# US 11,909,197 B2 · Motor drive device, blower, compressor, and air conditioner

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- Number: US 11,909,197 B2
- Document ID: US11909197B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/269,701
- Filed: 2018-09-28
- Published: 2021-09-16
- Granted: 2024-02-20
- Earliest claimed: 2018-09-28
- Assignees: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
- Applicants: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
- Inventors: Satoru Ichiki; Takuya Shimomugi; Koichi Arisawa; Keisuke Uemura; Kenji Iwazaki
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11909197B2

## CPC

- H02H 7/0833: {for electric motors with control arrangements}
- F24F 11/88: Electrical aspects, e.g. circuits
- F25B 31/02: of motor-compressor units
- H02H 1/0007: {concerning the detecting means (in general G01R or other subclasses of G01; reed switches H01H71/2445)}
- H02M 5/458: using semiconductor devices only
- H02M 7/12: using discharge tubes with control electrode or semiconductor devices with control electrode
- H02M 7/48: using discharge tubes with control electrode or semiconductor devices with control electrode
- H02P 27/08: with pulse width modulation
- H02P 29/024: Detecting a fault condition, e.g. short circuit, locked rotor, open circuit or loss of load
- H02P 29/027: {the fault being an over-current}
- F25B 2600/021: Inverters therefor
- F25B 2600/024: by controlling the electric parameters, e.g. current or voltage
- H02H 7/1227: {responsive to abnormalities in the output circuit, e.g. short circuit}
- H02P 27/06: using DC to AC converters or inverters (H02P27/05 takes precedence)
- Y02B 30/70: Efficient control or regulation technologies, e.g. for control of refrigerant flow, motor or heating
- 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)
- F24F: AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING (removing dirt or fumes from areas where they are produced B08B15/00; vertical ducts for carrying away waste gases from buildings E04F17/02; tops for chimneys or ventilating shafts, terminals for flues F23L17/02)
- F25B: REFRIGERATION MACHINES, PLANTS OR SYSTEMS; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS
- 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
- Y02B: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS

## Abstract

A motor drive device includes a reactor, a converter circuit, a capacitor, an inverter circuit, and overcurrent determination units. The converter circuit converts a first AC voltage output from an AC power supply into a DC voltage. The capacitor smooths a second voltage on the DC side of the converter circuit. The inverter circuit converts DC power stored in the capacitor into AC power. One of the overcurrent determination units determines overcurrent based on a detected value of the first AC current, flowing between the AC power supply and the converter circuit. Another overcurrent determination unit determines overcurrent based on a detected value of the second DC current, flowing between the converter circuit and the capacitor. The converter and inverter circuits stop operating when the determination result of one of the overcurrent determination units indicates an overcurrent.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A motor drive device for driving a motor, the motor drive device comprising:
a reactor having one end connected to an alternating current power supply;
a converter circuit connected to another end of the reactor, the converter circuit converting a first voltage into a direct current voltage, the first voltage being an alternating current voltage output from the alternating current power supply;
a capacitor for smoothing a second voltage, the second voltage being a voltage on a direct current side of the converter circuit;
an inverter circuit for converting direct current power stored in the capacitor into alternating current power, and supplying the alternating current power to the motor;
a first current detector for detecting a first current, the first current being an alternating current flowing between the alternating current power supply and the converter circuit;
a second current detector detecting a second current, the second current being a direct current flowing between the converter circuit and the capacitor;
a first overcurrent determination unit determining, on a basis of a detected value of the first current, whether the first current is an overcurrent or not; and
a second overcurrent determination unit determining, on the basis of a detected value of the second current, whether the second current is an overcurrent or not, wherein
a threshold for the first overcurrent determination unit to detect an overcurrent is lower than a threshold for the second overcurrent determination unit to detect an overcurrent,
the converter circuit stops operating in a case in which a determination result of either the first overcurrent determination unit or the second overcurrent determination unit indicates an overcurrent, and
the inverter circuit stops operating in the case in which the determination result of either the first overcurrent determination unit or the second overcurrent determination unit indicates an overcurrent.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The motor drive device according to claim 1, wherein
the second current detector detects the second current at a detection speed higher than a detection speed at which the first current detector detects the first current.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The motor drive unit according to claim 1, wherein
the second current detector is delayed in detecting the second current by a delay time shorter than a delay time by which the first current detector is delayed in detecting the first current.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The motor drive device according to claim 1, wherein
the converter circuit includes a plurality of first switching elements,
the motor drive device includes a first drive circuit for driving the plurality of first switching elements,
the inverter circuit includes a plurality of second switching elements,
the motor drive device includes a second drive circuit for driving the plurality of second switching elements,
the first drive circuit stops switching operations of all of the first switching elements in the case in which the determination result of either the first overcurrent determination unit or the second overcurrent determination unit indicates an overcurrent, and
the second drive circuit stops switching operations of all of the second switching elements in the case in which the determination result of either the first overcurrent determination unit or the second overcurrent determination unit indicates an overcurrent.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The motor drive unit according to claim 4, wherein
at least two of the plurality of first switching elements are switching elements of upper and lower arms, and the second overcurrent determination unit detects an upper-and-lower-arms short circuit caused by occurrence of a short-circuit fault of one of the first switching elements of the upper and lower arms.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

The motor drive unit according to claim 4, wherein
at least two of the plurality of first switching devices are switching elements of upper arms or switching elements of lower arms, and the first overcurrent determination unit detects a power-supply short-circuit caused by occurrence of a short-circuit fault of one of the switching elements of the upper arms or of the switching elements of the lower arms.

### Claim 7 (depends on 4)

The motor drive device according to claim 4, comprising:
a first voltage detector for detecting the first voltage;
a second voltage detector for detecting the second voltage, the second voltage being the voltage on the direct current side of the converter circuit; and
a control unit for controlling the converter circuit on the basis of a detected value of the first voltage, a detected value of the second voltage, and the detected value of the first current, wherein
in the case in which the determination result of either the first overcurrent determination unit or the second overcurrent determination unit indicates an overcurrent, the control unit stops generating control signals for controlling the first switching elements, and stops generating control signals for controlling the second switching elements.

### Claim 8 (depends on 4)

The motor drive device according to claim 4, wherein
the second drive circuit and the inverter circuit together define an intelligent power module,
the second drive circuit receives a determination result indicating that at least one of the first overcurrent determination unit or the second overcurrent determination unit indicates an overcurrent, controls operations of the second switching elements on the basis of the received determination result, and when the second drive circuit receives the determination result indicating an overcurrent, the second drive circuit outputs, to the first drive circuit, a signal for stopping an operation of the converter circuit.

### Claim 9 (depends on 4)

The motor drive device according to claim 4, comprising:
a third current detector for detecting a third current, the third current being a direct current flowing between the inverter circuit and the capacitor; and
a third overcurrent determination unit for determining, on the basis of a detected value of the third current, whether the third current is an overcurrent or not, wherein
the converter circuit stops operating in the case in which a determination result of the third overcurrent determination unit indicates an overcurrent, and
the inverter circuit stops operating in the case in which the determination result of the third overcurrent determination unit indicates an overcurrent.

### Claim 10 (depends on 4)

The motor drive unit according to claim 4, wherein
an upper-and-lower-arms short circuit is detected, the upper-and-lower-arms short circuit being caused by occurrence of a short-circuit fault of one of switching elements of upper and lower arms included in the plurality of second switching devices.

### Claim 11 (depends on 4)

The motor drive device according to claim 4, wherein
at least one of the plurality of first switching elements is formed of a wide bandgap semiconductor.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The motor drive device according to claim 11, wherein
the wide bandgap semiconductor is silicon carbide, gallium nitride, gallium oxide, or diamond.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

A blower comprising:
the motor drive device according to claim 12.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

A compressor comprising:
the motor drive device according to claim 12.

### Claim 15 (depends on 12)

An air conditioner comprising:
at least one of the blower including the motor drive device, and the compressor including the motor drive device, according to claim 12.