# US 2017/0288595 A1 · Motor drive apparatus and air conditioner > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2017/0288595 A1 - Document ID: US20170288595A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/505,631 - Filed: 2014-11-04 - Published: 2017-10-05 - Earliest claimed: 2014-11-04 - Assignees: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation - Applicants: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation - Inventors: Yosuke SHINOMOTO; Takuya SHIMOMUGI; Norikazu ITO; Keisuke UEMURA; Takashi YAMAKAWA - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20170288595A1 ## CPC - H02P 27/085: {wherein the PWM mode is adapted on the running conditions of the motor, e.g. the switching frequency} - H02K 5/18: with ribs or fins for improving heat transfer - H02M 7/48: using discharge tubes with control electrode or semiconductor devices with control electrode - H02M 7/5387: in a bridge configuration - H02M 7/5395: by pulse-width modulation - H02P 29/68: based on the temperature of a drive component or a semiconductor component - G05B 11/28: using pulse-height modulation; using pulse-width modulation - H02M 1/088: for the simultaneous control of series or parallel connected semiconductor devices - H02M 1/327: {against abnormal temperatures} - H02M 7/53876: {based on synthesising a desired voltage vector via the selection of appropriate fundamental voltage vectors, and corresponding dwelling times} - H02P: CONTROL OR REGULATION OF ELECTRIC MOTORS, ELECTRIC GENERATORS OR DYNAMO-ELECTRIC CONVERTERS; CONTROLLING TRANSFORMERS, REACTORS OR CHOKE COILS - H02K: DYNAMO-ELECTRIC MACHINES (dynamo-electric relays H01H53/00; conversion of DC or AC input power into surge output power {H03K3/53}) - 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) - G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G) ## Abstract A motor drive apparatus driving a motor as a three-phase motor converting direct power into three-phase alternating power, includes: inverter modules equivalent in number to phases of the motor; and a control unit generating PWM signals used to drive the inverter modules with PWM. The inverter modules each include a plurality of switching element pairs connected in parallel, each of the switching element pairs including two switching elements connected in series. ## Claims ### Claim at position 1 1-16. (canceled) ### Claim 17 A motor drive apparatus driving a motor, comprising: inverter modules equivalent in number to phases of the motor; and a control unit generating a PWM signal used to drive the inverter modules with PWM, wherein a pulse width of the PWM signal changes according to a temperature of at least one of the inverter modules, and the inverter modules each include a plurality of switching element pairs connected in parallel, each of the switching element pairs including two switching elements connected in series. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The motor drive apparatus according to claim 17, further comprising a temperature measurement unit measuring a temperature inside the inverter modules, wherein a pulse width of the PWM signal changes according to the temperature measured by the temperature measurement unit. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The motor drive apparatus according to claim 18, further comprising: a drive control unit generating, for each of the inverter modules, an individual PWM signal for each of the switching element pairs in a corresponding one of the inverter modules on a basis of the PWM signal generated by the control unit and adjusting a pulse width of the individual PWM signal by using the temperature measured by the temperature measurement unit, wherein the temperature measurement unit measures a temperature equivalent to at least two temperatures of switching elements in a same arm in a same inverter module. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The motor drive apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the drive control unit is provided in the inverter modules. ### Claim 21 (depends on 19) The motor drive apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the drive control unit is provided outside the inverter modules. ### Claim 22 (depends on 19) The motor drive apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the temperature measurement unit measures a temperature equivalent to a temperature of a switching element in a lower arm of the inverter modules. ### Claim 23 (depends on 19) The motor drive apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the drive control unit further adjusts a pulse width of the individual PWM signal on a basis of a measurement of a current flowing through a switching element in a lower arm of the inverter modules. ### Claim 24 (depends on 17) The motor drive apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the inverter modules are configured to be able to distinguish between the inverter modules and a single module that is a module including switching element pairs equivalent in number to phases of the motor by performing an electrical continuity test. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The motor drive apparatus according to claim 24, wherein the inverter modules each include terminals equivalent in number to terminals included in the single module, and connect an unused terminal of the terminals to another terminal of the terminals. ### Claim 26 (depends on 17) The motor drive apparatus according to claim 17, further comprising a heat dissipation unit including a heat dissipating fin, wherein the heat dissipation unit includes a protrusion to be connected to the inverter modules equivalent in number to the phases of the motor. ### Claim 27 (depends on 17) The motor drive apparatus according to claim 17, further comprising: a heat dissipation unit including a heat dissipating fin; and an auxiliary member connecting the heat dissipation unit and the inverter modules equivalent in number to the phases of the motor such that the inverter modules are connected at a same height. ### Claim 28 (depends on 26) The motor drive apparatus according to claim 26, wherein a passage of a cooling medium used to dissipate heat by the heat dissipating fin is orthogonal to a direction of alignment of the inverter modules. ### Claim 29 (depends on 27) The motor drive apparatus according to claim 27, wherein a passage of a cooling medium used to dissipate heat by the heat dissipating fin is orthogonal to a direction of alignment of the inverter modules. ### Claim 30 (depends on 17) The motor drive apparatus according to claim 17, further comprising a surge absorber for each of the inverter modules. ### Claim 31 (depends on 26) The motor drive apparatus according to claim 26, further comprising a surge absorber for each of the inverter modules, wherein the surge absorber is arranged on a substrate on which a corresponding one of the inverter modules is mounted such that the surge absorber adjoins the corresponding one of the inverter modules and is located at a position to not interfere with the heat dissipation unit. ### Claim 32 (depends on 27) The motor drive apparatus according to claim 27, further comprising a surge absorber for each of the inverter modules, wherein the surge absorber is arranged on a substrate on which a corresponding one of the inverter modules is mounted such that the surge absorber adjoins the corresponding one of the inverter modules and is located at a position to not interfere with the heat dissipation unit. ### Claim 33 (depends on 17) The motor drive apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the switching elements are made from a wide band-gap semiconductor. ### Claim 34 (depends on 33) The motor drive apparatus according to claim 33, wherein the wide band-gap semiconductor is silicon carbide. ### Claim 35 (depends on 17) An air conditioner comprising: the motor drive apparatus according to claim 17; and a compressor including the motor driven by the motor drive apparatus.