Battery ground fault detecting circuit

• US 20050151559A1
• Filed: 09/20/2004
• Published: 07/14/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Delta Electronics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Delta Electronics Incorporated
• Inventors: Liao, Jen-Chuan, Tsai, Wen-Che
• Granted Patent: US 7,005,883 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/64
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/382 Arrangements for monitoring battery or accumulator variables, e.g. SoC
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/52 Testing for short-circuits, leakage current or ground faults

Abstract

A battery ground fault detecting circuit applied to an uninterruptible power system is disclosed. The uninterruptible power system has a controller and is connected to a battery box having a ground terminal. The battery ground fault detecting circuit is employed for detecting whether a ground fault is occurred in a battery mounted in the battery box, so that the controller can execute a corresponding protection procedure. The battery ground fault detecting circuit includes a detector electrically connected to the ground terminal of the battery box for detecting a ground current signal outputted from the ground terminal, a signal processor electrically connected to the detector for filtering and amplifying the ground current signal, a peak value comparator electrically connected to the signal processor and having a predetermined peak value for comparing the filtered and amplified ground current signal with the predetermined peak value so as to generate an AC control signal when the peak value of the ground current signal is larger than the predetermined peak value, and a signal converter electrically connected to the peak value comparator for converting the AC control signal into a DC control signal and transmitting the DC control signal to the controller for executing a corresponding protection procedure to the uninterruptible power system in response to the DC control signal.

Claims

1. A battery ground fault detecting circuit applied to an uninterruptible power system having a controller and being connected to a battery box having a ground terminal, wherein said battery ground fault detecting circuit is employed for detecting whether a ground fault is occurred in a battery mounted in said battery box so that said controller executes a corresponding protection procedure thereupon, comprising:

a detector electrically connected to said ground terminal of said battery box for detecting a ground current signal outputted from said ground terminal;

a signal processor electrically connected to said detector for filtering and amplifying said ground current signal;

a peak value comparator electrically connected to said signal processor and having a predetermined peak value for comparing said filtered and amplified ground current signal with said predetermined peak value so as to generate an AC control signal when said peak value of said ground current signal is larger than said predetermined peak value; and

a signal converter electrically connected to said peak value comparator for converting said AC control signal into a DC control signal and transmitting said DC control signal to said controller for executing said corresponding protection procedure to said uninterruptible power system in response to said DC control signal.

2. The battery ground fault detecting circuit according to claim 1, wherein said detector is a current detector (HALL CT) for detecting said ground current signal from said ground terminal.

3. The battery ground fault detecting circuit according to claim 1, wherein said signal processor is an amplifier (OPA) for filtering and amplifying said ground current signal.

4. The battery ground fault detecting circuit according to claim 1, wherein said peak value comparator comprises two amplifiers, one of which is for a comparison of a positive peak value and the other is for a comparison of a negative peak value.

5. The battery ground fault detecting circuit according to claim 1, wherein said AC control signal is a square wave control signal.

6. The battery ground fault detecting circuit according to claim 1, wherein said signal converter comprises an integration circuit and a comparator, and said AC control signal is integrated by said integration circuit and then compared by said comparator so as to generate said DC control signal.

7. The battery ground fault detecting circuit according to claim 6, wherein said integration circuit is a resistor-capacitor (RC) integration circuit for integrating said AC control signal.

8. The battery ground fault detecting circuit according to claim 6, wherein said comparator is an amplifier (OPA) for a comparison of said integrated AC control signal so as to generate said DC control signal.

9. The battery ground fault detecting circuit according to claim 1, wherein said battery ground fault detecting circuit is mounted inside said battery box and communicates with said controller through a transmission line.

10. The battery ground fault detecting circuit according to claim 1, wherein said battery ground fault detecting circuit is mounted inside said uninterruptible power system.

11. The battery ground fault detecting circuit according to claim 1, wherein said controller is a microcontroller (MCU) for executing said corresponding protection procedure when said ground fault is occurred in said battery mounted in said battery box.

12. The battery ground fault detecting circuit according to claim 1, wherein said battery box has plural batteries mounted therein.

13. An uninterruptible power system, comprising:

a controller;

a battery box having a ground terminal; and

a battery ground fault detecting circuit electrically connected to said controller and said battery box for detecting whether a ground fault is occurred in a battery mounted in said battery box so that said controller executes a corresponding protection procedure, said battery ground fault detecting circuit comprising;

a detector electrically connected to said ground terminal of said battery box for detecting a ground current signal outputted from said ground terminal;

a signal processor electrically connected to said detector for filtering and amplifying said ground current signal;

a peak value comparator electrically connected to said signal processor and having a predetermined peak value for comparing said filtered and amplified ground current signal with said predetermined peak value so as to generate an AC control signal when said peak value of said ground current signal is larger than said predetermined peak value; and

a signal converter electrically connected to said peak value comparator for converting said AC control signal into a DC control signal and transmitting said DC control signal to said controller for executing said corresponding protection procedure to said uninterruptible power system in response to said DC control signal.

14. The uninterruptible power system according to claim 13, wherein said controller is a microcontroller (MCU) for executing said corresponding protection procedure to said uninterruptible power system when said ground fault is occurred in said battery mounted in said battery box.

15. The uninterruptible power system according to claim 13, wherein said detector is a current detector (HALL CT) for detecting said ground current signal from said ground terminal, said signal processor is an amplifier (OPA) for filtering and amplifying said ground current signal, and said peak value comparator comprises two amplifiers, one of which is for a comparison of a positive peak value and the other is for a comparison of a negative peak value.

16. The uninterruptible power system according to claim 13, wherein said signal converter comprises an integration circuit and a comparator, and said AC control signal is integrated by said integration circuit and then compared by said comparator so as to generate said DC control signal.

17. The uninterruptible power system according to claim 16, wherein said integration circuit is a resistor-capacitor (RC) integration circuit for integrating said AC control signal.

18. The uninterruptible power system according to claim 16, wherein said comparator is an amplifier (OPA) for a comparison of said integrated AC control signal so as to generate said DC control signal.

19. The uninterruptible power system according to claim 13, wherein said battery ground fault detecting circuit is mounted inside said battery box and communicates with said controller through a transmission line.

20. The uninterruptible power system according to claim 13, wherein said battery ground fault detecting circuit is mounted inside said uninterruptible power system.