Device for controlling a motor vehicle alternator, and corresponding alternator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9948230-B2
Application number	US-201515538944-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 8, 2015
Priority date	Jan 6, 2015
Publication date	Apr 17, 2018
Grant date	Apr 17, 2018

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for controlling an alternator of the type that controls a DC voltage (B+A) generated by the alternator ( 11 ) according to a predetermined set voltage (U 0 ) by monitoring the intensity of an energizing current (I EXC ) flowing through an energizing circuit of the alternator. According to the invention, the device includes a voltage-control loop ( 7 ) and a temperature-control loop ( 17 ) which comprises a temperature sensor supplying a current temperature (T) of components of the alternator, a subtracter ( 19 ) supplying a temperature error (ϵ t ) between the current temperature (T) and a maximum acceptable temperature (T max ) and a control module ( 20 ) supplying a maximum admissible energizing percentage (r max ) in accordance with the temperature error according to a predetermined control law.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. Device ( 5 , 6 ) for controlling a motor vehicle alternator ( 11 ) of the type which controls a direct voltage (B+A) generated by said alternator ( 11 ) at a predetermined set voltage (U 0 ) by controlling the intensity of an excitation current (I EXC ) which circulates in an excitation current comprising an excitation winding of a rotor of said alternator ( 11 ), and also maintaining at least one current temperature (T) of the components of said alternator ( 11 ) below at least one predetermined maximum permissible temperature (T max ), including a voltage control loop ( 7 , 8 ) comprising:
means ( 12 ) for acquisition of said direct voltage (B+A) which supplies a measured voltage (U b+ );
a first subtracter ( 13 ) of said measured voltage (U b+ ) from said set voltage (U 0 ), which generates an error voltage (ϵ V );
means ( 14 ) for conditioning of said error voltage (ϵ V );
a saturation module ( 21 ) which supplies according to said voltage error (ϵ V ) at the input an excitation percentage (r) at the output which is limited to a maximum permissible excitation percentage (r max );
a generator ( 15 ) of a pulse width modulated signal (PWM) which has a duty cycle equal to said excitation percentage (r);
a semiconductor switch ( 16 ) which is controlled by said pulse width modulated signal (PWM) controlling said intensity (I EXC );
and additionally including a temperature control loop ( 17 , 18 ) comprising:
at least one temperature sensor which supplies at least one current temperature (T) of said components;
at least one second subtracter ( 19 ) of the said at least one current temperature (T) from said at least one maximum permissible temperature (T max ), which generates at least one temperature error (ϵ T );
a control module ( 20 ) which supplies said maximum permissible excitation percentage (r max ) according to said at least one temperature error (ϵ T ), in accordance with a predetermined control law.

2. Device ( 5 ) for controlling a motor vehicle alternator ( 11 ) according to claim 1 , wherein said at least one current temperature (T) is a current casing temperature of a casing of said alternator ( 11 ), or a current bearing temperature of a rear bearing of said alternator ( 11 ), or a current junction temperature of a junction ( 27 ) of said semiconductor switch ( 16 ), and said at least one maximum permissible temperature (T max ) is a predetermined maximum permissible casing temperature or a predetermined maximum permissible bearing temperature, or a predetermined maximum permissible junction temperature, and said at least one temperature sensor is a casing temperature sensor or a bearing temperature sensor, or a junction temperature sensor.

3. Device ( 6 ) for controlling a motor vehicle alternator ( 11 ) according to claim 1 , wherein said temperature control loop ( 18 ) comprises:
a set of sensors formed by a plurality of first examples of said at least one temperature sensor;
a plurality of second examples ( 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 ) of said at least one second subtracter ( 19 ), generating a series of errors (ϵ_s, ϵ_Fe, ϵ_d, ϵ_r, ϵ_j) formed by a plurality of third examples of said at least one temperature error (ϵ T ), by comparing respectively elements of a set of current temperatures (T_s, T_Fe, T_d, T_r, T_j) supplied by said set of sensors with the elements of a set of maximum permissible temperatures (Th_s, Th_Fe, Th_d, Th_r, Th_j) formed by a plurality of fourth examples of said at least one maximum permissible temperature (T max );
means ( 33 ) for determining a maximum error (ϵ max ) from amongst said series of errors (ϵ_s, ϵ_Fe, ϵ_d, ϵ_r, ϵ_j);
a selector ( 34 ) which supplies said maximum error (ϵ max ) to said control module ( 20 ).

4. Device ( 6 ) for controlling a motor vehicle alternator ( 11 ) according to claim 3 , wherein:
said set of sensors comprises at least a plurality of elements selected from amongst a first sensor of a first temperature (T_s) of a stator of said alternator ( 11 ), a second sensor of a second temperature (T_Fe) of a casing of said alternator ( 11 ), a third sensor of a third temperature (T_d) of the rectifier diodes of the phase currents of said alternator ( 11 ), a fourth sensor of a fourth temperature (T_r) of said rotor, a fifth sensor of a fifth temperature (T_j) of a junction ( 27 ) of said semiconductor switch ( 16 );
said set of current temperatures comprises at least a plurality of current values selected from amongst the said first, second, third, fourth and fifth temperatures (T_s, T_Fe, T_d, T_r, T_j);
said set of maximum permissible temperatures comprises at least a plurality of reference values selected from amongst first, second, third, fourth and fifth maximum permissible temperatures (Th_s, Th_Fe, Th_d, Th_r, Th_j) corresponding to said first, second, third, fourth and fifth temperatures (T_s, T_Fe, T_d, T_r, T_j).

5. Device ( 6 ) for controlling a motor vehicle alternator ( 11 ) according to claim 4 , wherein said set voltage (U 0 ) depends on said fifth temperature (T_j).

6. Device ( 5 , 6 ) for controlling a motor vehicle alternator ( 11 ) according to claim 1 , wherein said means ( 14 ) for conditioning of said voltage error (ϵ V ) comprise means for filtering and adjustment of a gain (k).

7. Device ( 5 , 6 ) for controlling a motor vehicle alternator ( 11 ) according to claim 1 , wherein said voltage control loop ( 7 , 8 ) and said temperature control loop ( 17 , 18 ) are digital.

8. Device ( 5 , 6 ) for controlling a motor vehicle alternator ( 11 ) according to claim 1 , wherein it forms a monolithic assembly which incorporates said semiconductor switch ( 16 ).

9. Device ( 5 , 6 ) for controlling a motor vehicle alternator ( 11 ) according to claim 1 , wherein said predetermined control law has a gradient of approximately −5%/° C. between −20° C. and 0° C.

10. Motor vehicle alternator ( 11 ) comprising a control device ( 5 , 6 ) according to claim 1 .

11. Device ( 5 , 6 ) for controlling a motor vehicle alternator ( 11 ) according to claim 2 , wherein said means ( 14 ) for conditioning of said voltage error (ϵ V ) comprise means for filtering and adjustment of a gain (k).

12. Device ( 5 , 6 ) for controlling a motor vehicle alternator ( 11 ) according to claim 3 , wherein said means ( 14 ) for conditioning of said voltage error (ϵ V ) comprise means for filtering and adjustment of a gain (k).

13. Device ( 5 , 6 ) for controlling a motor vehicle alternator ( 11 ) according to claim 4 , wherein said means ( 14 ) for conditioning of said voltage error (ϵ V ) comprise means for filtering and adjustment of a gain (k).

14. Device ( 5 , 6 ) for controlling a motor vehicle alternator ( 11 ) according to claim 5 , wherein said means ( 14 ) for conditioning of said voltage error (ϵ V ) comprise means for filtering and adjustment of a gain (k).

15. Device ( 5 , 6 ) for controlling a motor vehicle alternator ( 11 ) according to claim 2 , wherein said voltage control loop ( 7 , 8 ) and said temperature control loop ( 17 , 18 ) are digital.

16. Device ( 5 , 6 ) for controlling a motor vehicle alternator ( 11 ) according to claim 3 , wherein said voltage control loop ( 7 , 8 ) and said temperature control loop ( 17 , 18 ) are digital.

17. Device ( 5 , 6 ) for controlling a motor vehicle alternator ( 11 ) according to claim 4 , wherein said voltage control loop ( 7 , 8 ) and said temperature control loop ( 17 , 18 ) are digital.

18. Device ( 5 , 6 ) for controlling a motor vehicle alternator ( 11 ) according to claim 5 , wherein

Assignees

• Valeo Equip Electr Moteur
• Valeo Equipments Electriques Moteur

Inventors

• Chassard Pierre
• Tisserand Pierre
• Gautru Jean-Francois
• Canitrot Nathalie
• Dubus Jean-Marc
• Vera Thomas
• Faverolle Pierre
• Godefroy Gregory

Classifications

• H02P29/032

  Preventing damage to the motor, e.g. setting individual current limits for different drive conditions · CPC title

• H02P29/68 Primary

  based on the temperature of a drive component or a semiconductor component · CPC title

• H02P29/664

  the rotor having windings · CPC title

• H02P9/305

  controlling voltage (H02P9/302 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H02P9/48 Primary

  Arrangements for obtaining a constant output value at varying speed of the generator, e.g. on vehicle (H02P9/04 - H02P9/46 take precedence) · CPC title