Battery integrated isolated power converter and systems for electric vehicle propulsion

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017190434-A1
Application number	US-201514984992-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 30, 2015
Priority date	Dec 30, 2015
Publication date	Jul 6, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

An electric propulsion system includes at least one generator. The electric propulsion system also includes at least one drive engine coupled to the at least one generator. The electric propulsion system further includes at least one electrical device. The electric propulsion system also includes at least one battery integrated isolated power converter (BIIC), where the at least one generator and at least one of the at least one BIIC and the at least one electrical device are coupled, and where the at least one BIIC and the at least one electrical device are coupled.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An electric propulsion system for a vehicle, said electric propulsion system comprising:
at least one generator; at least one drive engine coupled to said at least one generator; at least one electrical device; and at least one battery integrated isolated power converter (BIIC), wherein said at least one generator and at least one of said at least one BIIC and said at least one electrical device are coupled, and wherein said at least one BIIC and said at least one electrical device are coupled.

2 . The electric propulsion system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said at least one BIIC comprises:
a DC link; and at least a first BIIC and a second BIIC, each of said first BIIC and said second BIIC comprising:
a first DC line coupled to said DC link; and
a second DC line coupled to said DC link, said electric propulsion system further comprising:
a DC interconnect coupled to and between said first BIIC and second BIIC, said DC interconnect comprising a first DC bus coupled to and between said first DC line of said first BIIC and said first DC line of said second BIIC, said DC interconnect further comprising a second DC bus coupled to and between said second DC line of said first BIIC and said second DC line of said second BIIC.

3 . The electric propulsion system in accordance with claim 1 further comprising at least one generator rectifier coupled to and between said at least one BIIC and said at least one generator, said at least one generator comprising an AC generator.

4 . The electric propulsion system in accordance with claim 3 , wherein:
said AC generator further comprises at least a first AC generator and a second AC generator; said at least one generator rectifier comprises at least a first generator rectifier and a second generator rectifier; and said electric propulsion system further comprises at least one rectifier bus coupled to and between said first generator rectifier and said second generator rectifier.

5 . The electric propulsion system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein:
the vehicle is an aircraft; said electric propulsion system further comprises at least one fan coupled to an aft portion of a fuselage of the aircraft proximate a tail of the aircraft; said at least one electrical device comprises at least one motor coupled to the aft portion of the fuselage; and said at least one motor configured to rotate said at least one fan in at least one of a clockwise and a counterclockwise direction to facilitate propulsion of the aircraft.

6 . The electric propulsion system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein:
the vehicle is an aircraft; and said at least one BIIC coupled to at least one of the following:
a fuselage of the aircraft proximate a wing of the aircraft; and
an aft portion of a fuselage of the aircraft.

7 . The electric propulsion system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein:
the vehicle is an aircraft; and said at least one BIIC comprises at least one fore BIIC and at least one aft BIIC coupled together, wherein:
said at least one fore BIIC coupled to a fuselage of the aircraft proximate a wing of the aircraft; and
said at least one aft BIIC coupled to an aft portion of the fuselage.

8 . The electric propulsion system in accordance with claim 3 , wherein:
said AC generator comprises at least a first AC generator and a second AC generator; said at least one generator rectifier comprises at least a first generator rectifier and a second generator rectifier; and said at least one BIIC comprises:
a DC link; and
at least a first BIIC and a second BIIC, said electric propulsion system further comprising:
a first extension and a second extension;
a first generator cable coupled to and between said first generator rectifier and said first BIIC; and
a second generator cable coupled to and between said second generator rectifier and said second BIIC, each of said first BIIC and said second BIIC comprising a first DC line and a second DC line, both coupled to said DC link, wherein:
said first extension coupled to and between said first generator cable and said first DC line of said second BIIC; and
said second extension coupled to and between said second generator cable and said second DC line of said first BIIC.

9 . The electric propulsion system in accordance with claim 1 further comprising at least one AC/AC power converter coupled to and between said at least one generator and said at least one BIIC, wherein:
said electric propulsion system further comprising at least one AC line coupled to and between said at least one AC/AC power converter and said at least one electrical device; and
said at least one BIIC coupled to said at least one AC line.

10 . The electric propulsion system in accordance with claim 9 , wherein:
the vehicle is an aircraft; and said at least one AC/AC power converter comprises:
at least one fore AC/AC power converter and at least one aft AC/AC power converter coupled together, wherein:
said at least one fore AC/AC power converter coupled to a fuselage of the aircraft proximate a wing of the aircraft; and
said at least one aft AC/AC power converter coupled to an aft portion of the fuselage.

11 . A battery integrated isolated power converter (BIIC) comprising:
at least one BIIC module (BIICM) string comprising a plurality of BIICMs coupled to each other, each BIICM of said plurality of BIICMs comprising:
a first BIICM circuit comprising a first plurality of switching devices coupled together;
a second BIICM circuit comprising a second plurality of switching devices coupled together; and
a BIICM high-frequency transformer coupled to and between said first BIICM circuit and said second BIICM circuit, wherein said first BIICM circuit and said second BIICM circuit are physically isolated and inductively coupled through said BIICM high-frequency transformer.

12 . The BIIC in accordance with claim 11 , wherein:
said first BIICM circuit further comprises:
a first switching device and a second switching device coupled to said first switching device; and
a third switching device and a fourth switching device coupled to said third switching device, both of said first switching device and said second switching device coupled in parallel across both of said third switching device and said fourth switching device;
said second BIICM circuit further comprises:
a fifth switching device and a sixth switching device coupled to said fifth switching device;
said BIICM high-frequency transformer comprises:
a first winding coupled in parallel across at least one of said third switching device and said fourth switching device; and
a second winding coupled in parallel across at least one of said fifth switching device and said sixth switching device, each BIICM of said plurality of BIICMs further comprising:
at least one of at least one energy storage device and at least one capacitor coupled in parallel across at least one of:
both of said first switching device and said second switching device; and
both of said fifth switching device and said sixth switching device.

13 . The BIIC in accordance with claim 12 , wherein:
said at least one BIICM string further comprises at least three shunt strings, each shunt string of said at least three shunt strings comprising at least a topmost BIICM and a bottommost BIICM;
said first BIICM circuit further comprises:
a first node defined between said first switching device and said second switching device;
a second node defined between said first switching device and said third switching device; and
a third node defined between said second switc

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Dong Dong
• Shah Manoj Ramprasad
• Zhou Rui
• Huang Hao
• Zhang Di

Classifications

• B64D2221/00

  Electric power distribution systems onboard aircraft · CPC title

• H02M7/797

  using semiconductor devices only · CPC title

• Y10S903/903

  having energy storing means, e.g. battery, capacitor · CPC title

• B60Y2200/51

  Aeroplanes · CPC title

• B60Y2200/92

  Hybrid vehicles · CPC title