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US 12,132,417 B2Granted
Gate control circuitry for automotive variable voltage converter
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorsBaoming Ge, Lihua Chen, Serdar Hakki Yonak, Boris Curuvija
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Abstract
A power converter includes a pair of series connected switches and circuitry. The circuitry includes another switch and an optocoupler that activates responsive to changes in current through one of the series connected switches exceeding a predefined threshold. Activation of the optocoupler causes the another switch to conduct and reduce a gate voltage of the one of the series connected switches to reduce the changes in current through the one of the series connected switches.
Claims6
A variable voltage converter comprising:
- a pair of series connected switches;
- and
- circuitry including a metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor and an optocoupler configured to activate responsive to changes in current through at least one of the series connected switches exceeding a predefined threshold, wherein activation of the optocoupler causes the metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor to conduct and reduce a gate voltage of the at least one of the series connected switches to reduce the changes in current through the at least one of the series connected switches.
A method comprising:
- responsive to changes in current through one of a pair of series connected switches exceeding a predefined threshold, activating an optocoupler to cause a metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor to conduct and reduce a gate voltage of the one of the pair of series connected switches to reduce the changes in current through the one of the pair of series connected switches.
A vehicle power system comprising:
- a traction battery;
- an electric machine;
- and
- a power converter electrically between the traction battery and electric machine, and including a pair of series connected switches and circuitry, wherein the circuitry includes a metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor and an optocoupler configured to activate responsive to changes in current through one of the series connected switches exceeding a predefined threshold, wherein activation of the optocoupler causes the metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor to conduct and reduce a gate voltage of the one of the series connected switches to reduce the changes in current through the one of the series connected switches.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.