Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Xi Lu

Chingchi Chen

Ke Zou

Michael W Degner

Zhuxian Xu

Krishna Prasad Bhat

Guangyin Lei

Allan Roy Gale

Lan Yu

Richard William Kautz

Mark Allan Lippman

Jun Kikuchi

Theodore Joseph Filippi

Jacek Brauner

An electrified vehicle and associated inverter configured for powering two different types of external loads include first and second phase/line legs combined with a first neutral leg coupled to a vehicle chassis, and a second floating neutral leg that is not coupled to the vehicle chassis. The first/second phase legs and first neutral leg are coupled to a first receptacle configured to receive a corresponding plug to power a first load, such as a power tool or accessory. The first/second phase legs and the second neutral leg are coupled to a second receptacle configured to receive a corresponding plug to power a second load, such as a home or building having an earth grounding electrode. The inverter may include an isolation transformer between the loads and the traction battery, and/or may be configured to provide single phase, split-phase, or three-phase power for either or both of the neutral connections.

Electrified vehicle inverter with dual neutral legs

A vehicle system includes a converter, outlets, and a switching arrangement electrically between the outlets and the converter. A controller is programmed to, responsive to a first request, operate the switching arrangement to electrically connect a line and a neutral to a first outlet and operate the converter to output single-phase power to the first outlet. Responsive to a second request, the controller is configured to operate the switching arrangement to electrically connect a plurality of lines and not the neutral to a second outlet, and operate the converter to output three-phase power to the second outlet.

Reconfigurable micro-grid

A vehicle includes a power-electronics converter and an electrical outlet in electric communication with the power-electronics converter and configured to power external loads. The vehicle includes at least one electrical outlet including at least a first socket configured to power a first category of external loads and a second socket configured to power a second category of external loads. The vehicle is configured to only power one of the first and second loads at a time. This may be accomplished using physical features or electronically.

Electrified vehicle with electrical power outlet

A vehicle includes an electric machine, an IGBT, and a gate driver. The IGBT has a gate, an emitter, and a collector and is configured to flow an electric charge through a phase of the electric machine. The gate driver is configured to flow current onto the gate at a first level, and in response to a time integral of a voltage across the phase exceeding a predetermined level, transition from the first level to a second level less than the first level.

Dynamic IGBT gate drive to reduce switching loss

Circuitry includes a pair of switches arranged in series, and a gate driver. The gate driver, responsive to a magnitude of current through one of the switches exceeding a threshold, discharges a gate of the one through a first resistor. The gate driver also, responsive to a voltage across a parasitic inductance of the switch becoming zero, discharges the gate through a second resistor but not the first resistor.

Dynamic short circuit protection

A system and method for powering an electrical load. The system and method including a first inverter for converting a first DC power provided from a battery within a vehicle to a first AC power. The system and method also including a rectifier that includes an input connected to a secondary winding of a transformer. The rectifier also having an output connected to at least two capacitors. The rectifier and capacitors converting the first AC power to a second DC power. The system and method also including an inverter for converting the second DC power to an output AC power that is supplied to a split-phase output. The system and method also connecting one leg of the split-phase output between the at least two capacitors and to a center tap of the transformer to modify a voltage amplitude of the second DC power.

Vehicle generator-inverter for split-phase unbalanced loads

A vehicle power system includes a power converter including one or more phase leg lines and a negative rail line. The system also includes a controller that operates the power converter to flow current through some of the phase leg lines and the negative rail line to output DC power, and operates the power converter to flow current through the some of the phase leg lines and not the negative rail line to output AC power.

Vehicle power system with configurable output converter

A vehicle includes an inverter configured to power an external device. The vehicle further includes a controller programmed to cause the inverter to output a voltage at a steady-state amplitude and a steady-state frequency and, responsive to detecting an inrush current event in progress that is caused by the external device, operate the inverter to reduce the voltage to prevent an overcurrent. The controller is programmed to identify the type of load connected and return the voltage to the steady-state amplitude and steady-state frequency based on the type of load.

System and method for avoiding inrush current in a vehicle microgrid

An exemplary charging system includes, among other things, a first portable charger that electrically couples to an electrified vehicle to charge a traction battery of the electrified vehicle while a second portable charger is providing electrical energy to charge the traction battery. An exemplary charging method includes, among other things, electrically coupling both a first and a second portable charger to an electrified vehicle to charge a traction battery of the electrified vehicle using electrical energy from both the first and the second portable chargers.

Portable charging system and charging method

A testing apparatus includes a holster including a jack defining a conductive periphery configured to connect with a reference lead of the voltage probe to form a common ground. The apparatus includes a shunt defining first and second regions of different potential having predetermined difference. The second region is configured to connect with a reference lead of the shunt probe. The apparatus includes a bridge configured to connect the shunt probe lead with the common ground.

Power module testing apparatus

The methods and systems for correcting for an inductive load when testing high voltages devices are described. A high voltages device is a device under test (DUT) in a double-pulse test, which may require the inductive load. The method can include in a low current, high voltage time period, estimating an inductor current contribution range after a turn on of the device-under-test connected to an inductive load with an air core inductor. The method subtracts the estimated inductor current contribution from a device-under-test collector current to output a corrected collector current. This allows the double pulse test to be conducted with an air-core inductor. Vehicles can use the DUT in traction power applications.

Double-pulse test systems and methods

A method includes measuring an impedance of a shunt as a function of frequency and converting the impedance to an admittance in a time domain. The method further includes connecting the shunt in a circuit and measuring voltage data across the shunt over a predetermined interval. The method includes outputting a signal indicative of a current through the shunt derived from the voltage data convolved with the admittance. The method may be implemented in a controller configured to interface with the shunt.

Ultra-high bandwidth current shunt

A capacitor comprising first and second end sprays respectively located at distal ends of a capacitor cell, a positive polarity bus bar extending from a first wound conductive layer of the capacitor cell adjacent to the first end spray, a negative polarity bus bar extending from a second wound conductive layer of the capacitor cell adjacent to the second end spray, and a capacitor film wrapped around an area between the first and second conductive layers.

Low inductance capacitor

A shunt includes a power terminal having a planar first potential region (FPR) connected to a second potential region (SPR) through a resistive element, the SPR being offset from and parallel to the FPR. The shunt includes a sensor terminal having a first potential lead (FPL) connected to the FPR, and a second potential lead (SPL) connected to the SPR and separated from the FPL by an insulation sheet. The SPL and sheet cover the resistive element.

Current shunt

An inverter for an electric vehicle drive has a bridge including a plurality of power switching devices having respective insulated gate terminals and emitter terminals. A PWM circuit determines switching commands for controlling the bridge. A plurality of gate drivers receive the switching commands and provide gate drive signals to respective gate terminals. A plurality of gate capacitors are each thermally coupled to a respective switching device and are electrically connected between the respective gate and emitter terminals. Each gate capacitor has a negative temperature coefficient adapted to counter changes in a switching speed of the switching devices over a predetermined range of temperature. As a result, a consistent switching speed is maintained so that power loss and switching device reliability are optimal across the full temperature range.

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Northville, MI, United States of America

Xi Lu