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DE-102025121785-A1 - Inverter drive device, method for controlling the same, and vehicle comprising the same

DE102025121785A1DE 102025121785 A1DE102025121785 A1DE 102025121785A1DE-102025121785-A1

Abstract

An inverter drive device is capable of correcting current imbalances in power modules with different threshold voltages for an inverter with a plurality of parallel-connected power modules. The inverter drive device comprises a gate driver configured to output a gate voltage to the plurality of power modules and monitor their threshold voltages, and a controller configured to output a pulse-width modulation (PWM) signal to the gate driver in response to an external command input and to output a voltage control signal to the gate driver based on the threshold voltages. The gate driver can be configured to output the gate voltage based on a feedback gate voltage that provides feedback with respect to the gate voltage, the PWM signal, and the voltage control signal.

Inventors

  • Tae Jun Moon
  • Ho Rim CHOI
  • Jin Wook Kang
  • Tae Gyeom Woo
  • Tae Il Yoo
  • Sang Woo Park

Assignees

  • HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY
  • KIA CORPORATION

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20250604
Priority Date
20241111

Claims (20)

  1. A device for driving an inverter comprising a plurality of parallel-connected power modules, the device comprising: a gate driver configured to output a gate voltage to the plurality of power modules and to monitor a threshold voltage of each of the plurality of power modules; and a controller configured to output a pulse-width modulation (PWM) signal to the gate driver in response to a command input from a higher-level controller and to output a voltage control signal to the gate driver based on the threshold voltage of each of the plurality of power modules; wherein the gate driver is configured to output the gate voltage based on a feedback gate voltage that includes feedback with respect to the gate voltage, the PWM signal, and the voltage control signal.
  2. establishment according Claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to: determine a delay time based on the threshold voltage of each of the plurality of power modules; determine the gate voltage corresponding to the delay time; and output the voltage control signal corresponding to the gate voltage to the gate driver.
  3. establishment according Claim 2 , where the controller is configured to determine the delay time based on a slope characteristic of a gate-source voltage of the power module.
  4. establishment according Claim 3 , where the controller is configured to determine the delay time based on the following factors V e r z o ¨ g e r u n g = V t h 1 − V t h 2 d V g s / d t ( V t h 1 > V t h 2 ) , where Vth1 is a first threshold voltage of a first power module, Vth2 is a second threshold voltage of a second power module, and dVgs/dt is a current flowing through a gate resistor Rg.
  5. establishment according Claim 3 , wherein the controller is configured to determine the delay time corresponding to the threshold voltage of each of the multiple power modules, based on a table configured as delay times for each of the threshold voltages.
  6. establishment according Claim 1 , wherein the gate driver includes a gate voltage generation circuit configured to: receive the PWM signal and the voltage control signal; receive the feedback gate voltage input; and output the gate voltage.
  7. establishment according Claim 6 , wherein the gate voltage generation circuit comprises a source voltage generation circuit configured to: receive the voltage control signal; receive the feedback gate voltage input; and to change the feedback gate voltage according to the voltage control signal in order to output a PWM source voltage; a PWM voltage generation circuit that is configured to: receive the PWM signal; receive the input of the PWM source voltage; and change the PWM source voltage according to the PWM signal in order to output a PWM voltage; and a gate voltage output circuit that is configured to: receive the PWM voltage; and output the gate voltage based on the PWM voltage.
  8. establishment according Claim 7 , wherein the source voltage generation circuit comprises a source voltage output circuit arranged between and connected to an input terminal into which the feedback gate voltage is input, and ground, and wherein the source voltage generation circuit is configured to output the PWM source voltage in response to the voltage control signal.
  9. establishment according Claim 8 , wherein: the source voltage output circuit comprises 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; and the source voltage output circuit is configured to output a voltage distributed to the at least one output node as the PWM source voltage depending on a state of the at least one voltage distribution switch.
  10. establishment according Claim 9 , wherein at least one voltage distribution switch is switched on or off based on the voltage control signal.
  11. establishment according Claim 1 , wherein the gate driver includes a threshold voltage monitoring circuit configured to: monitor the threshold voltages of the plurality of power modules; convert the monitored threshold voltages into digital signals; and pass the monitored threshold voltages to the controller.
  12. establishment according Claim 11 , wherein the threshold voltage monitoring circuit is configured to monitor a voltage of a gate resistor, which is arranged between and connected to a gate terminal of each of the plurality of power modules, in a state in which a switching element, which is arranged between and connected to a gate terminal of each of the plurality of power modules, is closed.
  13. establishment according Claim 11 , wherein the inverter comprises a plurality of module groups, which in turn comprise a plurality of parallel-connected power modules; wherein the gate driver is connected to each of the plurality of module groups; and wherein the threshold voltage monitoring circuit of the gate driver is configured to monitor the threshold voltages for the plurality of power modules in the plurality of module groups.
  14. A method for controlling an inverter comprising a plurality of parallel-connected power modules, comprising: Outputting a gate voltage to the plurality of power modules by a gate driver controlled by a controller and monitoring the threshold voltages of each of the plurality of power modules; Outputting a pulse-width modulation (PWM) signal by the controller to the gate driver in response to a command input from a higher-level controller; Outputting a voltage control signal to the gate driver by the controller based on the threshold voltages of each of the plurality of power modules; and Outputting the gate voltage by the gate driver based on the PWM signal, the voltage control signal, and a feedback gate voltage that includes feedback with respect to the gate voltage.
  15. Procedure according to Claim 14 , furthermore, encompassing: determining a delay time by the controller based on the threshold voltage of each of the multiple power modules; determining the gate voltage corresponding to the delay time by the controller; and outputting the voltage control signal corresponding to the gate voltage to the gate driver by the controller.
  16. Procedure according to Claim 14 , furthermore comprehensively: monitoring the threshold voltages of the multitude of power modules by means of a threshold monitoring circuit; converting the monitored threshold voltages into digital signals by the threshold monitoring circuit; and providing the monitored threshold voltages for control.
  17. Procedure according to Claim 16 , further comprising: monitoring, by means of a threshold voltage monitoring circuit, a voltage of a gate resistor arranged between and connected to the gate driver and a gate terminal of each of the plurality of power modules, in a state in which a switching element arranged between and connected to the gate terminal and a drain terminal of each of the plurality of power modules is closed.
  18. Procedure according to Claim 16 , wherein the inverter comprises a plurality of module groups, which comprise a plurality of parallel-connected power modules; wherein the gate driver is connected to each of the plurality of module groups; and wherein the threshold voltage monitoring circuit of each of the plurality of gate drivers is configured to monitor the threshold voltages for the plurality of power modules in the plurality of module groups.
  19. A vehicle comprising an inverter comprising a plurality of parallel-connected power modules, and an inverter drive device for controlling the inverter, wherein the inverter drive device comprises: a gate driver configured to output a gate voltage to the plurality of power modules and to monitor the threshold voltages of each of the plurality of power modules; and a controller configured to output a pulse-width modulation (PWM) signal to the gate driver in response to a command input from a higher-level controller and to output a voltage control signal to the gate driver based on the threshold voltages of each of the plurality of power modules; wherein the gate driver is configured to output the gate voltage based on a feedback gate voltage that includes feedback with respect to the gate voltage, the PWM signal, and the voltage control signal.
  20. Vehicle after Claim 19 , wherein the gate driver includes a threshold voltage monitoring circuit configured to: monitor the threshold voltages of the plurality of power modules; convert the monitored threshold voltages into digital signals; and pass the monitored threshold voltages to the controller.

Description

1. TECHNICAL AREA The present disclosure relates to inverter control and in particular to an inverter drive device capable of correcting a current imbalance of power modules with different threshold voltages for an inverter with a plurality of parallel connected power modules, an inverter control method therefor and a vehicle containing the same. 2. BACKGROUND An inverter implemented in a vehicle can be used to power the motor by converting the DC voltage from a high-voltage battery into AC voltage. The inverter can comprise a variety of power modules connected in parallel and operate according to the control signal (or control voltage) output by a gate driver. The gate driver can output a control signal to gate terminals of a variety of power modules in response to a PWM (pulse width modulation) signal provided by a controller, and the variety of power modules can be turned on or off in response to the gate driver's control signal. In the structure of an inverter, where a large number of power modules are connected in parallel, a current imbalance can lead to damage to the power modules. Current imbalance can be adequately considered during the design phase and corrected after the problems have been identified, but the problem of current imbalance due to the threshold voltage distribution of the power modules is difficult to detect and not easy to handle. Therefore, a solution is needed that can resolve the problem of current imbalance due to the threshold voltage distribution of the power modules. The foregoing, which is referred to as the prior art, is intended only to contribute to the understanding of the background of the present disclosure and does not imply that the present disclosure falls within the field of related art which is already known to the person skilled in the art. SUMMARY The embodiment disclosed in the present disclosure was proposed in accordance with the above-mentioned needs, and the present disclosure is intended to provide an inverter control device capable of resolving a current imbalance of power modules with different threshold voltages for an inverter containing a plurality of parallel-connected power modules, an inverter control method therefor, and a vehicle containing these. The present disclosure serves to provide an inverter driver device capable of correcting a current imbalance of power modules with different threshold voltages by changing the gate voltage applied to the power module depending on the threshold voltage of the power module, an inverter control method for this, and a vehicle containing this device. The technical topics pursued in this disclosure are not limited to the technical items mentioned above, and other technical items not mentioned can be clearly understood from the following descriptions by experts trained in the field to which this disclosure relates. An inverter drive device according to the embodiment of the present disclosure is a device for driving an inverter containing a plurality of parallel-connected power modules and may include a gate driver configured to apply a gate voltage to outputs the multitude of power modules and monitors the threshold voltages of the multitude of power modules and a controller configured to output a PWM (pulse width modulation) signal to the gate driver in response to an external command input and outputs a voltage control signal to the gate driver based on the threshold voltages, and the gate driver can output the gate voltage based on a feedback gate voltage, which is feedback on the gate voltage, the PWM signal and the voltage control signal. According to the embodiment of the present disclosure, the controller can determine a delay time based on the threshold voltage for each power module, determine the gate voltage corresponding to the delay time, and output the voltage control signal corresponding to the determined gate voltage to the gate driver. According to the embodiment of the present disclosure, the controller can determine the delay time based on a slope characteristic of a gate-source voltage of the power module. According to the embodiment of the present disclosure, the controller can determine the delay time based on Equation 1 below. Verzo¨gerung=Vth1−Vth2dVgs/dt(Vth1>Vth2) Here, Vth1 is a threshold voltage of a first power module, Vth2 is a threshold voltage of a second power module, and dVgs/dt is a current flowing through a gate resistor Rg. According to the embodiment of the present disclosure, the controller can determine the delay time corresponding to the threshold voltage based on a table configured as delay times for corresponding threshold voltages. According to the embodiment of the present disclosure, the gate driver may include a gate voltage generation circuit configured to receive the PWM signal and the voltage control signal, receive the feedback gate voltage, and output the gate voltage. According to the embodiment of the present disclosure, the gate voltage generation circuit