Inverter topology

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10715052-B2
Application number	US-201816109277-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 22, 2018
Priority date	Aug 22, 2018
Publication date	Jul 14, 2020
Grant date	Jul 14, 2020

Abstract

An electrical inverter may include a plurality of phase modules to provide a plurality of phase outputs. Two or more of the plurality of phase modules may share a common insulated-gate bipolar transistor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electrical inverter comprising:
A plurality of phase modules to provide a plurality of phase outputs,
Wherein two or more of the plurality of phase modules share a common insulated-gate bipolar transistor and
Wherein a phase module of the plurality of phase modules is coupled to non-shared diode.

2. The electrical inverter of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of phase modules share a single insulated-gate bipolar transistor, and
wherein each phase module, of the plurality of phase modules, is coupled to a corresponding non-shared insulated-gate bipolar transistor.

3. The electrical inverter of claim 1 , wherein a first phase module, of the plurality of phase modules, and a second phase module, of the plurality of phase modules, share a first insulated-gate bipolar transistor, and
wherein the second phase module and a third phase module, of the plurality of phase modules, share a second insulated-gate bipolar transistor.

4. The electrical inverter of claim 3 , wherein the first insulated-gate bipolar transistor and the second insulated-gate bipolar transistor are different insulated-gate bipolar transistors.

5. The electrical inverter of claim 1 , wherein the two or more of the plurality of phase modules share a common diode.

6. The electrical inverter of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of phase modules share a single common diode, and
wherein each phase module, of the plurality of phase modules, is coupled to a corresponding non-shared diode.

7. The electrical inverter of claim 1 , wherein a first phase module, of the plurality of phase modules, and a second phase module, of the plurality of phase modules, share a first diode, and
wherein the second phase module and a third phase module, of the plurality of phase modules, share a second diode.

8. The electrical inverter of claim 7 , wherein the first diode and the second diode are different diodes.

9. A system, comprising:
a multi-phase electrical inverter,
wherein two or more phase modules, of a plurality of phase modules of the multi-phase electrical inverter, share a common transistor and a common diode, and
wherein the common transistor is a common insulated-gate bipolar transistor; and

a motor coupled to the multi-phase electrical inverter.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein a phase module, of the plurality of phase modules connects to a voltage source to provide a voltage, and comprises an electromagnet that is configured to provide a magnetic field based on the voltage.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the motor is configured to receive a plurality of phase signals corresponding to the plurality of phase modules.

12. The system of claim 9 , wherein the common transistor and the common diode are configured to control a phase provided by the two or more phase modules.

13. The system of claim 9 , wherein a quantity of phase modules, of the plurality of phase modules, is n, such that a quantity of transistors, t, in the multi-phase electrical inverter is represented by t=n+1.

14. The system of claim 9 , wherein a quantity of phase modules, of the plurality of phase modules, is n, such that a quantity of diodes, d, in the multi-phase electrical inverter is represented by d=n+1.

15. The system of claim 9 , wherein a quantity of transistors of the multi-phase electrical inverter is less than twice a quantity of phase modules of the plurality of phase modules.

16. The system of claim 9 , wherein a quantity of diodes of the multi-phase electrical inverter is less than twice a quantity of phase modules of the plurality of phase modules.

17. An inverter, comprising:
a plurality of electromagnets;
a plurality of diodes coupled to the plurality of electromagnets to provide a voltage; and
a plurality of insulated-gate bipolar transistors coupled to the plurality of electromagnets and the plurality of diodes to selectively activate the plurality of electromagnets to cause a phase output from the inverter,
wherein a first insulated-gate bipolar transistor, of the plurality of insulated-gate bipolar transistors, is coupled to a first electromagnet and to a second electromagnet of the plurality of electromagnets,
wherein a second insulated-gate bipolar transistor, of the plurality of insulated-gate bipolar transistors, is coupled to the second electromagnet and to a third electromagnet of the plurality of electromagnets, and
wherein a third insulated-gate bipolar transistor, of the plurality of insulated-gate bipolar transistors, is coupled to the third electromagnet and not to the first electromagnet and not to the second electromagnet.

18. The inverter of claim 17 , wherein the third insulated-gate bipolar transistor is coupled to a single electromagnet.

19. The inverter of claim 17 , wherein the inverter controls a motor with the phase output.

20. The inverter of claim 17 , wherein the inverter is a 3-phase inverter.

21. The system of claim 9 , wherein each phase module, of the two or more phase modules, is coupled to a corresponding non-shared diode.

Assignees

• Caterpillar Inc

Inventors

• Khalil Ahmed
• Wai Jackson
• Gerdes Jesse
• Thorne James
• Saad Amir

Classifications

• H02M1/0085

  Partially controlled bridges · CPC title

• H02M7/5387 Primary

  in a bridge configuration · CPC title

• H02P27/06

  using DC to AC converters or inverters (H02P27/05 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H02P25/092

  Converters specially adapted for controlling reluctance motors · CPC title

• H02M7/537 Primary

  using semiconductor devices only, e.g. single switched pulse inverters · CPC title