Pulse width modulation clock synchronization

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11533013-B1
Application number	US-202117388984-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jul 29, 2021
Priority date	Jul 29, 2021
Publication date	Dec 20, 2022
Grant date	Dec 20, 2022

Abstract

Various disclosed embodiments include illustrative controllers, dual power inverter modules, and electric vehicles. In an illustrative embodiment, a controller includes a first processor for a first power inverter. Computer-readable media is configured to store computer-executable instructions configured to cause the first processor to: generate a first clock signal and a second clock signal; identify a pulse width modulation method of the first power inverter and a pulse width modulation method of a second power inverter; identify and compare a switching frequency of the first power inverter and a switching frequency of the second power inverter; determine an optimized phase shift between the first power inverter and the second power inverter responsive to the pulse width modulation method of the first power inverter and the pulse width modulation method of the second power inverter and the switching frequency of the first power inverter and the switching frequency of the second power inverter; and synchronize the optimized phase shift between the first power inverter and the second power inverter. A second processor for the second power inverter is configured to receive the second clock signal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A controller comprising:
a first processor for a first power inverter;
a non-transitory computer-readable media configured to store computer-executable instructions configured to cause the first processor to:
generate a first clock signal and a second clock signal;
identify a pulse width modulation method of the first power inverter and a pulse width modulation method of a second power inverter;
identify and compare a switching frequency of the first power inverter and a switching frequency of the second power inverter;
determine an optimized phase shift between the first power inverter and the second power inverter responsive to the pulse width modulation method of the first power inverter and the pulse width modulation method of the second power inverter and the switching frequency of the first power inverter and the switching frequency of the second power inverter;
synchronize the optimized phase shift between the first power inverter and the second power inverter;
shift the second clock signal from the first clock signal by the determined optimized phase shift;
identify a dominant harmonic frequency among harmonic frequencies of the pulse width modulation method of the first power inverter and the pulse width modulation method of the second power inverter; and
determine the optimized phase shift between the first power inverter and the second power inverter responsive to the dominant harmonic frequency among the harmonic frequencies of the pulse width modulation method of the first power inverter and the pulse width modulation method of the second power inverter; and

a second processor for the second power inverter and configured to receive the second clock signal.

2. The controller of claim 1 , wherein the pulse width modulation method of the first power inverter and the pulse width modulation method of the second power inverter are the same pulse width modulation method.

3. The controller of claim 1 , wherein the pulse width modulation method of the first power inverter and the pulse width modulation method of the second power inverter are different pulse width modulation methods.

4. The controller of claim 1 , wherein:
the dominant harmonic frequency includes a first harmonic frequency; and
the optimized phase shift is 180 degrees.

5. The controller of claim 1 , wherein:
the dominant harmonic frequency includes a second harmonic frequency; and
the optimized phase shift is 90 degrees.

6. A dual power inverter module comprising:
a DC link capacitor electrically connectable to a source of high voltage direct current (DC) electrical power;
a first power inverter electrically connectable to the DC link capacitor and configured to convert high voltage DC electrical power to three phase high voltage alternating current (AC) electrical power, the first power inverter being further configured to supply the three phase high voltage AC electrical power to a first electric motor;
a second power inverter electrically connectable to the DC link capacitor and configured to convert high voltage DC electrical power to three phase high voltage AC electrical power, the second power inverter being further configured to supply the three phase high voltage AC electrical power to a second electric motor; and
a controller including:
a first processor for the first power inverter;
a non-transitory computer-readable media configured to store computer-executable instructions configured to cause the first processor to:
generate a first clock signal and a second clock signal;
identify a pulse width modulation method of the first power inverter and a pulse width modulation method of the second power inverter;
identify and compare a switching frequency of the first power inverter and a switching frequency of the second power inverter;
determine an optimized phase shift between the first power inverter and the second power inverter responsive to the pulse width modulation method of the first power inverter and the pulse width modulation method of the second power inverter and the switching frequency of the first power inverter and the switching frequency of the second power inverter;
synchronize the optimized phase shift between the first power inverter and the second power inverter;
shift the second clock signal from the first clock signal by the determined optimized phase shift;
identify a dominant harmonic frequency among harmonic frequencies of the pulse width modulation method of the first power inverter and the pulse width modulation method of the second power inverter; and
determine an optimized phase shift between the first power inverter and the second power inverter responsive to the dominant harmonic frequency among the harmonic frequencies of the pulse width modulation method of the first power inverter and the pulse width modulation method of the second power inverter; and

a second processor for the second power inverter and configured to receive the second clock signal.

7. The dual power inverter module of claim 6 , wherein the pulse width modulation method of the first power inverter and the pulse width modulation method of the second power inverter are the same pulse width modulation method.

8. The dual power inverter module of claim 6 , wherein the pulse width modulation method of the first power inverter and the pulse width modulation method of the second power inverter are different pulse width modulation methods.

9. The dual power inverter module of claim 6 , wherein:
the dominant harmonic frequency includes a first harmonic frequency; and
the optimized phase shift is 180 degrees.

10. The dual power inverter module of claim 6 , wherein:
the dominant harmonic frequency includes a second harmonic frequency; and
the optimized phase shift is 90 degrees.

11. An electric vehicle comprising:
a vehicle body;
a high voltage direct current (DC) electrical battery disposed within the vehicle body;
left and right front wheels configured to rotate;
left and right rear wheels configured to rotate;
left and right electric motors mechanically couplable to rotate at least one set of wheels chosen from the left and right front wheels and the left and right rear wheels; and
at least one dual power inverter module including:
a DC link capacitor electrically connectable to the high voltage DC electrical battery;
a first power inverter electrically connectable to the DC link capacitor and configured to convert high voltage DC electrical power to three phase high voltage alternating current (AC) electrical power, the first power inverter being further configured to supply the three phase high voltage AC electrical power to an electric motor chosen from the left and right electric motors;
a second power inverter electrically connectable to the DC link capacitor and configured to convert high voltage DC electrical power to three phase high voltage AC electrical power, the second power inverter being further configured to supply the three phase high voltage AC electrical power to the other electric motor chosen from the left and right electric motors; and
a common controller electrically connectable to the first power inverter and the second power inverter, the common controller being configured to control the first power inverter and the second power inverter, the common controller including:
a first processor for the first power inverter;
a non-transitory computer-readable media configured to store computer-executable instructions configured to cause the first processor to:
generate a first clock signal and a second clock signal;
identify a pulse width modulation method of the first power inverter and a pulse width modulation method of t

Assignees

• Rivian Ip Holdings Llc

Inventors

• Schulz Steven E
• Tang David
• Kowalewski Daniel L
• Hiti Silva

Classifications

• H02K11/33

  Drive circuits, e.g. power electronics (H02K11/38 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H02K16/00

  Machines with more than one rotor or stator {(machines for transmitting mechanical power from a driving shaft to a driven shaft and comprising structurally interrelated motor and generator parts H02K51/00; permanent magnet machines with multiple rotors or stators relatively rotated for vectorially combining the excitation fields or the armature voltages H02K21/029)} · CPC title

• H02K5/04

  Casings or enclosures characterised by the shape, form or construction thereof · CPC title

• H02M1/15 Primary

  using active elements · CPC title

• H02M1/0043

  Converters switched with a phase shift, i.e. interleaved (non-isolated DC/DC converters H02M3/1586) · CPC title