Multiple-voltage power supply circuitry for motor vehicles

• US 20020149954A1
• Filed: 04/19/2002
• Published: 10/17/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Peugeot Citroen Automobiles SA (Stellantis NV)
• Original Assignee: Peugeot Citroen Automobiles SA (Stellantis NV)
• Inventors: Besnier, Pascal, Garcia-Malea, Luc
• Granted Patent: US 6,717,288 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 363/123
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/33561 having more than one ouput with independent control
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/33576 having at least one active switching element at the secondary side of an isolation transformer
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/3376 with automatic control of output voltage or current
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility

Abstract

This invention relates to an electrical power supply circuit for an automobile vehicle.

This circuit comprises a primary stage (10) powered by a main energy source (A₀, S₀). This primary stage outputs an AC current to a current loop (BC) supplying power to at least one primary winding of a transformer. A converter converting AC current to direct current or voltage is associated with the secondary winding of the transformer to create an auxiliary direct current or voltage source.

Claims

1. Electrical power supply circuit for an automobile vehicle, characterised in that it comprises a primary stage (10) powered by a main energy source, this primary stage outputting an alternating current to a current loop (BC;

50;

60;

70;

80) supplying power to at least one primary winding of a transformer, a converter converting alternating current to direct current or voltage being associated with a secondary winding of the transformer to create an auxiliary direct current or voltage source.

2. Circuit set forth in claim 1, in which the main energy source comprises a rotating machine such as an alternator (A₀).

3. Circuit set forth in claim 2, in which the rotating machine powers a direct source (S₀, BAT_y) on the input side of the primary circuit.

4. Circuit as claimed in any one of the previous claims, in which the current loop is used to transmit information signals.

5. Circuit as claimed in any of the previous claims, in which the current loop comprises a winding forming the secondary (51) of a transformer, the primary (53) of the transformer being powered by a supplementary electrical energy source (52).

6. Circuit set forth in claim 5, in which the supplementary electrical energy source and/or the main source comprises an energy storage element, and in that the current is such that it enables energy exchanges between the main source and the supplementary source.

7. Circuit as claimed in any one of the previous claims, in which the automobile vehicle is of the type with electric traction, the main energy source (62) being arranged to draw its energy from the power supply source for the electric traction motor (68), this engine power supply source supplying energy directly to this electric traction motor without passing through the current loop, the auxiliary direct current or voltage source (S₁, . . . , S_N-1) being intended for the power supply of at least one other device on the vehicle.

8. Circuit as claimed in any one of the previous claims, in which the main energy source (A₀, S₀) powers a second primary stage (10₂) outputting an alternating current to a second current loop (78₂) that powers the primary of a second transformer, in which the secondary of this transformer powers a second control device (74₂) identical to a first control device (74₁) powered by the secondary of the transformer of the first current loop (78₁), this second device being intended to replace the first if there is a failure in the first device.

9. Circuit set forth in claim 8, in which the first and second devices are intended to control a safety device (72) on the vehicle such as a braking device.

10. Circuit as claimed in any one of the previous claims, characterised in that it comprises at least two current loops intended to supply power to different types of devices, for example some in the engine compartment and others in the passenger compartment.

11. Circuit as claimed in any one of the previous claims, in which the converter converting alternating current to direct voltage or current comprises several direct voltage and/or current outputs preferably each with different values.

12. Circuit as claimed in any one of the previous claims, in which the current loop comprises several complementary connectors (90) that can be used together to maintain continuity of the loop (80) or can be separated so that a winding of a transformer can be inserted in the primary circuit.

13. Circuit as claimed in any one of the previous claims, in which the secondary winding of the transformer directly supplies alternating current to a device in the vehicle such as a filament lamp or an electric resistance.

14. Circuit as claimed in any one of the previous claims, in which the primary alternating current generator (10) comprises a current regulator (11) capable of controlling the amplitude of the current (I₁) circulating in the current loop (BC).

15. Circuit as claimed in any one of the previous claims, in which the primary alternating current stage (10) comprises a resonant circuit (12) installed in series in the current loop (BC) and kept in oscillation by pumping electrical charges taken at a determined frequency (Fc) from a charge storage circuit (Q) connected to the main direct voltage source (S₀).

16. Circuit set forth in claim 15, in which the main primary alternating current stage (10) comprises a transistor bridge (13) and a driver circuit (14), the transistor bridge (13) being connected to the charge storage circuit (Q) and to the resonant circuit (12) to transfer electric charges taken from the charge storage circuit (Q) to the resonant circuit (12), and each pair of transistors (131, 133;

132, 134) in the transistor bridge (13) being in a cyclically variable conducting state controlled by an output signal (S₁₄) from the driver circuit (14) with a determined frequency (Fc).

17. Circuit set forth in claim 16, in which the driver circuit (14) comprises a voltage-frequency converter (CVF) controlled by a control voltage (Vc) that depends on the direct voltage (V₀) of the main source (S₀) to produce the output signal (S₁₄) at the determined frequency (Fc), and in that the current regulator (11) comprises a retroaction loop (111, 112) designed to modify the control voltage (Vc) of the voltage-frequency converter (CVF) as a function of the current (I₁) circulating in the current loop (BC).

18. Circuit as claimed in any one of the previous claims, in which at least one secondary module (S₁, S₂) comprises a voltage regulator (RGV) capable of regulating the amplitude of the direct output voltage (V₁, V₂) from the current-voltage converter (CCV).

19. Circuit set forth in claim 18, in which the current-voltage converter (CCV) comprises a rectifier bridge (PR) connected to the secondary winding (E₂₁, E₂₂) of the transformer (T₁, T₂) and a capacitive circuit (K) connected to the secondary winding (E₂₁, E₂₂) through an electric link through the rectifier bridge (PR), this rectifier bridge (PR) charging this capacitive circuit (K).

20. Circuit set forth in claim 19, in which the voltage regulator (RGV) comprises a threshold detector (DS) comparing the charging voltage of the capacitive circuit (K) with a predetermined voltage value (V_S1, V_S2) and a switching means (J) controlled by the threshold detector (DS) to selectively short-circuit the secondary winding (E₂₁, E₂₂) when the charging voltage of the capacitive circuit (K) reaches the predetermined voltage value (V_S1, V_S2).

21. Circuit as claimed in any one of the previous claims, in which the secondary loop comprises first and second transformers (T₁, T₂) with transformation ratios (N₁₁/N₂₁;

N₁₂/N₂₂) that are different from each other.

22. Circuit set forth in claim 15, in which the charge storage circuit (Q) comprises at least one capacitor.