TWM658434U - Electrical power generation system for motorcycle - Google Patents

Abstract

A power generation system for a motorcycle includes: a generator coupled to an engine and driven by the engine to generate three-phase power; a full-bridge rectifier circuit coupled to the generator to receive the three-phase power and generate a DC voltage signal according to the three-phase power and a switching signal output; a switching voltage regulator circuit coupled to the full-bridge rectifier circuit to receive the DC voltage signal and step down the DC voltage signal according to a control signal to generate an output voltage to supply power to a battery; and a controller coupled to the full-bridge rectifier circuit and the switching voltage regulator circuit to generate a control signal and a switching signal output and output them to the switching voltage regulator circuit and the full-bridge rectifier circuit respectively, and the controller adjusts the switching signal output according to at least the voltage value of the DC voltage signal and a preset voltage value.

Description

Power generation system for motorcycles

The present invention relates to a power generation system, and more particularly to a power generation system for a motorcycle.

Referring to FIG. 1 , the voltage regulation method in the existing locomotive power generation system 1 is a short-circuit voltage regulation structure. The power generation system 1 includes a rectifier circuit 11, a generator 12, a voltage regulation controller 15, and three switches 16, 17, and 18 (preset to be in a non-conductive state). When the engine 10 in the vehicle drives the generator 12, the three-phase power generated by the generator 12 is adjusted into a DC output voltage by the rectifier circuit 11, and then directly supplied to the battery 13 and the vehicle load 14. When the speed of the engine 10 increases, the voltage of the three-phase power generated by the generator 12 will also increase, so that the DC output voltage generated by the rectifier circuit 11 will increase accordingly. When the voltage regulator controller 15 detects that the DC output voltage is higher than the voltage used by the battery 13 or the vehicle load 14, the voltage regulator controller 15 controls at least one of the switches 16-18 to be turned on, so as to short-circuit the coil of the generator 12 to prevent the DC output voltage from increasing (i.e., to put the power generation system 1 in a short-circuit voltage regulation state), thereby controlling the DC output voltage to be consistent with the voltage used by the battery 13 and the vehicle load 14, thereby preventing the battery 13 or the vehicle load 14 from being damaged.

However, the power generation of the generator 12 is proportional to the speed of the engine 10. The higher the speed of the engine 10, the higher the power generation of the generator 12. However, the on-board electrical load does not increase. Therefore, when the speed of the engine 10 is high for a long time and the power generation of the generator 12 is high, the power generation system 1 will be in a short-circuit voltage regulation state for a long time and a large amount of excess energy will be dissipated in the form of heat energy, causing damage to the engine 10 or other components in the motorcycle.

In addition, the rectifier circuit 11, the voltage regulator controller 15 and the three switches 16 and 17 can be replaced by a three-phase full-bridge circuit (not shown, which is coupled between the generator 12 and the battery 13). The conventional generator 12 is usually operated at a maximum speed of 9000RPM/idling speed of 1500RPM. When a 12V system motorcycle is idling at 1500RPM to meet the starting charging voltage, the voltage of the three-phase power generated by the generator 12 at 1500RPM must be at least 17V. The voltage of the three-phase power of the generator 12 is proportional to the generator speed. When the speed is running at the maximum speed of 9000RPM, the voltage of the three-phase power generated by the generator 12 exceeds 100V, resulting in the transistors/electronic components in the three-phase full-bridge circuit needing to use electronic components with high voltage (such as 150V) specifications, resulting in a higher manufacturing cost of the power generation system 1.

Therefore, how to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art is the main focus of the present invention.

Therefore, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a power generation system for a locomotive that can overcome the shortcomings of the prior art.

Therefore, the power generation system for the new motorcycle is coupled between an engine and a battery, and includes a generator, a full-bridge rectifier circuit, a switching voltage regulator circuit and a controller.

The generator is coupled to the engine and driven by the engine to generate a three-phase power. The full-bridge rectifier circuit is coupled to the generator to receive the three-phase power, and generates a DC voltage signal according to the three-phase power and a switching signal output. The switching voltage regulator circuit is coupled to the full-bridge rectifier circuit to receive the DC voltage signal, and steps down the DC voltage signal according to a control signal to generate an output voltage to supply power to the battery. The controller is coupled to the full-bridge rectifier circuit and the switching voltage regulator circuit to generate the control signal and the switching signal output and output them to the switching voltage regulator circuit and the full-bridge rectifier circuit respectively. The controller adjusts the switching signal output at least according to the voltage value of the DC voltage signal and a preset voltage value.

In some embodiments, in the power generation system for a locomotive of the present invention, when the generator is at an idle speed, a peak voltage of the three-phase power is between 10 and 15V.

In some embodiments, in the power generation system for a locomotive of the present invention, when the generator is at a maximum speed, a peak voltage of the three-phase power is between 80 and 100V.

In some embodiments, the switching voltage regulating circuit of the power generation system for a locomotive of the present invention includes: an output capacitor having a first end coupled to the battery and providing the output voltage, and a second end grounded; an inductor having a first end coupled to the first end of the output capacitor, and a second end; a diode having a cathode coupled to the second end of the inductor, and a grounded anode; and a switch coupled between the cathode of the diode and the full-bridge rectifier circuit.

In some embodiments, in the power generation system for locomotives of the present invention, the switching signal output includes a first switching signal, a second switching signal, a third switching signal, a fourth switching signal, a fifth switching signal and a sixth switching signal. The controller is also coupled to the generator to obtain a back electromotive force signal of the generator. The controller determines whether the voltage value of the DC voltage signal is less than or equal to the preset voltage value. When the judgment result is yes, the controller adjusts the starting point position of a high logic level in all switching cycles T of each of the first to sixth switching signals to lag behind a zero point position of the back electromotive force signal by a preset electrical angle.

In some embodiments, in the power generation system for a locomotive of the present invention, when the controller determines whether the voltage value of the DC voltage signal is less than or equal to the preset voltage value, and the determination result is no, the controller adjusts or maintains the starting position of the high logic level in the switching cycle T of each of the first to sixth switching signals to be the same as the zero point position of the back electromotive force signal.

In some embodiments, in the power generation system for a locomotive of the present invention, the full-bridge rectifier circuit is a three-phase full-bridge rectifier circuit including six transistors.

The utility model has the following effects: the power generation system for a locomotive of the present invention can avoid converting a large amount of excess energy into heat energy for dissipation through a short-circuit voltage regulation method, thereby avoiding damage to the engine or other components in the locomotive, and by controlling the size of the peak voltage, the power generation system does not need to use electronic components with high-voltage specifications, thereby reducing the required manufacturing cost, and by using the controller to delay the output phase of the switching signal, the voltage value of the DC voltage signal can be increased, thereby avoiding the situation where the switching voltage regulation circuit cannot supply power to the battery or the vehicle load, thereby improving the use efficiency of the power generation system.

Referring to FIG. 2 , an embodiment of a power generation system 2 for a new type of motorcycle is described. The power generation system 2 is coupled between an engine 20 and a battery 21, and includes a generator 22, a full-bridge rectifier circuit 23, a switching voltage regulator circuit 24, and a controller 25. The power generation system 2 can be suitable for a motorcycle with an integrated starter generator (ISG) system.

The generator 22 is coupled to the engine 20 and driven by the engine 20 to generate a three-phase power. It should be noted that the generator 22 can be an ISG, which acts as an electric motor to start the engine 20 when the motorcycle is started. After the engine 20 is started, the generator 22 generates the three-phase power driven by the engine 20 in the form of a generator to enter a charging mode to supply power to the battery 21 or a vehicle load (not shown). Since the peak voltage of the three-phase power of the generator 22 is directly related to the rotation speed of the generator 22, when the generator 22 is at an idle speed (i.e., the rotation speed is 1500-1800RPM), a peak voltage of the three-phase power is controlled between 10-15V; when the generator 22 is at a maximum speed (i.e., the rotation speed is 8000-10000RPM), a peak voltage of the three-phase power is controlled between 80-100V. In this way, it is possible to prevent the peak voltage of the three-phase power from exceeding 100V when the generator 22 is at the maximum speed, thereby eliminating the need for transistors/electronic components in the power generation system 2 to use electronic components with high voltage resistance specifications, thereby achieving the effect of reducing the manufacturing cost required for the power generation system 2.

The full-bridge rectifier circuit 23 is coupled to the generator 22 to receive the three-phase power, and generates a DC voltage signal according to the three-phase power and a switching signal output. In this embodiment, the switching signal output includes a first switching signal S1, a second switching signal S2, a third switching signal S3, a fourth switching signal S4, a fifth switching signal S5 and a sixth switching signal S6. The full-bridge rectifier circuit 23 is a three-phase full-bridge rectifier circuit and includes a first transistor 231, a second transistor 232, a third transistor 233, a fourth transistor 234, a fifth transistor 235 and a sixth transistor 236.

The first transistor 231 has a first end coupled to the switching voltage regulating circuit 24, a second end coupled to a U-phase coil 22u of the generator 22, and a control end receiving the first switching signal S1. The first transistor 231 is controlled by the first switching signal S1 to be turned on or off. The second transistor 232 has a first end coupled to a W-phase coil 22w of the generator 22, a second end grounded, and a control end receiving the second switching signal S2. The second transistor 232 is controlled by the second switching signal S2 to be turned on or off. The third transistor 233 has a first end coupled to the first end of the first transistor 231, a second end coupled to a V-phase coil 22v of the generator 22, and a control end receiving the third switching signal S3. The third transistor 233 is controlled by the third switching signal S3 to be turned on or off. The fourth transistor 234 has a first end coupled to the second end of the first transistor 231, a second end grounded, and a control end receiving the fourth switching signal S4. The fourth transistor 234 is controlled by the fourth switching signal S4 to be turned on or off. The fifth transistor 235 has a first end coupled to the first end of the third transistor 233, a second end coupled to the W phase coil 22w of the generator 22, and a control end receiving the fifth switching signal S5. The fifth transistor 235 is controlled by the fifth switching signal S5 to be turned on or off. The sixth transistor 236 has a first end coupled to the V phase coil 22v of the generator 22, a second end grounded, and a control end receiving the sixth switching signal S6. The sixth transistor 236 is controlled by the sixth switching signal S6 to be turned on or off.

The switching voltage regulator circuit 24 is coupled to the full-bridge rectifier circuit 23 to receive the DC voltage signal, and steps down the DC voltage signal according to a control signal C1 to generate an output voltage to supply power to the battery 21 or the vehicle load. In this embodiment, the switching voltage regulator circuit 24 includes an output capacitor 241, an inductor 242, a diode 243 and a switch 244.

The output capacitor 241 has a first end coupled to the battery 21 and providing the output voltage, and a second end connected to the ground. The inductor 242 has a first end coupled to the first end of the output capacitor 241, and a second end. The diode 243 has a cathode coupled to the second end of the inductor 242, and an anode connected to the ground. The switch 244 is coupled between the cathode of the diode 243 and the first end of the first transistor 231. It should be noted that in other embodiments, the diode 243 can be replaced by a switch (not shown), and when the switch is turned on (not turned on), the switch 244 is not turned on (turned on), which can reduce conduction loss and improve efficiency. In addition, the diode 243 is replaced by the switch, so that the switching voltage regulator circuit 24 forms a boost loop, and the 12V battery 21 can perform a reverse boost function to work the generator 22. The switch 244 and the switches of other embodiments can be semiconductor switches such as metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFET), bipolar junction transistors (BJT), insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBT), gallium nitride (GaN) or silicon carbide (SiC).

The controller 25 is coupled to the full-bridge rectifier circuit 23 and the switching voltage regulator circuit 24 to generate the control signal C1 and the switching signal output (i.e., the first to sixth switching signals S1-S6) and output them to the switching voltage regulator circuit 24 and the full-bridge rectifier circuit 23, respectively. The controller 25 is also coupled to the generator 22 to obtain a back electromotive force signal Bs (see FIG. 4 ) of the generator 22. The controller 25 adjusts the switching signal output at least according to the voltage value of the DC voltage signal and a preset voltage value. The controller 25 is an ISG hybrid power controller. The preset voltage value is, for example, a minimum voltage value that can still charge the battery 21 after voltage regulation by the switching voltage regulator circuit 24. The specific operation of the controller 25 is described below with reference to FIG. 3 .

3 to 5, which illustrate the flow chart of the power generation method performed by the power generation system 2 for the new locomotive. The power generation method includes the following steps 31 to 36.

In step 31, after the motorcycle is started, the generator 22 is driven by the engine 20 to generate the three-phase power.

In step 32, the full-bridge rectifier circuit 23 generates the DC voltage signal according to the three-phase power and the switching signal output (i.e., the first to sixth switching signals S1-S6). It should be noted that at this time, the starting point position of a high logic level in all switching cycles T of the first to sixth switching signals S1-S6 is the same as the zero point position of the back electromotive force signal Bs (see FIG. 4, since the first to sixth switching signals S1-S6 are well known to those skilled in the art, for the sake of simplicity, only the first switching signal S1 is drawn in FIG. 4 for a simple schematic illustration).

In step 33, the switching voltage regulator circuit 24 steps down the DC voltage signal according to the control signal C1 to generate the output voltage to supply power to the battery 21.

In step 34, the controller 25 determines whether the voltage value of the DC voltage signal is less than or equal to the preset voltage value. When the judgment result is yes (that is, the voltage of the DC voltage signal is not sufficient to enable the switching voltage regulating circuit 24 to perform voltage regulating operation), the process proceeds to step 35; when the judgment result is no, the process proceeds to step 36.

In step 35, the controller 25 adjusts the starting position of the high logic level in the switching cycle T of the switching signal output to lag behind the zero position of the back electromotive force signal Bs by a preset electrical angle De (see FIG. 5 . Since the first to sixth switching signals S1 to S6 are well known to those skilled in the art, for the sake of simplicity, only the first switching signal S1 is shown in FIG. 5 for simple schematic illustration). Then, steps 34 and 35 are repeated until the voltage value of the DC voltage signal is greater than the preset voltage value. In this way, the present invention makes the voltage value of the DC voltage signal continuously increase by lagging the output phase of the switching signal behind the zero point position of the back electromotive force signal Bs, thereby avoiding the situation where the peak voltage of the three-phase power is too low when the generator 22 is at the idle speed, and the voltage value of the DC voltage signal is also too low, causing the switching voltage regulating circuit 24 to be unable to perform the voltage regulation operation, thereby avoiding the situation where the switching voltage regulating circuit 24 is unable to supply power to the battery 21 or the vehicle load, thereby improving the utilization efficiency of the power generation system 2.

In step 36, the controller 25 adjusts or maintains the starting position of the high logic level in the switching cycle T of the switching signal output to be the same as the zero position of the back electromotive force signal Bs. Then, step 34 is repeatedly entered to continue to judge and perform subsequent corresponding steps until the motorcycle is turned off, but not limited to this.

Specifically, when the initial step 33 enters step 34 and the judgment result is directly negative, the controller 25 maintains the starting position of the high logic level in the switching cycle T of the switching signal output to be the same as the zero position of the back electromotive force signal Bs. When the initial step 33 enters step 34 and the judgment result is directly yes and steps 35 and 34 are repeatedly executed in sequence until the voltage value of the DC voltage signal is greater than the preset voltage value (that is, the judgment result of step 34 changes from yes to no), the controller 25 adjusts the starting position of the high logic level in the switching cycle T of the switching signal output to be the same as the zero position of the back electromotive force signal Bs. It should be noted that in this embodiment, the controller 25 adjusts the starting position of the high logic level in the switching cycle T of the switching signal output to be the same as the zero position of the back electromotive force signal Bs in the following operation mode, but is not limited thereto. The controller 25 sequentially restores the starting position of the high logic level in the switching cycle T of the switching signal output to a preset return angle (i.e., after each restoration to the preset return angle, it enters step 34 again to re-judge and restore the preset return angle for the next time) until the starting position of the high logic level in the switching cycle T of the switching signal output is the same as the zero point position of the back electromotive force signal Bs (i.e., as shown in FIG4). The preset return angle is the same as the preset electrical angle De, and the controller 25 returns the starting position of the high logic level in the switching cycle T of the switching signal output to a total return number of the preset return angle, corresponding to the controller 25 adjusting the starting position of the high logic level in the switching cycle T of the switching signal output to a total lag number of times that lags behind the zero position of the back electromotive force signal Bs. In other embodiments, the preset return angle can be the preset electrical angle De multiplied by the total lag number, so that the total return number of the controller 25 is once. When the total lag number is once, the total return number corresponds to the total lag number. When the total lag number is greater than once, the total return number is less than the total lag number.

In summary, the power generation system 2 for the new locomotive utilizes the switching voltage regulating circuit 24 to regulate the DC voltage signal to generate the output voltage for the battery 21 or the vehicle load, so that the DC voltage signal is proportional to the speed of the engine 20. The DC voltage signal is not directly related to the output voltage generated by the switching voltage regulating circuit 24. Therefore, the power generation system 2 does not need to be connected to the output voltage of the switching voltage regulating circuit 24 as known in the art. The coil of the generator 12 is short-circuited, that is, the power generation system 2 does not need to operate in a short-circuit voltage regulation state, so that the power generation system 2 does not need to convert the large amount of excess energy generated by the generator 22 into heat energy for dissipation through short-circuit voltage regulation, thereby achieving higher efficiency. Also, since the heat generation is greatly reduced, it can avoid causing damage to the engine 20 or other components in the motorcycle, thereby achieving the effect of extending the service life of the motorcycle components. Furthermore, when the generator 22 is at the idle speed (or the maximum speed), the peak voltage of the three-phase power is controlled between 10 and 15V (or 80 and 100V). This can prevent the peak voltage of the three-phase power from exceeding 100V when the generator 22 is at the maximum speed, thereby eliminating the need for transistors/electronic components in the power generation system 2 to use electronic components with high-voltage specifications, thereby achieving the effect of reducing the manufacturing cost of the power generation system 2. In addition, by delaying the output phase of the switching signal by the controller 25, the voltage value of the DC voltage signal can be increased, thereby preventing the voltage value of the DC voltage signal from being too low when the generator 22 is at the idle speed, causing the switching voltage regulating circuit 24 to be unable to perform the voltage regulation operation, thereby preventing the switching voltage regulating circuit 24 from being unable to supply power to the battery 21 or the vehicle load, thereby improving the utilization efficiency of the power generation system 2.

The present invention has been disclosed in the above with the preferred embodiment, but those skilled in the art should understand that the embodiment is only used to describe the present invention and should not be interpreted as limiting the scope of the present invention. It should be noted that all changes and substitutions equivalent to the embodiment should be included in the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of the present invention shall be based on the scope defined by the patent application.

1, 2: Power generation system 10: Engine 11: Rectifier circuit 12: Generator 13: Battery 14: Vehicle load 15: Voltage regulator controller 16~18: Switch 20: Engine 21: Battery 22: Generator 22u: U phase coil 22v: V phase coil 22w: W phase coil 23: Full bridge rectifier circuit 24: Switching voltage regulator circuit 25: Controller 31~36: Steps 231: First transistor 232: Second transistor 233: Third transistor 234: Fourth transistor 235: Fifth transistor 236: Sixth transistor 241: Output capacitor 242: Inductor 243: Diode 244: Switch Bs: Back EMF signal C1: Control signal De: Default electrical angle S1: First switching signal S2: Second switching signal S3: Third switching signal S4: Fourth switching signal S5: Fifth switching signal S6: Sixth switching signal T: Switching cycle

FIG1 is a circuit block diagram illustrating a power generation system for a conventional locomotive; FIG2 is a circuit block diagram illustrating an embodiment of the power generation system for a novel locomotive; FIG3 is a flow chart illustrating a power generation method implemented by the embodiment; and FIG4 and FIG5 are schematic diagrams illustrating that the embodiment adjusts a starting point position of a high logic level outputted by all switching signals to a zero point position lagging behind a counter electromotive force signal by a preset electrical angle.

2: Power generation system

20: Engine

21:Battery

22: Generator

22u:U phase coil

22v: V phase coil

22w:W phase coil

23: Full-bridge rectifier circuit

24: Switching voltage regulator circuit

25: Controller

231: First transistor

232: Second transistor

233: The third transistor

234: The fourth transistor

235: Fifth transistor

236: Sixth transistor

241: Output capacitor

242: Inductor

243:Diode

244: Switch

C1: Control signal

S1: First switching signal

S2: Second switching signal

S3: The third switching signal

S4: The fourth switching signal

S5: The fifth switching signal

S6: Sixth switching signal

Claims (7)

A power generation system for a motorcycle is coupled between an engine and a battery, and includes: A generator coupled to the engine and driven by the engine to generate a three-phase power; A full-bridge rectifier circuit coupled to the generator to receive the three-phase power, and to generate a DC voltage signal according to the three-phase power and a switching signal output; A switching voltage regulator circuit coupled to the full-bridge rectifier circuit to receive the DC voltage signal, and to step down the DC voltage signal according to a control signal to generate an output voltage to supply power to the battery; and A controller is coupled to the full-bridge rectifier circuit and the switching voltage regulator circuit to generate the control signal and the switching signal output and output them to the switching voltage regulator circuit and the full-bridge rectifier circuit respectively. The controller adjusts the switching signal output at least according to the voltage value of the DC voltage signal and a preset voltage value. A power generation system for a locomotive as described in claim 1, wherein when the generator is at an idle speed, a peak voltage of the three-phase power is between 10 and 15V. A power generation system for a locomotive as described in claim 1, wherein when the generator is at a maximum speed, a peak voltage of the three-phase power is between 80 and 100V. The power generation system for a locomotive as described in claim 1, wherein the switching voltage regulating circuit comprises: an output capacitor having a first end coupled to the battery and providing the output voltage, and a second end connected to ground; an inductor having a first end coupled to the first end of the output capacitor, and a second end; a diode having a cathode coupled to the second end of the inductor, and a grounded anode; and a switch coupled between the cathode of the diode and the full-bridge rectifier circuit. A power generation system for a locomotive as described in claim 1, wherein the switching signal output includes a first switching signal, a second switching signal, a third switching signal, a fourth switching signal, a fifth switching signal and a sixth switching signal, and the controller is also coupled to the generator to obtain a back electromotive force signal of the generator. The controller determines whether the voltage value of the DC voltage signal is less than or equal to the preset voltage value. When the judgment result is yes, the controller adjusts the starting point position of a high logic level in all switching cycles of each of the first to sixth switching signals to lag behind a zero point position of the back electromotive force signal by a preset electrical angle. A power generation system for a locomotive as described in claim 5, wherein, when the controller determines whether the voltage value of the DC voltage signal is less than or equal to the preset voltage value, and the determination result is no, the controller adjusts or maintains the starting position of the high logic level in the switching cycle of each of the first to sixth switching signals to be the same as the zero position of the back electromotive force signal. A power generation system for a locomotive as described in claim 1, wherein the full-bridge rectifier circuit is a three-phase full-bridge rectifier circuit including six transistors.

Images