Control device of power supply circuit

• US 20100296204A1
• Filed: 11/15/2007
• Published: 11/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Ichikawa, Shinji, Obayashi, Kazuyoshi
• Granted Patent: US 8,344,555 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/15
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/445 Differential gearing distribution type
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/14 Boost converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/30 AC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/40 DC to AC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/545 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/547 Voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/549 Current
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/20 Inrush current reduction, i.e. avoiding high currents when connecting the battery
• 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 3/04 Cutting off the power supply under fault conditions protective devices and circuit arrangements in general H01H; H02H
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/16 with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/51 characterised by AC-motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/61 by batteries charged by engine-driven generators, e.g. series hybrid electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/00 Methods or circuit arrangements for monitoring or controlling batteries or fuel cells, specially adapted for electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/19 for achieving enhanced acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/396 Acquisition or processing of data for testing or for monitoring individual cells or groups of cells within a battery
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4264 with capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/44 Methods for charging or discharging circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/441 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/46 : Accumulators structurally combined with charging apparatus circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/482 : for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2250/20 : Fuel cells in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 7/00 : Emergency protective circuit arrangements specially adapted for specific types of electric machines or apparatus or for sectionalised protection of cable or line systems, and effecting automatic switching in the event of an undesired change from normal working conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0031 : using battery or load disconnect circuits H02J9/002 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0049 : Detection of fully charged condition
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/1423 : with multiple batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/1438 : in combination with power supplies for loads other than batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/345 : using capacitors as storage or buffering devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 : Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 : Fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 : Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 : Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 : Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 : Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/40 : Application of hydrogen technology to transportation, e.g. using fuel cells

Abstract

An ECU executes a program including a step of turning on an SMRP and an A-SMRP if an ignition switch is turned on; a step of detecting voltage values VB(1) and VB(2) of running batteries when VH is detected and if VH is higher than 180 V; a step of detecting that SMRP connected to the running battery is welded, if VB(1) is higher than 150 V; and a step of detecting that A-SMRB connected to the running battery is welded, if VB(2) is higher than 150 V.

Claims

1. A control device for a plurality of power supply circuits composed of power storage mechanisms and a plurality of relays, each of said power supply circuits including a circuit that has a first relay controlling electric conduction/non-conduction between a load and one electrode of the power storage mechanism and a resistor connected in series to said first relay, a second relay connected in parallel to said circuit, and a third relay controlling electric conduction/non-conduction between the load and another electrode of the power storage mechanism,

said control device comprising:

a voltage detection unit detecting a voltage value of said load;

a voltage detection unit detecting a voltage value of each of said power storage mechanisms;

a processing unit performing a precharge process upon power supply startup, the precharge process being performed by causing a conductive state of said first relay and said third relay before causing the conductive state of said second relay and said third relay in each of said power supply circuits; and

a detection unit detecting, before performing said precharge process, based on a voltage value of the load detected when outputting conduction command to the relay on one electrode of the power storage mechanism in each of said power supply circuits, welding of the relay on another electrode in any of said plurality of power supply circuits, and identifying the power supply circuit in which the relay on said another electrode is welded, based on a voltage value of each of the power storage mechanisms detected when outputting said conduction command.

2. The control device according to claim 1, wherein based on a voltage value of the load, and a voltage value of each of the power storage mechanisms detected when the conduction command is outputted to said first relay in each of said power supply circuits, said detection unit detects welding of the third relay in any power supply circuit of said plurality of power supply circuits.

3. The control device according to claim 2, wherein said detection unit detects welding of the relay of the power supply circuit in which said detected voltage value of the load is higher than a voltage value determined in advance and the voltage value of the power storage mechanism is higher than a voltage value separately determined in advance.

4. The control device according to claim 1, wherein based on a voltage value of the load and a voltage value of each of the power storage mechanisms detected when the conduction command is outputted to said third relay in each of said power supply circuits, said detection unit detects welding of the first relay in any power supply circuit of said plurality of power supply circuits.

5. The control device according to claim 4, wherein said detection unit detects welding of the relay of the power supply circuit in which said detected voltage value of the load is higher than a voltage value determined in advance and the voltage value of the power storage mechanism is higher than a voltage value separately determined in advance.

6. A control device for a plurality of power supply circuits composed of power storage mechanisms and a plurality of relays, each of said power supply circuits including a circuit that has a first relay controlling electric conduction/non-conduction between a load and one electrode of the power storage mechanism and a resistor connected in series to said first relay, a second relay connected in parallel to said circuit, and a third relay controlling electric conduction/non-conduction between the load and another electrode of the power storage mechanism,

said control device comprising:

a voltage detection unit detecting a voltage value of said load;

a voltage detection unit detecting a voltage value of each of said power storage mechanisms;

a processing unit performing a precharge process upon power supply startup, the precharge process being performed by causing a conductive state of said first relay and said third relay before causing the conductive state of said second relay and said third relay in each of said power supply circuits; and

a detection unit detecting immobility of any of said first relay and said third relay in any of said plurality of power supply circuits based on a voltage value of the load detected during said precharge process, and identifying the power supply circuit in which any of said first relay and said third relay is immobile, based on a voltage value of each of the power storage mechanisms detected during said precharge process.

7. The control device according to claim 6, wherein based on a voltage value of the load and a voltage value of each of the power storage mechanisms, said detection unit detects immobility of said third relay in any power supply circuit of said plurality of power supply circuits.

8. The control device according to claim 7, wherein said detection unit detects immobility of the third relay of every power supply circuit when said detected voltage value of the load is not higher than a voltage value determined in advance.

9. The control device according to claim 7, wherein said detection unit detects immobility of the third relay of the power supply circuit in which said detected voltage value of the load is higher than a voltage value determined in advance and the voltage value of the power storage mechanism is not higher than a voltage value separately determined in advance.

10. A control device for a plurality of power supply circuits composed of power storage mechanisms and a plurality of relays, each of said power supply circuits including a circuit that has a first relay controlling electric conduction/non-conduction between a load and one electrode of the power storage mechanism and a resistor connected in series to said first relay, a second relay connected in parallel to said circuit, and a third relay controlling electric conduction/non-conduction between the load and another electrode of the power storage mechanism,

said control device comprising:

a voltage detection unit detecting a voltage value of said load;

a current detection unit detecting a current value of each of said power storage mechanisms;

a processing unit performing a precharge process upon power supply startup, the precharge process being performed by causing a conductive state of said first relay and said third relay before causing the conductive state of said second relay and said third relay in each of said power supply circuits; and

a detection unit detecting, upon shutdown of power supply, based on drop of the voltage value of the load and detected when outputting a non-conduction command to the relay on one electrode of the power storage mechanism in each of said power supply circuits, welding of the relay on said one electrode in any of said plurality of power supply circuits, and identifying the power supply circuit in which the relay on said one electrode is welded, based on a current value of each of the power storage mechanisms detected when outputting said non-conduction command.

11. The control device according to claim 10, wherein said detection unit detects welding of the second relay in any power supply circuit of said plurality of power supply circuits, based on drop of a voltage value of the load and a current value of each of the power storage mechanisms detected when outputting the non-conduction command to the second relay of the power storage mechanism in each of said power supply circuits.

12. The control device according to claim 11, wherein said detection unit detects welding of the relay of the power supply circuit in which drop of the voltage value of said load is not normal and the current value of the power storage mechanism is higher than a current value determined in advance.

13. The control device according to claim 10, wherein said detection unit detects welding of the third relay in any power supply circuit of said plurality of power supply circuits, based on drop of a voltage value of the load and a current value of each of the power storage mechanisms detected when outputting the non-conduction command to the third relay of the power storage mechanism in each of said power supply circuits.

14. The control device according to claim 13, wherein said detection unit detects welding of the relay of the power supply circuit in which drop of the voltage value of said load is not normal and the current value of the power storage mechanism is higher than a current value determined in advance.

15. A control device for a plurality of power supply circuits including power storage mechanisms and a plurality of relays, each of said power supply circuits including a circuit that has a first relay controlling electric conduction/non-conduction between a load and one electrode of the power storage mechanism and a resistor connected in series to said first relay, a second relay connected in parallel to said circuit, and a third relay controlling electric conduction/non-conduction between the load and another electrode of the power storage mechanism,

said control device comprising:

a voltage detection unit detecting a voltage value of said load;

a processing unit performing a precharge process, upon power supply startup, by causing a conductive state of said first relay and said third relay before causing the conductive state of said second relay and said third relay in each of said power supply circuits, so that a capacitor provided in parallel to said load and being an object of the precharge process is charged up to a charging level in such a level that a failure does not occur in said power supply circuit when electric power is supplied not through said resistor, and that the charging level is lower than full charging;

a full-charge processing unit fully charging said capacitor, after performing said precharge process, with the charging rate of the capacitor from said charging rate lower than full charging to full charging divided, by sequentially using said second relay and said third relay in each of said power supply circuits; and

a detection unit detecting immobility of any of said second relay and said third relay in each of said plurality of power supply circuits, before said capacitor is fully charged, based on at least one of the detected voltage value of the load and the charging rate of the capacitor.

16. The control device according to claim 15, wherein said full-charge processing unit performs a full-charge process, with division performed corresponding to a number of said plurality of power supply circuits.

17. The control device according to claim 15, wherein said detection unit detects immobility of any of said second relay and said third relay of the power supply circuit that supplies electric power to said capacitor when said capacitor is charged with division.

18. The control device according to claim 15, wherein within a time determined in advance from start of conduction, when the voltage value of said load fails to reach a threshold value, or when the charging rate of said capacitor fails to reach a threshold rate determined in advance, said detection unit detects immobility of any of said second relay and said third relay in the power supply circuit that supplies electric power to said capacitor.

19. A control device for a plurality of power supply circuits including power storage mechanisms and a plurality of relays, each of said power supply circuits including a circuit that has a first relay controlling electric conduction/non-conduction between a load and one electrode of the power storage mechanism and a resistor connected in series to said first relay, a second relay connected in parallel to said circuit, and a third relay controlling electric conduction/non-conduction between the load and another electrode of the power storage mechanism,

said control device comprising:

a voltage detection unit detecting a voltage value of said load;

a precharge processing unit performing a precharge process, upon power supply startup, with a charging rate of a capacitor divided, the capacitor provided in parallel to said load and being an object of the precharge process, by sequentially using each of said power supply circuits, the precharge process being performed by causing a conductive state of said first relay and said third relay before causing the conductive state of said second relay and said third relay in each of said power supply circuits; and

a detection unit detecting immobility of any of said first relay and said third relay in each of said plurality of power supply circuits, based on at least one of the detected voltage value of the load and the charging rate of the capacitor during said precharge process performed with division.

20. The control device according to claim 19, wherein said precharge processing unit performs the precharge process, with division performed corresponding to a number of said plurality of power supply circuits.

21. The control device according to claim 19, wherein said detection unit detects immobility of any of said first relay and said third relay of the power supply circuit that supplies electric power to said capacitor when charging said capacitor with division.

22. The control device according to claim 19, wherein within a time determined in advance from start of conduction, when the voltage value of said load fails to reach a threshold value, or when the charging rate of said capacitor fails to reach a threshold rate determined in advance, said detection unit detects immobility of any of said first relay and said third relay in the power supply circuit that supplies electric power to said capacitor.