# US 9,520,817 B2 · Power conversion apparatus and electric power steering apparatus having the same > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,520,817 B2 - Document ID: US9520817B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/489,073 - Filed: 2014-09-17 - Published: 2015-03-19 - Granted: 2016-12-13 - Earliest claimed: 2013-09-18 - Assignees: Denso Corporation - Applicants: Denso Corporation - Inventors: Takashi Suzuki - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9520817B2 ## CPC - H02P 6/10: Arrangements for controlling torque ripple, e.g. providing reduced torque ripple - B62D 5/046: {Controlling the motor} - B62D 5/0463: {calculating assisting torque from the motor based on driver input} - H02M 7/53875: {with analogue control of three-phase output} - H02P 21/05: specially adapted for damping motor oscillations, e.g. for reducing hunting - H02M 1/385: {with means for correcting output voltage deviations introduced by the dead time} - 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 - B62D: MOTOR VEHICLES; TRAILERS (steering, or guiding on a desired track, of agricultural machines or implements A01B69/00; wheels, castors, axles, increasing wheel adhesion B60B; vehicle tyres, tyre inflation or tyre changing B60C; connections between vehicles of a train or the like B60D; vehicles for use on rail and road, amphibious or convertible vehicles B60F; suspension arrangements B60G; heating, cooling, ventilating or other air treating devices B60H; windows, windscreens, non-fixed roofs, doors or similar devices, protective coverings for vehicles not in use B60J; propulsion plant arrangements, auxiliary drives, transmissions, controls, instrumentation or dashboards B60K; electric equipment or propulsion of electrically-propelled vehicles B60L; power supply for electrically-propelled vehicles B60M; passenger accommodation not otherwise provided for B60N; adaptations for load transportation or to carry special loads or objects B60P; arrangement of signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor, for vehicles in general B60Q; vehicles, vehicle fittings or vehicle parts not otherwise provided for B60R; servicing, cleaning, repairing, supporting, lifting, or manoeuvring, not otherwise provided for, B60S; brake arrangements, brake control systems or parts thereof B60T; air-cushion vehicles B60V; motor-cycles, accessories therefor B62J, B62K; testing of vehicles G01M) - 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) ## Abstract A power conversion apparatus includes: an inverter unit having high and low potential-side switching elements corresponding to each phase of a winding of a rotating electrical machine; a current detecting unit; and a control unit controlling the switching elements based on a PWM reference signal and a duty instruction value. The control unit includes: a phase current computing device; and a voltage instruction value computing device. The control unit computes an active voltage vector interval in first and second half periods of one or multiple cycles of the PWM reference signal to be a predetermined period or longer, and computes first and second half duty instruction values to set first and second voltage vector intervals equal to or longer than minimum time to be in the first or second half period. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A power conversion apparatus comprising: an inverter unit having a plurality of high-potential-side switching elements disposed on a high-potential side and a plurality of low-potential-side switching elements disposed on a low-potential side, each of the high-potential-side switching elements and the low-potential-side switching elements corresponding to one of a plurality of phases of a winding of a rotating electrical machine; a current detecting unit connected between the inverter unit and a positive side or a negative side of a DC power supply; and a control unit controlling an on-operation and an off-operation of the high-potential-side switching elements and the low-potential-side switching elements based on a PWM reference signal and a duty instruction value, wherein the control unit includes: a phase current computing device computing a phase current of each phase, which flows through one of phases of the winding, based on a current detection value detected by the current detecting unit; and a voltage instruction value computing device computing a voltage instruction value, which relates to a voltage applied to the winding, based on the phase current of each phase, wherein the control unit computes an active voltage vector interval in both a first-half period and a second half period of the PWM reference signal to be longer or equal to a predetermined period required to obtain the current detection value, wherein the control unit computes a first-half duty instruction value and a second-half duty instruction value as a duty instruction value based on the voltage instruction value in such a manner that a first voltage vector interval and a second voltage vector interval are equal to or longer than minimum time, and the first voltage vector interval and the second voltage vector interval are included in at least one of the first-half period and the second-half period, wherein, in the first voltage vector interval, the low-potential-side switching elements of all of the phases turn on, wherein, in the second voltage vector interval, the high-potential-side switching elements of all of the phases turn on, wherein the minimum time is equal to or longer than a dead time period, wherein, in the dead time period, both one high-potential-side switching element and one low-potential-side switching element corresponding to a same phase of the winding are turned off, and wherein the second voltage vector interval in the first-half period and the first voltage vector interval in the second-half period are equal to the minimum time. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The power conversion apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the active voltage vector interval is equal to or longer than the predetermined period required to obtain the current detection value in the first-half period and the second-half period of the one cycle of the PWM reference signal. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The power conversion apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit includes: a duty converting device for converting the voltage instruction value to a duty conversion value; a correcting device for computing a first half duty temporary value and a second half duty temporary value in a manner that the active voltage vector interval for obtaining the current detection value is equal to or longer than the predetermined period required to obtain the current detection value; and an adjusting device for computing the first-half duty instruction value and the second-half duty instruction value from the first-half duty temporary value and the second-half duty temporary value so that the first voltage vector interval and the second voltage vector interval, which are equal to or longer than the minimum time, are included in at least one of the first-half period and the second-half period. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The power conversion apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a current obtaining unit for sampling and holding the current detection value with a fixed interval sampling timing, wherein the control unit computes the first-half duty instruction value and the second-half duty instruction value so that phase current is obtained from the current detection value with the fixed interval sampling timing. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The power conversion apparatus according to claim 4, wherein a value for computing the phase current of each phase is switched in accordance with an amplitude of the voltage instruction value, and wherein the value is selected from the current detection values obtained by the current obtaining unit. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The power conversion apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the inverter unit includes a first inverter unit and a second inverter unit, and wherein the current detecting unit includes a first current detecting unit and a second current detecting unit, wherein the first current detecting unit is connected between the first inverter unit and the positive side or the negative side of the DC power supply, and wherein the second current detecting unit is connected between the second inverter unit and the positive side or the negative side of the DC power supply. ### Claim 7 A power conversion apparatus comprising: an inverter unit having a plurality of high-potential-side switching elements disposed on a high-potential side and a plurality of low-potential-side switching elements disposed on a low-potential side, each of the high-potential-side switching elements and the low-potential-side switching elements corresponding to one of a plurality of phases of a winding of a rotating electrical machine; a current detecting unit connected between the inverter unit and a positive side or a negative side of a DC power supply; and a control unit controlling an on-operation and an off-operation of the high-potential-side switching elements and the low-potential-side switching elements based on a PWM reference signal and a duty instruction value, wherein the control unit includes: a phase current computing device computing a phase current of each phase, which flows through one of phases of the winding, based on a current detection value detected by the current detecting unit; and a voltage instruction value computing device computing a voltage instruction value, which relates to a voltage applied to the winding, based on the phase current of each phase, wherein the control unit computes an active voltage vector interval in both a first-half period and a second half period of predetermined one cycle or multiple cycles of the PWM reference signal to be longer or equal to a predetermined period required to obtain the current detection value, wherein the control unit computes a first-half duty instruction value and a second-half duty instruction value as a duty instruction value based on the voltage instruction value in such a manner that a first voltage vector interval and a second voltage vector interval are equal to or longer than minimum time, and the first voltage vector interval and the second voltage vector interval are included in at least one of the first-half period and the second-half period, wherein, in the first voltage vector interval, the low-potential-side switching elements of all of the phases turn on, wherein, in the second voltage vector interval, the high-potential-side switching elements of all of the phases turn on, wherein the minimum time is equal to or longer than a dead time period, wherein, in the dead time period, both one high-potential-side switching element and one low-potential-side switching element corresponding to a same phase of the winding are turned off, wherein the inverter unit includes a first inverter unit and a second inverter unit, wherein the current detecting unit includes a first current detecting unit and a second current detecting unit, wherein the first current detecting unit is connected between the first inverter unit and the positive side or the negative side of the DC power supply, wherein the second current detecting unit is connected between the second inverter unit and the positive side or the negative side of the DC power supply, wherein the control unit computes the first-half duty instruction value and the second-half duty instruction value of the first inverter unit, so that the first voltage vector interval in the first-half period and the second voltage vector interval in the second-half period are equal to the minimum time, and wherein the control unit computes the first-half duty instruction value and the second-half duty instruction value of the second inverter unit, so that the second voltage vector interval in the first-half period and the first voltage vector interval in the second-half period are equal to the minimum time. ### Claim 8 A power conversion apparatus comprising: an inverter unit having a plurality of high-potential-side switching elements disposed on a high-potential side and a plurality of low-potential-side switching elements disposed on a low-potential side, each of the high-potential-side switching elements and the low-potential-side switching elements corresponding to one of a plurality of phases of a winding of a rotating electrical machine; a current detecting unit connected between the inverter unit and a positive side or a negative side of a DC power supply; and a control unit controlling an on-operation and an off-operation of the high-potential-side switching elements and the low-potential-side switching elements based on a PWM reference signal and a duty instruction value, wherein the control unit includes: a phase current computing device computing a phase current of each phase, which flows through one of phases of the winding, based on a current detection value detected by the current detecting unit; and a voltage instruction value computing device computing a voltage instruction value, which relates to a voltage applied to the winding, based on the phase current of each phase, wherein the control unit computes an active voltage vector interval in both a first-half period and a second half period of predetermined one cycle or multiple cycles of the PWM reference signal to be longer or equal to a predetermined period required to obtain the current detection value, wherein the control unit computes a first-half duty instruction value and a second-half duty instruction value as a duty instruction value based on the voltage instruction value in such a manner that a first voltage vector interval and a second voltage vector interval are equal to or longer than minimum time, and the first voltage vector interval and the second voltage vector interval are included in at least one of the first-half period and the second-half period, wherein, in the first voltage vector interval, the low-potential-side switching elements of all of the phases turn on, wherein, in the second voltage vector interval, the high-potential-side switching elements of all of the phases turn on, wherein the minimum time is equal to or longer than a dead time period, wherein, in the dead time period, both one high-potential-side switching element and one low-potential-side switching element corresponding to a same phase of the winding are turned off, wherein the inverter unit includes a first inverter unit and a second inverter unit, wherein the current detecting unit includes a first current detecting unit and a second current detecting unit, wherein the first current detecting unit is connected between the first inverter unit and the positive side or the negative side of the DC power supply, wherein the second current detecting unit is connected between the second inverter unit and the positive side or the negative side of the DC power supply, wherein a phase of the PWM reference signal of the second inverter unit is opposite to a phase of the PWM reference signal of the first inverter unit, and wherein the control unit computes the first-half duty instruction value and the second-half duty instruction value of the first inverter unit and the second inverter unit, so that one of the first voltage vector interval and the second voltage vector interval in the first-half period and the other of the first voltage vector interval and the second voltage vector interval in the second-half period are equal to the minimum time. ### Claim 9 A power conversion apparatus comprising: an inverter unit having a plurality of high-potential-side switching elements disposed on a high-potential side and a plurality of low-potential-side switching elements disposed on a low-potential side, each of the high-potential-side switching elements and the low-potential-side switching elements corresponding to one of a plurality of phases of a winding of a rotating electrical machine; a current detecting unit connected between the inverter unit and a positive side or a negative side of a DC power supply; and a control unit controlling an on-operation and an off-operation of the high-potential-side switching elements and the low-potential-side switching elements based on a PWM reference signal and a duty instruction value, wherein the control unit includes: a phase current computing device computing a phase current of each phase, which flows through one of phases of the winding, based on a current detection value detected by the current detecting unit; and a voltage instruction value computing device computing a voltage instruction value, which relates to a voltage applied to the winding, based on the phase current of each phase, wherein the control unit computes an active voltage vector interval in both a first-half period and a second half period of predetermined one cycle or multiple cycles of the PWM reference signal to be longer or equal to a predetermined period required to obtain the current detection value, wherein the control unit computes a first-half duty instruction value and a second-half duty instruction value as a duty instruction value based on the voltage instruction value in such a manner that a first voltage vector interval and a second voltage vector interval are equal to or longer than minimum time, and the first voltage vector interval and the second voltage vector interval are included in at least one of the first-half period and the second-half period, wherein, in the first voltage vector interval, the low-potential-side switching elements of all of the phases turn on, wherein, in the second voltage vector interval, the high-potential-side switching elements of all of the phases turn on, wherein the minimum time is equal to or longer than a dead time period, wherein, in the dead time period, both one high-potential-side switching element and one low-potential-side switching element corresponding to a same phase of the winding are turned off, wherein the inverter unit includes a first inverter unit and a second inverter unit, wherein the current detecting unit includes a first current detecting unit and a second current detecting unit, wherein the first current detecting unit is connected between the first inverter unit and the positive side or the negative side of the DC power supply, wherein the second current detecting unit is connected between the second inverter unit and the positive side or the negative side of the DC power supply, wherein, in a case where the amplitude of the voltage instruction value is less than a predetermined value, the control unit computes the first-half duty instruction value and the second-half duty instruction value of the first inverter unit, so that one of the first voltage vector interval and the second voltage vector interval in the first-half period is equal to the minimum time, and wherein, in the case where the amplitude of the voltage instruction value is less than the predetermined value, the control unit computes the first-half duty instruction value and the second-half duty instruction value of the second inverter unit, so that the other of the first voltage vector interval and the second voltage vector interval in the second-half period is equal to the minimum time. ### Claim 10 A power conversion apparatus comprising: an inverter unit having a plurality of high-potential-side switching elements disposed on a high-potential side and a plurality of low-potential-side switching elements disposed on a low-potential side, each of the high-potential-side switching elements and the low-potential-side switching elements corresponding to one of a plurality of phases of a winding of a rotating electrical machine; a current detecting unit connected between the inverter unit and a positive side or a negative side of a DC power supply; and a control unit controlling an on-operation and an off-operation of the high-potential-side switching elements and the low-potential-side switching elements based on a PWM reference signal and a duty instruction value, wherein the control unit includes: a phase current computing device computing a phase current of each phase, which flows through one of phases of the winding, based on a current detection value detected by the current detecting unit; and a voltage instruction value computing device computing a voltage instruction value, which relates to a voltage applied to the winding, based on the phase current of each phase, wherein the control unit computes an active voltage vector interval in both a first-half period and a second half period of predetermined one cycle or multiple cycles of the PWM reference signal to be longer or equal to a predetermined period required to obtain the current detection value, wherein the control unit computes a first-half duty instruction value and a second-half duty instruction value as a duty instruction value based on the voltage instruction value in such a manner that a first voltage vector interval and a second voltage vector interval are equal to or longer than minimum time, and the first voltage vector interval and the second voltage vector interval are included in at least one of the first-half period and the second-half period, wherein, in the first voltage vector interval, the low-potential-side switching elements of all of the phases turn on, wherein, in the second voltage vector interval, the high-potential-side switching elements of all of the phases turn on, wherein the minimum time is equal to or longer than a dead time period, wherein, in the dead time period, both one high-potential-side switching element and one low-potential-side switching element corresponding to a same phase of the winding are turned off, wherein the inverter unit includes a first inverter unit and a second inverter unit, and wherein the current detecting unit includes a first current detecting unit and a second current detecting unit, wherein the first current detecting unit is connected between the first inverter unit and the positive side or the negative side of the DC power supply, wherein the second current detecting unit is connected between the second inverter unit and the positive side or the negative side of the DC power supply, wherein the power conversion apparatus further comprises: a first current obtaining unit for sampling and holding a first current detection value as the current detection value of the first current detecting unit with the fixed interval sampling timing; and a second current obtaining unit for sampling and holding a second current detection value as the current detection value of the second current detecting unit with the fixed interval sampling timing. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The power conversion apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the fixed interval sampling timing in the first current obtaining unit and the fixed interval sampling timing in the second current obtaining unit are different from each other. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The power conversion apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, in a case where the voltage instruction value is equal to or less than a predetermined value, the control unit sets the first voltage vector interval and the second voltage vector interval to be in both of the first-half period and the second-half period, and wherein, in a case where the voltage instruction value is larger than the predetermined value, the control unit sets both of the first voltage vector interval and the second voltage vector interval to be in one of the first-half period and the second-half period, and sets one of the first voltage vector interval and the second voltage vector interval to be in the other of the first-half period and the second-half period. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) An electric power steering apparatus comprising: a power conversion apparatus according to claim 1; and the rotating electrical machine for outputting an auxiliary torque assisting a steering operation of a driver. ### Claim 14 An electric power steering apparatus comprising: a power conversion apparatus comprising: an inverter unit having a plurality of high-potential-side switching elements disposed on a high-potential side and a plurality of low-potential-side switching elements disposed on a low-potential side, each of the high-potential-side switching elements and the low-potential-side switching elements corresponding to one of a plurality of phases of a winding of a rotating electrical machine; a current detecting unit connected between the inverter unit and a positive side or a negative side of a DC power supply; and a control unit controlling an on-operation and an off-operation of the high-potential-side switching elements and the low-potential-side switching elements based on a PWM reference signal and a duty instruction value, wherein the control unit includes: a phase current computing device computing a phase current of each phase, which flows through one of phases of the winding, based on a current detection value detected by the current detecting unit; and a voltage instruction value computing device computing a voltage instruction value, which relates to a voltage applied to the winding, based on the phase current of each phase, wherein the control unit computes an active voltage vector interval in both a first-half period and a second half period of predetermined one cycle or multiple cycles of the PWM reference signal to be longer or equal to a predetermined period required to obtain the current detection value, wherein the control unit computes a first-half duty instruction value and a second-half duty instruction value as a duty instruction value based on the voltage instruction value in such a manner that a first voltage vector interval and a second voltage vector interval are equal to or longer than minimum time, and the first voltage vector interval and the second voltage vector interval are included in at least one of the first-half period and the second-half period, wherein, in the first voltage vector interval, the low-potential-side switching elements of all of the phases turn on, wherein, in the second voltage vector interval, the high-potential-side switching elements of all of the phases turn on, wherein the minimum time is equal to or longer than a dead time period, and wherein, in the dead time period, both one high-potential-side switching element and one low-potential-side switching element corresponding to a same phase of the winding are turned off, wherein the rotating electrical machine for outputting an auxiliary torque assisting a steering operation of a driver wherein, in a case where a steering speed is equal to or less than a predetermined speed, the control unit sets both the first voltage vector interval and the second voltage vector interval to be in both of the first-half period and the second-half period, and wherein, in a case where the steering speed is higher than the predetermined speed, the control unit sets both of the first voltage vector interval and the second voltage vector interval to be in one of the first-half period and the second-half period, and sets one of the first voltage vector interval and the second voltage vector interval to be in the other of the first-half period and the second-half period.