Driving apparatus for switching element

A system comprising:

• a power conversion circuit that is electrically connected to a rotating machine mounted in a vehicle, which controls an output torque of the rotating machine based on a requested command torque, the power conversion circuit including a switching element;
• and
• a driving apparatus of the switching element, which controls a current flowing to the rotating machine by turning on/off the switching element,
• the driving apparatus comprising:
• a speed setting circuit that sets at least one of a turn-on speed and a turn-off speed for the switching element to a plurality of switching speeds that are discretely determined, based on a parameter that is correlated with the output torque and has a controllable value;
• and
• a driving circuit that turns on or off the switching element at the switching speeds set by the speed setting circuit, wherein
• the switching speeds are allocated to respective magnitudes of the parameter at uneven intervals, and determined such that a number of allocated switching speeds is greater in a range in which an occurrence frequency of the parameter is high, compared to a range in which the occurrence frequency of the parameter is low.

A driving method for a switching element that is applicable to a power conversion circuit which is electrically connected to a rotating machine mounted in a vehicle and controls an output torque of the rotating machine based on a requested command torque, the driving method controlling a current flowing to the rotating machine by a driving apparatus that turns on/off the switching element, the driving method comprising:

• setting, by a speed setting circuit provided in the driving apparatus, at least one of a turn-on speed and a turn-off speed for the switching element to a plurality of switching speeds that are discretely determined, based on a parameter that is correlated with the output torque and has a controllable value;
• and
• turning on or off, by a driving circuit provided in the driving apparatus, the switching element at the switching speeds set by the speed setting circuit, wherein
• the switching speeds are allocated to respective magnitudes of the parameter at uneven intervals, and determined such that a number of allocated switching speeds is greater in a range in which an occurrence frequency of the parameter is high, compared to a range in which the occurrence frequency of the parameter is low.