Converter system for transferring power

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11876368-B2
Application number	US-202117540431-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 2, 2021
Priority date	Dec 22, 2020
Publication date	Jan 16, 2024
Grant date	Jan 16, 2024

Abstract

A converter system for transferring power, a vehicle including such a converter system and a method for transferring power in such a converter system. The converter system includes a first DC-DC module, a second DC-DC module and a first control unit. The first DC-DC module is connected to a first high voltage interface of a high voltage system and to a first low voltage interface of a low voltage system. The second DC-DC module is connected to a second high voltage interface of the high voltage system and to a second low voltage interface of the low voltage system. The first high voltage interface and the second interface are independent of each other. The first control unit is connected to the first DC-DC module and configured to supply power via the second DC-DC module in case of a failure in the first DC-DC module.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A converter system for transferring power, comprising:
a first DC-DC module,
a second DC-DC module, and
a first control unit,
the first DC-DC module being connected to a first high voltage interface of a high voltage system and to a first low voltage interface of a low voltage system, the first DC-DC module comprising a first AC-DC unit, a first DC-AC unit and a third AC-DC unit,
the second DC-DC module being connected to a second high voltage interface of the high voltage system and to a second low voltage interface of the low voltage system, the second DC-DC module comprising a second AC-DC unit, a second DC-AC unit and a fourth AC-DC unit,
the first high voltage interface and the second high voltage interface being independent of each other,
each DC-AC unit being connected to each high voltage interface, and each AC-DC unit being connected to each low voltage interface, the third and fourth AC-DC units being connected to an AC interface via a power factor correction (PFC) unit and configured to supply power to the high voltage system and/or to supply power to the low voltage system, and
the first control unit being connected to the first DC-DC module and configured to supply power via the second DC-DC module in case of a failure in the first DC-DC module.

2. The converter system according to claim 1 , the first low voltage interface and the second low voltage interface being independent of each other.

3. The converter system according to claim 1 , further comprising a second control unit separated from the first control unit, the second control unit being connected to the second DC-DC module and configured to transfer power via the first DC-DC module in case of a failure in the second DC-DC module.

4. The converter system according to claim 1 , the first and the second DC-AC units being configured to supply power from the high voltage system to the low voltage system via first and second AC-DC units respectively.

5. The converter system according to claim 1 , the first and the second AC-DC units being configured to keep turned-on to supply power to each low voltage interface.

6. The converter system according to claim 1 , the first and the second AC-DC units being configured to supply power from the low voltage system to the high voltage system via the first and the second DC-AC units respectively.

7. The converter system according to claim 1 , the third and the fourth AC-DC units being configured to supply power from the high voltage system to the AC interface.

8. The converter system according to claim 1 , further comprising a first low power DC-DC unit and a second low power DC-DC unit, the first and second low power DC-DC units being configured to transfer power only in one direction.

9. A vehicle comprising the converter system according to claim 1 , the vehicle being an electric vehicle.

10. The vehicle according to claim 9 , the converter system being configured to operate a first and/or second low power DC-DC units in a key-off state.

11. The vehicle according to claim 9 , the converter system being configured to transfer power from a third AC-DC unit to a first AC-DC unit and a first DC-AC unit and/or to transfer power from a fourth AC-DC unit to a second AC-DC unit and a second DC-AC unit during a charging mode.

12. The vehicle according to claim 11 , the converter system being configured to transfer power from a high voltage system to a low voltage system via the first DC-AC unit and first AC-DC unit and/or the second DC-AC unit and the second AC-DC unit during a driving mode.

13. A method for transferring power in a converter system, comprising the following steps:
connecting a first DC-DC module to a first high voltage interface of a high voltage system and to a first low voltage interface of a low voltage system, the first DC-DC module comprising a first AC-DC unit, a first DC-AC unit and a third AC-DC unit,
connecting a second DC-DC module to a second high voltage interface of the high voltage system and to a second low voltage interface of the low voltage system, the second DC-DC module comprising a second AC-DC unit, a second DC-AC unit and a fourth AC-DC unit,
connecting each DC-AC unit to each high voltage interface, and each AC-DC unit to each low voltage interface,
connecting the third and fourth AC-DC units to an AC interface via a power factor correction (PFC) unit, the third and fourth AC-DC units being configured to supply power to the high voltage system and/or to supply power to the low voltage system, and supply power from the high voltage system to the AC interface,
connecting a first control unit to the first DC-DC module, and
supplying power via the second DC-DC module in case of a failure in the first DC-DC module,
the first high voltage interface and the second high voltage interface being independent of each other.

Assignees

• Volvo Car Corp

Inventors

• Gannamaneni Narendar Rao
• Dareini Ali
• Golriz Arsam
• Sjöstedt Johan
• Ådahl Andreas

Classifications

• H02J4/25

  for transfer of electric power between AC and DC networks, e.g. for supplying the DC section within a load from an AC mains system · CPC title

• H02J7/855

  with circuits adapted for supplying loads from the battery · CPC title

• H02J1/002 Primary

  using intermediate DC-AC-DC conversion · CPC title

• B60L53/22

  Constructional details or arrangements of charging converters specially adapted for charging electric vehicles · CPC title

• B60L2210/10

  DC to DC converters · CPC title