Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha

Tomoo Yamabuki

Yuki Jojima

Hitoshi Imura

Shuichi Iwata

Hiromi Yamasaki

Takao Kanzaki

Masaru Senoo

An electric vehicle includes: a motor for traveling; a transmission connected to the motor; a battery; an inverter configured to convert direct-current power output by the battery, into alternating-current power for driving the motor; a capacitor connected between a positive electrode of direct-current input terminals of the inverter and a negative electrode of the direct-current input terminals of the inverter; and a controller configured to change a gear stage of the transmission when both of a condition i) and a condition ii) are satisfied. The condition i) is a condition that the rotation speed of the motor is in a predetermined range. The condition ii) is a condition that the output of the motor exceeds a predetermined output threshold.

Electric vehicle and control method for electric vehicle

A power converter disclosed herein may include power conversion circuits connected in parallel and a cutoff switch provided in each of the power conversion circuits. The cutoff switch may be configured to cut off connection of corresponding one of the power conversion circuits from other power conversion circuit. In the power converter disclosed herein, the cutoff switches of the power conversion circuits may be housed in a first module.

Power converter

A mounting structure for a power converter in a vehicle is provided. The power converter includes a plurality of voltage converter circuits connected in parallel, and each of the plurality of voltage converter circuits includes a reactor, in which the power converter includes: a main body containing at least one of the reactors and a switching device of the voltage converter circuits; and a sub-body containing remaining reactors, the sub-body being electrically connected to the main body by a cable. The main body is fixed to a vehicle body via a bracket in a front compartment such that a gap is provided below the main body, and the sub-body is connected to a lateral side of the main body in a vehicle width direction such that a front end of the sub-body aligns with a front end of the main body.

Mounting structure for power converter in vehicle

An inverter includes a first series circuit in which a first switching element and a second switching element are connected in series; a capacitor connected in parallel to the first series circuit; a first current detection device that detects current that flows in the first series circuit; and a discharge test execution device that outputs a signal of bringing the first switching element and the second switching element to a conducting state, and that outputs a signal of switching one of the first switching element and the second switching element to a non-conducting state before predefined power flows in the first switching element, based on a detection result by the first current detection device.

Inverter

After turning on a switching element by receiving a discharge command from a motor ECU via a control circuit, a drive circuit of a discharge device causes, upon receipt of an overheat protection command from an overheat protection circuit, the switching element to turn off and keeps the resulting state thereof. And, the motor ECU sends the discharge command, after establishment of a diagnostic condition, to the control circuit of the discharge device and determines that the discharge device is abnormal if an electric current will not flow through a discharge resistor and the switching element.

Automotive vehicle

A method for fabricating a semiconductor device in which a lifetime control region can be formed within a predetermined range with high positioning accuracy is provided. In a semiconductor device, an IGBT element region and a diode element region may be formed in one semiconductor substrate. The IGBT element region may include a second conductivity type drift layer and a first conductivity type body layer. The diode element region may include a second conductivity type drift layer and a first conductivity type anode layer. A concentration of heavy metal included in the drift layer of the diode element region may be set higher than a concentration of the heavy metal included in the drift layer of the IGBT element region.

Growing community of inventors

Nagoya, Japan

Tomoo Yamabuki