Direct current converter, controlling method, and vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12570170-B2
Application number	US-202118009363-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 29, 2021
Priority date	Oct 10, 2020
Publication date	Mar 10, 2026
Grant date	Mar 10, 2026

Abstract

A DC converter, a controlling method, and a vehicle are provided. The DC converter includes: a first inductor, a switching unit, a diode, a first capacitor, a load resistor, a pre-charge control unit and a controller. The output terminal of the controller is connected with the control terminal of the switching unit and the control terminal of the pre-charge control unit. The controller is configured to control the switching unit to be turned on or turned off, and to control the resistor connected between the negative electrode of the diode and the first end of the load resistance in the pre-charge control unit when the switching unit is turned off, such that the direct current converter is pre-charged by the low-voltage power supply.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A direct current converter, comprising:
a first inductor, a switching unit, a diode, a first capacitor, a load resistor, a pre-charge control unit, and a controller; wherein a first terminal of the first inductor is connected with a positive electrode of the diode, and a second terminal of the first inductor is connected with a positive electrode of a low-voltage power supply; a first terminal of the switching unit is connected with a negative electrode of the low-voltage power supply, and a second terminal of the switching unit is connected with the first terminal of the first inductor; a negative electrode of the diode is connected with a first terminal of the pre-charge control unit, and a second terminal of the pre-charge control unit is connected with the first terminal of the switching unit; and the first capacitor is connected in parallel with the load resistor; wherein a first terminal of the load resistor is connected with a positive electrode of a high-voltage power supply through a main relay, and a second terminal of the load resistor is connected with a negative electrode of the high-voltage power supply; and a control terminal of the switching unit is connected with an output terminal of the controller; wherein the controller is configured for controlling the switching unit to be turned on or turned off; and wherein the controller is configured to control a resistor connected between the negative electrode of the diode and the first terminal of the load resistor in the pre-charge control unit when the switching unit is turned off, such that the direct current converter is pre-charged by the low-voltage power supply.

2 . The direct current converter according to claim 1 , wherein the pre-charge control unit comprises:
a first pre-charge branch, comprising: a first resistor and a first switch; and a second pre-charge branch, comprising: a second resistor and a second switch, and the first resistor being greater than the second resistor; wherein a first terminal of the first resistor is acted as the first terminal of the pre-charge control unit, and a second terminal of the first resistor is connected with a first terminal of the first switch; a second terminal of the first switch is acted as the second terminal of the pre-charge control unit, a first terminal of the second resistor is connected with the first terminal of the first resistor, and a second terminal of the second resistor is connected with a first terminal of the second switch, a second terminal of the second switch is connected with the second terminal of the first switch, a control terminal of the first switch is connected with the output terminal of the controller and acted as a first control terminal of the pre-charge control unit, and a control terminal of the second switch is connected with the output terminal of the controller and acted as a second control terminal of the pre-charge control unit; the controller is configured to control the first switch to be turned on and the second switch to be turned off when the switching unit is turned off and a pre-charge command is not received; and the controller is further configured to control the first switch to be turned off and the second switch to be turned on when the switching unit is turned off and the pre-charge command is received.

3 . The direct current converter according to claim 2 , wherein the controller is further configured to control the pre-charge control unit to disconnect the negative electrode of the diode from the first terminal of the load resistor when the pre-charge command is not received and a voltage between the first terminal of the load resistor and the second terminal of the load resistor is greater than or equal to a first threshold value.

4 . The direct current converter according to claim 2 , wherein the controller is further configured to control the pre-charge control unit to disconnect the negative electrode of the diode from the first terminal of the load resistor when the pre-charge command is received and a voltage between the first terminal of the load resistor and the second terminal of the load resistor is greater than or equal to a second threshold value.

5 . A method for controlling a direct current converter, applied to a direct current converter, the direct current converter comprising: a first inductor, a switching unit, a diode, a first capacitor, a load resistor, a pre-charge control unit and a controller;
wherein a first terminal of the first inductor is connected with a positive electrode of the diode, and a second terminal of the first inductor is connected with a positive electrode of a low-voltage power supply; a first terminal of the switching unit is connected with a negative electrode of the low-voltage power supply, and a second terminal of the switching unit is connected with the first terminal of the first inductor; a negative electrode of the diode is connected with a first terminal of the pre-charge control unit, and a second terminal of the pre-charge control unit is connected with the first terminal of the switching unit; and the first capacitor is connected in parallel with the load resistor; wherein a first terminal of the load resistor is connected with a positive electrode of a high-voltage power supply through a main relay, and a second terminal of the load resistor is connected with a negative electrode of the high-voltage power supply; and a control terminal of the switching unit is connected with an output terminal of the controller; wherein the controller is configured for controlling the switching unit to be turned on or turned off; and wherein the controller is configured to control a resistor connected between the negative electrode of the diode and the first terminal of the load resistor in the pre-charge control unit when the switching unit is turned off, such that the direct current converter is pre-charged by the low-voltage power supply; and the method comprising: receiving a wake-up signal sent by a vehicle control unit of a vehicle; controlling the pre-charge control unit to connect a first resistor between a negative electrode of the diode and a first terminal of the load resistor, such that the low-voltage power supply pre-charges the direct current converter according to a first current; and controlling, when a pre-charge command sent by the vehicle control unit is received, the pre-charge control unit to connect a second resistor between the negative electrode of the diode and the first terminal of the load resistor, such that the low-voltage power supply pre-charges the direct current converter according to a second current, and the first resistor being greater than the second resistor.

6 . The method according to claim 5 , wherein before the step of controlling the pre-charge control unit to connect a first resistor between a negative electrode of the diode and a first terminal of the load resistor, further comprising:
detecting a state of the direct current converter; and the step of controlling the pre-charge control unit to connect a first resistor between a negative electrode of the diode and a first terminal of the load resistor comprises: controlling, when the state of the direct current converter is normal, the pre-charge control unit to connect the first resistor between the negative electrode of the diode and the first terminal of the load resistor.

7 . The method according to claim 5 , further comprising:
detecting the first voltage between the first terminal of the load resistor and the second terminal of the load resistor before the pre-charge command is received; and controlling the pre-charge control unit to disconnect the negative electrode of the diode from the first terminal of the load resistor if

Assignees

• Great Wall Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Zhou Mingwang
• Yang Xuejing
• Chen Shujiang
• Zhang Gengnan
• Hu Yipo

Classifications

• H02J7/90

  Regulation of charging or discharging current or voltage · CPC title

• H02M3/156 Primary

  with automatic control of output voltage or current, e.g. switching regulators · CPC title

• H02M1/36 Primary

  Means for starting or stopping converters · CPC title

• H02M1/34

  Snubber circuits · CPC title

• B60L2210/10

  DC to DC converters · CPC title