Apparatus and method for driving inverter circuit
AssigneeDenso Corporation
InventorsMasatoshi Yokai, Satoshi Yoshimura, Akira Ando
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An inverter apparatus includes an inverter circuit, a temperature sensor, and a control circuit. The inverter circuit is driven by a PWM signal and includes switching elements that are divided in first and second groups. The temperature sensor detects a temperature of at least one of the switching elements of the first group. The control circuit controls a duty cycle of the PWM signal such that a first value of heat generated in the first group is equal to or greater than a second value of heat generated in the second group. The control circuit performs an overheat protection for protecting the inverter circuit from overheating when the detected temperature is equal to or greater than a threshold temperature.
Claims20
An inverter apparatus comprising:
- an inverter circuit driven by a pulse-width modulated signal and including a plurality of first side switching elements, which form a first group, and a plurality of second side switching elements, which form a second group, each of the plurality of first side switching elements being paired with a corresponding one of the plurality of second side switching elements;
- detection means for detecting a temperature of only the first group;
- protection means for performing an overheat protection to protect the inverter circuit from overheating when the detected temperature is equal to or greater than a threshold temperature;
- and
- control means for outputting the pulse-width modulated signal to the inverter circuit and for controlling a duty cycle of the pulse-width modulated signal such that a first value of heat generated in the first group is equal to or greater than a second value of heat generated in the second group.
A method for driving an inverter circuit by a pulse-width modulated signal, the inverter circuit including a plurality of switching elements divided in first and second groups, the driving method comprising:
- controlling a duty cycle of the pulse-width modulated signal such that a first value of heat generated in the first group is equal to or greater than a second value of heat generated in the second group;
- detecting a temperature of only the first group;
- and
- performing an overheat protection for protecting the inverter circuit from overheating when the detected temperature is equal to or greater than a threshold temperature.
An inverter apparatus comprising:
- a control means for outputting a pulse-width modulated signal;
- an inverter circuit including
- a first plurality of switching elements, and
- a second plurality of switching elements;
- a detection means for detecting a temperature of only the first plurality of switching elements;
- and
- a protection means for performing an overheat protection operation to prevent the inverter circuit from overheating when the detected temperature is equal to or greater than a threshold temperature,
- wherein the first plurality of switching elements and the second plurality of switching elements are equal in number,
- wherein each of the plurality of first side switching elements is paired with a corresponding one of the plurality of second side switching elements,
- wherein the control means controls a duty cycle of the pulse-width modulated signal such that a first value of heat generated in the first plurality of switching elements is equal to or greater than a second value of heat generated in the second plurality of switching elements.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.