Power converter and cooking apparatus including the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10182473-B2
Application number	US-201615006641-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 26, 2016
Priority date	Jan 27, 2015
Publication date	Jan 15, 2019
Grant date	Jan 15, 2019

Abstract

A power converter and a cooking apparatus including the same are disclosed. The power converter includes a switching unit to perform switching using a direct current (DC) voltage and to output an alternating current (AC) voltage, a driving unit to output a high-frequency voltage to a magnetron based on the AC voltage, an output voltage detector to detect an output voltage flowing to the magnetron, and a controller to calculate a frequency command value based on the detected output voltage, to generate a frequency command value by avoiding a resonance frequency when the calculated frequency command value corresponds to the resonance frequency, and to output the generated frequency command value to the switching unit. Therefore, it is possible to stably perform oscillation.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A power converter comprising:
a switching unit to perform a switching operation using a direct current (DC) voltage and to output an alternating current (AC) voltage;
a driving unit to output a high-frequency voltage to a magnetron based on the AC voltage;
an output voltage detector to detect an output voltage flowing to the magnetron; and
a controller to calculate a frequency command value based on the detected output voltage, to generate a frequency command value, and to output the generated frequency command value to the switching unit,
wherein the controller calculates an alternative frequency command value when the calculated frequency command value corresponds to a resonance frequency, and
wherein the alternative frequency command value avoids the resonance frequency,
wherein the controller comprises:
a power calculator to calculate an output power based on the output voltage;
a current command value generator to generate a current command value based on the calculated output power; and
a frequency command value generator to generate the frequency command value based on the current command value, and
wherein the frequency command value generator comprises a limiter to limit the resonance frequency when the generated frequency command value corresponds to the resonance frequency.

2. The power converter of claim 1 , wherein the current command value generator comprises a proportional integral controller to control the calculated output power to follow a power command value.

3. The power converter of claim 1 , further comprising an input current detector to detect an input current flowing to or through a rectifier,
wherein the frequency command value generator further includes a proportional integral controller to control the detected input current to follow the current command value generated by the current command value generator.

4. The power converter of claim 1 , further comprising an output current detector to detect output current flowing in the magnetron,
wherein the controller calculates an output power based on the detected output current and output voltage during a filament heating period of the magnetron before oscillation of the magnetron, adjusts the frequency command value based on the calculated output power, and outputs the generated frequency command value that excludes the resonance frequency when the changed frequency command value corresponds to the resonance frequency.

5. The power converter of claim 4 , wherein, when the level of the frequency command value reaches a first level within a first time by change of the frequency command value, the controller controls the level of the frequency command value to become a second level that is greater than the first level.

6. The power converter of claim 5 , wherein, when the level of the frequency command value reaches the first level after the first time by change of the frequency command value, the controller controls the frequency command value to be an oscillation frequency.

7. The power converter of claim 1 , wherein:
the controller generates a pulsating frequency command value based on the detected input current and a current command value, in order to increase the output voltage applied to the magnetron, and
the switching unit performs the switching operation based on a pulse signal corresponding to the pulsating frequency command value.

8. The power converter of claim 1 , wherein the controller:
controls the frequency command value to increase so as to perform a soft start-up during a first pre-oscillation period,
controls the frequency command value to be constant during a second pre-oscillation period, in order to heat the magnetron,
controls the frequency command value to pulsate during an oscillation stabilization period of an oscillation period, and
controls the generated frequency command value to be output while avoiding the resonance frequency when the calculated frequency command value corresponds to the resonance frequency, during the second pre-oscillation period or the oscillation stabilization period.

9. The power converter of claim 1 , wherein the controller:
controls the frequency command value to increase so as to perform a soft start-up during a first pre-oscillation period,
controls the frequency command value to sequentially increase during a second pre-oscillation period, in order to heat the magnetron,
controls the frequency command value to pulsate during an oscillation stabilization period of an oscillation period, and
controls the generated frequency command value to be output while avoiding the resonance frequency when the calculated frequency command value corresponds to the resonance frequency during the second pre-oscillation period or the oscillation stabilization period.

10. A cooking apparatus comprising:
a microwave generator to generate microwaves to heat an object in a cavity of the cooking apparatus;
a power converter to provide converted power to the microwave generator; and
a microwave transmitter to transmit the generated microwaves to the inside of the cavity,
wherein the power converter includes:
a switching unit to perform a switching operation using a direct current (DC) voltage and to output an alternating current (AC) voltage;
a driving unit to output a high-frequency voltage to a magnetron based on the AC voltage;
an output voltage detector to detect an output voltage flowing to the magnetron; and
a controller to calculate a frequency command value based on the detected output voltage, and to output the generated frequency command value to the switching unit,
wherein the controller calculates an alternative frequency command value when the calculated frequency command value corresponds to a resonance frequency, and
wherein the alternative frequency command value avoids the resonance frequency,
wherein the controller comprises:
a power calculator to calculate an output power based on the output voltage;
a current command value generator to generate a current command value based on the calculated output power; and
a frequency command value generator to generate a frequency command value based on the current command value, and
wherein the frequency command value generator comprises a limiter to limit the resonance frequency when the generated frequency command value corresponds to the resonance frequency.

11. The cooking apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the current command value generator comprises a proportional integral controller to control the calculated output power to follow a power command value.

12. The cooking apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the power converter further includes an input current detector to detect an input current,
wherein the frequency command value generator further comprises a proportional integral controller to control the detected input current to follow a current command value generated by the current command value generator.

13. The cooking apparatus of claim 10 , wherein:
the controller generates a pulsating frequency command value based on the detected input current and a current command value, in order to increase the output voltage applied to the magnetron, and
the switching unit performs the switching operation based on a pulse signal corresponding to the pulsating frequency command value.

14. The cooking apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the controller:
controls the frequency command value to increase so as to perform a soft start-up during a first pre-oscillation period,
controls the frequency command value to be constant during a second pre-oscillation period, in order to heat the magnetron,
contr

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Cho Seungkeun

Classifications

• H05B6/683

  the measurements being made at the high voltage side of the circuit · CPC title

• H05B6/687 Primary

  for cooking · CPC title

• Y02B70/1441

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• H05B6/682

  wherein the switching control is based on measurements of electrical values of the circuit · CPC title

• H02M7/53871

  with automatic control of output voltage or current · CPC title