Vehicle power control

• US 10,195,959 B2
• Filed: 10/06/2017
• Issued: 02/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Nozawa, Takashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Vanaman, Frank B
• Application Number:
  US15/726,601
• Publication Number:
  US 20180126866A1
• Time in Patent Office: 487 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/00 Supplying electric power to auxiliary equipment of vehicles circuit arrangements for charging batteries H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/12 Buck converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/14 Boost converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0038 relating to sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0046 relating to electric energy storage systems, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0053 relating to fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0069 relating to the isolation, e.g. ground fault or leak current
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0084 relating to control modules
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/40 using propulsion power supplied by capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/71 Arrangement of fuel cells within vehicles specially adapted for electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/10 for monitoring or controlling batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/33507 with automatic control of the output voltage or current, e.g. flyback converters H02M3/33561, H02M3/33569 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/33584 Bidirectional converters
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/40 Application of hydrogen technology to transportation, e.g. using fuel cells

Abstract

A vehicle includes a system main relay, a first voltage converter, a second voltage converter, a first diode disposed in a third power line and configured to prevent a reverse flow of a current from the first auxiliary machine to the auxiliary machine battery, and a second diode disposed in a second power line and configured to prevent a reverse flow of a current from the first auxiliary machine to the second voltage converter. Therefore, according to the vehicle, even when the auxiliary machine battery is short-circuited, the first diode can prevent a reverse flow of a current and the second voltage converter can continuously supply electric power to the first auxiliary machine.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising:

a motor for traveling the vehicle;

a main power supply configured to store electric power that is supplied to the motor;

a power converter configured to convert electric power of the main power supply into driving power of the motor;

a system main relay configured to connect and disconnect the main power supply with the power converter;

a first auxiliary machine configured to operate with electric power lower than an output voltage of the main power supply;

an auxiliary machine battery configured to output the same voltage as a driving voltage of the first auxiliary machine;

a first voltage converter connected to the main power supply via the system main relay, the first voltage converter being configured to step down the output voltage of the main power supply to the driving voltage of the first auxiliary machine;

a second voltage converter connected to the main power supply without passing through the system main relay, the second voltage converter being configured to step down the output voltage of the main power supply to the driving voltage of the first auxiliary machine;

a first power line connecting an output terminal of the first voltage converter with the auxiliary machine battery;

a second power line connecting an output terminal of the second voltage converter with the first auxiliary machine;

a third power line connecting the auxiliary machine battery with the first auxiliary machine;

a first diode disposed in the third power line, an anode side of the first diode being connected to the auxiliary machine battery and a cathode side of the first diode being connected to the first auxiliary machine; and

a second diode disposed in the second power line, an anode side of the second diode being connected to the second voltage converter and a cathode side of the second diode being connected to the first auxiliary machine.

2. The vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising:

a fourth power line connecting the anode side of the first diode with the anode side of the second diode;

a first switch disposed in the fourth power line, the first switch being configured to cut off the anode side of the first diode and the anode side of the second diode from each other;

a short circuit detector configured to detect a short circuit of the auxiliary machine battery; and

an electronic control unit configured to open the first switch to cut off the anode side of the first diode and the anode side of the second diode from each other when the short circuit detector detects the short circuit of the auxiliary machine battery.

3. The vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising:

a bypass power line connecting an electronic control unit with a high-potential terminal of capacitor,

wherein the electronic control unit is configured to operate with electric power lower than the output voltage of the main power supply, and

the first voltage converter includes the capacitor and a third diode,

a low-potential terminal of the capacitor is connected to a ground,

an anode side of the third diode is connected to the output terminal of the first voltage converter, and a cathode side of the third diode is connected to the high-potential terminal of the capacitor.

4. The vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising:

a non-critical auxiliary machine connected to the third power line, the non-critical auxiliary machine being configured not to be involved in a driving system of the vehicle; and

a switch configured to cut off the non-critical auxiliary machine from the third power line.