Electrical system for vehicle comprising voltage converter, inverter and control board

Abstract

The invention relates to an electrical system (2) comprising:-a housing (3) comprising an electrical substrate (6); -an inverter (8) seated in the housing (3) and configured to receive a DC voltage from the battery and to provide an AC voltage to the electric machine; -a control module (10) located in the housing (3) and configured to control the electric power supplied by the inverter (8) to the electric machine; the system (2) is characterized in that it comprises a DC-to-DC voltage converter (12) seated in the housing (3), the DC-to-DC voltage converter (12) being configured to reduce the DC voltage of the battery in order to power an electrical device and the control module (10); the inverter (8), the control module (10) and the DC-to-DC voltage converter (12) are mounted on the electrical substrate (6).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of electric or hybrid vehicles.

[0002] More specifically, the present invention relates to the technical field of wheel motors mounted on electric or hybrid vehicles, and to an electrical system for supplying electrical energy to such wheel motors. Background Art

[0003] From the prior art, an electric or hybrid vehicle is known, which comprises an electrical assembly formed by a rotating electrical machine, which is supplied with electrical energy by a battery; and an electrical system for adjusting the voltage delivered by the battery to use said electrical machine. The battery of the electrical assembly can also supply electrical energy to at least one other item of electrical equipment of the vehicle, whose voltage is different from the voltage required for the operation of the rotating electrical machine. Thus, from the prior art, an electrical assembly is known, which in particular comprises an inverter, which is configured to convert a DC voltage from the battery into an AC voltage to power the electrical machine; and a DC to DC voltage converter, which is configured to reduce the DC voltage of the battery and power the item of equipment, for example reducing the voltage from 48V to 12V.

[0004] Furthermore, an electric or hybrid vehicle is known from the prior art in which the electrical components are located in the wheels of the vehicle, seated in a casing around which the wheels are arranged. This arrangement is generally referred to as a "wheel motor" by those skilled in the art, and has the advantage of significantly reducing the number of mechanical components between the rotating electrical machine and the wheel driven by the rotating electrical machine. However, due to its position in the wheel of the vehicle, such an electrical component must naturally be as small as possible. Therefore, this architecture, which is referred to as the "wheel motor" architecture, does not meet the safety standards that require the circuit of the inverter to be electrically isolated from the circuit of the DC to DC voltage converter. Specifically, in this configuration, each electrical connection that connects the battery to the inverter and the DC to DC voltage converter, respectively, includes separate and / or identical electrical components, such as a capacitor module configured to smooth the voltage transmitted by the battery, which makes the assembly quite large.

[0005] However, for certain applications, in the field of “soft mobility”, it is not necessary to electrically isolate the circuit of the inverter from the circuit of the DC-to-DC voltage converter, since lower powers are used.

[0006] The present invention therefore aims to solve all or some of the drawbacks of the prior art, in particular by proposing an electrical assembly comprising at least one inverter and one DC voltage converter, the compactness of which is adapted to the “wheel motor” architecture of a vehicle. Summary of the invention

[0007] More specifically, the present invention relates to an electrical system comprising:

[0008] - a housing containing a flat electrical substrate;

[0009] - an inverter seated in the housing and configured to receive a DC voltage from the battery and to provide an AC voltage to at least one rotating electrical machine;

[0010] - at least one control module seated in the housing and configured to control the power supplied by the inverter to the rotating electric machine;

[0011] The system is notable in that it includes a DC to DC voltage converter seated in a housing, the DC to DC voltage converter being configured to reduce the DC voltage of the battery to power at least one of an electrical device and a control module; the inverter, control module and DC to DC voltage converter are mounted on the electrical substrate.

[0012] The combination of these features enables the electronic components forming the inverter and the electronic components forming the DC to DC voltage converter to be mounted on the same electrical substrate, reducing the number of electromechanical components required and simplifying assembly. The overall size of the electrical system is also greatly reduced.

[0013] Advantageously, the inverter includes a capacitor module that is electrically connected to the DC to DC voltage converter via an electrical substrate. In addition, the electrical system includes a terminal block that can be connected to the battery, so that the capacitor module can transmit a smooth DC voltage to the active components of the DC to DC voltage converter and the active components of the inverter. In this configuration, the inverter and the DC to DC voltage converter are installed in parallel. Sharing the capacitor module in this way, so that it is common to the inverter and the DC to DC voltage converter, further simplifies the assembly of the electrical system.

[0014] Advantageously, the inverter, the DC to DC voltage converter and the control module are substantially coplanar and mounted on a same first face of the flat electrical substrate. In this configuration, the overall size of the system is further reduced.

[0015] Advantageously, the housing defines an annular cylindrical parallelepiped seat and the flat electrical base plate has an annular cross section. In this configuration, a shaft or transmission shaft can pass through the housing and the base plate.

[0016] According to another aspect of the present invention, the present invention relates to an onboard electrical assembly, comprising:

[0017] - electrical system as described above;

[0018] - a battery configured to provide a DC voltage to an inverter and a DC to DC voltage converter of the electrical system;

[0019] - a rotating electrical machine receiving an AC voltage from an inverter of the electrical system;

[0020] - At least one item of electrical equipment receiving a DC voltage from a DC to DC voltage converter.

[0021] Advantageously, the electric machine comprises a stator rigidly connected to the shaft and a rotor rotatable relative to the stator, the electrical system being rigidly connected to the stator.

[0022] Advantageously, the housing of the electrical system defines an annular cylindrical parallelepiped seat, the flat electrical base plate has an annular cross section, the shaft defines the inner diameter of the housing, and the stator defines the outer diameter of the housing. In this configuration, the electrical assembly can drive the rotation of a mechanical element rigidly connected to the outer diameter of the rotor of the motor.

[0023] According to another aspect of the present invention, the present invention relates to an electric vehicle comprising the electric assembly as described above.

[0024] Advantageously, the electrical assembly is positioned in a wheel of a vehicle.Preferably, the wheel is rigidly connected to the outer diameter of the rotor of the electric motor of said assembly. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] The invention will be better understood by reading the following description, which is given by way of example only, and by reference to the accompanying drawings, given by way of non-limiting examples, in which like references indicate similar objects, and in which:

[0026] Figure 1 is a schematic isometric perspective view of an electrical assembly according to a first aspect of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A schematic front view of an electrical assembly in which a cover of the assembly has been removed;

[0028] Figure 3 is a schematic front view of an electrical system according to another aspect of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 4 yes Figure 3 Schematic rear view of the electrical system in .

[0030] It should be noted that the attached drawings disclose the invention in detail to enable the invention to be implemented. Although not limiting, the attached drawings are particularly used to better define the invention when appropriate. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the present invention relates to an on-board electrical component 1. The electrical component 1 is configured to drive a mechanical element rigidly connected thereto, such as a wheel (not shown) of an electric or hybrid vehicle, in rotation. Preferably, the electrical component 1 is then located inside the wheel of the vehicle. Such a configuration is usually referred to as a "wheel motor" by those skilled in the art.

[0032] In order to drive the wheels or mechanical elements rigidly connected thereto in rotation, the electrical assembly 1 comprises a rotary electric machine 5. Furthermore, the electrical assembly 1 comprises at least one other item of electrical equipment, such as a headlight of the vehicle. It should be noted that this item of electrical equipment can be located at a distance from the wheels of the vehicle and from the rest of the electrical assembly 1. More specifically, the rotary electric machine comprises a stator 7 rigidly connected to a shaft 11 and a rotor 9 rotatable relative to the stator 7 and the shaft 11, for example by means of ball bearings. In this case, the wheel is rigidly connected to the outer diameter of the rotor 9. Advantageously, at least one cover is interposed between the rotor 9 and said wheel.

[0033] To power the electric machine 5 and the item of electrical equipment, the electrical assembly comprises at least one battery (not shown). The battery is configured to deliver a DC voltage at its terminals, for example a DC voltage of 48 V. Since this voltage cannot be used by the electric machine 5 and the item of electrical equipment as such, the battery 3 is connected to an electrical system 2 which provides an AC voltage to the rotating electric machine 5 and a lower DC voltage to the item of electrical equipment.

[0034] The remainder of the description relates to the electrical system 2. The electrical system 2 comprises a housing 3 containing a flat electrical substrate 6. Figure 1 In the embodiment of the present invention, the housing 3 is made of two parts that can be connected together. In this case, the body of the stator 7 forming the housing 3 defines an overall annular cylindrical parallelepiped seat. The base plate 6 is advantageously fastened to a heat sink that is also seated in the housing 3 and rigidly connected to the shaft 11.

[0035] The electrical substrate 6 is in particular an FR4 electrical substrate, in this case having an annular cross section and enabling the electronic components mounted on its face to be electrically connected via the inner layer of which it is made. The annular cross section of the substrate enables it to be passed through by the shaft 11. In order to provide the motor 5 with an AC voltage using the DC voltage received from the battery, the electrical system 2 comprises electronic components mounted on the substrate 6 to form an inverter 8 seated in the housing 3. In order to control the power supplied to the motor 5 by the inverter 8, the electrical system 2 comprises at least one control module 10 seated in the housing 3 and mounted on the substrate 6. The control module 10 may in particular comprise a gate driver, a microcontroller and / or an on-board computer.

[0036] In order to provide the item of electrical equipment with a DC voltage lower than the voltage received from the battery, the electrical system 2 includes electrical components mounted on the substrate 6 to form a DC to DC voltage converter 12, commonly referred to as a "buck" converter. The DC to DC voltage converter 12 is also configured to supply power to the control module 10. The DC to DC voltage converter 12 is configured to reduce the voltage received from the battery, for example, from an initial 48V to a voltage of 12V.

[0037] The combination of these features enables the electronic components forming the inverter 8 and the electrical components forming the DC to DC voltage converter 12 to be mounted on the same substrate 6, reducing the number of required electromechanical components and simplifying assembly. The overall size of the electrical system is also greatly reduced. This results in electrical tracks with different voltages extending on the same substrate.

[0038] In order to smooth and filter the voltage delivered by the battery to the inverter 8, the inverter 8 advantageously comprises a capacitor module. The capacitor module comprises at least one link capacitor 14. The capacitor module is electrically connected to the DC to DC voltage converter via the substrate 6. Preferably, the electrical system 2 comprises a terminal block 16 that can be connected to the battery, so that the capacitor module can deliver the smoothed DC voltage to the active components of the DC to DC voltage converter 12 and the active components of the inverter 8. In this configuration, the inverter 8 and the DC to DC voltage converter 12 are mounted in parallel. Sharing the capacitor module in this way further simplifies the assembly of the electrical system and reduces the number of capacitors required for smoothing the voltage. In the embodiment shown, the terminal block 16 passes through the substrate 6 due to the annular cross-section of the substrate 6. This configuration can vary, in particular depending on whether the battery of the electrical component 1 is positioned on one side or the other side of the substrate 6.

[0039] In the embodiment shown, in particular Figure 3 In the embodiment of the present invention, the components of the inverter 8, the DC to DC voltage converter 12 and the control module 10 are substantially coplanar and mounted on the same first face of the substrate 6. The plane containing the components is preferably a plane parallel to the plane containing the substrate 6. This configuration reduces the overall size of the system, especially along the axis of rotation of the rotating electrical machine 5.

[0040] like Figure 4 As shown, the electrical system advantageously comprises a phase interface 18. The interface 18 is mounted on the first face of the substrate 6 and passes through the substrate 6 towards the second face of the substrate 6. The phase interface 18 is configured to electrically connect the inverter 8 to the motor 5. In the described embodiment, the link capacitor 14 is mounted on the second face of the substrate 6 and passes through the substrate 6 from the second face to the first face. Preferably, the interface 18 and the link capacitor 14 are coplanar. In practice, the overall size of the system, in particular along the axis of rotation of the rotating motor 5, is reduced.

[0041] It will also be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments. In fact, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications may be made to the above-described embodiments based on the teachings just disclosed to them.

[0042] In the detailed description of the present invention provided above, the terms used should not be understood to limit the present invention to the embodiments disclosed in this specification, but should be understood to include all equivalents that can be thought of by those skilled in the art applying their general knowledge to implement the teachings just disclosed to them.

Claims

1. An electrical system (2), comprising: - a housing (3) containing a flat electrical substrate (6); - an inverter (8) seated in the housing (3) and configured to receive a DC voltage from the battery and to provide an AC voltage to at least one rotating electrical machine (5); - at least one control module (10) seated in the housing (3) and configured to control the power supplied by the inverter (8) to the rotating electrical machine (5); The electrical system (2) is characterized in that it includes a DC to DC voltage converter (12) seated in a housing (3), the DC to DC voltage converter (12) being configured to reduce the DC voltage of a battery so as to power at least one electrical device and the control module (10); the inverter (8), the control module (10) and the DC to DC voltage converter (12) being mounted on an electrical substrate (6).

2. The electrical system (2) according to claim 1, wherein the inverter (8) comprises a capacitor module which is electrically connected to the DC to DC voltage converter (12) via the electrical substrate (6).

3. An electrical system (2) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the inverter (8), the DC to DC voltage converter (12) and the control module (10) are substantially coplanar and mounted on a same first face of a flat electrical substrate (6).

4. Electrical system (2) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the casing (3) defines an annular cylindrical parallelepiped seat, the flat electrical base plate (6) having an annular cross section.

5. A vehicle-mounted electrical component (1), comprising: - An electrical system (2) according to any one of claims 1 to 4; - a battery configured to provide a DC voltage to an inverter (8) and a DC to DC voltage converter (12) of the electrical system (2); a rotating electrical machine (5) receiving an AC voltage from the inverter (8) of the electrical system; - At least one item of electrical equipment receiving a DC voltage from a DC to DC voltage converter (12).

6. The on-board electrical component (1) according to claim 5, wherein the electric machine (5) comprises a stator (7) rigidly connected to a shaft (11) and a rotor (9) rotatable relative to the stator (7), and the electrical system (1) is rigidly connected to the stator (7).

7. An onboard electrical component (1) according to claim 6, wherein the housing (3) of the electrical system (1) defines an annular cylindrical parallelepiped seat, the flat electrical substrate (6) has an annular cross-section, the shaft (11) defines the inner diameter of the housing (3), and the stator (7) defines the outer diameter of the housing (3).

8. An electric vehicle comprising an electric component (1) according to any one of claims 5 to 7.

9. An electric vehicle according to claim 8, wherein the electrical assembly (1) is located in a wheel of the vehicle.

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