US 12,068,711 B2
High frequency AC power distribution network for electric vehicles
Yanghe Liu, Ann Arbor, MI (US); Qunfang Wu, Westland, MI (US); Mengqi Wang, Troy, MI (US); Weiyang Zhou, Westland, MI (US); Chungchih Chou, Ann Arbor, MI (US); and Hiroshi Ukegawa, South Lyon, MI (US)
Assigned to TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC., Plano, TX (US); and THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN, Ann Arbor, MI (US)
Filed by Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc, Plano, TX (US)
Filed on Feb. 3, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/166,380.
Prior Publication US 2022/0247331 A1, Aug. 4, 2022
Int. Cl. H02P 5/46 (2006.01); H02P 25/024 (2016.01)
CPC H02P 5/46 (2013.01) [H02P 25/024 (2016.02)] 10 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A high frequency alternating-current (HFAC) distribution network for a vehicle comprising:
a plurality of HFAC zones coupled to a direct-current (DC) power source, the plurality of HFAC zones disbursed within the vehicle, wherein each HFAC zone comprises:
a HFAC resonant inverter to convert DC power to HFAC power, the HFAC resonant inverter including a CLCL resonant tank circuit, a push-pull circuit coupled to the CLCL resonant tank circuit, the push-pull circuit including a pair of switches, and a gate driver circuit coupled to the push-pull circuit to selectively turn each switch of the pair of switches on and off to set an operating frequency; and
a HFAC bus coupled to the HFAC resonant inverter, the HFAC bus to distribute the HFAC power to one or more loads;
wherein each HFAC resonant inverter and hence each HFAC zone is operated independently of all other HFAC inverters and HFAC zones, without a high-frequency connection between any HFAC zones,
wherein, for each HFAC zone, the operating frequency is maintained at a value that matches a resonant frequency of the CLCL resonant tank circuit,
wherein the CLCL resonant tank circuit comprises two capacitors and two inductors,
wherein a first capacitor of the two capacitors and a first inductor of the two inductors form a parallel L-C subcircuit,
wherein a second capacitor of the two capacitors and a second inductor of the two inductors form a series L-C subcircuit,
wherein each of the two capacitors have the same capacitance value, and wherein each of the two inductors have the same inductance value, and
wherein the resonant frequency is based on the capacitance value of the two capacitors and the inductance value of the two inductors.