GB2627530A - A power inverter module of an at least in part electrically operated vehicleas well as a method for configuring a power inverter module - Google Patents
A power inverter module of an at least in part electrically operated vehicleas well as a method for configuring a power inverter module Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- GB2627530A GB2627530A GB2302819.4A GB202302819A GB2627530A GB 2627530 A GB2627530 A GB 2627530A GB 202302819 A GB202302819 A GB 202302819A GB 2627530 A GB2627530 A GB 2627530A
- Authority
- GB
- United Kingdom
- Prior art keywords
- power
- module
- inverter module
- power inverter
- slot
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Pending
Links
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 title claims description 13
- 238000013461 design Methods 0.000 description 3
- 238000013459 approach Methods 0.000 description 2
- 230000008901 benefit Effects 0.000 description 2
- 239000003990 capacitor Substances 0.000 description 2
- 210000004907 gland Anatomy 0.000 description 2
- 238000012986 modification Methods 0.000 description 2
- 230000004048 modification Effects 0.000 description 2
- 208000019901 Anxiety disease Diseases 0.000 description 1
- XUIMIQQOPSSXEZ-UHFFFAOYSA-N Silicon Chemical compound [Si] XUIMIQQOPSSXEZ-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 230000036506 anxiety Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000001816 cooling Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000001419 dependent effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000004880 explosion Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000003780 insertion Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000037431 insertion Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000007788 liquid Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000012423 maintenance Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000008672 reprogramming Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000013341 scale-up Methods 0.000 description 1
- 229910052710 silicon Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 239000010703 silicon Substances 0.000 description 1
- HBMJWWWQQXIZIP-UHFFFAOYSA-N silicon carbide Chemical compound [Si+]#[C-] HBMJWWWQQXIZIP-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 229910010271 silicon carbide Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 239000002699 waste material Substances 0.000 description 1
Classifications
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H02—GENERATION; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER
- H02M—APPARATUS FOR CONVERSION BETWEEN AC AND AC, BETWEEN AC AND DC, OR BETWEEN DC AND DC, AND FOR USE WITH MAINS OR SIMILAR POWER SUPPLY SYSTEMS; CONVERSION OF DC OR AC INPUT POWER INTO SURGE OUTPUT POWER; CONTROL OR REGULATION THEREOF
- H02M7/00—Conversion of ac power input into dc power output; Conversion of dc power input into ac power output
- H02M7/003—Constructional details, e.g. physical layout, assembly, wiring or busbar connections
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- B60L—PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL; MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES
- B60L15/00—Methods, circuits, or devices for controlling the traction-motor speed of electrically-propelled vehicles
- B60L15/007—Physical arrangements or structures of drive train converters specially adapted for the propulsion motors of electric vehicles
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- B60L—PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL; MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES
- B60L2210/00—Converter types
- B60L2210/40—DC to AC converters
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Power Engineering (AREA)
- Transportation (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Electric Propulsion And Braking For Vehicles (AREA)
- Inverter Devices (AREA)
Abstract
A power inverter module 10 of an electrically operated motor vehicle, the power inverter module having at least one slot 34, 36, 38 to be connected to at least one power module (Fig.1, 32) from a plurality of power modules. The power module is selected out of the plurality of power modules depending on at least one characterising parameter of the electric motor. The slot is configured as a modular system 40 for the power modules. The slot may be configured to be connected to a single three-phase power module or a single-phase half-bridge power module. The power inverter module may comprise three slots, wherein each slot may be configured to be connected to one power module. A power module may be non-destructively detachable from the slot. The power module may be selected depending on a predefined torque of the electric motor and/or a predefined speed of the electric motor as the characterising parameter.
Description
A POWER INVERTER MODULE OF AN AT LEAST IN PART ELECTRICALLY
OPERATED VEHICLEAS WELL AS A METHOD FOR CONFIGURING A POWER
INVERTER MODULE
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to the field of automobiles. More specifically, the present invention relates to a power inverter module of an at least in part electrically operated motor vehicle. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a corresponding method for configuring a power inverter module.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
[0002] Power inverter efficiency in at least in part electrically operated motor vehicles depends on the internal power modules, such as silicon IGBTs, silicon carbide transistors and furthermore, used in power inverter of electric drive systems. According to the state of the art, only specific series of power modules in power inverters for all country variants for a given series of electrically operated motor vehicles are used, not taking into account different local driving conditions and user preferences. Since power modules have different optimum working points, this may lead to unnecessary waste of energy in the power inverter, for example, driving range loss or loss in user satisfaction such as high vehicle speed not being achievable or not being sustainable without excessive loss of driving range caused by the power inverter.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0003] It is an object of the present invention to provide a power inverter module as well as a corresponding method for configuring a power inverter module, by which a higher user satisfaction may be realized [0004] This object is solved by a power inverter module as well as by a corresponding method for configuring the power inverter module according to the independent claims. Advantageous forms of embodiments are presented in the dependent claims.
[0005] One aspect of the present invention relates to a power inverter module of an at least in part electrically operated motor vehicle, wherein the power inverter module includes at least one slot to be connected to at least one power module from a plurality of power modules, wherein the power module is selected out of the plurality of power modules depending on at least one characterizing parameter of the electric motor, and wherein the slot is configured as a modular system for the power modules.
[0006] Therefore, the present invention provides a plug-and-play approach for destination-specific power modules for the local driving requirements. The power inverter module and the electric engine or motor have pre-configured speed versus torque profiles to operate over a wide variety of driving conditions. Depending on the market and/or the user driving profile, a suitable power module, recommended by, for example, a manufacturer that adheres to the pre-configured speed versus torque profile may be selected.
[0007] Therefore, wasted energy in electrified vehicles from the power inverter module may be reduced by using destination/purpose-optimized power modules. This also increases the overall user satisfaction by reducing range anxiety and less frequent charging stops. Furthermore, an option for a user to experience the performance aspect of an at least in part electrically operated motor vehicle is provided. Furthermore, after-sales costs are reduced as this may enable easy maintenance of the inverter.
[0008] According to an embodiment, the slot may be configured to be connected to a single three-phase power module.
[0009] In another embodiment, the slot may be configured to be connected to a single phase half bridge power module.
[0010] In another embodiment, the power inverter module includes at least three slots, wherein each slot may be configured to be connected to one power module.
[0011] In yet another embodiment, a power module may be non-destructively detachable from the slot.
[0012] In still another embodiment, a power module may be selected depending on a predefined torque of the electric motor and/or a predefined speed of the electric motor as the characterizing parameter.
[0013] A still further aspect of the present invention relates to a motor vehicle including at least the power inverter module. The motor vehicle is at least in part electrically operated or fully electrically operated.
[0014] Furthermore, the present invention relates to a method for configuring a power inverter module of an at least in part electrically operated motor vehicle according to the preceding aspect. At least one power module for the power inverter module may be selected out of a plurality of power modules depending on at least one characterizing parameter of the electric motor. This electric power module may be connected to at least one slot of the power inverter module for the plurality of power modules, wherein the slot may be configured as a modular system for the power modules.
[0015] Advantageous forms of the power inverter module are to be regarded as advantageous forms of the electrically operated motor vehicle as well as of the method.
[0016] The power inverter module as well as the electrically operated motor vehicle include means for performing a method according to the preceding aspect.
[0017] Further advantages, features, and details of the invention derive from the following description of preferred embodiments, as well as from the drawings. The features and feature combinations previously mentioned in the description as well as the features and feature combinations mentioned in the following description of the figures and/or shown in the figures alone can be employed not only in the respectively indicated combination but also in any other combination or taken alone without leaving the scope of the present invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0018] The novel features and characteristic of the present disclosure are set forth in the appended claims. The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this disclosure, illustrate exemplary embodiments and together with the description, serve to explain the disclosed principles. The same numbers are used throughout the figures to reference like features and components. Some embodiments of system and/or methods in accordance with embodiments of the present subject matter are now described below, by way of example only, and with reference to the accompanying figures.
[0019] The drawings show in: [0020] Fig. 1 a schematic view of a power inverter module according to the present invention; and [0021] Fig. 2 another schematic view of an embodiment of a power inverter module according to the present invention representing the slots for the configurable power inverter module.
[0022] In the figures the same elements or elements having the same function are indicated by the same reference signs.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0023] In the present document, the word "exemplary" is used herein to mean "serving as an example, instance, or illustration". Any embodiment or implementation of the present subject matter described herein as "exemplary" is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments.
[0024] While the present disclosure is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and will be described in detail below. It should be understood, however, that it is not intended to limit the disclosure to the particular forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the present disclosure is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the scope of the disclosure.
[0025] The terms "comprises", "comprising", or any other variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion so that a setup, device or method that comprises a list of components or steps does not include only those components or steps but may include other components or steps not expressly listed or inherent to such setup or device or method. In other words, one or more elements in a system or apparatus preceded by "comprises" or "comprise" does not or do not, without more constraints, preclude the existence of other elements or additional elements in the system or method.
[0026] In the following detailed description of the embodiment of the present disclosure, reference is made to the accompanying drawings that form part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration a specific embodiment in which the disclosure may be practiced. This embodiment is described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the disclosure, and it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. The following description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense.
[0027] Fig. 1 shows a schematic view according to an embodiment of a power inverter module 10. In particular, Fig. 1 shows an explosion drawing of the power inverter module 10. The power inverter module 10 includes a housing 12, power cable glands 14, which may be high voltage connectors, a heat sink 16 that may be installed in the housing 12, for example with connectors 18 for a liquid cooling, a signal connector 20, a DC link capacitor 22, a laminated busbar 24, a logic board 26, which may be configured as a printed circuit board (PCB), and a driver board 28, which may also be configured as a PCB. Furthermore, the housing 12 may include a lid 30. Furthermore, the power inverter module 10 shows a power module 32, wherein this power module 32 is a swappable power module 32.
[0028] Fig. 2 shows another schematic view according to an embodiment of the power inverter module 10. The power inverter module 10 according to the shown embodiment includes three slots 34, 36, 38, wherein each slot 34, 36, 38 may be configured to be connected to a power module 32.
[0029] In particular, it is shown that the power inverter module 10 is, for example, configured for an electric motor of an at least in part electrically operated motor vehicle, wherein the power inverter module 10 includes at least one slot 34, 36, 38 to be connected to at least one power module 32 from a plurality of power modules 32, wherein the power module 32 may be selected out of the plurality of the power modules 32 depending on at least one characterizing parameter of the electric motor, and wherein the slot 34, 36, 38 may be configured as a modular system 40 for the power modules 32.
[0030] In particular, Fig. 2 shows that each slot 34, 36, 38 may be configured to be connected to a single phase half bridge power module 32, wherein the power inverter module 10 includes at least three slots 34, 36, 38, wherein each slot 34, 36, 38 may be configured to be connected to one power module 32.
[0031] Alternatively, the slot 34, 36, 38 may be a single slot 34, 36, 38, and the slot 34, 36, 38 may be configured to be connected to a single three-phase power module 32.
[0032] In particular, with the capability of power inverters, a specific traction in the power inverter module 32 may be designed, which has an optimized efficiency in a destination/purpose-specific operating range, and therefore, an optimized alternative power module 32 to swap into a modular system 40 for the power inverter 10 may be optimized for range and/or for high speed.
[0033] Power inverter 10 units designed on a modular basis may be equipped by a manufacturer with one or more of these destination-specific power modules 32 based on the local driving requirements. Depending on the design of the enclosure of the power inverter module 10, a feature upgrade option could also be provided for users, for example, the qualified workshop could upgrade the existing power inverter module 10 with more effective power modules 32 to match a specific user purpose, for example in racing applications. Therefore, a plug-and-play approach is shown. The power inverter module 10 and the electric engine or motor may have a pre-configured speed versus torque profile to operate over a wide variety of driving conditions. Depending on the market and/or the user driving profile, a suitable power module 32, recommended by, for example, a manufacturer that adheres to the pre-configured speed versus torque profile, may be selected.
[0034] At a high level, a certified technician may be enabled to make the decision for the user and may remove and/or insert the power module 32. Usually, the central driving controller ECU may be controlling the inverter-specific ECU and may be programmed with the speed versus torque profile. In some embodiments, that power module 32 may be installed without reprogramming the ECU such as the inverter-specific ECU. For example, if a power module 32 may require a different operating parameters for the ECU, the power module 32 may, upon insertion, may provide an identifier such as a code or identification information that may be readable by the ECU. The ECU may select a pre-configured parameter table for operation.
[0035] In another implementation, the power inverter module 10 may also be available with pre-fabricated slots 34, 36, 38 to insert additional power modules 32, in order to scale up the output power, especially desired by certain performance vehicles. Either the power modules 32 may be swapped in order to meet the afore-mentioned steps, or additionally the power module 32 may be added to produce more power.
[0036] In particular, therefore, the power module 32 may be swapped to meet the expectations for a market or a driving condition. An appropriate experience and driving benefit may be exploited by using the appropriate power module 32. Instead of having a single power module solution, a global inverter design may be provided, wherein a swappable power module 32 is provided, and therefore a global inverter design is provided.
[0037] As shown in Fig. 2, the power inverter module 10 has at least three slots 34, 36, 38. However, this also depends on the architecture of the power module 32. If the power inverter module 10 uses three individual single phase half bridge power modules, at least three slots 34, 36, 38 are required. If the power inverter module 10 uses a single three-phase power module 32, at least one slot 34, 36, 38 may be available.
[0038] Factors that may be used as inputs for determining when to swap the power module 32 may be, for example, dealerships, country usage, torque versus speed profile, or a typical driving usage such as a pre-informed of driver usage profile and driving on local streets, track/race, and/or highway. Racing cycles may be another use case.
Reference Signs power inverter module 12 housing 14 power cable glands 16 heat sink 18 connectors signal connector 22 DC link capacitor 24 laminated busbar 26 logic board 28 driver board lid 32 power module 34 slot 36 slot 38 slot modular system
Claims (7)
- CLAIMS1. A power inverter module (10) of an at least in part electrically operated motor vehicle, wherein the power inverter module (10) comprises at least one slot (34, 36, 38) to be connected to at least one power module (32) from a plurality of power modules (32), wherein the power module (32) is selected out of the plurality of power modules (32) depending on at least one characterizing parameter of the electric motor, and wherein the slot (34, 36, 38) is configured as a modular system (40) for the power modules (32).
- 2. The power inverter module (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that the slot (34, 36, 38) is configured to be connected to a single three-phase power module (32).
- 3. The power inverter module (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that the slot (34, 36, 38) is configured to be connected to a single phase half bridge power module (32).
- 4. The power inverter module (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the power inverter module (10) comprises at least three slots (34, 36, 38), wherein each slot (34, 36, 38) is configured to be connected to one power module (32).
- 5. The power inverter module (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that a power module (32) is non-destructively detachable from the slot (34, 36, 38).
- 6. The power inverter module (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that a power module (32) is selected depending on a predefined torque of the electric motor and/or a predefined speed of the electric motor as the characterizing parameter.
- 7. A method for configuring a power inverter module (10) of an at least in part electrically operated motor vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 6, comprising the steps of: - selecting at least one power module (32) for the power inverter module (10) out of a plurality of power modules (32) depending on at least one characterizing parameter of the electric motor; and - connecting the selected power module (32) to at least one slot (34, 36, 38) of the power inverter module (10) for the plurality of power modules (32), wherein the slot (34, 36, 38) is configured as a modular system (40) for the power modules (32).
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB2302819.4A GB2627530A (en) | 2023-02-27 | 2023-02-27 | A power inverter module of an at least in part electrically operated vehicleas well as a method for configuring a power inverter module |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB2302819.4A GB2627530A (en) | 2023-02-27 | 2023-02-27 | A power inverter module of an at least in part electrically operated vehicleas well as a method for configuring a power inverter module |
Publications (2)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| GB202302819D0 GB202302819D0 (en) | 2023-04-12 |
| GB2627530A true GB2627530A (en) | 2024-08-28 |
Family
ID=85794188
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB2302819.4A Pending GB2627530A (en) | 2023-02-27 | 2023-02-27 | A power inverter module of an at least in part electrically operated vehicleas well as a method for configuring a power inverter module |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| GB (1) | GB2627530A (en) |
Citations (2)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US20190296655A1 (en) * | 2018-03-23 | 2019-09-26 | Sf Motors, Inc. | Inverter module having multiple half-bridge modules for a power converter of an electric vehicle |
| US20220361353A1 (en) * | 2021-05-05 | 2022-11-10 | Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc. | Low profile power module package |
-
2023
- 2023-02-27 GB GB2302819.4A patent/GB2627530A/en active Pending
Patent Citations (2)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US20190296655A1 (en) * | 2018-03-23 | 2019-09-26 | Sf Motors, Inc. | Inverter module having multiple half-bridge modules for a power converter of an electric vehicle |
| US20220361353A1 (en) * | 2021-05-05 | 2022-11-10 | Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc. | Low profile power module package |
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| GB202302819D0 (en) | 2023-04-12 |
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