on a circuit board of the inverter and via thermal vias connected to an housing of the electric compressor, wherein the thermal vias are thermally conducting through-holes through the circuit board.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The inverter according to claim 1, wherein the main portion of the power loss is not generated in the linear voltage regulator but rather in the linear pre-regulator and the linear voltage regulator operates with minimal difference between the input voltage of the linear voltage regulator and the output voltage of the linear voltage regulator in the range of 0.1 V to 1 V, and wherein the regulation unit monitors the input voltage of the auxiliary voltage supply and switches off the transistor if the input voltage exceeds a threshold value.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The inverter according to claim 1, wherein the auxiliary voltage supply comprises furthermore a control unit which switches off the transistor in response to a shutdown signal.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The inverter according to claim 1, wherein the inverter comprises a high-voltage domain, which supplies a motor of the electric compressor with AC current, and a low-voltage domain, which processes control commands for the control of the electric compressor, and the auxiliary voltage supply is disposed in the low-voltage domain.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The inverter according to claim 1,
wherein the linear voltage regulator is a low-dropout voltage regulator.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The inverter according to claim 1, wherein the transistor is a metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET).

### Claim 7

An inverter for an electric compressor, wherein
the inverter comprises an auxiliary voltage supply which supplies a control electronics of the inverter with DC voltage,
the auxiliary voltage supply comprises a series circuit of a linear voltage regulator and a linear pre-regulator, and
the linear pre-regulator comprises a transistor which is connected to the input terminal of the linear voltage regulator, wherein only one of the linear pre-regulator and the linear voltage regulator is actively cooled by a refrigerant utilized in the electric compressor, wherein the linear pre-regulator comprises furthermore a regulation unit which operates the transistor in the linear range such that the transistor generates a voltage drop from the input voltage of the auxiliary voltage supply to a predetermined output voltage, wherein the main portion of the power loss is not generated in the linear voltage regulator but rather in the linear pre-regulator and the linear voltage regulator operates with minimal difference between the input voltage of the linear voltage regulator and the output voltage of the linear voltage regulator in the range of 0.1 V to 1 V, wherein the linear pre-regulator comprises furthermore a regulation unit which monitors the input voltage of the auxiliary voltage supply and switches off the transistor if the input voltage exceeds a threshold value, wherein the transistor is disposed on a circuit board of the inverter and via thermal vias connected to an housing of the electric compressor, wherein the thermal vias are thermally conducting through-holes through the circuit board, and wherein the auxiliary voltage supply comprises furthermore a control unit which switches off the transistor in response to a shutdown signal.