Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Baoming Ge

Lihua Chen

Fan Xu

Serdar Hakki Yonak

Fan Wang

Shuitao Yang

Yan Zhou

Boris Curuvija

Yantao Song

Moon Young Lee

Mohammed Khorshed Alam

John P Casci

Shahram Zarei

Petros G Taskas

Ji Wu

Monty J Anderson

Papiya Bagchi

William Robert Brown

Kun Zhuge

Khorshed Khorshed Alam

Sadashi Seto

A power inductor includes windings having a first coil defining an axially extending cavity and a core have at least first and second core segments extending axially through at least a portion of the cavity. The segments are radially spaced from each other to define a molding channel. Molding is disposed in the molding channel and configured to urge the first and second core segments radially apart such that outer surfaces of the core segments are in direct contact with inner surfaces of the coil.

Power inductor thermal management

A system for an electrified vehicle, such as a battery electric vehicle (BEV), includes an inverter configured to drive a motor having motor windings with electrical power from a battery according to a configuration of a power switch of the inverter. The system further includes a capacitor connected between a center-tap of the battery and a neutral-point of the motor winding whereby the capacitor and the motor windings form an LC circuit. The system further includes a controller configured to operate the power switch in a zero-current-switching mode with a switching frequency dependent on a resonant frequency of the LC circuit to thereby cause electrical current to circulate between the battery, the inverter, and the motor which heats the battery and the motor windings.

Vehicular electric drive system including traction battery, inverter, and motor having self-heater arrangement

An electric drive system includes a power electronics module with a prefabricated DC bus bar assembly. The prefabricated DC bus bar assembly includes a molded bleed resistor which serves two different functions. First, it dissipates energy from a capacitor when the battery is disconnected. Secondly, it physically supports the positive bus bar and the negative bar with respect to one another.

Inverter bus with integrated bleed resistor

An electric drive system includes an inverter and a variable voltage converter. An inductor associated with the variable voltage converter is subject to temperature limits. Dynamic models are used to estimate the temperature of the inductor. Inputs to these dynamics models include DC current, DC voltage, Battery Voltage, oil pump speed, motor speed, and sump temperature. Empirical constants in the models are set based on vehicle testing.

Dynamic models for inductor temperature

A variable voltage converter includes a pair of series connected switches, a series connected switch and inductor, and a capacitor having a terminal sharing a node with adjacent terminals of the series connected switches and another terminal sharing a node with adjacent terminals of the series connected switch and inductor such that during operation, a voltage input to the variable voltage converter and a voltage across the capacitor are same and less than a voltage output by the variable voltage converter.

Automotive variable voltage converter with multiple sets of power switches

A power inductor includes a magnetic core having first and second legs and opposing first and second curved sections, a conductor having a first coil around the first leg and a second coil around the second leg; and a fluid circuit having a first branch disposed between the first leg and the first coil and a second branch disposed between the second leg and the second coil.

Power inductor with internal cooling passages

An electrified vehicle includes an inductor having an associated arcuate deflector to redirect fluid toward inductor coils to facilitate heat transfer. The inductor may be disposed within a transmission proximate to at least one gear that distributes fluid during rotation to proximate components to provide splash lubrication. The arcuate deflector may redirect splashed fluid from between the inductor and the transmission housing toward the inductor coils. The deflector may be secured to the inductor via terminal connectors that electrically couple the inductor coils to a bus bar connected to a variable voltage converter.

Electrified vehicle inductor cooling system

A boost converter for a hybrid vehicle includes an inductor, a bus bar, an insulator, a temperature sensor, and a wire. The bus bar is configured to connect the inductor to a power source. The insulator is disposed over the bus bar and defines an array of orifices. The temperature sensor is configured to measure a temperature of the inductor. The wire is connected to the temperature sensor. The wire is weaved through the array of orifices such that the wire positionally alternates between opposing external sides of the insulator.

Power supply device system for a hybrid or electric vehicle

A vehicle power system includes an inverter electrically connected between a traction battery and electric machine, a three phase coupled inductor electrically connected between the traction battery and inverter, and one or more controllers that operate the inverter while a common mode voltage at a neutral point of the electric machine is constant.

Automotive electric drive with three phase coupled inverter

An automotive propulsion system has a transmission including an output shaft, a variable voltage converter including an inductor disposed within a housing of the transmission such that transmission fluid within the housing contacts the inductor to cool the inductor, and a controller that maintains a magnitude of current through the inductor to less than a limit value that is defined by a speed associated with the output shaft and a switching frequency of the variable voltage converter.

Predictive inductor cooling

A power system, responsive to a detected change in an onboard charger or a generator, switches a converter from a first conversion setting, in which a first low voltage value of a medium-voltage bus port is converted to a first high voltage value of a high-voltage bus port, to a second conversion setting, in which a second low voltage value of the medium-voltage bus port is converted to the first high voltage value of the high-voltage bus port.

Varying vehicle charging bus

While a voltage at a gate of one of a pair of series connected switches of a phase leg is greater than a threshold value, circuitry generates a signal with a logical value that precludes a gate driver corresponding to a gate of the other of the pair of series connected switches from driving the gate of the other of the pair of series connected switches.

Control signal modification to preclude phase coincidental switching

A power inductor such as a variable voltage converter power inductor having a temperature sensor embedded therein is disclosed. In one or more embodiments, the sensor may be disposed between the core and the coil or winding. The sensor may be positioned in the cavity of a bobbin or the core itself.

Embedded temperature sensor solution for power inductor

A traction powertrain system of an electrified vehicle includes a power electronics module and a controller. The power electronics module, such as in the form of an inverter, is configured to drive a traction motor with power from a traction battery via a DC-link capacitor. The controller has an on-board power source, such as in the form of a super capacitor. The controller is configured to, in response to detecting an event in which the DC-link capacitor is to be discharged, use power from the on-board power source for controlling the power electronics module and control the power electronics module to operate in a manner causing the DC-link capacitor to be discharged.

Controller-based active discharge circuitry for discharging link capacitor of traction powertrain of electrified vehicle

A closed ferromagnetic housing has a pair of access ports and a center ferromagnetic post extending from and between opposite ends thereof. At least one conductor, contained within and completely surrounded by the closed ferromagnetic housing, is wound around the center ferromagnetic post such that the closed ferromagnetic housing, center ferromagnetic post, and at least one conductor form an inductor in which the ferromagnetic housing and the center ferromagnetic post define a core of the inductor and the at least one conductor defines a coil of the inductor. The access ports are configured to permit flow of coolant into the closed ferromagnetic housing and around the center ferromagnetic post to cool the at least one conductor.

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Okemos, MI, United States of America

Baoming Ge