Power conversion device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9713995-B2
Application number	US-201214414781-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 6, 2012
Priority date	Aug 6, 2012
Publication date	Jul 25, 2017
Grant date	Jul 25, 2017

Abstract

An inverter circuit has a main circuit for converting DC power into output electric power and outputting the output electric power, and a filter capacitor connected in parallel with the main circuit. A supply switching circuit has a contactor that switches between supplying and not supplying DC power to the inverter circuit. A control calculator outputs a supply signal causing the contactor to supply the DC power. A memory holds charge history information that indicates a history of incomplete charging of the filter capacitor. When a supply signal is outputted from the control calculator, a supply controller controls the contactor on the basis of the charge history information.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A power conversion device comprising:
an inverter circuit that comprises a main circuit that converts DC power into output electric power and outputs the output electric power, and a filter capacitor connected in parallel with the main circuit;
a supply switching circuit that comprises a contactor that switches between supplying and not supplying the DC power to the inverter circuit; and
a controller that controls the supply switching circuit;
wherein the controller comprises
a control calculator that outputs a supply signal causing the contactor to supply the DC power,
a memory that holds charge history information comprising a history of incomplete charging in which a charge level of the filter capacitor does not become equal to or greater than a predetermined value after the supply signal is outputted from the control calculator, and
a supply controller that controls the contactor on the basis of the charge history information when the supply signal is outputted from the control calculator.

2. The power conversion device according to claim 1 , wherein
when the supply signal is outputted from the control calculator, the supply controller determines whether or not the filter capacitor is in an incomplete charging state on the basis of the charge history information,
in a case of determining that the filter capacitor is not in the incomplete charging state, the supply controller switches the contactor on, and
in a case of determining that the filter capacitor is in the incomplete charging state, the contactor stays open.

3. The power conversion device according to claim 1 , wherein
the control calculator comprises
an incomplete charging detector that detects the incomplete charging on the basis of a voltage signal indicating a voltage of the filter capacitor, and
a supply switching circuit controller that outputs the supply signal, and

when the incomplete charging is detected by the incomplete charging detector, the memory stores the detected incomplete charging as the charge history information.

4. The power conversion device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a control calculation monitor that monitors the state of the control calculator, and when detecting a malfunction of the control calculator, makes the control calculator restart;
wherein the control calculator outputs the supply signal to the supply controller if restarted.

5. The power conversion device according to claim 1 , wherein
the supply switching circuit further comprises
a resistor connected in series with the contactor, and
a main switch, provided in parallel with the contactor and the resistor, that switches between supplying and not supplying the DC power to the inverter circuit, and

the control calculator outputs the supply signal to the supply controller and also opens the main switch, and if the charge level of the filter capacitor becomes equal to or greater than the threshold value after the supply signal is outputted, the control calculator closes the main switch and also opens the contactor.

6. The power conversion device according to claim 1 , wherein
the charge history information indicates a number of times that the charge level of the filter capacitor does not become equal to or greater than the predetermined value after the supply signal is outputted, and
if the charge level of the filter capacitor does not become equal to or greater than the predetermined value after the supply signal is outputted, the control calculator increments the number of times indicated by the charge history information, and outputs the charge history information indicating the incremented number of times to the memory.

7. The power conversion device according to claim 6 , wherein
in a case of acquiring the supply signal, the supply controller determines whether or not the filter capacitor is in the incomplete charging state on the basis of a number of times indicated by the charge history information,
in a case of determining that the filter capacitor is not in the incomplete charging state, the supply controller switches the contactor on, and
in a case of determining that the filter capacitor is in the incomplete charging state, the contactor stays open.

8. The power conversion device according to claim 2 , wherein
the control calculator comprises
an incomplete charging detector that detects the incomplete charging on the basis of a voltage signal indicating a voltage of the filter capacitor, and
a supply switching circuit controller that outputs the supply signal, and

when the incomplete charging is detected by the incomplete charging detector, the memory stores the detected incomplete charging as the charge history information.

9. The power conversion device according to claim 2 , further comprising:
a control calculation monitor that monitors the state of the control calculator, and when detecting a malfunction of the control calculator, makes the control calculator restart;
wherein the control calculator outputs the supply signal to the supply controller if restarted.

10. The power conversion device according to claim 2 , wherein
the supply switching circuit further comprises
a resistor connected in series with the contactor, and
a main switch, provided in parallel with the contactor and the resistor, that switches between supplying and not supplying the DC power to the inverter circuit, and

the control calculator outputs the supply signal to the supply controller and also opens the main switch, and if the charge level of the filter capacitor becomes equal to or greater than the threshold value after the supply signal is outputted, the control calculator closes the main switch and also opens the contactor.

11. The power conversion device according to claim 2 , wherein
the charge history information indicates a number of times that the charge level of the filter capacitor does not become equal to or greater than the predetermined value after the supply signal is outputted, and
if the charge level of the filter capacitor does not become equal to or greater than the predetermined value after the supply signal is outputted, the control calculator increments the number of times indicated by the charge history information, and outputs the charge history information indicating the incremented number of times to the memory.

12. The power conversion device according to claim 3 , further comprising:
a control calculation monitor that monitors the state of the control calculator, and when detecting a malfunction of the control calculator, makes the control calculator restart;
wherein the control calculator outputs the supply signal to the supply controller if restarted.

13. The power conversion device according to claim 3 , wherein
the supply switching circuit further comprises
a resistor connected in series with the contactor, and
a main switch, provided in parallel with the contactor and the resistor, that switches between supplying and not supplying the DC power to the inverter circuit, and

the control calculator outputs the supply signal to the supply controller and also opens the main switch, and if the charge level of the filter capacitor becomes equal to or greater than the threshold value after the supply signal is outputted, the control calculator closes the main switch and also opens the contactor.

14. The power conversion device according to claim 3 , wherein
the charge history information indicates a number of times that the charge level of the filter capacitor does not become equal to or greater than the predetermined value after the supply signal is outputted,

Assignees

• Nishikawa Katsuya
• Mitsubishi Electric Corp

Inventors

• Nishikawa Katsuya

Classifications

• B60R16/03 Primary

  for supply of electrical power to vehicle subsystems {or for (circuit arrangements for charging batteries H02J7/00)} · CPC title

• H02M1/36

  Means for starting or stopping converters · CPC title

• H02M7/48

  using discharge tubes with control electrode or semiconductor devices with control electrode · CPC title

• H02H9/002

  limiting inrush current on switching on of inductive loads subjected to remanence, e.g. transformers · CPC title

• H02H7/1225 Primary

  responsive to internal faults, e.g. shoot-through (avoiding shoot-through H02M1/38) · CPC title