Intelligent power module and controller for air conditioner

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11088648-B2
Application number	US-202016813945-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 10, 2020
Priority date	Sep 11, 2017
Publication date	Aug 10, 2021
Grant date	Aug 10, 2021

Abstract

An intelligent power module and a controller for an air conditioner are provided. For the intelligent power module, an adjust circuit is additionally provided between a respective drive circuit and a respective IGBT transistor. The adjust circuit detects a change in the voltage of a low voltage power supply of the intelligent power module in real time, and disables the output of the module when the voltage is detected to be too low due to fluctuation of the low voltage power supply. This operation releases the charge accumulated in the IGBT transistor, when energy storage of a drive motor causes charge accumulation of the IGBT transistor. The adjust circuit can continue releasing the charge when the low voltage power supply is restored to normal, to prevent the operating reliability of the module from being affected by the impact of the charge on internal circuits of the module.

First claim

I claim:

1. An intelligent power module comprising:
three-phase upper bridge arm IGBT transistors,
three-phase lower bridge arm IGBT transistors, and
drive circuits and adjust circuits each corresponding to one of the three-phase upper bridge arm IGBT transistors and the three-phase lower bridge arm IGBT transistors;
wherein:
an output end of each drive circuit is connected to a signal input end of a corresponding adjust circuit, a signal output end of each adjust circuit is connected to a gate of a corresponding IGBT transistor;
a positive electrode and a negative electrode of a power supply end of the adjust circuit corresponding to each three-phase upper bridge arm IGBT transistor are respectively connected to a positive electrode and a negative electrode of a power supply of a high voltage region of a corresponding phase;
a positive electrode and a negative electrode of a power supply end of the adjust circuit corresponding to each three-phase lower bridge arm IGBT transistor are respectively connected to a positive electrode and a negative electrode of a power supply of a low voltage region of the intelligent power module; and
wherein:
each adjust circuit is configured to:
detect a voltage of the power supply end of the adjust circuit;
in response to the detection that the voltage is less than a predetermined voltage threshold, cut off a drive signal output from the drive circuit to the corresponding IGBT transistor; and
in response to the detection that the voltage is greater than or equal to the predetermined voltage threshold, release charge in the corresponding IGBT transistor and control the drive circuit to output the drive signal to the corresponding IGBT transistor after a predetermined time.

2. The intelligent power module according to claim 1 ,
wherein each of the adjust circuits comprises a voltage detection module, a time delay module, an output module, and a first switch;
wherein:
an input end of the voltage detection module, a power supply end of the time delay module, and a power supply end of the output module are connected to form the power supply end of the adjust circuit;
an output end of the voltage detection module is respectively connected to a control end of the time delay module and a control end of the first switch;
an output end of the time delay module is connected to a control end of the output module;
an input end of the output module is the signal input end of the adjust circuit;
an output end of the output module is connected to an input end of the first switch; and
an output end of the first switch is the signal output end of the adjust circuit; and
wherein:
in response to the detection that the voltage of the input end of the voltage detection module is less than the predetermined voltage threshold, the voltage detection module is configured to turn the first switch from an on state to an off state;
in response to the detection that the voltage of the input end of the voltage detection module is greater than or equal to the predetermined voltage threshold, the voltage detection module is configured to control the first switch to turn on and the time delay module to start timing, the time delay module is configured to control the output module to release the charge in the corresponding IGBT transistor; and
in response to a determination that a timing reaches a predetermined time, the time delay module is configured to control the drive circuit to output the drive signal to the corresponding IGBT transistor through the output module.

3. The intelligent power module according to claim 2 ,
wherein the time delay module comprises a second switch, a first resistor, and a first capacitor; and
wherein:
a control end of the second switch is the control end of the time delay module;
an input end of the second switch is connected to the positive electrode of the power supply end of the adjust circuit;
a connection end of an output end of the second switch and an end of the first resistor is the output end of the time delay module;
the other end of the first resistor is connected to an end of the first capacitor; and
the other end of the first capacitor is connected to the negative electrode of the power supply end of the adjust circuit.

4. The intelligent power module according to claim 3 ,
wherein the time delay module further comprises a shaping unit; and
wherein:
an input end of the shaping unit is the connection end of the output end of the second switch and the end of the first resistor;
an output end of the shaping unit is the output end of the time delay module; and
the shaping unit is configured to shape a control signal output from the time delay module and output the shaped control signal to the control end of the output module.

5. The intelligent power module according to claim 4 ,
wherein the shaping unit comprises a first NOT gate and a second NOT gate; and
wherein:
an input end of the first NOT gate is the input end of the shaping unit;
an output end of the first NOT gate is connected to an input end of the second NOT gate; and
an output end of the second NOT gate is the output end of the shaping unit.

6. The intelligent power module according to claim 2 ,
wherein the voltage detection module comprises a comparator and a voltage source; and
wherein:
a non-inverting end of the comparator is connected to the positive electrode of the power supply end of the adjust circuit;
a positive output end of the voltage source is connected to an inverting end of the comparator; and
a negative output end of the voltage source is connected to the negative electrode of the power supply end of the adjust circuit.

7. The intelligent power module according to claim 2 ,
wherein each adjust circuit further comprises a shaping and amplifying module; and
wherein:
an input end of the shaping and amplifying module is the signal input end of the adjust circuit;
an output end of the shaping and amplifying module is connected to the input end of the output module; and
the shaping and amplifying module is configured to amplify and shape a signal input from the signal input end of the adjust circuit, and output the amplified and shaped signal to the input end of the output module.

8. The intelligent power module according to claim 7 ,
wherein the shaping and amplifying module comprises a third NOT gate and a fourth NOT gate; and
wherein:
an input end of the third NOT gate is the input end of the shaping and amplifying module;
an output end of the third NOT gate is connected to an input end of the fourth NOT gate; and
an output end of the fourth NOT gate is the output end of the shaping and amplifying module.

9. The intelligent power module according to claim 8 , wherein a size of a MOS transistor in the third NOT gate is half the size of a MOS transistor in the fourth NOT gate.

10. The intelligent power module according to claim 2 ,
wherein the output module comprises a third switch, a first PMOS transistor, and a second NMOS transistor; and,
wherein:
a control end of the third switch is the control end of the output module;
a first selection end of the third switch is connected to the positive electrode of the power supply end of the adjust circuit;
a second selection end of the third switch is connected to a gate of the first PMOS transistor;
a fixed end of the third switch is connected to a gate of the second NMOS transistor;
a source of the first PMOS transistor is connected to the positive electrode of the power supply end of the adjust circuit;
a connection end of a drain of the first PMOS transistor and a drain of the second NMOS transistor is the output end of the output module; and
a source of t

Assignees

• Gd Midea Air Conditioning Equipment Co Ltd

Inventors

• Feng Yuxiang

Classifications

• H02P27/06 Primary

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

• H02P29/026 Primary

  the fault being a power fluctuation · CPC title

• H02P29/025

  the fault being a power interruption · CPC title

• H03K17/08116

  in composite switches (H03K17/0812, H03K17/0814 take precedence) · CPC title

• F24F11/46

  Improving electric energy efficiency or saving · CPC title