Flying capacitor based variable voltage converter

1. A powertrain for a vehicle comprising:

a variable voltage converter (VVC) including an inductor, a bus capacitor and a flying capacitor; and

a controller configured to,

in response to a power demand signal exceeding a threshold, modulate switches of the VVC such that an inductor current created by a collapsing field of the inductor is directed into the flying capacitor or the bus capacitor such that a bus capacitor voltage exceeds a flying capacitor voltage, and

in response to the power demand signal dropping below the threshold, modulate switches such that the flying capacitor and the bus capacitor are coupled in parallel.

2. The powertrain of claim 1 , wherein the VVC is coupled between a traction battery and an electric drive unit.

3. The powertrain of claim 1 , wherein the switches of the VVC include 4 switches coupled in series between a negative and positive output terminal of the VVC.

4. The powertrain of claim 3 , wherein the switches of the VVC include a first switch coupled between a second switch and a positive output terminal, the second switch coupled between the first switch and a third switch, the third switch coupled between the second switch and a fourth switch, and the fourth switch coupled between the third switch and a negative output terminal.

5. The powertrain of claim 4 , wherein the flying capacitor is coupled between a top junction between the first and second switch and a second junction between the third and fourth switch and the inductor is coupled between a positive input terminal and a middle point between the second and third switch.

6. The powertrain of claim 5 , where the controller is further configured to, alternately flow the inductor current into the flying capacitor and bus capacitor coupled in series by the switches, or flow the inductor current into the bus capacitor, while the flying capacitor is coupled in series with the bus capacitor by the switches and bypassed by a diode.

7. The powertrain of claim 5 , where the controller is further configured to, in response to a power demand signal transitioning to negative, couple the flying capacitor and the bus capacitor in parallel and operate, in a steady-state, the switches in a pass-through mode to flow charge, wherein the first, second and fourth switches conduct and the third switch is turned off.

8. The powertrain of claim 1 , wherein the switches are insulated gate bipolar junction transistors (IGBTs) or metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFETs).

9. A method of controlling a powertrain converter comprising:

directing current into an inductor of the converter to create a field;

in response to a power demand signal exceeding a threshold, collapsing the field to flow a charge to a flying capacitor to boost a voltage of a bus capacitor such that the voltage of the bus capacitor exceeds a voltage of the flying capacitor; and

in response to a power demand signal dropping below the threshold, coupling the flying capacitor and the bus capacitor in parallel and directing charge into both the flying capacitor and the bus capacitor as the field collapses.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising modulating switches of the converter by a controller to direct the current into the inductor and to collapse the field.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the field collapses to flow a charge to the bus capacitor and the flying capacitor.

12. The method of claim 10 further including, in response to a power demand signal transitioning to negative, coupling the flying capacitor and the bus capacitor in parallel and operating, in a steady-state, the switches in a pass-through mode to flow charge.

13. A vehicle comprising:

an electric machine configured to propel the vehicle;

a variable voltage converter (VVC) including an inductor, a bus capacitor and a flying capacitor; and

a controller configured to modulate switches of the VVC in a boost mode such that an inductor current created by a collapsing field of the inductor is boosted by the flying capacitor and directed into the bus capacitor at a drive voltage of the electric machine and, in response to a power demand signal transitioning to negative, operate, in a steady-state, the switches in a pass-through mode to couple the flying capacitor and the bus capacitor in parallel and flow charge.

14. The vehicle of claim 13 , wherein the switches of the VVC include a first switch coupled between a second switch and a positive output terminal, the second switch coupled between the first switch and a third switch, the third switch coupled between the second switch and a fourth switch, and the fourth switch coupled between the third switch and a negative output terminal.

15. The vehicle of claim 14 , wherein the flying capacitor is coupled between a top junction between the first and second switch and a second junction between the third and fourth switch and the inductor is coupled between a positive input terminal and a middle point between the second and third switch.

16. The vehicle of claim 15 , where the controller is further configured to, alternately flow the inductor current into the flying capacitor and bus capacitor coupled in series by the switches, or flow the inductor current into the bus capacitor, while the flying capacitor is coupled in series with the bus capacitor by the switches and bypassed by a diode.

17. The vehicle of claim 15 , where the controller is further configured to, in response to the flying capacitor and the bus capacitor being coupled in parallel, operate, in a steady-state, the switches such that the first, second and fourth switches conduct and the third switch is turned off.

18. The vehicle of claim 13 , wherein the switches are insulated gate bipolar junction transistors (IGBTs) or metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFETs).