Method for operating an inverter of an electrical refrigerant compressor making use of DC link electrolyte capacitors

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9825615-B2
Application number	US-201313934346-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 3, 2013
Priority date	Jul 5, 2012
Publication date	Nov 21, 2017
Grant date	Nov 21, 2017

Abstract

A method of operating an inverter including the steps of detecting the temperature of the at least one electrolytic capacitor; selecting at least one of a plurality of switching patterns based on the temperature of the at least one electrolytic capacitor; and generating a ripple current across the at least one electrolytic capacitor by operating the inverter from the at least one of the plurality of switching patterns for preheating of the at least one electrolytic capacitor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for operating an inverter of an electrical refrigerant compressor comprising the steps of:
providing the inverter and at least one intermediate circuit having at least one electrolytic capacitor configured for electrical communication with a voltage supply of the inverter, the inverter responsive to each of a plurality of switching patterns to provide a ripple current across the at least one electrolytic capacitor;
detecting a temperature of the at least one electrolytic capacitor;
selecting at least one of the plurality of switching patterns based on the temperature of the at least one electrolytic capacitor;
generating the ripple current across the at least one electrolytic capacitor by operating the inverter from the at least one of the plurality of switching patterns for preheating of the at least one electrolytic capacitor; and
selecting a duration of the at least one of the plurality of switching patterns, wherein selecting the duration of the at least one of the plurality of switching patterns includes the step of selecting the duration from an impedance of the at least one electrolytic capacitor and a capacitor parameter.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein detecting the temperature of the at least one electrolytic capacitor includes the step of detecting the temperature of the inverter to indirectly detect the temperature of the electrolytic capacitor.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein detecting the temperature of the inverter includes the step of detecting the temperature of the inverter by a temperature sensor configured for electrical communication with the voltage supply.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one of the plurality of switching patterns is configured to generate a pulse width modulated signal having a fixed pulse to pause ratio.

5. The method according to claim 4 , further comprising the step of controlling a modulation index of the inverter by a voltage of the at least DC link circuit and a temperature of the inverter, wherein the modulation index is a percentage varying between 5% and 40%.

6. A method for operating an inverter of an electrical refrigerant compressor comprising the steps of:
providing the inverter and at least one intermediate circuit having at least one electrolytic capacitor configured for electrical communication with a voltage supply of the inverter, the inverter responsive to each of a plurality of switching patterns to provide a ripple current across the at least one electrolytic capacitor;
detecting a temperature of the at least one electrolytic capacitor by detecting a temperature of the inverter;
selecting one of the plurality of switching patterns based on the temperature of the at least one electrolytic capacitor;
selecting a duration of the at least one of the plurality of switching patterns, wherein selecting the duration of the at least one switching pattern includes the step of selecting the duration to increase the temperature of the at least one electrolytic capacitor and decrease an impedance of the at least one electrolytic capacitor; and
generating the ripple current across the at least one electrolytic capacitor by operating the inverter from the at least one of the plurality of switching patterns for preheating of the at least one electrolytic capacitor.

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein detecting the temperature of the inverter includes the step of detecting the temperature of the inverter by a temperature sensor configured for electrical communication with the voltage supply.

8. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the at least one of the plurality of switching patterns is configured to generate a pulse width modulated signal having a fixed pulse to pause ratio.

9. The method according to claim 8 , further comprising the step of controlling a modulation index of the inverter by a voltage of the at least one intermediate circuit and a temperature of the inverter, wherein the modulation index is a percentage varying between 5% and 40%.

10. A method for operating an inverter of an electrical refrigerant compressor comprising the steps of:
providing the inverter and at least one intermediate circuit having at least one electrolytic capacitor configured for electrical communication with a voltage supply of the inverter, the inverter responsive to each of a plurality of switching patterns to provide a ripple current across the at least one electrolytic capacitor;
detecting a temperature of the at least one electrolytic capacitor by detecting a temperature of the inverter;
selecting at least one of the plurality of switching pattern, wherein the at least one of the plurality of switching patterns is configured to generate a pulse width modulated signal having a fixed pulse to pause ratio on the temperature of the at least one electrolytic capacitor;
selecting a duration of the at least one of the plurality of switching patterns, wherein selecting the duration of the at least one switching pattern includes the step of selecting the duration from an impedance of the at least one electrolytic capacitor and a capacitor parameter; and
generating the ripple current across the at least one electrolytic capacitor by operating the inverter from the at least one of the plurality of switching patterns for preheating of the at least one electrolytic capacitor.

Assignees

• Visteon Global Tech Inc
• Hanon Systems

Inventors

• Schneider Gangolf
• Lenz Mario
• Tydecks Stefan

Classifications

• Y10T307/773

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• H02M7/53875

  with analogue control of three-phase output · CPC title

• B60K1/00

  Arrangement or mounting of electrical propulsion units (B60K7/00 takes precedence; arrangement or mounting of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion B60K6/00) · CPC title

• H02M7/48 Primary

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

• G06F1/28

  Supervision thereof, e.g. detecting power-supply failure by out of limits supervision · CPC title