Power supply device for gate driving

Abstract

Provided is a power supply device for gate drive. The power supply device for gate drive based on commonization of a power supply unit is downsized, and even in the case where a short-circuit failure occurs in a multi-phase conversion circuit included in a power conversion device, a large current is prevented from locally flowing in a single chip. A common power supply unit supplies a common DC power to a gate drive circuit provided in any one of a plurality of lower arms of a multi-phase conversion circuit or any one of a plurality of upper arms of the multi-phase conversion circuit, and a gate drive circuit provided in an upper arm or a lower arm of another conversion circuit.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a power supply device for gate driving.

[0002] This application claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2020-195264, filed in Japan on November 25, 2020, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Background Technology

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a control device for a motor having a gate drive circuit that drives the switching elements of each arm of an inverter circuit. This gate drive circuit has gate drive circuits for the upper arm (upper segment gate drive circuit) and gate drive circuits for the lower arm (lower segment gate drive circuit). The control device includes a power supply circuit that individually supplies power to the upper and lower segment gate drive circuits. The power supply circuit in the control device includes transformers for the number of gate drive circuits (6). This power supply circuit supplies power to each gate drive circuit individually by rectifying the output of each transformer.

[0004] [Preliminary Technology Documents]

[0005] [Patent Documents]

[0006] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2009-130967

[0007] The aforementioned power supply circuit includes a power generation circuit in each gate drive circuit, which comprises a transformer and a rectifier circuit. A problem with this power supply circuit is its relatively large mounting area (installation volume). For example, when multiple gate drive circuits driving multiple inverter circuits are mounted on a single printed circuit board, the number of power generation circuits required is equal to the product of the number of phases of the inverter circuits and the number of inverter circuits. This results in a larger printed circuit board and increased costs. To solve this problem, a common DC power supply is considered for multiple gate drive circuits from a single power generation circuit (power unit).

[0008] For example, a three-phase inverter has a chip with more than one switching element. In the event of a short-circuit fault in this chip, to prevent a large current from flowing only in the chip with the short-circuit fault, it is preferable to perform three-phase short-circuit control that forces the other switching elements to conduct. However, if, for example, all the lower arms of the three-phase inverter are supplied with power from a single power supply unit, then if the short-circuit fault in that power supply unit occurs simultaneously with the short-circuit fault in the chip, it is impossible to force the switching elements of the other lower arms to conduct. Therefore, a large current flows only in the chip with the short-circuit fault. Summary of the Invention

[0009] The present invention was made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and its object is to provide a power supply device for gate driving that can achieve miniaturization based on the commonality of power supply units, and can prevent a large current from flowing locally through a single chip even in the event of a short circuit fault in the multiphase conversion circuit of the power conversion device.

[0010] The present invention employs the following configuration as a means to solve the above-mentioned problems.

[0011] (1) A gate driving power supply device according to one aspect of the present invention provides multiple upper arms and multiple lower arms in each of multiple power conversion circuits including one or more multiphase conversion circuits that perform DC-AC power conversion or AC-DC power conversion, and supplies DC power to multiple gate driving circuits of each upper arm and each lower arm. The gate driving power supply device includes a common power supply unit, which is a DC power supply circuit that supplies the common DC power to the gate driving circuit of any one of the multiple lower arms of the multiphase conversion circuit or any one of the multiple upper arms of the multiphase conversion circuit, and to the gate driving circuit of the upper arm or the lower arm of the power conversion circuit other than the multiphase conversion circuit.

[0012] (2) According to the gate driving power supply device of (1) above, the common power supply unit may supply the DC power to the gate driving circuit of any one of the lower arms of the multiphase conversion circuit, and independently of the common power supply unit, it may also include a plurality of DC power supply circuits that supply the DC power to each gate driving circuit of the gate driving circuit of the multiple upper arms of the multiphase conversion circuit.

[0013] (3) According to the gate driving power supply device of (2) above, the multiphase conversion circuit may have three or more lower arms and also include a DC power supply circuit that supplies a common DC power supply to a plurality of gate driving circuits that drive the three or more lower arms and are not supplied with DC power from the common power supply unit.

[0014] (4) The gate drive power supply device according to any one of (1) to (3) above may also include, as the power conversion circuit: a traction inverter composed of the multi-phase conversion circuit; and a buck-boost converter that supplies boost power to the traction inverter.

[0015] (5) According to the gate drive power supply device of (4) above, the common power supply unit may also supply a common DC power supply to the gate drive circuit of any one of the plurality of lower arms of the traction inverter or any one of the plurality of upper arms of the traction inverter, and to the gate drive circuit of the upper arm or lower arm of the buck-boost converter.

[0016] (6) According to any one of (1) to (5) above, the gate driving power supply device may also be such that a plurality of the gate driving circuits are mounted on a single printed circuit board, and the common power supply unit supplies a common DC power supply to two gate driving circuits that are arranged adjacent to each other on the printed circuit board.

[0017] Invention Effects

[0018] The device includes a common power supply unit that supplies DC power to the gate drive circuit of any one of the multiple lower arms of the multiphase conversion circuit or any one of the multiple upper arm switching elements of the multiphase conversion circuit, as well as to the gate drive circuits of the upper arm switching elements or lower arms of other power conversion circuits. In other words, compared to the case where power supply units are provided separately for the gate drive circuits of all upper arms and all lower arms, the number of power supply units can be reduced, and the power supply device for gate driving can be miniaturized.

[0019] Furthermore, the common power supply unit supplies DC power to the gate drive circuit of any one of the lower arms or the upper arm of the multiphase conversion circuit. Therefore, DC power is supplied from other power supply units to the gate drive circuits of the lower and upper arms that do not receive DC power from the common power supply unit of the multiphase conversion circuit. Thus, even if a chip with switching elements in the multiphase conversion circuit experiences a short-circuit fault, and the power supply unit supplying DC power to that chip also fails, DC power can still be supplied from other power supply units (including the common power supply unit) to the chip that has not experienced a short-circuit fault, and the switching elements of the chip that has not experienced a short-circuit fault can be forcibly turned on. Therefore, it is possible to prevent large currents from flowing only partially through the chip that has experienced a short-circuit fault.

[0020] According to the present invention, it is possible to miniaturize the gate drive power supply device based on the commonality of power supply units, and even if a short circuit fault occurs in the multi-phase conversion circuit of the power conversion device, it is possible to prevent a large current from flowing locally on a single chip. Attached Figure Description

[0021] Figure 1This is a circuit diagram illustrating the structure of the power supply device for gate driving according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the substrate layout in the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram showing the structure of the gate driving power supply device according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and a circuit diagram of the power conversion circuit in the first embodiment.

[0024] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram showing the substrate layout in a modified example of the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the substrate layout in the second embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram showing the structure of the gate driving power supply device according to the second embodiment of the present invention, and a circuit diagram of the power conversion circuit in the second embodiment.

[0027] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0028] E1 Buck-Boost Converter (Conversion Circuit); E2 Generator Converter; E3 Inverter for Driving (Multi-phase Conversion Circuit); G1 First Gate Drive Circuit; G2 Second Gate Drive Circuit; G3 Third Gate Drive Circuit; G4 Fourth Gate Drive Circuit; G5 Fifth Gate Drive Circuit; G6 Gate Drive Circuit; G7 Seventh Gate Drive Circuit; G8 Eighth Gate Drive Circuit; G9 Ninth Gate Drive Circuit; G10 Tenth Gate Drive Circuit; G11 Eleventh Gate Drive Circuit; G12 Twelfth Gate Drive Circuit; G13 Thirteenth Gate Drive Circuit; G14 Fourteenth Gate Drive Circuit Circuit; G15 fifteenth gate drive circuit; G16 sixteenth gate drive circuit; K printed circuit board; M1 generator motor; M2 motor for driving; P1 first power supply unit; P2 second power supply unit; P3 third power supply unit; P4 fourth power supply unit; P5 fifth power supply unit; P6 sixth power supply unit; P7 seventh power supply unit; P8 eighth power supply unit; P9 ninth power supply unit; P10 tenth power supply unit; P11 eleventh power supply unit; 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18 upper arms; 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19 lower arms. Detailed Implementation

[0029] Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings, one embodiment of the power supply device for gate driving according to the present invention will be described.

[0030] (First Implementation)

[0031] Figure 1 This is a circuit diagram illustrating the structure of the gate driving power supply device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 As shown, the gate driving power supply device according to the first embodiment includes 11 power supply units P1 to P11 (first to eleventh) and a single power drive circuit D. It can also be configured such that a power drive circuit is provided for each power supply unit P1 to P11. The 11 power supply units P1 to P11 are... Figure 2 The total of 16 shown refers to the DC power supply circuits that supply DC power to the first to sixteenth gate drive circuits G1 to G16, such as... Figure 1 As shown, the input side is connected in parallel between the output terminal of the power drive circuit D and the circuit power supply Vcc (DC power supply).

[0032] exist Figure 1 For convenience, only the detailed structure of the first power supply unit P1 that supplies DC power to the first gate drive circuit G1 is shown, but all 11 power supply units, namely the first to the eleventh power supply units P1 to P11, have the same structure. Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the substrate layout in the first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, the first power supply unit P1 supplies DC power to the first gate drive circuit G1.

[0033] like Figure 2 As shown, the second power supply unit P2 supplies DC power to the three gate drive circuits. The second power supply unit P2 supplies DC power to the second gate drive circuit G2, the fourth gate drive circuit G4, and the sixth gate drive circuit G6. The third power supply unit P3 supplies DC power to the third gate drive circuit G3. The fourth power supply unit P4 supplies DC power to the fifth gate drive circuit G5. The fifth power supply unit P5 supplies DC power to the seventh gate drive circuit G7.

[0034] The sixth power supply unit P6 supplies DC power to the ninth gate drive circuit G9. The seventh power supply unit P7 supplies DC power to the three gate drive circuits. The seventh power supply unit P7 supplies DC power to the eighth gate drive circuit G8, the tenth gate drive circuit G10, and the twelfth gate drive circuit G12. The eighth power supply unit P8 supplies DC power to the eleventh gate drive circuit G11. The ninth power supply unit P9 supplies DC power to the thirteenth gate drive circuit G13.

[0035] The tenth power supply unit P10 supplies DC power to the fifteenth gate drive circuit G15. The eleventh power supply unit P11 supplies DC power to both gate drive circuits. The eleventh power supply unit P11 also supplies DC power to the fourteenth gate drive circuit G14 and the sixteenth gate drive circuit G16.

[0036] A total of 11 power supply units, namely the first to eleventh power supply units P1 to P11, supply DC power to a single gate drive circuit. The first power supply unit P1, the third power supply unit P3, the fourth power supply unit P4, the fifth power supply unit P5, the sixth power supply unit P6, the eighth power supply unit P8, the ninth power supply unit P9, and the eleventh power supply unit P11 supply DC power to two gate drive circuits. The first, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, eighth, ninth, and tenth power supply units P1, P3, P4, P5, P6, P8, P9, and P10 correspond to individual power supply units in this invention. The seventh power supply unit P7 corresponds to the common power supply unit in this invention. The second power supply unit P2 and the eleventh power supply unit P11 correspond to the common power supply unit within the multiphase conversion circuit of this invention. The common power supply unit is a DC power supply circuit.

[0037] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram showing the structure of the gate driving power supply device according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and a circuit diagram of the power conversion circuit in the first embodiment. A total of 16, namely the gate driving circuits G1 to G16, are used to drive... Figure 3 The illustrated power conversion device is a drive circuit. This power conversion device is, for example, a PCU (Power Control Unit) mounted in a vehicle, which includes a buck-boost converter E1, a generator converter E2, and a traction inverter E3. The buck-boost converter E1, the generator converter E2, and the traction inverter E3 correspond to the power conversion circuit of this invention. The traction inverter E3 corresponds to the multiphase conversion circuit of this invention.

[0038] Regarding this power conversion device, the first to sixth gate drive circuits G1 to G6 drive the power generation converter E2. The seventh to tenth gate drive circuits G7 to G10 drive the buck-boost converter E1. The eleventh to sixteenth gate drive circuits G11 to G16 drive the driving inverter E3.

[0039] The boost-buck converter E1 is a bidirectional boost-buck circuit, such as... Figure 3 As shown, it includes a first smoothing capacitor 1, a first reactor 2, a second reactor 3, upper arm switching elements 4 and 6 (upper arm), and lower arm switching elements 5 and 7 (lower arm).

[0040] The buck-boost converter E1 has the following boost function: it boosts the first DC power input from the outside to the input / output terminals a1 and a2, and outputs the boosted power, i.e., the second DC power, to the driving inverter E3. The buck-boost converter E1 also has the following buck function: it steps down the second DC power input from the generator converter E2 and / or the driving inverter E3, and outputs the stepped-down power, i.e., the first DC power, to the input / output terminals a1 and a2. The buck-boost converter E1 has both the boost and buck functions described above. For example, input / output terminal a1 is set to a high potential, and input / output terminal a2 is set to a low potential. The upper arm switching elements 4 and 6 and the lower arm switching elements 5 and 7 are, for example, IGBTs (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors), and are, for example, chip-mounted. For example, the chip-mounted switching elements are surface-mount components.

[0041] In the buck-boost converter E1, the first smoothing capacitor 1 is a smoothing capacitor that smooths the voltage of the first DC power from the external input to the input / output terminals a1 and a2. The first reactor 2 and the second reactor 3 are magnetically coupled to each other. One end of the first reactor 2 is connected to one end of the first smoothing capacitor 1, and the other end is connected to the connection point between the upper arm switching element 4 and the lower arm switching element 5. One end of the second reactor 3 is connected to one end of the first smoothing capacitor 1, and the other end is connected to the connection point between the upper arm switching element 6 and the lower arm switching element 7. The upper arm switching element 4 and the lower arm switching element 5 are connected, and the upper arm switching element 6 and the lower arm switching element 7 are connected.

[0042] The upper arm switching element 4 is driven by the seventh gate drive circuit G7, which receives power from the fifth power supply unit P5. The lower arm switching element 5 is driven by the eighth gate drive circuit G8, which receives power from the seventh power supply unit P7.

[0043] The upper arm switching element 6 is driven by the ninth gate drive circuit G9, which receives power from the sixth power supply unit P6. The lower arm switching element 7 is driven by the tenth gate drive circuit G10, which receives power from the seventh power supply unit P7.

[0044] The generator converter E2 is a three-phase converter that uses the generator motor M1 as its power source. It has three upper arm switching elements 8, 10, and 12, and three lower arm switching elements 9, 11, and 13. The generator converter E2 orthogonally converts the AC-DC power input from the generator motor M1 into DC power and outputs it to the buck-boost converter E1. The generator motor M1 functions as an AC generator.

[0045] In this power generation converter E2, the upper arm switching element 8 and the lower arm switching element 9 constitute the first switching leg. The upper arm switching element 10 and the lower arm switching element 11 constitute the second switching leg. The upper arm switching element 12 and the lower arm switching element 13 constitute the third switching leg.

[0046] In the power generation converter E2, the upper arm switching element 8 is driven by a first gate drive circuit G1 that receives power from the first power supply unit P1. The lower arm switching element 9 is driven by a second gate drive circuit G2 that receives power from the second power supply unit P2.

[0047] The upper arm switching element 10 is driven by a third gate drive circuit G3 that receives power from the third power supply unit P3. The lower arm switching element 11 is driven by a fourth gate drive circuit G4 that receives power from the second power supply unit P2.

[0048] The upper arm switching element 12 is driven by a fifth gate drive circuit G5 that receives power from the fourth power supply unit P4. The lower arm switching element 13 is driven by a sixth gate drive circuit G6 that receives power from the second power supply unit P2. The aforementioned upper arm switching elements 8, 10, 12 and lower arm switching elements 9, 11, 13 are, for example, IGBTs, and are, for example, chip-based.

[0049] The driving inverter E3 is a three-phase inverter (multi-phase conversion circuit) that drives the driving motor M2 as a load. It has three upper arm switching elements 14, 16, and 18, and three lower arm switching elements 15, 17, and 19. The driving inverter E3 converts the second DC-AC power input from the buck-boost converter E1 into a second AC power and outputs it to the driving motor M2. The driving motor M2 is the motor that drives the wheels.

[0050] In this driving inverter E3, the upper arm switching element 14 and the lower arm switching element 15 constitute the fourth switching branch. Furthermore, the upper arm switching element 16 and the lower arm switching element 17 constitute the fifth switching branch. Moreover, the upper arm switching element 18 and the lower arm switching element 19 constitute the sixth switching branch.

[0051] In this driving inverter E3, the upper arm switching element 14 is driven by the eleventh gate drive circuit G11, which receives power from the eighth power supply unit P8. The lower arm switching element 15 is driven by the twelfth gate drive circuit G12, which receives power from the seventh power supply unit P7.

[0052] Furthermore, the upper arm switching element 16 is driven by the thirteenth gate drive circuit G13, which receives power from the ninth power supply unit P9. The lower arm switching element 17 is driven by the fourteenth gate drive circuit G14, which receives power from the eleventh power supply unit P11.

[0053] Furthermore, the upper arm switching element 18 is driven by the fifteenth gate drive circuit G15, which receives power from the tenth power supply unit P10. The lower arm switching element 19 is driven by the sixteenth gate drive circuit G16, which receives power from the eleventh power supply unit P11. The aforementioned upper arm switching elements 14, 16, 18 and lower arm switching elements 15, 17, 19 are, for example, IGBTs, and are, for example, chip-based.

[0054] Such a power conversion device includes a second smoothing capacitor 20 for outputting a second DC power. One end of the second smoothing capacitor 20 is connected to the output terminal of one side of the buck-boost converter E1, and the other end is connected to the output terminal of the other side of the buck-boost converter E1. The second smoothing capacitor 20 smooths the output of the buck-boost converter E1.

[0055] The power supply drive circuit D includes a pulse generation circuit S and a drive transistor Tr. The pulse generation circuit S generates a pulse signal with a specified period and a specified duty cycle and outputs it to the base terminal of the drive transistor Tr. The base terminal of the drive transistor Tr is connected to the output terminal of the pulse generation circuit S, the emitter terminal is grounded, and the collector terminal is connected to one end of the primary winding of the transformer T1. This power supply drive circuit D applies pulsed power to the input side of the first to eleventh power supply units P1 to P11, that is, to the primary winding of each transformer of the first to eleventh power supply units P1 to P11, which are connected in series.

[0056] The first power supply unit P1 transforms the pulse power applied to the primary winding of transformer T1 via the power drive circuit D, and then rectifies it in the rectifier circuit. The first power supply unit P1 generates DC power at a specified voltage and outputs it from the two ends of the rectifier capacitor C1 to the gate drive circuit G1. The other second to eleventh power supply units P2 to P11 also operate similarly to the first power supply unit P1, transforming the pulse power applied to the primary winding of transformer T1 via the power drive circuit D and then rectifying it in the rectifier circuit. The second to eleventh power supply units P2 to P11 generate DC power at a specified voltage and output it from the two ends of the rectifier capacitor to the second to sixteenth gate drive circuits G2 to G16.

[0057] The aforementioned 16 gate drive circuits G1~G16 are implemented through, as follows: Figure 2The control circuit CT shown is uniformly controlled. The DC power supply relationship between the first to eleventh power supply units P1 to P11 and the first to sixteenth gate drive circuits G1 to G16 is as described above. The first to eleventh power supply units P1 to P11, the first to sixteenth gate drive circuits G1 to G16, and the control circuit CT are as follows. Figure 2 As shown, they are mounted on a single printed circuit board K. The first to sixteenth gate drive circuits G1 to G16 and the control circuit CT can also be mounted on a separate board from the first to eleventh power supply units P1 to P11. In this case, for example, the power drive circuit D is located at the position of the control circuit CT.

[0058] DC power is supplied to the first, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, eighth, ninth, eleventh, thirteenth, and fifteenth gate drive circuits G1, G3, G5, G7, G9, G11, G13, and G15 for the upper arm drive switching elements 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, and 18 via the first, third, fifth, seventh, ninth, eleventh, thirteenth, and fifteenth gate drive circuits G1, G3, G5, G7, G9, G11, G13, and G15 via the first, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, eighth, ninth, and eleventh power supply units P1, P3, P4, P5, P8, P9, and P11 via the first, third, fifth, seventh, ninth, eleventh, thirteenth, and fifteenth gate drive circuits G1, G3, G5, G7, G9, G11, G13, and G15 via the lower arm drive switching elements 9, 11, and 13 via the second, fourth, and sixth gate drive circuits G1, G3, G5, G7, G9, G11, G13, and G15 via the first, third, fifth, seventh, ninth, eleventh, thirteenth, and fifteenth gate drive circuits G1, G3, G5, G7, G9, G11, G13, and G15 via the second, fourth, and sixth gate drive circuits G1, G3, G4, P5, P8, P9, and P11 via the second, fourth, and sixth gate drive circuits G1, G3, G5, G7, G9, G11, G13, and G15 via the lower arm drive circuits G1, G3, G5, G7, G9, G11, G13, and G15 via the second, fourth, and sixth gate drive circuits G1, G3, G4, P5, P8, P9 The second power supply unit P2, which supplies DC power to the gate drive circuits G2, G4, and G6; the seventh power supply unit P7, which supplies DC power to the eighth, tenth, and twelfth gate drive circuits G8, G10, and G12 for driving the lower arm switching elements 5, 7, and 15; and the eleventh power supply unit P11, which supplies DC power to the fourteenth and nineteenth gate circuits G14 and G19 for driving the lower arm switching elements 17 and 19, are configured (laid out) with the control circuit CT (or the power drive circuit D) in between.

[0059] More specifically, relative to the rectangular printed circuit board K, the control circuit CT (or power drive circuit D) is arranged in a strip shape along its long side at the center. A connector CN for receiving and transmitting power and signals to the outside is disposed at the end of the control circuit CT (or power drive circuit D). In the case where the gate drive circuits G1 to G16 and the control circuit CT are constructed from a single substrate, a power supply circuit Pc for generating power for the control circuit CT is installed near the connector CN within the control circuit CT.

[0060] The first, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, eighth, ninth, and tenth power supply units P1, P3, P4, P5, P6, P8, P9, and P10 are arranged in a row along the long side of the printed circuit board K on one side of the control circuit CT (or power drive circuit D). The second power supply unit P2, the seventh power supply unit P7, and the eleventh power supply unit P11 are arranged in a row along the long side of the printed circuit board K on the other side of the control circuit CT (or power drive circuit D). The first, third, and fourth power supply units P1, P3, and P4 are arranged opposite the second power supply unit P2 on the short side of the printed circuit board K, separated by the control circuit CT (or power drive circuit D). The fifth, sixth, and eighth power supply units P5, P6, and P8 are arranged opposite the seventh power supply unit P7 on the short side of the printed circuit board K, separated by the control circuit CT (or power drive circuit D). The ninth and tenth power supply units P9 and P10 are configured opposite the eleventh power supply unit P11 in the short side direction of the printed circuit board K, separated by the control circuit CT (or power drive circuit D).

[0061] The printed circuit board K is a multilayer printed circuit board with patterned wiring formed on at least two sides. The first to sixteenth gate drive circuits G1 to G16 are mounted on one surface of the printed circuit board K. The first to eleventh power supply units P1 to P11 are mounted on the other surface of the printed circuit board K. That is, the first to sixteenth gate drive circuits G1 to G16 and the first to eleventh power supply units P1 to P11 that supply DC power to the first to sixteenth gate drive circuits G1 to G16 are positioned relative to each other on the front and back sides of the printed circuit board K.

[0062] More specifically, such as Figure 2 As shown, the first gate drive circuit G1 and the first power supply unit P1 are mounted in a front-back orientation. The second, fourth, and sixth gate drive circuits G2, G4, and G6, and the second power supply unit P2 are mounted in a front-back orientation. The third gate drive circuit G3 and the third power supply unit P3 are mounted in a front-back orientation. The fifth gate drive circuit G5 and the fourth power supply unit P4 are mounted in a front-back orientation. The seventh gate drive circuit G7 and the fifth power supply unit P5 are mounted in a front-back orientation.

[0063] The ninth gate drive circuit G9 and the sixth power supply unit P6 are mounted in a front-back orientation. The eighth, tenth, and twelfth gate drive circuits G8, G10, and G12, and the seventh power supply unit P7 are mounted in a front-back orientation. The eleventh gate drive circuit G11 and the eighth power supply unit P8 are mounted in a front-back orientation. The thirteenth gate drive circuit G13 and the ninth power supply unit P9 are mounted in a front-back orientation. The fifteenth gate drive circuit G15 and the first power supply unit P10 are mounted in a front-back orientation. The fourteenth and sixteenth drive circuits G14 and G16, and the eleventh power supply unit P11 are mounted in a front-back orientation.

[0064] Reference Figure 1 The detailed components of the first to eleventh power supply units P1 to P11 will be explained below. Since all the first to eleventh power supply units P1 to P11 have the same structure, the detailed structure of the first power supply unit P1 will be used as an example for explanation below.

[0065] The first power supply unit P1 includes a transformer T1, a pair of diodes D11 and D12, and a rectifier capacitor C1. The transformer T1 is a transformer with a primary winding and a secondary winding. In this transformer T1, one end of the primary winding is connected to the output terminal of the power drive circuit D, and the other end of the primary winding is connected to one input terminal of the second power supply unit P2, that is, one end of the primary winding of the transformer of the second power supply unit P2 (not shown in the figure).

[0066] In the transformer T1, one end of the secondary winding is connected to the anode terminal of diode D11, and the other end of the secondary winding is connected to the anode terminal of diode D12. The center tap of the secondary winding of the transformer T1 is connected to the other end of the rectifier capacitor C1.

[0067] In a pair of diodes D11 and D12, the anode terminal of one diode D11 is connected to one end of the secondary winding of transformer T1, and its cathode terminal is connected to the cathode terminal of the other diode D12 and one end of rectifier capacitor C1. The anode terminal of the other diode D12 is connected to the other end of the secondary winding of transformer T1, and its cathode terminal is connected to the cathode terminal of one diode D11 and one end of rectifier capacitor C1.

[0068] One end of the rectifier capacitor C1 is connected to the cathode terminals of a pair of diodes D11 and D12, and the other end is connected to the center tap of the secondary winding in transformer T1. This pair of diodes D11 and D12 and the rectifier capacitor C1 constitute a rectifier circuit that rectifies the pulse power (pulse voltage) input from the secondary winding of transformer T1 into DC power (DC voltage).

[0069] like Figure 2and Figure 3 As shown, the power supply device for gate driving includes: a twelfth gate drive circuit G12, which is provided corresponding to the lower arm switch element 15 among the plurality of lower arm switch elements 15, 17, 19 of the driving inverter E3; and a seventh power supply unit P7, which provides DC power to the eighth and tenth gate drive circuits G8 and G10, which are provided corresponding to the lower arm switch elements 5 and 7 of the buck-boost converter E1.

[0070] Therefore, compared to the case where power supply units are provided in the first, third, fifth, seventh, ninth, eleventh, thirteenth, and fifteenth gate drive circuits G1, G3, G5, G7, G9, G11, G13, and G15, which are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence among all the upper arm switching elements 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, and all the lower arm switching elements 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, and 19, respectively, in the second, fourth, sixth, eighth, twelfth, fourteenth, and sixteenth gate drive circuits G2, G4, G6, G8, G10, G12, G14, and G16, which are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence among all the lower arm switching elements 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, and 19, respectively, the number of power supply units can be reduced, and the power supply device for gate driving can be miniaturized.

[0071] In this gate drive power supply device, DC power is supplied to the twelfth gate drive circuit G12, which corresponds to the lower arm switch element 15 of the plurality of lower arm switch elements 15, 17, 19 of the driving inverter E3, and the eighth and tenth gate drive circuits G8 and G10, which correspond to the lower arm switch elements 5 and 7 of the buck-boost converter E1, at a common ground. Therefore, DC power is supplied from the first power supply unit P11, which is an other power supply unit, through the fourteenth and sixteenth gate drive circuits G14 and G16, which are provided on the lower arm switch elements 17 and 19 that do not receive DC power from the seventh power supply unit P7 of the driving inverter E3.

[0072] Even if a short-circuit fault occurs on any one of the chips in the driving inverter E3, such as the chip with lower arm switching element 15, the chip with lower arm switching element 17, or the chip with lower arm switching element 19, and the power supply unit supplying DC power to the gate drive circuit corresponding to the lower arm switching element of the chip with the short-circuit fault also fails simultaneously, the gate drive power supply device can still forcibly turn on the switching element on the chip that has not experienced a short-circuit fault due to power from other power supply units. The gate drive power supply device can prevent a large current from flowing only partially through the chip with the short-circuit fault.

[0073] For example, suppose a short-circuit fault occurs on the chip where the lower arm switching element 17 of the driving inverter E3 is located, and the eleventh power supply unit P11, which supplies DC power to the fourteenth gate drive circuit G14 corresponding to the lower arm switching element 17, also fails simultaneously. Even in this case, the gate drive power supply device can force the lower arm switching element 15 of the driving inverter E3 to be turned on by supplying DC power to the twelfth gate drive circuit G12 using the seventh power supply unit P7. The gate drive power supply device can prevent the current generated from the rotating driving motor M2 from flowing only through the chip where the short-circuit switching element 17 is located.

[0074] Furthermore, suppose a short-circuit fault occurs on the chip where the lower arm switching element 19 of the driving inverter E3 is located, and the eleventh power supply unit P11, which supplies DC power to the sixteenth gate drive circuit G16 corresponding to the lower arm switching element 19, also fails simultaneously. Even in this case, the gate drive power supply device can force the lower arm switching element 15 of the driving inverter E3 to be turned on by supplying DC power to the twelfth gate drive circuit G12 using the seventh power supply unit P7. The gate drive power supply device can prevent the current generated from the rotating driving motor M2 from flowing only through the chip where the short-circuit switching element 19 is located.

[0075] Suppose a short-circuit fault occurs on the chip where the lower arm switching element 15 of the driving inverter E3 is located, and the seventh power supply unit P7, which supplies DC power to the twelfth gate drive circuit G12 corresponding to the lower arm switching element 15, also fails simultaneously. Even in this case, the gate drive power supply device can force the lower arm switching elements 17 and 19 of the driving inverter E3 to be turned on by supplying DC power to the fourteenth and sixteenth gate drive circuits G14 and G16 using the eleventh power supply unit P11. The gate drive power supply device can prevent the current generated from the rotating driving motor M2 from flowing only through the chip where the short-circuit switching element 15 is located.

[0076] As explained above, the power supply device for gate drive can be miniaturized by commonalizing the power supply unit, and even in the event of a short circuit fault in the driving inverter E3 of the power conversion device, it can prevent a large current from flowing locally through a single chip.

[0077] In the power supply device for gate driving, separate power supply units are provided for the first, third, fifth, seventh, ninth, eleventh, thirteenth and fifteenth gate driving circuits G1, G3, G5, G7, G9, G11, G13 and G15, which are provided corresponding to the upper arm switching elements 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16 and 18.

[0078] Even if a short circuit fault occurs on any of the chips that set the upper arm switching elements 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, the gate drive power supply device can force the other upper arm switching elements 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18 to be turned on.

[0079] In the driving inverter E3, DC power is supplied from the eleventh power supply unit P11 to the common ground of the fourteenth and sixteenth gate drive circuits G14 and G16, which are provided corresponding to the lower arm switching elements 17 and 19. This allows for a further reduction in the number of power supply units P, enabling further miniaturization of the power supply device for the gate drive.

[0080] The twelfth gate drive circuit G12, which is configured corresponding to the lower arm switching element 15 of the seventh power supply unit P7 and the lower arm switching elements 5 and 7 of the buck-boost converter E1, supplies DC power to the common ground of the eighth and tenth gate drive circuits G8 and G10. Therefore, in this embodiment, the multiple lower arm switching elements 15, 17, and 19 of the driving inverter E3 can be divided into multiple power supply units for driving. This is because, in a vehicle, compared to maintaining power generation capacity, maintaining driving capacity requires higher reliability.

[0081] For example, in the case where the power supply unit has the capability to power four gate drive circuits, such as Figure 4 As shown, DC power can also be supplied to the sixth gate drive circuit G6, which is provided corresponding to the lower arm switching element 13 of the power generation converter E2, through the seventh power supply unit P7.

[0082] In such a situation, for example, if a short-circuit fault occurs on any one of the chips in the lower arm switch element 9, lower arm switch element 11, or lower arm switch element 13 in the power converter E2, and the power supply unit supplying DC power to the gate drive circuit of the lower arm switch element of the chip with the short-circuit fault also fails, the gate drive power supply device can still forcibly turn on the lower arm switch element of the chip that has not experienced a short-circuit fault due to power from other power supply units. The gate drive power supply device can prevent a large current from flowing only partially through the chip with the short-circuit fault.

[0083] For example, suppose a short-circuit fault occurs in the chip where the lower arm switching element 9 of the generator converter E2 is located, and the second power supply unit P2, which supplies DC power to the second gate drive circuit G2 corresponding to the lower arm switching element 9, also fails simultaneously. Even in this case, the gate drive power supply device supplies DC power to the sixth gate drive circuit G6 from the seventh power supply unit P7, thereby forcibly turning on the lower arm switching element 13 of the generator converter E2. The gate drive power supply device prevents the current generated by the generator motor M1 from flowing only through the chip where the short-circuited lower arm switching element 9 is located.

[0084] Suppose a short-circuit fault occurs in the chip where the lower arm switching element 11 of the generator converter E2 is located, and the second power supply unit P2, which supplies DC power to the fourth gate drive circuit G4 corresponding to the lower arm switching element 11, also fails simultaneously. Even in this case, the gate drive power supply device supplies DC power to the sixth gate drive circuit G6 via the seventh power supply unit P7, thereby forcibly turning on the lower arm switching element 13 of the generator converter E2. The gate drive power supply device prevents the current generated by the generator motor M1 from flowing only through the chip where the short-circuit switching element 11 is located.

[0085] Suppose that a short-circuit fault occurs in the chip where the lower arm switching element 13 of the generator converter E2 is located, and the seventh power supply unit P7, which supplies DC power to the sixth gate drive circuit G6 corresponding to the lower arm switching element 13, also fails simultaneously. Even in this case, the gate drive power supply device can force the lower arm switching elements 9 and 11 of the generator converter E2 to be turned on by supplying DC power to the second and fourth gate drive circuits G2 and G4 using the second power supply unit P2. The gate drive power supply device can prevent the current generated by the rotating generator motor M1 from flowing only through the chip where the short-circuited lower arm switching element 13 is located.

[0086] The gate drive power supply device is located on the printed circuit board K, and provides DC power to adjacent gate drive circuits from a single power supply unit. The gate drive power supply device can suppress the enlargement of power supply units (in this embodiment, the second power supply unit P2, the seventh power supply unit P7, and the eleventh power supply unit P11) that provide DC power to multiple gate drive circuits in a common manner.

[0087] (Second Implementation)

[0088] Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the description of this embodiment, the parts that are the same as those in the first embodiment described above will be omitted or simplified.

[0089] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the substrate layout in the second embodiment of the present invention. Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram showing the structure of the gate driving power supply device according to the second embodiment of the present invention, and a circuit diagram of the power conversion circuit in the second embodiment.

[0090] like Figure 5 as well as Figure 6 As shown, in this embodiment, the power conversion circuit does not include a buck-boost converter E1, but instead includes a driving inverter E3 and a power generation converter E2. Consequently, the gate drive power supply device of this embodiment does not include the fifth, sixth, and seventh power supply units P5, P6, and P7. In the gate drive power supply device of this embodiment, the second power supply unit P2 supplies DC power to the twelfth gate drive circuit G12 in addition to the second gate drive circuit G2, the fourth gate drive circuit G4, and the sixth gate drive circuit G6. In this embodiment, the second power supply unit P2 corresponds to the common power supply unit of the present invention.

[0091] The gate drive power supply device includes a second power supply unit P2. For example... Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, the second power supply unit P2 supplies DC power to the second gate drive circuit G12, which is provided in connection with the lower arm switch element 15 of the plurality of lower arm switch elements 15, 17, 19 of the driving inverter E3, and the second, fourth, and sixth gate drive circuits G2, G4, and G6, which are provided in connection with the lower arm switch elements 9, 11, 13 of the power generation converter E2, to the common ground.

[0092] Compared to the case where power supply units are provided for the first, third, fifth, eleventh, thirteenth, and fifteenth gate drive circuits G1, G3, G5, G11, G13, and G15 corresponding to all the upper arm switching elements 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, and 18, and the second, fourth, sixth, twelfth, fourteenth, and sixteenth gate drive circuits G2, G4, G6, G12, G14, and G16 corresponding to all the lower arm switching elements 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, and 19, respectively, the number of power supply units can be reduced. Therefore, the power supply device for gate driving can be miniaturized.

[0093] The gate drive power supply device provides DC power from the second power supply unit P2 to the twelfth gate drive circuit G12, which is provided in accordance with the lower arm switch element 15 of the plurality of lower arm switch elements 15, 17, 19 of the driving inverter E3, and to the second, fourth, and sixth gate drive circuits G2, G4, and G6, which are provided in accordance with the lower arm switch elements 9, 11, 13 of the power generation inverter E2, on a common ground.

[0094] Therefore, the fourteenth and sixteenth gate drive circuits G14 and G16, which are provided in correspondence with the lower arm switching elements 17 and 19 that do not receive DC power from the second power supply unit P2 of the driving inverter E3, are supplied with DC power from the first power supply unit P11, which is another power supply unit.

[0095] Therefore, even if a short-circuit fault occurs in any one of the chips in the inverter E3 for driving, where the lower arm switching element 15, the lower arm switching element 17, or the lower arm switching element 19 is located, and the power supply unit supplying DC power to the gate drive circuit corresponding to the lower arm switching element of the chip that experienced the short-circuit fault also fails simultaneously, the switching element of the chip that did not experience a short-circuit fault due to power from other power supply units can still be forcibly turned on. Thus, it is possible to prevent a large current from flowing only partially through the chip that experienced the short-circuit fault.

[0096] For example, suppose the chip housing the lower arm switching element 17 of the driving inverter E3 experiences a short-circuit fault, and the eleventh power supply unit P11, which supplies DC power to the fourteenth gate drive circuit G14 that drives the lower arm switching element 17, also fails simultaneously. Even in this case, by supplying DC power to the first gate drive circuit G12 using the second power supply unit P2, the lower arm switching element 15 of the driving inverter E3 can be forcibly turned on. This prevents the current generated from the rotating driving motor M2 from flowing only through the chip housing the short-circuited lower arm switching element 17.

[0097] Furthermore, suppose that the chip housing the lower arm switching element 19 of the driving inverter E3 experiences a short-circuit fault, and the eleventh power supply unit P11, which supplies DC power to the sixteenth gate drive circuit G16 corresponding to the lower arm switching element 19, also fails simultaneously. Even in this case, by supplying DC power to the twelfth gate drive circuit G12 using the second power supply unit P2, the lower arm switching element 15 of the driving inverter E3 can be forcibly turned on. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the current generated from the rotating driving motor M2 from flowing only through the chip housing the short-circuited lower arm switching element 15.

[0098] As explained above, the power supply device for gate driving enables miniaturization based on the commonality of power supply units, and even in the event of a short-circuit fault in the driving inverter E3 of the power conversion device, it can prevent a large current from flowing locally through a single chip.

[0099] The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. The shapes, combinations, etc. of the constituent components shown in the above embodiments are examples, and various changes can be made based on design requirements, etc., without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0100] For example, in the above embodiment, a structure was described in which the power supply unit supplying DC power to the gate drive circuit corresponding to the switching element of the lower arm is common. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. A structure in which the power supply unit supplying DC power to the gate drive circuit provided with the switching element of the upper arm is common may also be adopted.

[0101] Furthermore, the present invention can also be applied to structures in which a driving assistance motor is provided instead of a generator motor M1, and a driving assistance converter is provided instead of a generator converter E2. In the above embodiments, structures with two or three conversion circuits have been described, but the present invention can also be applied to structures with four or more conversion circuits.

Claims

1. A power supply device for gate driving, comprising multiple upper arms and multiple lower arms in each of multiple power conversion circuits including two or more multiphase conversion circuits for DC-AC power conversion or AC-DC power conversion, wherein DC power is supplied to multiple gate driving circuits in each upper arm and each lower arm. The gate driving power supply device includes a common power supply unit, which is a DC power supply circuit that supplies a common DC power supply to the gate driving circuits of the gate driving circuits driving any one of the lower arms of the multiphase conversion circuit or any one of the upper arms of the multiphase conversion circuit, as well as to the gate driving circuits of the upper or lower arms of the power conversion circuit other than the multiphase conversion circuit. The common power supply unit supplies the DC power to the gate drive circuit of any one of the plurality of lower arms that drive the multiphase conversion circuit. Independent of the common power supply unit, it also includes a plurality of DC power supply circuits that supply DC power to each gate drive circuit of the gate drive circuits of the plurality of upper arms of the multiphase conversion circuit. The multiphase conversion circuit has three or more lower arms. It also includes a DC power supply circuit that supplies a common DC power supply to a plurality of gate drive circuits that drive the three or more lower arms and are not supplied with DC power from the common power supply unit.

2. The power supply device for gate driving according to claim 1, wherein, The power conversion circuit includes: The traction inverter is composed of the aforementioned multiphase conversion circuit; and The buck-boost converter supplies boosted power to the traction inverter. The common power supply unit supplies a common DC power supply to the gate drive circuit of any one of the plurality of lower arms of the traction inverter or any one of the plurality of upper arms of the traction inverter, and to the gate drive circuit of the upper arm or lower arm of the buck-boost converter.

3. The power supply device for gate driving according to claim 1, wherein, The power conversion circuit includes: The traction inverter is composed of the aforementioned multiphase conversion circuit; and The buck-boost converter supplies boosted power to the traction inverter. The common power supply unit supplies a common DC power supply to the gate drive circuit of any one of the plurality of lower arms of the traction inverter or any one of the plurality of upper arms of the traction inverter, and to the gate drive circuit of the upper arm or lower arm of the buck-boost converter.

4. The power supply device for gate driving according to claim 1, wherein, The power conversion circuit includes: The traction inverter is composed of the aforementioned multiphase conversion circuit; and The buck-boost converter supplies boosted power to the traction inverter. The common power supply unit supplies a common DC power supply to the gate drive circuit of any one of the plurality of lower arms of the traction inverter or any one of the plurality of upper arms of the traction inverter, and to the gate drive circuit of the upper arm or lower arm of the buck-boost converter.

5. The power supply device for gate driving according to claim 1, wherein, Multiple gate drive circuits are mounted on a single printed circuit board. The common power supply unit supplies a common DC power to the two gate drive circuits that are arranged adjacent to each other on the printed circuit board.

6. The power supply device for gate driving according to claim 1, wherein, Multiple gate drive circuits are mounted on a single printed circuit board. The common power supply unit supplies a common DC power to the two gate drive circuits that are arranged adjacent to each other on the printed circuit board.

7. The power supply device for gate driving according to claim 1, wherein, Multiple gate drive circuits are mounted on a single printed circuit board. The common power supply unit supplies a common DC power to the two gate drive circuits that are arranged adjacent to each other on the printed circuit board.

8. The power supply device for gate driving according to claim 2, wherein, Multiple gate drive circuits are mounted on a single printed circuit board. The common power supply unit supplies a common DC power to the two gate drive circuits that are arranged adjacent to each other on the printed circuit board.

9. The power supply device for gate driving according to claim 3, wherein, Multiple gate drive circuits are mounted on a single printed circuit board. The common power supply unit supplies a common DC power to the two gate drive circuits that are arranged adjacent to each other on the printed circuit board.

10. The power supply device for gate driving according to claim 4, wherein, Multiple gate drive circuits are mounted on a single printed circuit board. The common power supply unit supplies a common DC power to the two gate drive circuits that are arranged adjacent to each other on the printed circuit board.

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