DC power source apparatus

1. A DC power source apparatus that is connected between a power source and a load and that boosts the voltage of the power source and then supplies the boosted voltage to the load, the DC power source apparatus comprising:

a reactor connected between an interconnection portion of a plurality of switching devices and the power source;

a low-voltage-side smoothing capacitor that smooths a low-voltage-side voltage to be applied to the reactor;

a high-voltage-side smoothing capacitor that smooths a high-voltage-side voltage to be supplied to the load;

a low-voltage-side voltage sensor that detects the low-voltage-side voltage;

a high-voltage-side voltage sensor that detects the high-voltage-side voltage; and

a control unit that performs PWM-control of the plurality of switching devices in such a way that a high-voltage-side voltage detection value V 2 s detected by the high-voltage-side voltage sensor keeps track of a high-voltage-side voltage target value,

wherein the control unit includes a function of limiting a duty value that is the ratio of an on-time to a switching period of the switching device, and makes an upper limit value for limiting the upper limit of the duty value variable during switching operation of the switching device,

wherein the upper limit value of the duty value is determined based on at least the high-voltage-side voltage detection value detected by the high-voltage-side voltage sensor and a low-voltage-side voltage detection value V 1 s detected by the low-voltage-side voltage sensor,

wherein letting β 1 denote a low-voltage-side correction coefficient at a time when the effect of the detection error rate of the low-voltage-side voltage sensor is considered, letting β 2 denote a high-voltage-side correction coefficient at a time when the effect of the detection error rate of the high-voltage-side voltage sensor is considered, letting α 1 denote a duty offset for securing the operable range of the duty value, letting α 2 denote a correction coefficient at a time when there are considered the effect of a dead time where the plurality of switching devices are turned off at the same time and the effect of a voltage drop due to the resistance components of circuit constituent parts, and letting DutyMax(V 1 s , V 2 s ) denote the upper limit value of the duty value, respectively, the upper limit value of the duty value is calculated by the following equation

DutyMax

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2. The DC power source apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the upper limit value of the duty value is a value obtained after the duty value passed through a lowpass filter.

3. The DC power source apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the plurality of switching devices include a first switching device and a second switching device,

wherein the first switching device and the second switching device form a switching unit, and

wherein switching operation of the switching devices in the switching unit accumulates energy in and discharges energy from the reactor.

4. The DC power source apparatus according to claim 1 , further including a capacitor for transferring energy,

wherein the plurality of switching devices include the first switching device, the second switching device, and a third switching device, and a fourth switching device,

wherein the first switching device and the second switching device form a first switching unit,

wherein the third switching device and the fourth switching device form a second switching unit,

wherein the first switching device and the second switching device are connected in series with each other, and

wherein switching operation of the switching devices in the first switching unit and the second switching unit charges and discharges the capacitor for transferring energy and also accumulates energy in and discharges energy from the reactor.

5. The DC power source apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein there is provided switching devices that can perform control in such a way that the high-voltage-side voltage becomes substantially the same as or higher than the low-voltage-side voltage.

6. The DC power source apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the voltage of the power source changes when the switching device operates.

7. The DC power source apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the power source is formed of a battery.

8. A DC power source apparatus that is connected between a power source and a load and that boosts the voltage of the power source and then supplies the boosted voltage to the load, the DC power source apparatus comprising:

a reactor connected between an interconnection portion of a plurality of switching devices and the power source;

a low-voltage-side smoothing capacitor that smooths a low-voltage-side voltage to be applied to the reactor;

a high-voltage-side smoothing capacitor that smooths a high-voltage-side voltage to be supplied to the load;

a low-voltage-side voltage sensor that detects the low-voltage-side voltage;

a high-voltage-side voltage sensor that detects the high-voltage-side voltage; and

a control unit that performs PWM-control of the plurality of switching devices in such a way that a high-voltage-side voltage detection value V 2 s detected by the high-voltage-side voltage sensor keeps track of a high-voltage-side voltage target value,

wherein the control unit includes a function of limiting a duty value that is the ratio of an on-time to a switching period of the switching device, and makes an upper limit value for limiting the upper limit of the duty value variable during switching operation of the switching device,

wherein the upper limit value of the duty value is determined based on at least the high-voltage-side voltage detection value V 2 s detected by the high-voltage-side voltage sensor and a low-voltage-side voltage fixation value V 1 c that is a fixed value of the low-voltage-side voltage,

wherein letting β 1 denote a low-voltage-side correction coefficient at a time when the effect of the detection error rate of the low-voltage-side voltage sensor is considered, letting β 2 denote a high-voltage-side correction coefficient at a time when the effect of the detection error rate of the high-voltage-side voltage sensor is considered, letting α 1 denote a duty offset for securing the operable range of the duty value, letting α 2 denote a correction coefficient at a time when there are considered the effect of a dead time where the plurality of switching devices are turned off at the same time and the effect of a voltage drop due to the resistance components of circuit constituent parts, and letting DutyMax(V 1 c , V 2 s ) denote the upper limit value of the duty value, respectively, the upper limit value of the duty value is calculated by the following equation

DutyMax

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9. A DC power source apparatus that is connected between a power source and a load and that boosts the voltage of the power source and then supplies the boosted voltage to the load, the DC power source apparatus comprising:

a reactor connected between an interconnection portion of a plurality of switching devices and the power source;

a low-voltage-side smoothing capacitor that smooths a low-voltage-side voltage to be applied to the reactor;

a high-voltage-side smoothing capacitor that smooths a high-voltage-side voltage to be supplied to the load;

a low-voltage-side voltage sensor that detects the low-voltage-side voltage;

a high-voltage-side voltage sensor that detects the high-voltage-side voltage; and

a control unit that performs PWM-control of the plurality of switching devices in such a way that a high-voltage-side voltage detection value detected by the high-voltage-side voltage sensor keeps track of a high-voltage-side voltage target value,

wherein the upper limit value of the duty value is determined based on at least the high-voltage-side voltage target value that is a target value of the high-voltage-side voltage and a low-voltage-side voltage fixation value that is a fixed value of the low-voltage-side voltage,

wherein the upper limit value of the duty value is determined based on at least the high-voltage-side voltage target value that is a target value of the high-voltage-side voltage and a low-voltage-side voltage fixation value V 1 c that is a fixed value of the low-voltage-side voltage, and

wherein letting α 1 denote a duty offset for securing the operable range of the duty value, letting α 2 a denote correction coefficient at a time when there are considered the effect of a dead time where the plurality of switching devices are turned off at the same time and the effect of a voltage drop due to the resistance components of circuit constituent parts, letting V 2 ref denote the high-voltage-side voltage target value, letting V 1 c denote the low-voltage-side voltage fixation value, and letting DutyMax(V 1 c , V 2 ref) denote the upper limit value of the duty value, respectively, the upper limit value of the duty value is calculated by the following equation

DutyMax

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