Direct current voltage clamping in a vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10093184-B2
Application number	US-201615261111-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 9, 2016
Priority date	Sep 9, 2016
Publication date	Oct 9, 2018
Grant date	Oct 9, 2018

Abstract

A vehicle system in a hybrid vehicle comprises a controller configured to generate for output a modulated voltage to a direct current capacitor to prevent voltage spikes on the capacitor in response to receiving a reference current via a direct current voltage clamping control block that outputs a reference current in response to a difference between a feedback voltage and a reference voltage exceeding a threshold.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle system in a hybrid vehicle, comprising:
a controller configured to receive a reference voltage defining a threshold voltage value and a feedback voltage defining a direct current (DC) voltage of a DC capacitor of a vehicle motor inverter, and to generate for output a reference current via at least a voltage limiter in response to a difference between the feedback and reference voltages exceeding a threshold to prevent voltage spikes on the DC capacitor.

2. The vehicle system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to generate for output the reference current via a regulator and the voltage limiter.

3. The vehicle system of claim 2 , wherein the voltage limiter outputs a limited error voltage according to the difference and wherein the limited error voltage defines a regulated voltage.

4. The vehicle system of claim 3 , wherein the difference and the limited error voltage are same.

5. The vehicle system of claim 2 , wherein the voltage regulator is a proportion-integral-derivate controller.

6. The vehicle system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to generate for output the reference current via a look-up table and the voltage limiter.

7. The vehicle system of claim 6 , wherein the look-up table maps reference current values to limited error voltage values.

8. The vehicle system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to output the reference current to a current regulation loop.

9. A vehicle system in a hybrid vehicle, comprising:
a controller configured to generate for output a modulated voltage to a direct current (DC) capacitor to prevent voltage spikes of the capacitor in response to receiving a reference current via a DC voltage clamping control block configured to output a reference current in response to a difference between a feedback voltage and a reference voltage exceeding a threshold.

10. The vehicle system of claim 9 , wherein the controller is further configured to generate for output the modulated voltage via a current regulation loop configured to rectify the difference.

11. The vehicle system of claim 10 , wherein the current regulation loop is configured to output a direct voltage and quadrature voltage.

12. The vehicle system of claim 9 , wherein the controller is further configured to generate for output the modulated voltage via a voltage modulator.

13. The vehicle system of claim 9 , wherein the DC voltage clamping control block utilizes a voltage limiter to output the reference current in response to a difference between the feedback and reference voltages exceeding a threshold to prevent voltage spikes on the DC capacitor.

14. The vehicle system of claim 9 , wherein the DC voltage clamping control block is further configured to generate for output the reference current via a look-up table and a voltage limiter.

15. The vehicle system of claim 14 , wherein the look-up table maps reference current values to limited error voltage values.

16. The vehicle system of claim 9 , wherein the controller is further configured to generate for output the modulated voltage via a voltage modulation block configured to modulate a DC voltage and a quadrature voltage.

17. A method in a hybrid vehicle, comprising:
receiving a reference voltage defining a threshold voltage value, and a feedback voltage defining a direct current (DC) voltage of a DC capacitor of a vehicle motor inverter; and
generating for output a reference current via at least a voltage limiter in response to a difference between the feedback and reference voltages exceeding a threshold to prevent voltage spikes on the DC capacitor.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the generating for output the reference current is via a regulator and the voltage limiter.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein the method further includes the step of outputting via voltage limiter a limited error voltage according to the difference and wherein the limited error voltage defines a regulated voltage.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the difference and the limited error voltage are same.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Yang Shuitao
• Zhou Yan
• Xu Fan
• Chen Lihua

Classifications

• H02M7/46

  using discharge tubes without control electrode or semiconductor devices without control electrode · CPC title

• B60K6/48

  Parallel type · CPC title

• B60L53/24

  Using the vehicle's propulsion converter for charging · CPC title

• B60L2240/421

  Speed · CPC title

• B60L50/16

  with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion · CPC title