CN-122026775-A - Inverter driving device, inverter control method, and vehicle including inverter driving device

Abstract

The invention relates to an inverter driving device, an inverter control method, and a vehicle including the inverter driving device. The inverter driving apparatus is capable of solving current imbalance of power modules having different threshold voltages of an inverter including a plurality of power modules connected in parallel. The inverter driving apparatus includes a gate driver configured to output a gate voltage to a plurality of power modules and monitor threshold voltages of the plurality of power modules, and a controller configured to output a pulse width modulation signal (PWM) to the gate driver in response to an instruction input from the outside and output a voltage control signal to the gate driver based on the threshold voltages. The gate driver may be configured to output the gate voltage based on a feedback gate voltage including feedback for the gate voltage, the PWM signal, and the voltage control signal.

Inventors

• Wen Taijun
• CUI HAOLIN
• JIANG ZHENXU
• Yu Tailian
• Yu Taiyi
• Pu Shangyou

Assignees

• 现代自动车株式会社
• 起亚株式会社

Dates

Publication Date

20260512

Application Date

20250619

Priority Date

20241111

Claims (20)

1. 1. An apparatus for driving an inverter including a plurality of power modules connected in parallel, the apparatus comprising: A gate driver configured to output a gate voltage to the plurality of power modules and monitor a threshold voltage of each of the plurality of power modules, and A controller configured to output a pulse width modulation signal to the gate driver in response to an instruction input from the upper controller, and output a voltage control signal to the gate driver based on a threshold voltage of each of the plurality of power modules; Wherein the gate driver is configured to output a gate voltage based on a feedback gate voltage, the feedback gate voltage including feedback for the gate voltage, a pulse width modulation signal, and a voltage control signal.
2. 2. The apparatus for driving an inverter of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to: determining a delay time based on a threshold voltage of each of the plurality of power modules; determining a gate voltage corresponding to the delay time, and A voltage control signal corresponding to the gate voltage is output to the gate driver.
3. 3. The apparatus for driving an inverter according to claim 2, wherein, The controller is configured to determine a delay time based on a slope characteristic of a gate-source voltage of the power module.
4. 4. The apparatus for driving an inverter according to claim 3, wherein, The controller is configured to determine a delay time based on the following equation; where Vth1 is the first threshold voltage of the first power module, vth2 is the second threshold voltage of the second power module, dVgs/dt is the current flowing through the gate resistor Rg.
5. 5. The apparatus for driving an inverter according to claim 3, wherein, The controller is configured to determine a delay time corresponding to a threshold voltage of each of the plurality of power modules based on a table configured to delay times for each threshold voltage.
6. 6. The apparatus for driving an inverter according to claim 1, wherein, The gate driver includes a gate voltage generation circuit configured to: Receiving a pulse width modulation signal and a voltage control signal; receiving an input of a feedback gate voltage; The gate voltage is output.
7. 7. The apparatus for driving an inverter according to claim 6, wherein, The gate voltage generation circuit includes: a source voltage generation circuit configured to: receiving a voltage control signal; receiving an input of a feedback gate voltage; changing the feedback gate voltage according to the voltage control signal to output a pulse width modulated source voltage; A pulse width modulated voltage generation circuit configured to: receiving a pulse width modulation signal; Receiving an input of a pulse width modulated source voltage, and Changing a pulse width modulation source voltage according to the pulse width modulation signal to output a pulse width modulation voltage, and A gate voltage output circuit configured to: Receiving a pulse width modulation voltage; The gate voltage is output based on the pulse width modulated voltage.
8. 8. The apparatus for driving an inverter according to claim 7, wherein, The source voltage generation circuit includes a source voltage output circuit disposed between an input terminal and ground and connected to the input terminal and ground, the source voltage generation circuit configured to output a pulse width modulated source voltage in response to a voltage control signal, the feedback gate voltage being input to the input terminal.
9. 9. The apparatus for driving an inverter according to claim 8, wherein: The source voltage output circuit includes a plurality of voltage distribution resistors, at least one voltage distribution switch, an output terminal, and at least one output node connected to the output terminal; The source voltage output circuit is configured to output a voltage assigned to the at least one output node as a pulse width modulated source voltage according to a state of the at least one voltage distribution switch.
10. 10. The apparatus for driving an inverter according to claim 9, wherein, The at least one voltage distribution switch is turned on or off based on a voltage control signal.
11. 11. The apparatus for driving an inverter according to claim 1, wherein, The gate driver includes a threshold voltage monitoring circuit configured to: Monitoring threshold voltages of the plurality of power modules; converting the monitored threshold voltage into a digital signal; the digital signal is provided to a controller.
12. 12. The apparatus for driving an inverter according to claim 11, wherein, The threshold voltage monitoring circuit is configured to monitor a voltage of a gate resistor disposed between and connected to the gate driver and the gate terminal of each of the plurality of power modules in a state in which a switching element disposed between and connected to the gate terminal and the drain terminal of each of the plurality of power modules is closed.
13. 13. The apparatus for driving an inverter according to claim 11, wherein, The inverter includes a plurality of module groups including a plurality of power modules connected in parallel; The gate driver is connected to each of a plurality of module groups; The threshold voltage monitoring circuit of the gate driver is configured to monitor threshold voltages of a plurality of power modules in a plurality of module groups.
14. 14. A method for controlling an inverter comprising a plurality of power modules connected in parallel, the method comprising: Outputting, by a gate driver, a gate voltage to the plurality of power modules under control of the controller, and monitoring a threshold voltage of each of the plurality of power modules; Outputting, by the controller, a pulse width modulation signal to the gate driver in response to an instruction input from the upper controller; outputting, by the controller, a voltage control signal to the gate driver based on a threshold voltage of each of the plurality of power modules; The gate voltage is output by the gate driver based on the pulse width modulated signal, the voltage control signal, and a feedback gate voltage, the feedback gate voltage including feedback for the gate voltage.
15. 15. The method of claim 14, further comprising: Determining, by the controller, a delay time based on a threshold voltage of each of the plurality of power modules; determining, by the controller, a gate voltage corresponding to the delay time; The controller outputs a voltage control signal corresponding to the gate voltage to the gate driver.
16. 16. The method of claim 14, further comprising: Monitoring, by a threshold monitoring circuit, threshold voltages of the plurality of power modules; converting, by the threshold monitoring circuit, the monitored threshold voltage into a digital signal; the digital signal is provided to a controller.
17. 17. The method of claim 16, further comprising: The voltage of a gate resistor disposed between and connected to the gate driver and the gate terminal of each of the plurality of power modules is monitored by the threshold voltage monitoring circuit in a state in which a switching element disposed between and connected to the gate terminal and the drain terminal of each of the plurality of power modules is closed.
18. 18. The method of claim 16, wherein the inverter comprises a plurality of module groups including a plurality of power modules connected in parallel; The gate driver is connected to each of a plurality of module groups; The threshold voltage monitoring circuit of the gate driver is configured to monitor threshold voltages of a plurality of power modules in a plurality of module groups.
19. 19. A vehicle including an inverter including a plurality of power modules connected in parallel, and an inverter driving device for controlling the inverter, wherein the inverter driving device includes: A gate driver configured to output a gate voltage to the plurality of power modules and monitor a threshold voltage of each of the plurality of power modules, and A controller configured to output a pulse width modulation signal to the gate driver in response to an instruction input from the upper controller, and output a voltage control signal to the gate driver based on a threshold voltage of each of the plurality of power modules; Wherein the gate driver is configured to output a gate voltage based on a feedback gate voltage, the feedback gate voltage including feedback for the gate voltage, a pulse width modulation signal, and a voltage control signal.
20. 20. The vehicle of claim 19, wherein the gate driver comprises a threshold voltage monitoring circuit configured to: Monitoring threshold voltages of the plurality of power modules; converting the monitored threshold voltage into a digital signal; the digital signal is provided to a controller.

Description

Inverter driving device, inverter control method, and vehicle including inverter driving device Technical Field The present invention relates to inverter control, and more particularly, to an inverter driving apparatus, an inverter control method, and a vehicle including the inverter driving apparatus, which are capable of solving current imbalance of power modules having different threshold voltages of an inverter including a plurality of power modules connected in parallel. Background An inverter implemented in a vehicle may be used to drive a motor by converting a direct-current voltage of a high-voltage battery into an alternating-current voltage. The inverter may include a plurality of power modules connected in parallel, and may operate according to a control signal (or control voltage) output from the gate driver. The gate driver may output a control signal to gate terminals of the plurality of power modules in response to a Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) signal provided from the controller, and the plurality of power modules may be turned on or off in response to the control signal of the gate driver. In the structure of an inverter in which a plurality of power modules are connected in parallel, current unbalance may cause damage to the power modules. The current imbalance may be fully accounted for in the design phase and corrected after the problem is identified, but the current imbalance problem caused by the threshold voltage distribution of the power module is difficult to identify and difficult to manage. Accordingly, there is a need for a solution that can solve the problem of current imbalance caused by threshold voltage distribution of a power module. The foregoing description as background is only for the purpose of aiding in the understanding of the background of the invention and is not intended to imply that the invention falls within the scope of the related art known to those skilled in the art. Disclosure of Invention The embodiments disclosed in the present invention are made in view of the above-described need, and the present invention provides an inverter driving device, an inverter control method, and a vehicle including the inverter driving device, which are capable of solving current imbalance of power modules having different threshold voltages of an inverter including a plurality of power modules connected in parallel. The present invention provides an inverter driving apparatus, an inverter control method, and a vehicle including the inverter driving apparatus, which are capable of solving a current imbalance of power modules having different threshold voltages by changing a gate voltage applied to the power modules according to the threshold voltages of the power modules. The technical subject matter to which the present invention relates is not limited to the above technical subject matter, and other technical subject matter not mentioned will be clearly understood from the following description by those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains. An inverter driving apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is an apparatus for driving an inverter including a plurality of power modules connected in parallel, and may include a gate driver configured to output a gate voltage to the plurality of power modules and monitor threshold voltages of the plurality of power modules, and a controller configured to output a pulse width modulation signal (PWM) to the gate driver in response to an instruction input from the outside and to output a voltage control signal to the gate driver based on the threshold voltages, and the gate driver may output the gate voltage based on a feedback gate voltage, the PWM signal, and the voltage control signal as feedback to the gate voltage. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the controller may determine a delay time based on a threshold voltage of each power module, determine a gate voltage corresponding to the delay time, and output a voltage control signal corresponding to the determined gate voltage to the gate driver. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the controller may determine the delay time based on a slope characteristic of the gate-source voltage of the power module. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the controller may determine the delay time based on the following equation 1. Equation 1: here, vth1 is a threshold voltage of the first power module, vth2 is a threshold voltage of the second power module, dVgs/dt is a current flowing through the gate resistor Rg. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the controller may determine the delay time corresponding to the threshold voltage based on a table configured as the delay time for each threshold voltage. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the gate driver may include a gate voltage generating circuit configured to receive the PWM signal and the voltage control signal,