US 12,323,054 B2
Power converter
Takeshi Inoue, Nisshin (JP); Akimasa Niwa, Nisshin (JP); and Junichi Hasegawa, Nisshin (JP)
Assigned to DENSO CORPORATION, Kariya (JP); TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, Toyota (JP); and MIRISE Technologies Corporation, Nisshin (JP)
Filed by DENSO CORPORATION, Kariya (JP); TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, Toyota (JP); and MIRISE Technologies Corporation, Nisshin (JP)
Filed on Mar. 30, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/192,892.
Claims priority of application No. 2022-065129 (JP), filed on Apr. 11, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2023/0327541 A1, Oct. 12, 2023
Int. Cl. H02M 1/08 (2006.01); H02M 1/00 (2006.01); H02M 1/32 (2007.01); H02M 7/5387 (2007.01)
CPC H02M 1/327 (2021.05) [H02M 1/0009 (2021.05); H02M 1/08 (2013.01); H02M 7/53871 (2013.01)] 9 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A power converter comprising:
a plurality of arms, each of which has two semiconductor elements being a first semiconductor element and a second semiconductor element connected in series, each of the two semiconductor elements configured to be driven by a voltage;
a temperature detector configured to detect a temperature of each of the two semiconductor elements;
a voltage detector configured to detect a voltage across conduction terminals of each of the two semiconductor elements;
a current detector configured to detect a current flowing through each of the two semiconductor elements;
a heat generation controller; and
a heat resistance estimator, wherein
the first semiconductor element is configured to be a target element whose heat resistance is estimated by the heat resistance estimator,
the heat generation controller is configured to:
apply a driving signal to a control terminal of the target element to control heat generation of the target element, based on a condition that amount of the heat generation of the target element is restricted at a certain level or lower; and
apply a driving signal to a control terminal of the second semiconductor element to fully turn on the second semiconductor element, and
the heat resistance estimator is configured to estimate the heat resistance of the target element based on
a temperature difference according to a first temperature of the target element and a second temperature of the target element, the first temperature being a temperature detected by the temperature detector in a state where the heat generation controller has not caused the target element to generate heat, the second temperature being a temperature detected by the temperature detector in a state where the heat generation controller has caused the target element to generate heat,
a voltage across the conduction terminals of the target element detected by the voltage detector, and
a current through the target element detected by the current detector.