# US 11,307,225 B2 · Temperature based control of variable voltage converter

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- Number: US 11,307,225 B2
- Document ID: US11307225B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/139,733
- Filed: 2018-09-24
- Published: 2020-03-26
- Granted: 2022-04-19
- Earliest claimed: 2018-09-24
- Assignees: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
- Applicants: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
- Inventors: Lihua Chen; Boris Curuvija; Baoming Ge
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11307225B2

## CPC

- B60L 50/51: characterised by AC-motors
- G01R 19/16528: {using digital techniques or performing arithmetic operations (using digital techniques to measure a voltage or a current, see G01R19/25)}
- B60L 50/60: using power supplied by batteries (in combination with fuel cells B60L50/75)
- B60L 53/22: Constructional details or arrangements of charging converters specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
- H02M 3/158: including plural semiconductor devices as final control devices for a single load
- H02M 3/33515: {with digital control}
- H02M 7/53871: {with automatic control of output voltage or current}
- H02M 7/797: using semiconductor devices only
- B60L 2210/14: Boost converters
- B60L 2210/42: Voltage source inverters
- B60L 2240/525: Temperature of converter or components thereof
- H02M 1/007: {Plural converter units in cascade (push-pull DC/DC converters with pre-regulator H02M3/3374; DC-AC converters following a DC-DC stage including a high frequency transformer H02M7/4807; DC-AC converters following a DC-DC conversion stage generating periodically varying voltages H02M7/4826)}
- H02M 1/008: {Plural converter units for generating at two or more independent and non-parallel outputs, e.g. systems with plural point of load switching regulators}
- H02M 1/327: {against abnormal temperatures}
- Y02T 10/70: Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
- Y02T 10/7072: Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
- Y02T 10/72: Electric energy management in electromobility
- Y02T 90/14: Plug-in electric vehicles
- 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
- G01R: MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES (indicating correct tuning of resonant circuits H03J3/12)
- 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 vehicle electric drive includes a controller programmed to operate a power converter to boost voltage from a battery for a DC bus and to limit voltage output from the power converter to a predefined maximum voltage value that varies with temperature of coolant used to cool the power converter.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A vehicle electric drive comprising: a battery; a DC bus; a power converter electrically between the battery and DC bus; and a controller programmed to, responsive to a requested voltage value for the DC bus, operate the power converter (i) to boost voltage from the battery toward a target value defined as a lesser of the requested voltage value and a predefined maximum limit value that varies with temperature of coolant used to cool the power converter and (ii) at a duty cycle defined as a lesser of a non-zero limit duty cycle and a non-zero requested duty cycle that is based on the target value and a voltage of the battery, wherein the limit value decreases as the temperature decreases and wherein the controller is further configured to limit the duty cycle to a maximum duty cycle value.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The vehicle electric drive of claim 1, wherein the limit value increases as the temperature increases.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The vehicle electric drive of claim 1 further comprising a motor and an inverter electrically between the DC bus and motor, wherein the inverter is configured to transfer power from the DC bus to the motor.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The vehicle electric drive of claim 1 further comprising a generator and an inverter electrically between the DC bus and generator, wherein the inverter is configured to transfer power from the generator to the DC bus.

### Claim 5

A method comprising:
responsive to a requested voltage value for a DC bus, operating a power converter electrically between a battery and the DC bus at a duty cycle defined as a lesser of a non-zero limit duty cycle and a non-zero requested duty cycle, that is based on a target voltage value and a voltage of the battery, to boost voltage from the battery toward the target voltage value, wherein the target voltage value is defined as a lesser of the requested voltage value and a predefined limit voltage value that varies with temperature of coolant used to cool the power converter and wherein the limit voltage value decreases as the temperature decreases; and limiting the duty cycle to a maximum duty cycle value.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, wherein the limit voltage value increases as the temperature increases.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5 further comprising operating an inverter electrically between the DC bus and a motor to transfer power from the DC bus to the motor.

### Claim 8 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5 further comprising operating an inverter electrically between the DC bus and a generator to transfer power from the generator to the DC bus.

### Claim 9

A vehicle electric drive comprising: a battery; DC bus; a power converter electrically between the battery and DC bus; and a controller programmed to operate the power converter to boost voltage from the battery for the DC bus and to limit voltage output from the power converter to a predefined maximum voltage value that varies with temperature of coolant used to cool the power converter, wherein the maximum voltage value decreases as the temperature decreases, and at a duty cycle defined as a lesser of a limit duty cycle and a requested duty cycle that is based on a target value and a voltage of the battery, and limit the duty cycle to a maximum duty cycle value.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The vehicle electric drive of claim 9 wherein the maximum duty cycle value is constant.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The vehicle electric drive of claim 9, wherein the maximum voltage value increases as the temperature increases.

### Claim 12 (depends on 9)

The vehicle electric drive of claim 9 further comprising a motor and an inverter electrically between the DC bus and motor, wherein the inverter is configured to transfer power from the DC bus to the motor.

### Claim 13 (depends on 9)

The vehicle electric drive of claim 9 further comprising a generator and an inverter electrically between the generator and DC bus and motor, wherein the inverter is configured to transfer power from the generator to the DC bus.