Power converting device and method of controlling power converting device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10326290-B2
Application number	US-201515752912-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 4, 2015
Priority date	Sep 4, 2015
Publication date	Jun 18, 2019
Grant date	Jun 18, 2019

Abstract

A power converting device converts any of DC voltages outputted from at least two DC power supplies and outputs a converted voltage. A control unit of the power converting device determines whether a first contact and a second contact of a switch are melted and joined together based on a detection signal, before a second DC power supply outputs a second DC voltage.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A power converting device configured to convert any of DC voltages outputted from at least two DC power supplies, comprising:
a first DC power supply configured to output a first DC voltage;
an AC power supply configured to output an AC voltage;
a primary coil included in a transformer, the AC voltage outputted from the AC power supply being applied to the primary coil;
a secondary coil included in the transformer;
a first rectifier element having an end that is connected to an end of the secondary coil;
a capacitor having an end that is connected to another end of the first rectifier element, and another end that is connected to another end of the secondary coil;
a second DC power supply configured to output a second DC voltage that is different from the first DC voltage;
a switch including a first contact connected to an output of the second DC power supply, and a second contact connected to an output terminal for outputting a first power supply voltage, the switch being turned on to electrically connect the first contact and the second contact, and being turned off to electrically disconnect the first contact and the second contact;
a second rectifier element having an end that is connected to the end of the capacitor, and an another end that is connected to the first contact;
a detection element connected between the output terminal and the other end of the capacitor, and configured to output a detection signal based on a detection current flowing between the output terminal and the other end of the capacitor;
a switching element connected in series with the detection element between the output terminal and the other end of the capacitor; and
a control unit that is supplied with a second power supply voltage to operate, receives the detection signal, and controls operations of the AC power supply, the switching element, and the switch,
wherein
before the second DC power supply outputs the second DC voltage, the control unit determines whether the first contact and the second contact of the switch are melted and joined together based on the detection signal.

2. The power converting device according to claim 1 , wherein:
before the second DC power supply outputs the second DC voltage, and in a first state where the switch is in an off state and the AC power supply outputs an AC voltage, if the detection signal outputted when the switching element is turned on indicates that the detection current is equal to or more than a threshold value that is predefined, the control unit determines that the first contact and the second contact of the switch are melted and joined together; and
in the first state, if the detection signal outputted when the switching element is turned on indicates that the detection current is less than the threshold value, the control unit determines that the first contact and the second contact of the switch are not melted and joined together.

3. The power converting device according to claim 2 , wherein if determining that the first contact and the second contact of the switch are melted and joined together, the control unit prohibits the second DC power supply from outputting the second DC voltage, and maintains the off state of the switch.

4. The power converting device according to claim 2 , wherein:
after determining that the first contact and the second contact of the switch are not melted and joined together, and when the second DC power supply outputs the second DC voltage, the control circuit turns on the switch; and
when the switch is turned on, the switching element is turned off.

5. The power converting device according to claim 2 , wherein:
the first rectifier element is a first diode including an anode that is connected to the end of the secondary coil and a cathode that is connected to the end of the capacitor; and
the second rectifier element is a second diode including an anode that is connected to the end of the capacitor, and a cathode that is connected to the first contact of the switch.

6. The power converting device according to claim 2 , wherein in the first state, the second power supply voltage is generated from the first DC voltage.

7. The power converting device according to claim 1 , further comprising a step-down circuit configured to output a stepped-down voltage obtained by stepping down the first power supply voltage in a second state where the second DC power supply outputs the second DC voltage and the switch is in an on state, wherein in the second state, the second power supply voltage is generated from the stepped-down voltage.

8. The power converting device according to claim 2 , wherein after the second power supply voltage generated from the first DC voltage is supplied to activate the control unit, the control circuit activates the AC power supply to output the AC voltage.

9. The power converting device according to claim 2 , wherein the detection element is an insulation signal transmitting element configured to insulation-transmit the detection signal based on the detection current.

10. The power converting device according to claim 2 , wherein the second DC voltage is higher than the first DC voltage.

11. The power converting device according to claim 10 , wherein the first DC power supply is mounted on a vehicle, and includes a low-voltage battery for outputting the first DC voltage, and the second DC power supply is mounted on the vehicle, and includes a high-voltage battery for outputting the second DC voltage.

12. A method of controlling a power converting device configured to convert any of DC voltages outputted from at least two DC power supplies, the power converting device including:
a first DC power supply configured to output a first DC voltage;
an AC power supply configured to output an AC voltage;
a primary coil included in a transformer, the AC voltage outputted from the AC power supply being applied to the primary coil;
a secondary coil included in the transformer;
a first rectifier element having an end that is connected to an end of the secondary coil;
a capacitor having an end that is connected to another end of the first rectifier element, and another end that is connected to another end of the secondary coil;
a second DC power supply configured to output a second DC voltage that is difference from the first DC voltage;
a switch including a first contact connected to an output of the second DC power supply and a second contact connected to an output terminal for outputting a first power supply voltage, the switch being turned on to electrically connect the first contact and the second contact, and turned off to electrically disconnect the first contact and the second contact;
a second rectifier element having an end that is connected to the end of the capacitor, and another end that is connected to the first contact;
a detection element connected between the output terminal and the other end the capacitor, and configured to output a detection signal based on a detection current flowing between the output terminal and the other end of the capacitor;
a switching element connected in series with the detection element between the output terminal and the other end of the capacitor; and
a control unit that is supplied with a second power supply voltage to operate, receives the detection signal, and controls operations of the AC power supply, the switching element, and the switch,
the method comprising:
before the second DC power supply outputs the second DC voltage, determining, by the control unit, whether the first contact and the second contact of the switch are melted and joined together based on the detection signal.

Assignees

• Shindengen Electric Mfg

Inventors

• Ikeda Masataka
• Ando Seiichi
• Yamashita Kazuo

Classifications

• H02J7/685 Primary

  using connection detecting circuits (H02J7/68 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H02J2207/40

  adapted for charging from various sources, e.g. AC, DC or multivoltage · CPC title

• H02M3/335

  using semiconductor devices only · CPC title

• B60L58/20

  having different nominal voltages · CPC title

• H02J7/1438

  in combination with power supplies for loads other than batteries · CPC title