Chrysler Corporation

Satcon Technology Corporation

Kevin J Donegan

Gary P Millas

Dennis E Hartzell

James L Kirtley, Jr

Gary M Colello

Gita P Rao

David B Eisenhaure

Richard T Salter, Ii

Kevin E LeRow

Robert T Shea

Geoffrey B Lansberry

Evgeny N Holmansky

Albert M Heyman

Edward J Ognibene

Douglas L Johnson

William R Snow

Mary Tolikas

David Sandberg

David C Meeker

A fluid cooling device, and a method for manufacturing the fluid cooling device, are disclosed. The fluid cooling device includes a plurality of cold plate members, each having a plurality of imperforate plate portions and perforate portions arranged in a line; and, at least one connector for connecting the plate portions together at one end thereof. The cold plate members are arranged in a stack, wherein respective plate portions of each cold plate member are in registration with perforate portions formed in its adjacent cold plate members in the stack. The fluid cooling device can provide very high heat transfer by close clearance laminar developing flow, thereby increasing the thermal performance of the fluid cooling device while maintaining low pressure drop. The method for manufacturing the fluid cooling device includes forming a plurality of cold plate members from a planar metal tape, or thin layer stock; positioning the cold plate members relative to each other so that the respective imperforate plate portions of each cold plate member are in registration with the perforate portions formed in adjacent cold plate members; and joining each cold plate member with the adjacent cold plate members.

High performance cold plate for electronic cooling

A charging system including an alternator, and a controller for controlling the output of the alternator to provide a required output to be in tolerance with a measured load, the controller having at least one temperature sensor, and a temperature control device, wherein the temperature control device calculates the slope of temperature variance over time and, in a state of overtemperature, decreases the value provided to the controller representing the required output.

Temperature feedback control of alternator output power

A charging system has an alternator, a battery, and a controlled rectifier bridge between the alternator and the battery. The controlled rectifier bridge has controllable elements. A controller is provided wherein the controller controls (a) the duty cycle of the alternator field winding and (b) the switching in the controllable elements to control the phase advance angle. By utilizing a half-wave controlled rectifier bridge and three controllable elements, power output can be increased at a low overall cost. In another embodiment, the controller determines switching points for the controllable elements through a third harmonic extraction device which employs a neural network for determining the zero crossings of the third harmonic voltage obtained from a single phase voltage.

Charging system having a controlled rectifier bridge and a single voltage sensor

Featured is a hybrid permanent magnet/homopolar power producing device and methods related thereto. The device includes first and second portions, the portions being arranged to have a common long axis and so one portion is moving with respect to the other portion. The first portion includes a stator, and a modulating field winding that generates a magnetic field responsive to a DC current therethrough. The second portion includes a support member having a mounting surface, a plurality of permanent magnets and steel poles affixed to the mounting surface, and being arranged thereon so as to form an alteration of steel and permanent magnet poles. The first and second portions and the support member are configured and arranged so each permanent magnet and each steel pole oppose a surface of the stator, so the permanent magnet flux passes between the permanent magnets, the stator and the steel poles, and so the magnetic flux generated by the modulating field winding emerges from each steel pole so as to selectively increase or decrease the permanent magnet flux. The first portion also includes a stator support structure and the first and second portions are configured and arranged so the stator support structure is spaced from the second portion support structure so the flux path between each permanent magnet and an adjacent steel pole is primarily circumferential and so the flux path for flux from the modulating field winding is primarily axial.

Hybrid permanent magnet/homopolar generator and motor

A hybrid vehicle utilizes a power unit to store and convert power between a turbine alternator, flywheel, and traction motor. The power unit uses a plurality of power transistors for switching power to the equipment. The transistors are set in an H-bridge configuration to provide AC power. The H bridge configuration comprises two transistor pairs, each forming a half bridge. A process for matching the transistor pairs of each half bridge includes measuring the electrical and timing characteristics associated with turn on and turn off with a first transistor module, and measuring the electrical and timing characteristics associated with turn on and turn off of each of a plurality of transistor modules. The electrical and timing characteristics associated with each of the plurality of transistors modules is compared against the electrical and timing characteristics of the first transistor module. The transistor module of the plurality of having electrical and timing characteristics which are most similar to the electrical and timing characteristics of the first transistor module is selected. The first and selected transistor modules are combined to form a half bridge circuit of the H-bridge.

Method for testing and matching electrical components

In an induction generator, an additional set of stator windings is provided, separate from and secondary to the main stator windings upon which the generator's output voltage is generated and supplied to the load. This separate stator winding is provided for the purpose of supplying the generator with the reactive electrical power it needs to maintain the rotating stator field and supplying any reactive power needed by the load. Thus, there is no need to use a capacitor assembly, for supplying the reactive power needed by the generator. Currents are injected into this separate winding in such a way that only reactive power is supplied to the generator. Specifically, a power measuring circuit measures the power in the additional set of stator windings, and a power error signal is formed by algebraically adding the outputs of the power measuring circuit. The power error signal is further processed and supplied as a timing control signal for generating the injected currents, which are maintained 90 degrees out of phase with an excitation voltage curve.

Externally field-controlled induction generator

A hybrid vehicle includes a power unit communicating power between a turbine alternator, flywheel and traction motor. The power unit stores DC power in capacitors and places the power on a DC bus for use in driving the induction machines. Power transistors receive the DC power from the DC bus and are pulse width modulated to output a synthesized AC waveform. The power transistors include a support plate of thermally conductive material having a first surface supporting the transistor and a second surface forming a heat sink with cooling fluid. An electrical insulation layer is fixedly connected between the power transistor and the support plate on the first surface.

IGBT module construction

A hybrid vehicle includes a power unit communicating power between a turbine alternator, flywheel and traction motor. The power unit stores DC power in capacitors and places the power on a DC bus for use in driving the induction machines. A housing includes at least one wall forming an enclosed perimeter, the wall including a plurality of fastener members extending therethrough. The power unit comprising a DC storage unit and DC bus and power switches connected with a heat exchanger provide signals to an AC bus wherein each is connected to each other to form a structural unit. The fastener members are connected through the wall and to the power unit for installation as a single unit in a vehicle.

Integrated chassis, enclosure and cage

A hybrid vehicle includes a power unit communicating power between a turbine alternator, flywheel and traction motor. The power unit stores power in capacitors and places the power on a dc bus. The dc bus comprises an electrical bus assembly comprising a first conducting plate establishing a positive signal, a second conducting plate establishing a negative signal, and an insulation layer sandwiched between the first and second conducting plates and fixedly secured therewith. At least one of the conducting plates includes fluid passages extending within the plate allowing fluid to circulate therein.

Water cooled DC bus structure

A hybrid vehicle includes a power unit communicating power between a turbine alternator, flywheel and traction motor. The power unit stores DC power in capacitors and places the power on DC bus for use in driving the induction machines. Power transistors receive the DC power from the DC bus and are pulse width modulated to output a synthesized AC waveform at their output. A transistor connection assembly comprising the plurality of power transistor modules connected in a plane and each having contact pads formed thereon for providing an output signal. A cross tie member is connected to four of the contact pads providing a combined output signal at a center point. The cross tie member comprises a sheet of rigid conducting material with width substantially greater than thickness and including four symmetrical arms extending outward from the center point. The design provides equal distance conduction paths for equal current sharing.

Transistor connection assembly having IGBT (X) cross ties

A hybrid vehicle utilizes a power unit to store and convert power between a turbine alternator, flywheel and traction motor. The power unit includes a water cooled heater exchanger for cooling power transistors used to switch stored and generated power between the peripheral machines. A pump control system for pumping fluid through the heat exchanger includes a fluid pump, a control circuit connected to the fluid pump for operating same, and a power source having a nominal operating range and transients. The control circuit includes a shut off circuit for sensing power level on the power source and turning off the fluid pump when the transients are above a first predetermined level and turning on the fluid pump when the transients return below a second predetermined level.

DC pump drive module

A hybrid vehicle utilizes a power unit to store and convert power between a turbine alternator, flywheel and traction motor. The power unit includes a fluid cooled cold-plate assembly for cooling power transistors used to switch stored and generated power between the peripheral machines. The cold-plate assembly a first frame member having a plurality of windows therein, a plurality of transistor modules supporting power transistors are secured within the windows, the transistor modules including at least one transistor connected to a support plate, the support plate secured within the window, a base plate connected to the frame member and spaced from the frame member establishing a first cavity to allow coolant to flow between the base plate and the frame member for cooling the transistor modules.

Heat exchanger

A hybrid vehicle utilizes a power unit to store and convert power between a turbine alternator, flywheel and traction motor. The power unit includes a water cooled heater exchanger for cooling power transistors used to switch stored and generated power between the peripheral machines. A power supply for a plurality of an isolated transistor drives comprises a chopped DC generator producing a chopped power signal, a plurality of gate drives each including a transformer to receive the power signal and electrically isolate the gate drives, one of the transformers providing feedback to the chopped DC generator for regulating the level of the chopped power signal. A plurality of power transistors are connected in parallel and includes a controller providing a drive signal. A plurality of optical isolators receive the drive signal in series to control the power transistors independently.

Gate driver supply

A hybrid vehicle includes a power unit communicating power between a turbine alternator, flywheel and traction motor. The power unit stores, dc power in capacitors and places power on a dc bus for use in driving the induction machines. The dc bus includes two spaced buses, each of the bus members include a positive plate and a negative plate electrically insulated from one another. A conducting strap member interconnects the first and second bus members. The conducting strap member includes first and second strap plates electrically insulated from one another and secured to one another. A first of the strap plates is connected to the positive plates and a second of the strap plates is connected to the negative plates. Also included is a capacitor bank for storing DC power. The capacitor bank is connected to the DC bus by laminated brackets carrying positive and negative signals.

Power structure construction (DC bus cross straps)

A hybrid vehicle includes a power unit communicating power between a turbine alternator, flywheel and traction motor. The power unit stores DC power in capacitors and places the power on DC bus for use in driving the induction machines. Power transistors receive the DC power from the DC bus and are pulse width modulated to output a synthesized AC wave form at their output. An Ac bus assembly comprises the power transistor modules connected in a plane and each having contact pads formed thereon for providing AC current sources. A bus bar interconnects at least one of the current sources to a peripheral device. The bus bar comprises a plurality of elongated flat plates having a width substantially greater than its thickness and laminated to one another.

Growing community of inventors

Merrimack, NH, United States of America

Kevin J Donegan