System and method for decoupling capacitor for inverter for electric vehicle

Abstract

A system includes an inverter configured to convert DC power from a battery to AC power to drive a motor, where the inverter includes: a first decoupling capacitor configured to connect to a positive connection of the battery and a negative connection of the battery; and a first power module including a first upper phase switching member configured to control a first upper phase current between the positive electrode connection of the battery and a first phase connection of the motor, and a first lower phase switching member configured to control a second upper phase current between the positive electrode connection of the battery and a second phase connection of the motor, the first lower phase switch is configured to control a first lower phase current between a cathode connection of the battery and the first phase connection of the motor.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims the benefit of priority to U.S. non-provisional patent application No. 18 / 162,009 filed on January 31, 2023, which claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 377,486 filed on September 28, 2022, U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 377,501 filed on September 28, 2022, U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 377,512 filed on September 28, 2022, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 378,601 filed on October 6, 2022, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] Various embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to systems and methods for decoupling capacitors for inverters for electric vehicles, and more particularly to systems and methods for local high voltage decoupling capacitors for power device switches of inverters for electric vehicles. Background Art

[0004] Inverters, such as those used to drive motors in electric vehicles, are responsible for converting high voltage direct current (HVDC) to alternating current (AC) to drive the motor. In an inverter, stray inductance and ringing in the power device switches can affect the operation of the inverter.

[0005] The present disclosure is directed to overcoming one or more of these aforementioned challenges. Summary of the invention

[0006] In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to a system comprising: an inverter configured to convert DC power from a battery into AC power to drive a motor, wherein the inverter comprises: a first decoupling capacitor configured to be connected to a positive terminal connector of the battery and a negative terminal connector of the battery; and a first power module comprising: a first upper phase switch configured to control a first upper phase current between the positive terminal connector of the battery and a first phase connector of the motor, and a first lower phase switch configured to control a first lower phase current between the negative terminal connector of the battery and the first phase connector of the motor.

[0007] In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to a system wherein one or more of the first upper phase switch or the first lower phase switch includes one or more silicon carbide grains.

[0008] In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to a system in which a first power module includes a first decoupling capacitor integrated on the first power module.

[0009] In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to a system wherein the first power module further comprises: one or more first controllers configured to operate one or more of the first upper phase switch or the first lower phase switch.

[0010] In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to a system wherein the inverter further includes: a bulk capacitor configured to be connected to a positive connection of the battery and a negative connection of the battery.

[0011] In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to a system wherein the inverter further includes: a second decoupling capacitor configured to be connected to a positive terminal connector of a battery and a negative terminal connector of the battery; and a second power module including: a second upper phase switch configured to control a second upper phase current between the positive terminal connector of the battery and a second phase connector of a motor, and a second lower phase switch configured to control a second lower phase current between the negative terminal connector of the battery and the second phase connector of the motor.

[0012] In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to a system wherein the inverter further includes: a third decoupling capacitor configured to be connected to a positive terminal connector of a battery and a negative terminal connector of the battery; and a third power module including: a third upper phase switch configured to control a third upper phase current between the positive terminal connector of the battery and a third phase connector of a motor, and a third lower phase switch configured to control a third lower phase current between the negative terminal connector of the battery and the third phase connector of the motor.

[0013] In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to a system that further includes a battery configured to supply DC power to the inverter and a motor configured to receive AC power from the inverter to drive the motor.

[0014] In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to a system comprising: an inverter configured to convert DC power from a battery into AC power to drive a motor, wherein the inverter comprises: a bulk capacitor configured to be connected to a positive connection of the battery and a negative connection of the battery; a first phase power module configured to control a first current between the positive connection of the battery, the negative connection of the battery, and a first phase connection of the motor; a first decoupling capacitor configured to be connected to the positive connection of the battery and the negative connection of the battery; connector; a second phase power module configured to control a second current between the positive connector of the battery, the negative connector of the battery and the second phase connector of the motor; a second decoupling capacitor configured to be connected to the positive connector of the battery and the negative connector of the battery; a third phase power module configured to control a third current between the positive connector of the battery, the negative connector of the battery and the third phase connector of the motor; and a third decoupling capacitor configured to be connected to the positive connector of the battery and the negative connector of the battery.

[0015] In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to a system wherein a first phase power module includes a first decoupling capacitor on the first phase power module, wherein a second phase power module includes a second decoupling capacitor on the second phase power module, and wherein a third phase power module includes a third decoupling capacitor on the third phase power module.

[0016] In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to a system wherein a first power module includes one or more first phase switching elements and one or more first phase controllers, the one or more first phase controllers being configured to operate the one or more first phase switching elements, wherein a second power module includes one or more second phase switching elements and one or more second phase controllers, the one or more second phase controllers being configured to operate the one or more second phase switching elements, and wherein a third power module includes one or more third phase switching elements and one or more third phase controllers, the one or more third phase controllers being configured to operate the one or more third phase switching elements.

[0017] In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to a system wherein the one or more first phase switching elements include one or more silicon carbide grains, wherein the one or more second phase switching elements include one or more silicon carbide grains, and wherein the one or more third phase switching elements include one or more silicon carbide grains.

[0018] In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to a system in which a first decoupling capacitor, a second decoupling capacitor, and a third decoupling capacitor are configured to reduce high frequency ringing of switching events of a first phase power module, a second phase power module, and a third phase power module, respectively, relative to an inverter without the first decoupling capacitor, the second decoupling capacitor, and the third decoupling capacitor.

[0019] In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to a system in which a first decoupling capacitor, a second decoupling capacitor, and a third decoupling capacitor are configured to reduce switching losses of a first phase power module, a second phase power module, and a third phase power module, respectively, relative to an inverter without the first decoupling capacitor, the second decoupling capacitor, and the third decoupling capacitor.

[0020] In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to a system comprising: a power module, the power module being for an inverter configured to be connected to a DC power source, the power module comprising: one or more power switching elements, the one or more power switching elements being configured to control current between a first connection of the DC power source, a second connection of the DC power source, and an AC connection; and an integrated decoupling capacitor, the integrated decoupling capacitor being configured to be connected to the first connection of the DC power source and the second connection of the DC power source.

[0021] In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to a system wherein the one or more power switches include one or more silicon carbide grains.

[0022] In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a system in which a power module includes an integrated decoupling capacitor on the power module.

[0023] In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to a system in which a power module includes an integrated decoupling capacitor connected to a DC first connection plate of the power module and a DC second connection plate of the power module.

[0024] In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to a system in which an integrated decoupling capacitor is configured to reduce high frequency ringing of the one or more power switches relative to a power module without a decoupling capacitor.

[0025] In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to a system, wherein the power module further comprises: one or more first controllers configured to operate the one or more power switches.

[0026] Other objects and advantages of the disclosed embodiments will be described in part in the following description, and in part will be obvious from the description, or can be understood by practicing the disclosed embodiments. The objects and advantages of the disclosed embodiments will be realized and achieved by means of the elements and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

[0027] It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the disclosed embodiments, as claimed. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate various exemplary embodiments and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the disclosed embodiments.

[0029] Figure 1 An exemplary system infrastructure for a vehicle including a combined inverter and converter is depicted according to one or more embodiments.

[0030] Figure 2 Depicted is a method for providing a point-of-use switching controller according to one or more embodiments. Figure 1 An exemplary system infrastructure of a combined inverter and converter.

[0031] Figure 3 Describes a method for Figure 2 An exemplary system infrastructure for a controller of FIG.

[0032] Figure 4 Describes a method for Figure 2 An exemplary system infrastructure for a point-of-use switching controller.

[0033] Figure 5 Describes a method for Figure 4 An exemplary system infrastructure of an upper power module.

[0034] Figure 6 Depicted is an exemplary electrical schematic for a system including local high voltage decoupling capacitors for power device switches according to one or more embodiments.

[0035] Figure 7 An exemplary graph depicts a system without local high voltage decoupling capacitors for power device switches according to one or more embodiments.

[0036] Figure 8 Depicted is an exemplary graph of a system having local high voltage decoupling capacitors for power device switches according to one or more embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] Both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and do not constrain the claimed features. As used herein, the terms "comprises," "comprising," "has," "having," "includes," "including," or other variations thereof are intended to encompass non-exclusive inclusions such that a process, method, article, or device that includes a series of elements includes not only those elements, but may also include other elements that are not explicitly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or device. In the present disclosure, unless otherwise stated, relative terms (such as, for example, "about," "substantially," and "approximately") are used to indicate possible ±10% variations in the stated values. In the present disclosure, unless otherwise stated, any numerical value may include possible ±10% variations in the stated values.

[0038] The terms used below may be interpreted in their broadest reasonable manner, although they are being used in conjunction with a detailed description of certain specific examples of the present disclosure. Indeed, certain terms may even be emphasized below; however, any term intended to be interpreted in any constrained manner will be explicitly and specifically defined as such in this detailed description. For example, in the context of the present disclosure, a switching device may be described as a switching element or device, but may refer to any device for controlling power flow in a circuit. For example, a switching element may be, for example, a metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET), a bipolar junction transistor (BJT), an insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) or a relay, or any combination thereof, but is not limited thereto.

[0039] Various embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to systems and methods for decoupling capacitors for inverters for electric vehicles, and more particularly to systems and methods for local high voltage decoupling capacitors for power device switches of inverters for electric vehicles.

[0040] Overview

[0041] Inverters (such as those used to drive motors in electric vehicles) are responsible for converting high voltage direct current (HVDC) into alternating current (AC) to drive the motor. A three-phase inverter may include a bridge having six power device switches (e.g., power transistors such as IGBTs or MOSFETs) that are controlled by pulse width modulation (PWM) signals generated by a controller. The inverter may include three-phase switches to control phase voltages, upper and lower gate drivers to control the switches, a PWM controller, and glue logic between the PWM controller and the gate driver. The PWM controller may generate signals to define the expected state of the system. The gate driver may send signals from the PWM controller to the phase switches. The phase switches may drive the phase voltages. The inverter may include an isolation barrier between a low voltage plane and a high voltage plane. The signal may be passed from the PWM controller to the phase switch by passing through an isolation barrier, which may employ optical, converter-based, or capacitor-based isolation. The PWM signal may be distorted when passing through the glue logic, which may include resistive, capacitive, or other types of filtering. Due to the electrical isolation barrier and other delays within the gate driver, the PWM signal may be distorted when passing through the gate driver. The PWM signal may be distorted when the signal is processed by the phase switching device via the gate driver output.

[0042] Gate drivers withstand common-mode transients that occur during field effect transistor (FET) switching and when one side of a floating high voltage terminal is shorted to ground or subjected to electrostatic discharge. These voltage transients can cause fast edges that can form common-mode current bursts through electrical isolation. Gate drivers may need to demonstrate common-mode transient immunity (CMTI) in order to be effective and safe.

[0043] The gate driver may have a high voltage domain in common with the voltage plane of the associated FET. Further, the high voltage plane may be supplied by a flyback converter, which may be isolated from the low voltage plane by a transformer. The high voltage domain power supply may be used to provide power to such a circuit that sources and sinks gate current to drive the FET and can detect FET faults, thereby acting on the faults and / or transmitting the faults to the low voltage domain. The gate driver may include an electrical channel dedicated to FET commands, and one or more bidirectional or unidirectional electrical channels dedicated to FET communications.

[0044] High current switching transients can form strong electromagnetic (EM) fields that can couple into nearby metal traces. The magnitude and frequency of the coupled current can depend on the layout of the FET packaging solution and the direction and length of the metal traces between the FET and the control integrated circuit (IC). For example, a typical value for the coupled current can be up to 1A at an AC frequency of up to 100MHz. Typically, within the circuit, the gate driver IC can be placed far enough away from the FET so that the high EM field is not directly coupled into the internal metal traces within the gate driver IC. The gate driver is placed at a distance from the EM field so that the induced current within the circuit is below the level that will cause the gate driver to malfunction, or a metal shield is placed between the gate driver and the source of the EM field to protect the gate driver circuit. The output terminals of the gate driver connected to the FET are exposed to the EM field at a point where the output terminals are no longer covered by the shield. The gate driver switches large currents (e.g., such as 5A to 15A) through these exposed terminals. The large currents switched are usually larger in magnitude than the EM induced current. The gate driver can overdrive the induced current to maintain control of the FET. The gate driver and the high side of the FET may share a common ground and gate control signal trace, both of which may be susceptible to coupled currents.

[0045] The gate driver can turn on low resistance switches to source and sink gate current. Sometimes a series resistor can be added to limit the gate current. The switched gate current can be greater than the coupling current in order to maintain control of their respective FETs.

[0046] The gate driver may be able to sense the FET operating voltage or current in order to provide feedback and react to faults. An overcurrent fault may typically be detected by sensing the FET drain to source voltage and comparing the sensed voltage to a reference value. The sensed voltage may be heavily filtered to reject coupled currents. Filtering may slow the response to a fault condition, causing a delay in response. For example, the rate of current increase due to a low resistance short may reach damaging levels before being detected by a heavily filtered drain to source voltage detection strategy. The resulting short may damage the FET or the vehicle before being detected and cut off.

[0047] According to one or more embodiments, a FET driver circuit may provide fast overcurrent detection by shunt current sensing, or by diverting a portion of the load current through a parallel FET that may have a current sensing circuit. Utilizing either strategy may require a "point of use IC" in which the sensing circuit is very close to the FET. Even if the point of use IC and the remote controller are resistant to EM fields, the communication between the point of use IC and the remote controller is still susceptible to induced currents. Point of use ICs have been implemented in low EM field applications, such as smart FETs for automotive applications. However, point of use ICs have not yet been used in high EM field applications. High EM fields can be fields that (i) induce a current within the IC that exceeds the operating current of the IC and causes a malfunction, or (ii) induce a differential voltage within the IC that exceeds the operating differential voltage and causes a malfunction. High EM fields can be, for example, fields greater than about 10A or about 100V.

[0048] One or more embodiments may provide a reduction in switching power losses and EMI pollution caused by high frequency drain-source voltage ringing and drain current ringing. The switching power loss may be proportional to the magnitude of the gate drive current flowing into the gate terminal of the power device. A higher gate drive current may cause a higher amplitude of drain-source voltage ringing and drain current ringing. A higher gate drive current may cause higher power device switching losses. Lower power loop and bus stray inductance may cause faster power device switching times so that the power device can be turned on and off to reduce switching power losses.

[0049] One or more embodiments may provide a method for reducing the negative effects of busbar stray inductance with a safe switching response time, which may reduce switching time and thus switching power losses. One or more embodiments may reduce high frequency ringing of voltage and current at the terminals of a power device, which may enable faster switching and reduce switching power losses. One or more embodiments may reduce the cost of cooling the power device and associated systems. One or more embodiments may reduce EMI pollution of a power device. One or more embodiments may reduce switching power losses. One or more embodiments may reduce EMI pollution due to noisy switching events of a power device. One or more embodiments may enable integration of a gate driver into a power device, which may increase reliability. One or more embodiments may reduce the size of a power module. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0051] Figure 1 An exemplary system infrastructure for a vehicle including a combined inverter and converter according to one or more embodiments is depicted. In the context of the present disclosure, the combined inverter and converter may be referred to as an inverter. Figure 1As shown, the electric vehicle 100 may include an inverter 110, a motor 190, and a battery 195. The inverter 110 may include a component for receiving electric power from an external source and outputting electric power to charge the battery 195 of the electric vehicle 100. For example, the inverter 110 may convert DC power from the battery 195 in the electric vehicle 100 into AC power to drive the motor 190 of the electric vehicle 100, but the embodiment is not limited thereto. For example, the inverter 110 may be bidirectional and may convert DC power into AC power, or convert AC power into DC power, such as during regenerative braking. The inverter 110 may be a three-phase inverter, a single-phase inverter, or a multi-phase inverter.

[0052] Figure 2 Depicted is a method for providing a point-of-use switching controller according to one or more embodiments. Figure 1 The electric vehicle 100 may include an inverter 110, a motor 190, and a battery 195. The inverter 110 may include an inverter controller 300 ( Figure 3 14). The inverter 110 may include a low voltage upper phase controller 120 separated from a high voltage upper phase controller 130 by an electrical isolator 150, and an upper phase power module 140. The upper phase power module 140 may include a point-of-use upper phase controller 142 and an upper phase switch 144. The inverter 110 may include a low voltage lower phase controller 125 separated from a high voltage lower phase controller 135 by an electrical isolator 150, and a lower phase power module 145. The lower phase power module 145 may include a point-of-use lower phase controller 146 and a lower phase switch 148. The upper phase switch 144 and the lower phase switch 148 may be connected to a motor 190 and a battery 195. The electrical isolator 150 may be one or more of optical, converter-based, or capacitor-based isolation. For example, the electrical isolator 150 may be one or more capacitors having a value from about 20 fF to about 100 fF, having a breakdown voltage from about 6 kV to about 12 kV. The electrical isolator 150 may include a pair of capacitors, wherein one capacitor in the pair carries a complementary or 180 degree phase shifted data signal from the other capacitor in the pair to form a differential signal that is rejected for common mode noise. The electrical isolator 150 may include more than one capacitor in series. The electrical isolator 150 may include one capacitor located on a first IC, or may include a first capacitor located on a first IC and a second capacitor located on a second IC that communicates with the first IC.

[0053] The inverter 110 may include a low voltage region (e.g., where the voltage is typically less than 5V) and a high voltage region (e.g., where the voltage may exceed 500V). The low voltage region may be separated from the high voltage region by an electrical isolator 150. The inverter controller 300 may be in the low voltage region of the inverter 110, and may send a signal to and receive a signal from the low voltage upper phase controller 120. The low voltage upper phase controller 120 may be in the low voltage region of the inverter 110, and may send a signal to and receive a signal from the high voltage upper phase controller 130. The low voltage upper phase controller 120 may send a signal to and receive a signal from the low voltage lower phase controller 125. The high voltage upper phase controller 130 may be in the high voltage region of the inverter 110. Therefore, the signal between the low voltage upper phase controller 120 and the high voltage upper phase controller 130 passes through the electrical isolator 150. The high voltage upper phase controller 130 may send signals to and receive signals from a point-of-use upper phase controller 142 in the upper phase power module 140. The point-of-use upper phase controller 142 may send signals to and receive signals from an upper phase switch 144. The upper phase switch 144 may be connected to a motor 190 and a battery 195. For example, the upper phase switch 144 and the lower phase switch 148 may be used to transfer energy from the motor 190 to the battery 195, from the battery 195 to the motor 190, from an external source to the battery 195, or from the battery 195 to an external source. The lower phase system of the inverter 110 may be similar to the upper phase system described above.

[0054] Figure 3 Describes a method for Figure 2 FIG. 3 is an exemplary system infrastructure of an inverter controller 300 . The inverter controller 300 may include one or more controllers.

[0055] The inverter controller 300 may include a set of instructions that can be executed to cause the inverter controller 300 to perform any one or more of the methods or computer-based functions disclosed herein. The inverter controller 300 may operate as a standalone device, or may be connected to other computer systems or peripheral devices, for example using a network.

[0056] In a networked deployment, the inverter controller 300 can operate in the capacity of a server, or as a client in a server-client user network environment, or as a peer computer system in a peer (or distributed) network environment. The inverter controller 300 can also be implemented as or incorporated into various devices, such as a personal computer (PC), a tablet PC, a set-top box (STB), a personal digital assistant (PDA), a mobile device, a palmtop computer, a laptop computer, a desktop computer, a communication device, a wireless phone, a landline phone, a control system, a camera, a scanner, a fax machine, a printer, a pager, a personal trusted device, a network device, a network router, a switch or bridge, or any other machine capable of executing a set of instructions (sequentially or otherwise) (the set of instructions specifies the actions to be taken by the machine). In a specific implementation, the inverter controller 300 can be implemented using an electronic device that provides voice, video or data communication. Further, although the inverter controller 300 is illustrated as a single system, the term “system” should also be understood to include any collection of systems or subsystems that individually or jointly execute one or more sets of instructions to perform one or more computer functions.

[0057] like Figure 3 As shown, the inverter controller 300 may include a processor 302, such as a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), or both. The processor 302 may be a component in a variety of systems. For example, the processor 302 may be part of a standard inverter. The processor 302 may be one or more general-purpose processors, digital signal processors, application-specific integrated circuits, field programmable gate arrays, servers, networks, digital circuits, analog circuits, combinations thereof, or other devices now known or later developed for analyzing and processing data. The processor 302 may implement a software program, such as a manually generated (i.e., programmed) code.

[0058] The inverter controller 300 may include a memory 304 that can communicate via a bus 308. The memory 304 may be a main memory, a static memory, or a dynamic memory. The memory 304 may include, but is not limited to, computer-readable storage media, such as various types of volatile and non-volatile storage media, including but not limited to random access memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory, electrically programmable read-only memory, electrically erasable read-only memory, flash memory, tape or disk, optical media, etc. In one specific implementation, the memory 304 includes a cache or random access memory for the processor 302. In an alternative specific implementation, the memory 304 is separated from the processor 302, such as a cache memory, system memory, or other memory of the processor. The memory 304 may be an external storage device or database for storing data. Examples include a hard drive, a compact disk ("CD"), a digital video disk ("DVD"), a memory card, a memory stick, a floppy disk, a universal serial bus ("USB") storage device, or any other device operable to store data. The memory 304 is operable to store instructions that can be executed by the processor 302. The functions, actions, or tasks illustrated in the figures or described herein may be performed by the processor 302 executing instructions stored in the memory 304. The functions, actions, or tasks are not related to a particular type of instruction set, storage medium, processor, or processing strategy, and may be performed by software, hardware, integrated circuits, firmware, microcode, etc. operating alone or in combination. Likewise, processing strategies may include multi-processing, multi-tasking, parallel processing, etc.

[0059] As shown, the inverter controller 300 may further include a display 310, such as a liquid crystal display (LCD), an organic light emitting diode (OLED), a flat panel display, a solid state display, a cathode ray tube (CRT), a projector, a printer, or other display devices known now or later developed for outputting the determined information. The display 310 may serve as an interface for a user to view the operation of the processor 302, or specifically serve as an interface with the software stored in the memory 304 or in the drive unit 306.

[0060] Additionally or alternatively, the inverter controller 300 may include an input device 312 configured to allow a user to interact with any of the components of the inverter controller 300. The input device 312 may be a numeric keypad, a keyboard or a cursor control device (such as a mouse or a joystick), a touch screen display, a remote control, or any other device operable to interact with the inverter controller 300.

[0061] The inverter controller 300 may also or alternatively include a drive unit 306 implemented as a disk or optical drive. The drive unit 306 may include a computer-readable medium 322 in which one or more sets of instructions 324 (e.g., software) may be embedded. Further, the instructions 324 may embody one or more of the methods or logics described herein. The instructions 324 may reside completely or partially within the memory 304 and / or within the processor 302 during execution by the inverter controller 300. The memory 304 and the processor 302 may also include computer-readable media as described above.

[0062] In some systems, the computer-readable medium 322 includes instructions 324 or receives and executes instructions 324 in response to a propagated signal, so that a device connected to the network 370 can transmit voice, video, audio, images, or any other data through the network 370. Further, the instructions 324 can be transmitted or received through the network 370 and / or using the bus 308 via the communication port or interface 320. The communication port or interface 320 can be part of the processor 302 or can be an independent component. The communication port or interface 320 can be formed in software or can be a physical connector in hardware. The communication port or interface 320 can be configured to connect to the network 370, external media, display 310, or any other component in the inverter controller 300, or a combination thereof. The connection to the network 370 can be a physical connection (such as a wired Ethernet connection) or can be established wirelessly, as described below. Similarly, additional connections to other components of the inverter controller 300 can be physical connections or can be established wirelessly. The network 370 can alternatively be directly connected to the bus 308.

[0063] Although the computer-readable medium 322 is shown as a single medium, the term "computer-readable medium" may include a single medium or multiple media (such as a centralized or distributed database and / or associated caches and servers) that store one or more sets of instructions. The term "computer-readable medium" may also include any medium capable of storing, encoding, or carrying a set of instructions for execution by a processor or causing a computer system to perform any one or more of the methods or operations disclosed herein. The computer-readable medium 322 may be non-transitory and may be tangible.

[0064] Computer readable medium 322 may include solid-state memory, such as a memory card or other package that accommodates one or more non-volatile read-only memories. Computer readable medium 322 may be random access memory or other volatile rewritable memory. Additionally or alternatively, computer readable medium 322 may include magneto-optical or optical media, such as a disk or tape or other storage device for capturing carrier signals (such as signals transmitted through a transmission medium). Digital file attachments to emails or other self-contained information archives or archive sets may be considered distribution media as tangible storage media. Therefore, the present disclosure is considered to include any one or more of computer-readable media or distribution media and other equivalents and successor media in which data or instructions may be stored.

[0065] In alternative implementations, dedicated hardware implementations (such as application specific integrated circuits, programmable logic arrays, and other hardware devices) may be constructed to implement one or more of the methods described herein. Applications that may include the apparatus and systems of various implementations may broadly include a variety of electronic and computer systems. One or more implementations described herein may use two or more specific interconnected hardware modules or devices with associated control and data signals that may be transmitted between and through the modules or as part of an application specific integrated circuit to implement functionality. Thus, the present system encompasses software, firmware, and hardware implementations.

[0066] The inverter controller 300 may be connected to a network 370. The network 370 may define one or more networks, including wired or wireless networks. The wireless network may be a cellular telephone network, an 802.11, 802.16, 802.20, or WiMAX network. Further, such networks may include public networks (such as the Internet), private networks (such as intranets), or combinations thereof and may utilize a variety of networking protocols that are now available or later developed, including but not limited to TCP / IP-based networking protocols. The network 370 may include a wide area network (WAN) (such as the Internet), a local area network (LAN), a campus area network, a metropolitan area network, a direct connection (such as through a universal serial bus (USB) port), or any other network that allows data communication. The network 370 may be configured to couple one computing device to another computing device to enable data communication between devices. The network 370 may generally be enabled to use any form of machine-readable media to transmit information from one device to another. The network 370 may include a communication method by which information can travel between computing devices. The network 370 may be divided into subnetworks. A subnetwork may allow access to all other components connected to it, or a subnetwork may restrict access between components. Network 370 may be considered a public or private network connection and may include, for example, a virtual private network or encryption or other security mechanisms employed over the public Internet.

[0067] According to various implementations of the present disclosure, the methods described herein may be implemented by a software program that can be executed by a computer system. Further, in an exemplary non-limiting implementation, the implementation may include distributed processing, component or object distributed processing, and parallel processing. Alternatively, a virtual computer system process may be constructed to implement one or more of the methods or functionalities described herein.

[0068] Although this specification describes components and functions that can be implemented in a specific implementation with reference to specific standards and protocols, the present disclosure is not limited to such standards and protocols. For example, standards for Internet and other packet-switched network transmissions (e.g., TCP / IP, UDP / IP, HTML, HTTP) represent examples of the prior art. Such standards are periodically replaced by faster or more efficient equivalents having substantially the same functionality. Therefore, alternative standards and protocols having the same or similar functionality as those disclosed herein are considered equivalents thereof.

[0069] It will be appreciated that, in one embodiment, the operations of the methods discussed are performed by an appropriate processor (or processors) of a processing (i.e., computer) system executing instructions (computer readable code) stored in a storage device. It will also be appreciated that the present disclosure is not limited to any particular implementation or programming technique, and that the present disclosure may be implemented using any suitable technique for implementing the functionality described herein. The present disclosure is not limited to any particular programming language or operating system.

[0070] Figure 4 Describes a method for Figure 2 An exemplary system infrastructure of a point-of-use switching controller. For a three-phase inverter, each of the upper phase and the lower phase may include three phases related to phases A, B, and C. For example, the upper phase power module 140 may include an upper phase power module 140A for upper phase A, an upper phase power module 140B for upper phase B, and an upper phase power module 140C for upper phase C. The upper phase power module 140A may include a point-of-use upper phase A controller 142A and an upper phase A switching element 144A. The upper phase power module 140B may include a point-of-use upper phase B controller 142B and an upper phase B switching element 144B. The upper phase power module 140C may include a point-of-use upper phase C controller 142C and an upper phase C switching element 144C. Each of the upper phase A switching member 144A, the upper phase B switching member 144B, and the upper phase C switching member 144C may be connected to the motor 190 and the battery 195 . Figure 4 Details of the upper phase power module 140 are depicted. Although not shown, the lower phase power module 145 may include a similar structure as the upper phase power module 140 for the lower phases A, B, and C.

[0071] Figure 5 Describes a method for Figure 4 Example system infrastructure for the upper power module. For example, Figure 5 Additional details of upper phase power module 140A are provided. Although not shown, upper phase power module 140B, upper phase power module 140C, and respective lower phase power modules of lower phase power module 145 may include components related to Figure 5 The upper phase power module 140A shown in FIG. 1 is similar in structure to the upper phase power module 140A shown in FIG. 1. In addition, the terms "upper", "lower", "northern", and "southern" as used in this disclosure are used for reference only, do not limit the elements to a particular orientation, and are generally interchangeable throughout the text. For example, the upper phase power module 140 may be referred to as a lower phase power module, a northern phase power module, a southern phase power module, a first phase power module, or a second phase power module.

[0072] The upper phase power module 140A may include a point-of-use upper phase A controller 142A and an upper phase A switch 144A. The upper phase A switch 144A may include one or more sets of switches. Figure 5 As shown, the upper phase A switch 144A may include an upper phase A north switch 144A-N and an upper phase A south switch 144A-S. The point-of-use upper phase A controller 142A may include one or more memories, controllers, or sensors. For example, the point-of-use upper phase A controller 142A may include a communication manager 405, a functional safety controller 410, a test interface and controller 415, a north thermal sensor 420A, a south thermal sensor 420B, a self-test controller 425, a command manager 430, a waveform adjuster 435, a memory 440, a north switch control and diagnostic controller 450N, and a south switch control and diagnostic controller 450S. The point-of-use upper phase A controller 142A may include a controller 405, a functional safety controller 410, a test interface and controller 415, a north thermal sensor 420A, a south thermal sensor 420B, a self-test controller 425, a command manager 430, a waveform adjuster 435, a memory 440, a north switch control and diagnostic controller 450N, and a south switch control and diagnostic controller 450S. Figure 5 More or fewer components than those shown. For example, the point-of-use upper phase A controller 142A may include more or less than two switch controls and diagnostic controllers, and may include more than two thermal sensors.

[0073] The communication manager 405 may control inter-controller communications to and from the point-of-use upper phase A controller 142A and / or may control intra-controller communications between components of the point-of-use upper phase A controller 142A. The functional safety controller 410 may control safety functions of the point-of-use upper phase A controller 142A. For example, the test interface and controller 415 may control test functions of the point-of-use upper phase A controller 142A, such as end-of-line testing in manufacturing. The north thermal sensor 420A may sense the temperature at a first location in the point-of-use upper phase A controller 142A, and the south thermal sensor 420B may sense the temperature at a second location in the point-of-use upper phase A controller 142A. For example, the self-test controller 425 may control self-test functions of the point-of-use upper phase A controller 142A, such as during initialization of the point-of-use upper phase A controller 142A after an inverter 110 power-on event. The command manager 430 may control commands received from the communication manager 405 and issued to the north switch control and diagnostic controller 450N and the south switch control and diagnostic controller 450S. The waveform adjuster 435 may control the waveform timing and shape of the commands received from the communication manager 405 and issued to the north switch control and diagnostic controller 450N and the south switch control and diagnostic controller 450S. The memory 440 may include one or more volatile and non-volatile storage media for the operation of the point-of-use upper phase A controller 142A. The north switch control and diagnostic controller 450N may send one or more signals to the north switch 144A-N to control the operation of the north switch 144A-N, and may receive one or more signals from the north switch 144A-N that provide information about the north switch 144A-N. The south switch control and diagnostic controller 450S may send one or more signals to the south switches 144A-S to control the operation of the south switches 144A-S, and may receive one or more signals from the south switches 144A-S providing information about the south switches 144A-S. As described above, the terms "north" and "south" are used for reference only, and the north switch control and diagnostic controller 450N may send one or more signals to the south switches 144A-S, and the south switch control and diagnostic controller 450S may send one or more signals to the south switches 144A-N.

[0074] Figure 6 Depicted is an exemplary electrical schematic for a system including local high voltage decoupling capacitors for power device switches according to one or more embodiments.

[0075] like Figure 6As shown, for example, phase driver system 600 may include high voltage circuits for an inverter (such as inverter 110). For example, phase driver system 600 may convert DC power from battery 674 and battery 676 into AC power to drive a motor, such as motor 190. Battery 674 and battery 676 are represented as two power sources, but may also be one or more power sources. For example, battery 674 and battery 676 may be specific implementations of battery 195. For a three-phase motor, phase driver system 600 may provide three-phase outputs as phase A connector 632 (Ph-A), phase B connector 634 (Ph-B), and phase C connector 636 (Ph-C). For each phase of the three-phase system, phase driver system 600 may include an upper "H" phase and a lower "L" phase. As shown Figure 6 As shown, the phase driver system 600 may include a decoupling capacitor phase A capacitor 638 (C A ), Phase B capacitor 640 (C B ) and phase C capacitor 642 (C C ). The decoupling capacitor value may be greater than the maximum output capacitance of the parallel power switch by at least an order of magnitude. The voltage rating of the decoupling capacitor may be at least the value of the battery voltage amplitude. Figure 6 As shown, phase driver system 600 may include various electrical components and features.

[0076] For example, the phase A connection 632 may include an upper phase A gate driver 620 (GD1_H) for the upper phase A power switch, an upper phase A gate inductor 614 (Lg1_U), an upper phase A drain inductor 608 (Ld1_U), and an upper phase A source inductor 626 (Ls1_U). These inductors may be undesirable stray features of the system, such as from electrical traces connecting components of the inverter 110. These stray inductances exist in the system and can be reduced along with their impact on the performance of the inverter 110. The phase A connection 632 may include a lower phase A gate driver 656 (GD1_L) for the lower phase A power switch, a lower phase A gate inductor 650 (Lg1_L), a lower phase A drain inductor 644 (Ld1_L), and a lower phase A source inductor 662 (Ls1_L). Phase A connector 632 may include a phase A capacitor 638 (C ) electrically connected between the positive terminal of battery 674 and the negative terminal of battery 676. A ).like Figure 6 As shown, the phase A capacitor 638 (C A ) may be electrically connected in parallel with the phase A connector 632 and the associated components described above. The phase A connector 632 may include an upper phase A series inductor 602 (Ldb_1) and a lower phase A series inductor 668 (Lsb_1).

[0077] For example, the phase B connector 634 may include an upper phase B gate driver 622 (GD2_H) for the upper phase B power switch, an upper phase B gate inductor 616 (Lg2_U), an upper phase B drain inductor 610 (Ld2_U), and an upper phase B source inductor 628 (Ls2_U). The phase B connector 634 may include a lower phase B gate driver 658 (GD2_L) for the lower phase B power switch, a lower phase B gate inductor 652 (Lg2_L), a lower phase B drain inductor 646 (Ld2_L), and a lower phase B source inductor 664 (Ls2_L). The phase B connector 634 may include a phase B capacitor 640 (C ) electrically connected between the positive terminal of the battery 674 and the negative terminal of the battery 676. B ).like Figure 6 As shown, the phase B capacitor 640 (C B ) may be electrically connected in parallel with the phase B connector 634 and the associated components described above. The phase B connector 634 may include an upper phase B series inductor 604 (Ldb_2) and a lower phase B series inductor 670 (Lsb_2).

[0078] For example, the phase C connector 636 may include an upper phase C gate driver 624 (GD3_H) for the upper phase C power switch, an upper phase C gate inductor 618 (Lg3_U), an upper phase C drain inductor 612 (Ld3_U), and an upper phase C source inductor 630 (Ls3_U). The phase C connector 636 may include a lower phase C gate driver 660 (GD3_L) for the lower phase C power switch, a lower phase C gate inductor 654 (Lg3_L), a lower phase C drain inductor 648 (Ld3_L), and a lower phase C source inductor 666 (Ls3_L). The phase C connector 636 may include a phase C capacitor 642 (C ) electrically connected between the positive terminal of the battery 674 and the negative terminal of the battery 676. C ).like Figure 6 As shown, the phase C capacitor 642 (C C ) may be electrically connected in parallel with the phase C connector 636 and the associated components described above. The phase C connector 636 may include an upper phase C series inductor 606 (Ldb_3) and a lower phase C series inductor 672 (Lsb_3).

[0079] Phase A capacitor 638, phase B capacitor 640 and phase C capacitor 642 may be provided independently of the corresponding power module including the phase power switching element. The terminals of each of these capacitors may be connected as close as possible to the corresponding drain terminal of the upper phase power switching element and the source terminal of the lower phase power switching element in each corresponding phase. Phase A capacitor 638, phase B capacitor 640 and phase C capacitor 642 may be arranged on or integrated into the corresponding power module including the phase power switching element. For example, phase A capacitor 638 may be integrated into a phase A power module having an upper phase A power switching element and a lower phase A power switching element. For example, phase A capacitor 638 may be electrically connected to the negative battery side sheet of the phase A power module and the positive battery side sheet of the phase A power module. The physical position of phase A capacitor 638 may be set to minimize the stray inductance between the terminals of the capacitor and the corresponding terminals of the power device. One or more of the upper phase A power switching element or the lower phase A power switching element may include silicon carbide grains. Phase B and Phase C components may be similar to Phase A components.

[0080] The phase driver system 600 may include a bulk capacitor 678, an upper capacitor 680, and a lower capacitor 682. There may be only one bulk capacitor 678 serving all three phases of the inverter 110, which may be configured to store and deliver energy. The bulk capacitor 678 may not exhibit an acceptable high frequency response. The bulk capacitor 678 may occupy more than half of the volume of the inverter 110 and may have a value of hundreds of microfarads. The operation of the gate driver and phase switching components of the phase driver system 600 may be similar to the operation described above for the inverter 110.

[0081] The phase driver system 600 may have a resonant frequency (fr) according to the equation fr=1 / (2π√(effective inductance×effective capacitance)). For the phase A connection 632, for example, the effective inductance may be equal to the sum of the upper phase A drain inductance 608, the upper phase A source inductance 626, the lower phase A drain inductance 644, and the lower phase A source inductance 662. For the phase A connection 632, for example, the effective capacitance may be equal to the sum of the output capacitance of the upper and lower phase A switching elements (i.e., gate-to-drain capacitance+drain-to-source capacitance) and the capacitance of the phase A capacitor 638. The output capacitance of the phase switching element Can be considered as three highly nonlinear and voltage-dependent inherent capacitors associated with each of the upper and lower phase switches. The effective lumped capacitance of the upper phase switch is connected in series with the effective lumped capacitance of the lower phase switch and in parallel with the decoupling capacitors. Based on the above equation, an example resonant frequency (fr) of the phase A connector 632 can be approximately 2 MHz, which has only Vds ringing. For comparison, an example resonant frequency (fr) of the equivalent phase A connector 632 without the phase A capacitor 638 can be approximately 25 MHz, which has both Vds ringing and Ids ringing.

[0082] Figure 7 An exemplary graph 700 of a system without a local high voltage decoupling capacitor for a power device switch according to one or more embodiments is depicted. As shown in the VGS_L graph 710, the lower phase switch can be turned on and off, as indicated by the gate-to-source voltage increasing from an off voltage of approximately -4V to an on voltage of approximately 14V and decreasing back to an off voltage of approximately -4V. As shown in the VDS graph 720, the switching can cause high frequency ringing of the drain-to-source voltage of both the upper and lower phase switches, wherein the upper phase switch drain-to-source voltage (Vds_U) exhibits significant ringing. As shown in the IDS_L graph 730, the switching can also cause significant high frequency ringing of the drain-to-source current Ids_L of the lower phase switch. As shown in the graph 740, the lower phase switch can induce significant switching losses (i.e., approximately 40mJ) at both the turn-on and turn-off events.

[0083] Figure 8An exemplary graph 800 of a system with a local high voltage decoupling capacitor for a power device switch according to one or more embodiments is depicted. As shown in the VGS_L graph 810, the lower phase switch can be turned on and off, as indicated by the gate-to-source voltage increasing from an off voltage of approximately -4V to an on voltage of approximately 14V and decreasing back to an off voltage of approximately -4V. As shown in the VDS graph 820, the switching can cause much less ringing of the drain-to-source voltage of both the upper and lower phase switches compared to the ringing shown in the VDS graph 720. As shown in the IDS_L graph 830, the switching can also cause much less ringing of the drain-to-source current Ids_L of the lower phase switch. As shown in the graph 840, the lower phase switch can induce lower switching losses (i.e., approximately 16mJ compared to 40mJ of the graph 740) at both the turn-on and turn-off events.

[0084] One or more embodiments may provide a reduction in switching power losses and EMI pollution caused by high frequency drain-source voltage ringing and drain current ringing. One or more embodiments may provide a method for reducing the negative effects of busbar stray inductance with a safe switching response time, which may reduce switching time and thus reduce switching power losses. One or more embodiments may reduce high frequency ringing of voltage and current at the terminals of a power device, which may enable faster switching and reduce switching power losses. One or more embodiments may reduce the cost of power devices and associated system cooling. One or more embodiments may reduce EMI pollution of power devices. One or more embodiments may reduce switching power losses. One or more embodiments may reduce EMI pollution due to noisy switching events of power devices. One or more embodiments may enable integration of gate drivers into power devices, which may increase reliability. One or more embodiments may reduce the size of power modules.

[0085] Other embodiments of the disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein. It is intended that the specification and examples be considered exemplary only, with the true scope and spirit of the invention being indicated by the following claims.

Claims

1. A system comprising: An inverter configured to convert DC power from a battery into AC power to drive a motor, wherein the inverter comprises: a first decoupling capacitor configured to be connected to a positive connection of the battery and a negative connection of the battery; and A first power module, wherein the first power module comprises: a first upper phase switch configured to control a first upper phase current between the positive connection of the battery and a first phase connection of the motor, and A first lower phase switch is configured to control a first lower phase current between a negative terminal connection of the battery and the first phase connection of the motor. 2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein one or more of the first upper phase switch or the first lower phase switch comprises one or more silicon carbide grains. 3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the first power module comprises the first decoupling capacitor integrated on the first power module.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the first power module further comprises: One or more first controllers configured to operate one or more of the first upper phase switch or the first lower phase switch.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the inverter further comprises: A bulk capacitor is configured to be connected to the positive connector of the battery and the negative connector of the battery.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the inverter further comprises: a second decoupling capacitor configured to be connected to a positive connection of the battery and a negative connection of the battery; as well as A second power module, wherein the second power module comprises: a second upper phase switch configured to control a second upper phase current between the positive connection of the battery and a second phase connection of the motor, and A second lower phase switch is configured to control a second lower phase current between the negative electrode connector of the battery and the second phase connector of the motor.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the inverter further comprises: a third decoupling capacitor configured to be connected to a positive connection of the battery and a negative connection of the battery; as well as A third power module, the third power module comprising: a third upper phase switch configured to control a third upper phase current between the positive connection of the battery and a third phase connection of the motor, and A third lower phase switch is configured to control a third lower phase current between the negative electrode connector of the battery and the third phase connector of the motor.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising: the battery, the battery being configured to supply the DC power to the inverter; as well as The motor is configured to receive the AC power from the inverter to drive the motor.

9. A system comprising: An inverter configured to convert DC power from a battery into AC power to drive a motor, wherein the inverter comprises: a bulk capacitor configured to be connected to the positive connector of the battery and the negative connector of the battery; a first phase power module configured to control a first current between the positive connector of the battery, the negative connector of the battery, and a first phase connector of the motor; a first decoupling capacitor configured to be connected to the positive connector of the battery and the negative connector of the battery; a second phase power module configured to control a second current between the positive connector of the battery, the negative connector of the battery, and a second phase connector of the motor; a second decoupling capacitor configured to be connected to the positive connector of the battery and the negative connector of the battery; a third phase power module configured to control a third current between the positive connector of the battery, the negative connector of the battery, and a third phase connector of the motor; and A third decoupling capacitor is configured to be connected to the positive connection of the battery and the negative connection of the battery.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein the first phase power module includes the first decoupling capacitor on the first phase power module, wherein the second phase power module includes the second decoupling capacitor on the second phase power module, and The third phase power module includes the third decoupling capacitor on the third phase power module.

11. The system according to claim 9, The first power module includes one or more first phase switching elements and one or more first phase controllers, wherein the one or more first phase controllers are configured to operate the one or more first phase switching elements. The second power module includes one or more second phase switching elements and one or more second phase controllers, wherein the one or more second phase controllers are configured to operate the one or more second phase switching elements, and The third power module includes one or more third phase switching elements and one or more third phase controllers, and the one or more third phase controllers are configured to operate the one or more third phase switching elements.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the one or more first phase switching elements include one or more silicon carbide grains, wherein the one or more second phase switching elements include one or more silicon carbide grains, and The one or more third phase switching elements include one or more silicon carbide grains.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the first decoupling capacitor, the second decoupling capacitor, and the third decoupling capacitor are configured to reduce high frequency ringing of switching events of the first phase power module, the second phase power module, and the third phase power module, respectively, relative to an inverter without the first decoupling capacitor, the second decoupling capacitor, and the third decoupling capacitor.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the first decoupling capacitor, the second decoupling capacitor, and the third decoupling capacitor are configured to reduce switching losses of the first phase power module, the second phase power module, and the third phase power module, respectively, relative to an inverter without the first decoupling capacitor, the second decoupling capacitor, and the third decoupling capacitor.

15. A system comprising: A power module, the power module being for an inverter configured to be connected to a DC power source, the power module comprising: one or more power switches configured to control current flow between the first connector of the DC power source, the second connector of the DC power source, and the AC connector; and An integrated decoupling capacitor is configured to be connected to the first connection of the DC power source and the second connection of the DC power source.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the one or more power switching elements comprise one or more silicon carbide grains.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the power module includes the integrated decoupling capacitor on the power module.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the power module comprises the integrated decoupling capacitor, the integrated decoupling capacitor connected to a DC first connection plate of the power module and a DC second connection plate of the power module.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the integrated decoupling capacitor is configured to reduce high frequency ringing of the one or more power switches relative to a power module without a decoupling capacitor.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the power module further comprises: One or more first controllers are configured to operate the one or more power switches.

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