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US 11,757,393 B2Granted
Integrated power module with transformer-less gate driver for high voltage power inverters
AssigneeDana Tm4 Inc.
InventorAmir Ranjbar
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A drive circuit for an electric machine is disclosed. In one example, the drive circuit utilizes a bootstrap capacitor and a bootstrap diode, followed by a regulator, as a basis for driving a gate of a power stage of an inverter. The regulated voltages from the bootstrap capacitor and bootstrap diode eliminate the need for using a transformer for driving the gate of the power stage of the inverter.
Claims17
A drive circuit for an electric machine, comprising:
- a first transistor;
- a second transistor, the second transistor arranged in series with the first transistor and directly electrically coupled to the first transistor;
- a bootstrap capacitor;
- a bootstrap diode arranged in series with the bootstrap capacitor, an anode of the bootstrap diode directly electrically coupled to a high voltage bus, a cathode of the bootstrap diode directly electrically coupled to a first lead of the bootstrap capacitor, and a second lead of the bootstrap capacitor directly electrically coupled to the first transistor and the second transistor;
- and
- a positive voltage regulator and a negative voltage regulator, the voltage regulator and the negative voltage regulator directly electrically coupled to a driver amplifier.
3 more elements
A method for operating a drive circuit for an electric machine, comprising:
- charging a capacitor via closing a second transistor and discharging the capacitor via closing a first transistor;
- generating a regulated voltage from a voltage of the capacitor;
- and
- applying the regulated voltage to the first transistor.
1 more element
A drive circuit for an electric machine, comprising:
- a first voltage regulator;
- a bootstrap capacitor directly electrically coupled to an input of the first voltage regulator;
- a driver amplifier directly electrically coupled to an output of the first voltage regulator;
- a bootstrap diode, the bootstrap diode directly electrically coupled to the bootstrap capacitor and a high voltage bus;
- a transistor included in a power stage of an inverter, where a voltage output of the driver amplifier is coupled to a gate of the transistor of the power stage of the inverter, and where the first voltage regulator includes a positive voltage output;
- a second voltage regulator, the second voltage regulator including a negative voltage output, the negative voltage output directly electrically coupled to the driver amplifier;
- and
- an output of the power stage directly electrically coupled to an electric machine.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.