Systems and methods for distributing power in a vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9236791-B2
Application number	US-201213644609-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 4, 2012
Priority date	Oct 4, 2012
Publication date	Jan 12, 2016
Grant date	Jan 12, 2016

Abstract

Various systems and method for distributing electrical power are provided. In one embodiment, a system includes a first inverter coupled to an electrical bus, a second inverter coupled to the electrical bus, a filter including a first inductor and a second inductor, and a transfer switch circuit coupled between the first inverter and the second inverter and a load. The transfer switch circuit is configured to transfer power from the first inverter through the first inductor to the load and transfer power from the second inverter through the second inductor to the load in a first mode of operation. The transfer switch circuit is further configured to transfer power from the first inverter through the first inductor and through the second inductor to the load in a second mode of operation.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system, comprising:
a first inverter coupled to an electrical bus;
a second inverter coupled to the electrical bus;
a filter including a first inductor and a second inductor;
a transfer switch circuit coupled between the first inverter and the second inverter and a load; and
a controller having instructions to control the transfer switch circuit to transfer power from the first inverter through the first inductor to the load and transfer power from the second inverter through the second inductor to the load in a first mode of operation, and to transfer power from the first inverter through the first inductor and through the second inductor to the load in a second mode of operation.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the transfer switch circuit is further configured to transfer power from the second inverter through the first inductor and through the second inductor to the load in a third mode of operation.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the transfer switch circuit is configured to transfer substantially no power from the first inverter to the load in the third mode of operation.

4. The system of claim 2 , wherein the transfer switch circuit comprises a first contact, a second contact, a third contact, a fourth contact, and a fifth contact, and the controller further includes instructions to control the transfer switch circuit to:
transfer power from the first inverter through the third contact and through the first inductor to the load, and transfer power from the first inverter through the third contact, through the fourth contact, and through the second inductor to the load in the second mode of operation, and
transfer power from the second inverter through the fifth contact and through the second inductor to the load, and transfer power from the second inverter through the fifth contact, through the fourth contact, and through the first inductor to the load in the third mode of operation.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the transfer switch circuit comprises a first contact, a second contact, a third contact, and a fourth contact, the controller further having instructions to control the transfer switch circuit to:
transfer power from the first inverter through the first contact and through the first inductor to the load, and transfer power from the second inverter through the second contact and through the second inductor to the load in the first mode of operation, and
transfer power from the first inverter through the third contact and through the first inductor to the load, and transfer power from the first inverter through the third contact, through the fourth contact, and through the second inductor to the load in the second mode of operation.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the filter is coupled between the first and second inverters and the transfer switch circuit.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the filter is coupled between the transfer switch circuit and the load.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the transfer switch circuit is configured to transfer substantially no power from the second inverter to the load in the second mode of operation, wherein the electrical bus is coupled to an alternator, and wherein the controller has instructions to switch from the first mode of operation to the second mode of operation based on an output of the alternator.

9. A system, comprising:
a first inverter coupled to an electrical bus;
a second inverter coupled to the electrical bus; and
a transfer switch circuit coupled to the first inverter, the second inverter, and a load, the transfer switch circuit being configured to transfer power from the first inverter through a first contact to the load and transfer power from the second inverter through a second contact to the load in a first mode of operation, the transfer switch circuit further being configured to divide power from the first inverter between a third contact and a fourth contact in parallel to the load in a second mode of operation.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the transfer switch circuit is configured to transfer substantially no power from the second inverter to the load in the second mode of operation.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the transfer switch circuit is configured to divide power from the second inverter between the second contact and a fifth contact in parallel to the load in a third mode of operation.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the transfer switch circuit is configured to transfer substantially no power from the first inverter to the load in the third mode of operation.

13. The system of claim 11 , further comprising:
a filter including a first inductor and a second inductor, and wherein the transfer switch circuit is configured to transfer power from the first inverter through the first contact and through the first inductor to the load and transfer power from the second inverter through the second contact and through the second inductor to the load in the first mode of operation.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the transfer switch circuit is configured to transfer power from the first inverter through the third contact and through the first inductor to the load and transfer power from the first inverter through the fourth contact and through the second inductor to the load in the second mode of operation.

15. The system of claim 13 , wherein the transfer switch circuit is configured to transfer power from the second inverter through the second contact and through the second inductor to the load and transfer power from the second inverter through the fifth contact and through the first inductor to the load in the third mode of operation.

16. The system of claim 13 , wherein the filter is coupled between the first and second inverters and the transfer switch circuit.

17. The system of claim 13 , wherein the filter is coupled between the transfer switch circuit and the load.

18. A method, comprising:
controlling a transfer switch circuit, in a first mode of operation, to transfer power from a first inverter through a first inductor to a load and transfer power from a second inverter through a second inductor to the load; and
controlling the transfer switch circuit, in a second mode of operation, to transfer power from the first inverter through the first inductor and through the second inductor to the load.

19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising:
controlling the transfer switch circuit, in a third mode of operation, to transfer power from the second inverter through the first inductor and through the second inductor to the load.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising,
controlling the transfer switch circuit, in the first mode of operation, to transfer power from the first inverter through a first contact of the transfer switch circuit and through the first inductor to the load and transfer power from the second inverter through a second contact of the transfer switch circuit and through the second inductor to the load;
controlling the transfer switch circuit, in the second mode of operation, to transfer power from the first inductor through a third contact and through the first inductor to the load and transferring power from the first inductor through the third contact, through a fourth contact, and through the second inductor to the load, and transfer substantially no power from the second inverter to the load; and
controlling the transfer switch circuit, in the third mode of operation, to transfer power from the second inductor through a f

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Kumar Ajith Kuttannair
• Zhang Wendong

Classifications

• B60L1/12

  Methods and devices for control or regulation · CPC title

• B60L2200/26

  Rail vehicles · CPC title

• B60L9/22

  polyphase motors · CPC title

• B60L15/007

  Physical arrangements or structures of drive train converters specially adapted for the propulsion motors of electric vehicles · CPC title

• H02M7/5387

  in a bridge configuration · CPC title