Motor control systems and vehicles

Abstract

This application relates to the field of motor control technology, and more specifically, to a motor control system and a vehicle. The motor control system includes: a power module for connecting to a motor to drive the motor; and an upper axle arm drive chip and a lower axle arm drive chip for driving the upper and lower axle arms of the power module, respectively. Each of the upper and lower axle arm drive chips integrates a drive power module, which converts an input voltage from an on-board power module into an output voltage for driving the power module.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of motor control technology, and more specifically, to a motor control system and a vehicle. Background Technology

[0002] Batteries, motors, and electronic controls are the three core components of new energy electric vehicles. Their primary function is to convert the direct current (DC) stored in the battery into alternating current (AC) through an inverter, thereby driving the motor and providing propulsion for the vehicle. As crucial power conversion devices, power modules (e.g., Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors (IGBTs) or silicon carbide (SiC) modules) rely on drive power supplies and drive chips for proper operation. In motor controllers, these are often manifested as highly complex hardware circuit modules, especially drive power supplies. Conventional designs commonly employ transformers composed of copper wires, magnetic cores, and frames. This not only increases the area of ​​the printed circuit board (PCB) but also introduces numerous risks, such as transformer weight leading to failure under vibration and cleanliness issues arising from the winding of the copper wires. These problems not only pose challenges in motor controller design but also create safety hazards that could lead to the failure of electric drive products.

[0003] In addition, the driver chips currently available on the market generally suffer from low functional integration, complex design, and high cost. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address or at least mitigate one or more of the above problems, the following technical solutions are provided. Embodiments of this application provide a motor control system and a vehicle that simplify the hardware architecture and component count of the motor control system, significantly reducing system hardware cost and complexity while improving product power density and reliability.

[0005] According to a first aspect of this application, a motor control system is provided, comprising: a power module for connecting to a motor to drive the motor; and an upper bridge arm drive chip and a lower bridge arm drive chip for driving upper and lower bridge arms of the power module, wherein each of the upper bridge arm drive chip and the lower bridge arm drive chip integrates a drive power module, the drive power module being used to convert an input voltage from an on-board power module into an output voltage for driving the power module.

[0006] As an alternative or supplement to the above solutions, in a system according to an embodiment of the present invention, the upper bridge arm drive chip and the lower bridge arm drive chip are respectively powered by a first vehicle power module and a second vehicle power module, and the first vehicle power module is a vehicle DC-DC power supply and the second vehicle power module is a vehicle low-voltage battery; or the first vehicle power module is the vehicle low-voltage battery and the second vehicle power module is the vehicle DC-DC power supply.

[0007] As an alternative or supplement to the above solutions, in a system according to an embodiment of the present invention, the drive power module adopts a full-bridge power topology, and the second vehicle power module is connected to a Boost converter and supplies power to the lower bridge arm drive chip via the Boost converter.

[0008] As an alternative or supplement to the above solutions, in a system according to an embodiment of the present invention, the drive power module adopts a flyback power topology, and the second vehicle power module is directly connected to the lower axle arm drive chip and supplies power to it.

[0009] As an alternative or supplement to the above solutions, in a system according to an embodiment of the present invention, a diagnostic module is connected in series between the first vehicle power module and the second vehicle power module, and when the first vehicle power module is open-circuited, the second vehicle power module supplies power to the upper bridge arm driver chip via the diagnostic module; when the second vehicle power module is open-circuited, the first vehicle power module supplies power to the lower bridge arm driver chip via the diagnostic module.

[0010] As an alternative or supplement to the above solutions, in a system according to an embodiment of the present invention, the diagnostic module has current detection and overcurrent shutdown functions, and the diagnostic module is configured to: disconnect the connection between the diagnostic module and the first vehicle power module when an input current from the first vehicle power module is detected to be greater than or equal to a first threshold; and disconnect the connection between the diagnostic module and the second vehicle power module when an input current from the second vehicle power module is detected to be greater than or equal to a second threshold.

[0011] As an alternative or supplement to the above solutions, in a system according to an embodiment of the present invention, the driving power supply module includes a transformer and a power control module. The power control module is configured to: monitor the output voltage of the driving power supply module and output a fault status through a first pin when the voltage is abnormal, wherein the first pin is a fault output pin of the upper and lower bridge arm driving chips; and receive an output voltage sampling signal acquired by the feedback control module of the transformer secondary side, and generate a pulse width modulation signal for adjusting the output voltage based on the output voltage sampling signal.

[0012] As an alternative or supplement to the above solutions, in a system according to an embodiment of the present invention, a drive capability adjustment module is further integrated within the upper and lower bridge arm drive chips. The drive capability adjustment module is configured to: receive a control signal from a microprocessor, wherein the control signal is generated based at least on the state of charge of the on-board high-voltage battery; and adjust the drive current output by the upper and lower bridge arm drive chips in real time according to the control signal, thereby changing the turn-on and turn-off speeds of the switching elements in the power module.

[0013] As an alternative or supplement to the above solutions, in a system according to an embodiment of the present invention, the upper and lower bridge arm driving chips further integrate differential analog isolation operational amplifiers and / or single-ended analog isolation operational amplifiers for the acquisition of high-voltage side analog signals; the upper and lower bridge arm driving chips further integrate digital isolation channels for transmitting high-voltage side digital signals to low-voltage side, or transmitting low-voltage side digital signals to high-voltage side.

[0014] According to a second aspect of this application, a vehicle is provided that includes any one of the motor control systems described in the first aspect of this application.

[0015] The motor control scheme according to one or more embodiments of this application integrates the drive power module into the upper and lower bridge arm drive chips of the upper and lower bridge arms used for driving the power module. This reduces the complex wiring between the drive power supply and the drive chip in existing designs, and simplifies the hardware architecture and number of components of the motor control system. While improving the power density and reliability of the product, it significantly reduces the hardware cost and complexity of the system. Furthermore, the upper and lower bridge arm drive chips with integrated drive power modules have the ability to be directly connected to the vehicle's low-voltage battery without the need for an additional transformer, thereby further simplifying the hardware architecture of the motor control system and saving system costs. Attached Figure Description

[0016] The above and other objects and advantages of this application will become more fully clear from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar elements are denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0017] Figure 1 A schematic block diagram of a motor control system 10 according to one or more embodiments of this application is shown;

[0018] Figure 2 A schematic circuit diagram of an integrated drive power supply module according to one or more embodiments of this application is shown;

[0019] Figure 3 A schematic circuit diagram of an integrated drive power supply module according to one or more embodiments of this application is shown;

[0020] Figure 4 The application scenarios of driver chips according to one or more embodiments of this application are illustrated;

[0021] Figure 5 The application scenarios of driver chips according to one or more embodiments of this application are illustrated. Detailed Implementation

[0022] The following detailed description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the disclosed technology or its application and use. Furthermore, it is not intended to be bound by any express or implied theory presented in the foregoing technical fields, background art, or the following detailed description.

[0023] Terms such as "comprising" and "including" indicate that, in addition to the units and steps directly and explicitly described in the specification, the technical solutions of this invention do not exclude the presence of other units and steps not directly or explicitly described. Terms such as "first" and "second" do not indicate the order of the units in terms of time, space, size, etc., but are merely used to distinguish the units. It should be understood that the technology disclosed herein is generally used in electric vehicles, including but not limited to battery electric vehicles (BEVs), hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs), etc.

[0024] In the following, exemplary embodiments according to this application will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0025] The following is for reference. Figure 1 , Figure 1 A schematic block diagram of a motor control system 10 according to one or more embodiments of this application is shown. Figure 1 As shown, the motor control system 10 includes a power module 110, an upper bridge arm drive chip 120, and a lower bridge arm drive chip 130.

[0026] The power module 110 is composed of a multi-phase bridge circuit, wherein each phase bridge circuit includes an upper bridge arm power switching device and a lower bridge arm power switching device. The power module 110 is used to convert the output voltage of the drive power module into AC power to drive the motor to output torque or speed.

[0027] The upper arm driver chip 120 and the lower arm driver chip 130 are used to drive the upper arm and lower arm of the power module, respectively. Unlike existing technologies, each of the upper arm driver chip 120 and the lower arm driver chip 130 integrates a drive power module (e.g., a drive power module in the upper arm driver chip 120 and a drive power module in the lower arm driver chip 130). The drive power module is used to isolate and convert the input voltage from the on-board power module into an output voltage for driving the power module. Exemplarily, the drive power modules integrated in the upper arm driver chip 120 and the lower arm driver chip 130 can adopt various topologies, such as a buck-boost power supply topology, a flyback power supply topology, a buck power supply topology, etc.

[0028] Figure 2 and Figure 3 Schematic circuit diagrams of integrated drive power supply modules according to one or more embodiments of the present invention are shown. Figure 2 In the embodiments described, the integrated drive power module adopts a full-bridge power supply topology to output full-wave rectified power. Exemplarily, the integrated drive power module includes a transformer and a power control module. It is understood that after the drive power supply and the drive chip are integrated, the power control section and the drive chip can be fabricated on the same silicon substrate during chip manufacturing, integrating the two chips onto the same silicon wafer, significantly reducing the cost of the silicon wafer. Furthermore, the VCC / VEE of the drive power module and the VCC / VEE of the drive chip are connected internally within the chip, thereby reducing the area of ​​the power supply circuit, improving electromagnetic compatibility performance, and enhancing hardware reliability.

[0029] It should also be noted that existing driver chip designs, due to the difficulty in integrating magnetic component transformers and the challenges in integrating power supply and drive functions, do not consider the integration design of the drive power supply and the driver chip. According to the present invention, the upper and lower bridge arm driver chips can use PCB traces instead of transformer windings that are difficult to integrate into the chip package, or use silicon wafer traces instead of copper windings, and can adopt flat transformer cores, minimizing the core size by optimizing the power supply design. Furthermore, the upper and lower bridge arm driver chips according to the present invention can also employ a frameless transformer design, further reducing the transformer size through potting and other methods.

[0030] For example, Figure 2The power control module shown can be configured to monitor the output voltage of the drive power module and output a fault status via the nFAULT pin when the voltage is abnormal (e.g., undervoltage, overvoltage). Here, the nFAULT pin is the fault output pin for both the upper and lower bridge arm driver chips; that is, the nFAULT pin can output the fault status of both the drive power module and the driver chip. By sharing the pin, PCB routing can be optimized, microprocessor (MCU) resources can be saved, and the efficiency of MCU fault status identification can be improved.

[0031] For example, the power control module can also be configured to receive an output voltage sampling signal acquired by a feedback control module on the secondary side of the transformer, and generate a pulse width modulation signal for adjusting the output voltage based on the output voltage sampling signal (e.g., as shown in the figure). Figure 2 (PWM1-PWM4 shown). Optionally, the power control module may also have an enable function, which can disable the power supply module when an external fault occurs or the input power supply does not meet the requirements.

[0032] In such Figure 3 In the illustrated embodiment, the integrated drive power module employs a flyback power topology, thus providing a wide input voltage range. Similarly, as... Figure 3 The integrated drive power module shown includes a transformer and a power control module, and can be integrated with... Figure 2 The power supply modules shown have the same or similar functions.

[0033] Return to reference below. Figure 1 Optionally, a drive capability adjustment module can be integrated into the upper and lower bridge arm drive chips 120 and 130. This drive capability adjustment module is configured to: receive a control signal from the MCU, wherein the control signal is generated based at least on the state of charge (SOC) of the on-board high-voltage battery; and adjust the drive current output by the upper and lower bridge arm drive chips 120 and 130 in real time according to the control signal, thereby changing the turn-on and turn-off speeds of the switching elements in the power module 110. For example, when the SOC of the on-board high-voltage battery is high, to avoid overvoltage breakdown and damage to the power module, a lower drive capability is required for the switching elements in the power module; that is, the turn-on and turn-off speeds of the switching elements in the power module are reduced by providing a smaller drive current. As the SOC of the on-board high-voltage battery decreases, the drive capability for the power module can be gradually increased; that is, the turn-on and turn-off speeds of the switching elements in the power module are increased by providing a larger drive current, thereby reducing switching losses and improving module utilization and overall efficiency.

[0034] Optionally, differential analog isolation operational amplifiers and / or single-ended analog isolation operational amplifiers are also integrated within the upper and lower bridge arm driver chips 120 and 130 for the acquisition of high-voltage side analog signals. For example, when using a shunt resistor to acquire the phase current of the motor on the high-voltage side, the acquired current signal needs to be input to the MCU via the isolation operational amplifier inside the driver chip. For example, the single-ended analog isolation operational amplifier can also be used for temperature sampling of power switching elements or acquisition of high-voltage voltage. Optionally, digital isolation channels are also integrated within the upper and lower bridge arm driver chips 120 and 130 for transmitting high-voltage side digital signals to the low-voltage side or vice versa, thereby avoiding the use of external digital isolators.

[0035] It should be further explained that, in order to meet the functional safety requirements of ISO 26262, the power supply architecture of electric vehicles is generally quite complex. Currently, most electric vehicles on the market employ a dual-power design. One power source comes from the high-voltage battery, which, after a flyback isolation conversion, is output to the drive power module. After further isolation conversion, it supplies the drive circuit to power the power module. The other power source comes from the on-board low-voltage battery (e.g., the small battery KL30), which, after a DC-DC conversion (e.g., buck boost conversion), is output to the drive power module. After further isolation conversion, it supplies the drive circuit to power the power module. However, the above power supply architecture is relatively complex, difficult to design, and costly, especially the high-voltage flyback power supply and the low-voltage buck boost power supply. However, the upper arm drive chip 120 and lower arm drive chip 130, which integrate drive power modules according to the present invention, have the ability to be directly connected to the on-board battery without an additional transformer. That is, in some application scenarios, the on-board low-voltage battery can directly power the drive chip without DC-DC conversion, thereby greatly simplifying the hardware architecture of the motor control system and saving system costs.

[0036] Specifically, the upper axle arm drive chip 120 and the lower axle arm drive chip 130 are powered by the first vehicle power module and the second vehicle power module, respectively. It should be noted that the first vehicle power module and the second vehicle power module are different power modules. For example, when the first vehicle power module is a vehicle DC-DC power supply, the second vehicle power module is a vehicle low-voltage battery; when the first vehicle power module is a vehicle low-voltage battery and the second vehicle power module is a vehicle DC-DC power supply...

[0037] The following will combine Figure 4 and Figure 5 The application scenarios of the driver chip according to the present invention are described in detail. For example... Figure 4 The upper and lower bridge arm driver chips shown each integrate a driver power module employing a flyback power supply topology (e.g., such as...). Figure 3 (The drive power module shown). The minimum input voltage of the upper and lower bridge arm drive chips, which adopt a flyback power supply topology, should be less than or equal to 5V and greater than or equal to 32V to ensure that the drive power module has a certain robustness to the input power supply. The low-voltage side power input of the upper bridge arm drive chip is directly taken from the vehicle's DC-DC power supply. After internal power isolation and conversion by the drive chip, the high-voltage side output is the drive voltage (e.g., 24V) used to drive the power module. The low-voltage side power input of the lower bridge arm drive chip is directly taken from the vehicle's low-voltage battery. After internal power isolation and conversion by the drive chip, the high-voltage side output is the drive voltage (e.g., 24V) used to drive the power module. In this embodiment, the vehicle's low-voltage battery can directly supply power to the lower bridge arm drive chip without DC-DC conversion, thereby greatly simplifying the hardware architecture of the motor control system and saving system costs.

[0038] Optionally, a diagnostic module is connected in series between the vehicle's DC-DC power supply and the vehicle's low-voltage battery. For example, this diagnostic module can be an electronic fuse (eFUSE) circuit. The diagnostic module enables the vehicle's DC-DC power supply and the vehicle's low-voltage battery to back each other up and provide redundant power. Specifically, when the vehicle's DC-DC power supply fails and stops working or has an open input, the vehicle's low-voltage battery supplies power to the upper bridge arm driver chip via the diagnostic module, allowing the vehicle to continue operating. Similarly, when the vehicle's low-voltage battery fails and stops working or has an open input, the vehicle's DC-DC power supply can supply power to the lower bridge arm driver chip via the diagnostic module, allowing the vehicle to continue operating.

[0039] Optionally, the diagnostic module also has current detection and overcurrent shutdown functions. Furthermore, the diagnostic module is configured to: disconnect the connection between the diagnostic module and the vehicle's DC-DC power supply when a short circuit from the vehicle's DC-DC power supply is detected (e.g., when the input current is greater than or equal to a first threshold), thereby ensuring that the vehicle's low-voltage battery can normally supply power to the lower axle arm drive chip, allowing the vehicle to enter the corresponding safe state; similarly, when a short circuit from the vehicle's low-voltage battery is detected (e.g., when the input current is greater than or equal to a second threshold), disconnect the connection between the diagnostic module and the vehicle's low-voltage battery, thereby ensuring that the vehicle's DC-DC power supply can normally supply power to the upper axle arm drive chip, allowing the vehicle to enter the corresponding safe state.

[0040] like Figure 5 The upper and lower bridge arm driver chips shown each integrate a driver power module employing a full-bridge power supply topology (e.g., such as...). Figure 2The drive power module shown is used. The low-voltage side power input of the upper bridge arm drive chip is directly taken from the vehicle's DC-DC power supply. After power isolation and conversion within the drive chip, it outputs a drive voltage (e.g., 24V) on the high-voltage side to drive the power module. The vehicle's low-voltage battery, via a boost converter, converts its varying voltage (e.g., the voltage of a vehicle's low-voltage battery typically varies between 6-18V) into a stable output voltage, such as 24V. The output voltage of the boost converter serves as the low-voltage side power input of the lower bridge arm drive chip. After power isolation and conversion within the drive chip, it outputs a drive voltage on the high-voltage side to drive the power module. Similarly, a diagnostic module can be connected in series between the vehicle's DC-DC power supply and the vehicle's low-voltage battery, with the same function as... Figure 4 The diagnostic modules are the same or similar, and will not be described in detail here.

[0041] It should be understood that, Figure 4 and Figure 5 The single-phase bridge circuit and the upper and lower bridge arm driver chips for driving the single-phase bridge are shown only as examples. For a power module composed of a multi-phase bridge circuit, multiple upper and lower bridge arm driver chips should be applied accordingly (e.g., for a three-phase motor, three upper and three lower bridge arm driver chips should be applied), wherein each driver chip integrates a drive power supply module with a corresponding topology.

[0042] The motor control scheme according to one or more embodiments of this application integrates the drive power module into the upper and lower bridge arm drive chips of the upper and lower bridge arms used for driving the power module. This reduces the complex wiring between the drive power supply and the drive chip in existing designs, and simplifies the hardware architecture and number of components of the motor control system. While improving the power density and reliability of the product, it significantly reduces the hardware cost and complexity of the system. Furthermore, the upper and lower bridge arm drive chips that integrate the drive power module (e.g., such as...) Figure 4 The upper and lower axle arm drive chips shown can be directly connected to the vehicle battery without the need for an additional transformer, thereby further simplifying the hardware architecture of the motor control system and saving system costs.

[0043] According to another aspect of this application, a vehicle is provided that includes any of the motor control systems described above.

[0044] Those skilled in the art will understand that the various illustrative logic blocks, modules, circuits, and algorithm steps described herein can be implemented as electronic hardware, computer software, or a combination of both.

[0045] To demonstrate the interchangeability between hardware and software, various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps have been generally described above according to their functionality. Whether such functionality is implemented in hardware or software depends on the specific application and the design constraints imposed on the overall system. Those skilled in the art can implement the described functionality in varying ways for specific applications; however, such implementation decisions should not be construed as departing from the scope of this application.

[0046] Although only some specific embodiments of this application have been described, those skilled in the art will understand that this application can be implemented in many other forms without departing from its spirit and scope. Therefore, the examples and embodiments shown are to be considered illustrative rather than restrictive, and various modifications and substitutions may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of this application as defined by the appended claims.

[0047] The embodiments and examples presented herein are provided to best illustrate embodiments according to the present technology and its particular applications, thereby enabling those skilled in the art to implement and use the present application. However, those skilled in the art will understand that the above description and examples are provided for ease of illustration and example only. The descriptions presented are not intended to cover all aspects of the present application or to limit the present application to the precise forms disclosed.

Claims

1. A motor control system, characterized in that, include: A power module for connecting to a motor to drive the motor; as well as The upper bridge arm driver chip and the lower bridge arm driver chip are used to drive the upper and lower bridge arms of the power module, respectively. Each of the upper bridge arm driver chip and the lower bridge arm driver chip integrates a drive power module. The drive power module is used to convert the input voltage from the vehicle power module into an output voltage for driving the power module. The upper bridge arm drive chip and the lower bridge arm drive chip are powered by a first vehicle power module and a second vehicle power module, respectively. A diagnostic module is connected in series between the first vehicle power module and the second vehicle power module. When the first vehicle power module is open-circuited, the second vehicle power module supplies power to the upper bridge arm drive chip via the diagnostic module. When the second vehicle power module is open-circuited, the first vehicle power module supplies power to the lower bridge arm driver chip via the diagnostic module.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein, The first vehicle power module is a vehicle DC-DC power supply and the second vehicle power module is a vehicle low-voltage battery; or The first vehicle power module is the vehicle low-voltage battery and the second vehicle power module is the vehicle DC-DC power supply.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein, The drive power module integrated in the upper and lower axle arm drive chips adopts a full-bridge power topology, and the second vehicle power module is connected to the Boost converter and supplies power to the lower axle arm drive chip via the Boost converter.

4. The system according to claim 2, wherein, The drive power module integrated in the upper and lower axle arm drive chips adopts a flyback power topology, and the second vehicle power module is directly connected to the lower axle arm drive chip and supplies power to it.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein, The diagnostic module has current detection and overcurrent shutdown functions, and is configured to: When the input current detected from the first vehicle power module is greater than or equal to the first threshold, the connection between the diagnostic module and the first vehicle power module is disconnected. When the input current detected from the second vehicle power module is greater than or equal to the second threshold, the connection between the diagnostic module and the second vehicle power module is disconnected.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein, The drive power module includes a transformer and a power control module, wherein the power control module is configured to: The output voltage of the drive power module is monitored, and a fault status is output through the first pin when the voltage is abnormal, wherein the first pin is the fault output pin of the upper and lower bridge arm drive chip; as well as The system receives the output voltage sampling signal acquired by the feedback control module on the secondary side of the transformer, and generates a pulse width modulation signal for adjusting the output voltage based on the output voltage sampling signal.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein, A drive capability adjustment module is further integrated within the upper and lower bridge arm drive chips, and the drive capability adjustment module is configured to: Receive control signals from the microprocessor, wherein the control signals are generated based at least on the state of charge of the on-board high-voltage battery; as well as The drive current output by the upper and lower bridge arm drive chips is adjusted in real time according to the control signal, thereby changing the turn-on and turn-off speed of the switching elements in the power module.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein, The upper and lower bridge arm driver chips also integrate differential analog isolation operational amplifiers and / or single-ended analog isolation operational amplifiers for the acquisition of high-voltage side analog signals; The upper and lower bridge arm driver chips also integrate digital isolation channels for transmitting high-voltage side digital signals to low-voltage side or low-voltage side digital signals to high-voltage side.

9. A vehicle, characterized in that, Includes the motor control system as described in any one of claims 1-8.

Images