# US 12,015,351 B2 · Power conversion apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,015,351 B2 - Document ID: US12015351B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/730,417 - Filed: 2022-04-27 - Published: 2022-08-11 - Granted: 2024-06-18 - Earliest claimed: 2019-10-30 - Assignees: Denso Corporation - Applicants: Denso Corporation - Inventors: Naoto Kobayashi; Syuji Kurauchi; Yuuichi Handa - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12015351B2 ## CPC - H02M 1/0003: {Details of control, feedback or regulation circuits} - H02M 3/33573: {Full-bridge at primary side of an isolation transformer} - B60L 1/00: Supplying electric power to auxiliary equipment of vehicles (circuit arrangements for charging batteries H02J7/00) - H02M 1/32: Means for protecting converters other than automatic disconnection - H02M 3/158: including plural semiconductor devices as final control devices for a single load - H02M 3/1588: {comprising at least one synchronous rectifier element (H02M3/1582, H02M3/1584 take precedence)} - H02M 3/33576: {having at least one active switching element at the secondary side of an isolation transformer} - B60R 16/033: characterised by the use of electrical cells or batteries (for propulsion puposes B60K1/04; supplying batteries to, or removing batteries from, vehicles B60S5/06; testing of charge state G01R31/36) - H02M 1/327: {against abnormal temperatures} - H02M 3/33584: {Bidirectional converters} - 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) - 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 - B60R: VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## Abstract A power conversion apparatus includes an input side terminal, an output side terminal and a switch unit, switching the switch unit between ON and OFF during a power transmission. The switch unit has characteristics that, in the case where a reverse current flows through the switch unit, the larger a gate voltage thereof in a negative side, the larger a conduction loss occurring when the reverse current flows. The power conversion apparatus is provided with a control unit that increases, when determined that the increase request for increasing the heating value is present, the gate voltage of the switch unit to the negative side when turned OFF compared to a case where no increase request for increasing the heating value is present, the reverse current flowing through the switch unit during the power transmission. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A power conversion apparatus having an input side terminal, an output side terminal and a switch unit switching the switch unit between ON and OFF during power transmission where power is transmitted from a storage unit connected to the input side terminal to a power supply object, wherein the switch unit has characteristics that, in the case where a reverse conduction current flows through the switch unit, the larger a gate voltage thereof in a negative side, the larger a conduction loss occurring when the reverse conduction current flows, the power conversion apparatus comprising: a determination unit that determines whether an increase request of a heating value due to the power transmission is present; and a control unit that increases, when determined that the increase request for increasing the heating value is present, the gate voltage of the switch unit to the negative side when turned OFF compared to a case where no increase request for increasing the heating value is present, the reverse conduction current flowing through the switch unit during the power transmission. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The power conversion apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit sets, when determined that the increase request is present, the gate voltage of the switch unit when turned OFF based on a temperature of a temperature increasing object element of which the temperature is increased using a heat produced with the power transmission. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The power conversion apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the control unit sets, when the temperature of the temperature increasing object element is higher than or equal to an upper limit temperature, the gate voltage of the switch unit when turned OFF to be a first off voltage; and the control unit sets, when the temperature of the temperature increasing object element is lower than or equal to a limiting start temperature which is set to be lower than the upper limit temperature, the gate voltage of the switch unit when turned OFF to be a second off voltage which is increased in a negative side than the first off voltage. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The power conversion apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the control unit sets, when the temperature of the temperature increasing object element is higher than the limiting start temperature and lower than the upper limit temperature, the gate voltage of the switch unit when turned OFF to be closer to the first off voltage as the temperature of the temperature increasing object element becomes closer to the upper limit temperature. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The power conversion apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the control unit sets the gate voltage of the switch unit when turned OFF such that the temperature of the temperature increasing object element is feedback-controlled to be a target temperature thereof. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The power conversion apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the power conversion apparatus comprises: a transformer including a first coil and a second coil which are magnetically coupled with each other; a conversion circuit connected to the input side terminal and the first coil, converting a DC voltage supplied from the storage unit to be an AC voltage and applying the converted AC voltage to the first coil; and a full-bridge circuit connected to the output terminal and the second coil, having the switch unit, wherein the control unit sets, when determined that the increase request is present, a period where the gate voltage of the switch unit when turned OFF is temporarily increased to a positive side, the reverse conduction current flowing through the switch unit. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The power conversion apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the power conversion apparatus comprises: a transformer including a first coil and a second coil which are magnetically coupled with each other; a conversion circuit connected to the input side terminal and the first coil, converting a DC voltage supplied from the storage unit to be a AC voltage and applying the converted AC voltage to the first coil; and a full-bridge circuit connected to the output terminal and the second coil, having the switch unit, wherein the control unit sets, when determined that the increase request is present, the gate voltage of the switch unit when turned ON to be lowered compared to a case where no increase request is present. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The power conversion apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit turns the switch unit through which the reverse conduction current flows during the power transmission, to be ON when determined that no increase request is present. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The power conversion apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the power conversion apparatus comprises a heat transmission unit that absorbs heat generated with the power transmission and transmits the generated heat to the temperature increasing object element.