METHOD AND A DEVICE FOR MONITORING HIGH-VOLTAGE CONNECTIONS OF A HYBRID VEHICLE

• US 20110037317A1
• Filed: 09/01/2010
• Published: 02/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vitesco Technologies GmbH (INA-Holding Schaeffler GmbH & Co. KG), Leoni Bordnetz-Systeme GmbH (Leoni AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG), Leoni Bordnetz-Systeme GmbH (Leoni AG)
• Inventors: Kuschnarew, Christian, Ebert, Matthias, Hartmann, Volker, Albert, Volker
• Granted Patent: US 8,199,449 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/9.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0061 relating to electrical machines
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0069 relating to the isolation, e.g. ground fault or leak current
• 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 58/40 for controlling a combination of batteries and 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 90/40 Application of hydrogen technology to transportation, e.g. using fuel cells

Abstract

A monitoring device for protecting against contact or access to a hybrid vehicle having a plurality of high-voltage components and an electronic control unit connected to a low-voltage vehicle electrical system battery. Power actuators for actuating at least one electric machine are connected to a high-voltage battery by way of a power switch. The high-voltage components are monitored by way of a looped circuit and deactivated if the looped circuit is broken. A sensor that is sensitive to magnetic field changes is disposed in or at a removable contact connection of the electric machine or the electronic control unit. The sensor is connected to the looped circuit. A control component of the electronic control unit activates a discharge unit for discharging an energy storage device upon receiving a sensor signal generated by the sensor when the contact connection is broken.

Claims

1. A monitoring device for providing protection against electrical shock in a hybrid vehicle having a plurality of high-voltage components, an electronic control unit connected to a low-voltage vehicle electrical system battery, and power actuators connected to a high-voltage battery via a power switch and configured to actuate at least one electric machine, the monitoring device comprising:

a loop circuit for monitoring the high-voltage components and for deactivating the high-voltage components when said loop circuit is opened;

a magnetic-field-sensitive sensor disposed at a releasable contact connection of the electric machine and/or of the electronic control unit, said magnetic-field-sensitive sensor generating a sensor signal when the releasable contact connection is released; and

a control module of the electronic control unit connected to said magnetic-field-sensitive sensor and to a discharge unit, said magnetic-field-sensitive sensor being connected to said loop circuit to cause said control module to activate said discharge unit for the shock-proof discharging of an energy accumulator in dependence on the sensor signal generated by said sensor when the contact connection is released.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein said control module of the electronic control unit is configured to generate a control signal for activating the discharge unit when the sensor signal deviates from a reference voltage.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein said control module is configured to generate a control signal for locking the power actuators as a function of the sensor signal generated by the sensor when the contact connection is released.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein said control module is configured to activate the discharging of the energy accumulator when a fraction of a terminal voltage of the low-voltage vehicle electrical system battery is exceeded and/or undershot.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein the electronic control unit has a first input connectible to the low-voltage vehicle electrical system battery and connected, via a second input and via said loop circuit that is connectible thereto, to a third input that is connectible to a vehicle electrical system reference potential via a controllable semiconductor switch.

6. The device according to claim 5, wherein said first input is connected to a reference input, and said third input is connected to a signal input of said control module.

7. The device according to claim 1, wherein in that the magnetic-field-sensitive sensor is connected to a temperature sensor, which is assigned to the electric machine and is connected to the electronic control unit via a signal line, in such a way that when the machine-side contact connection is released, the sensor signal is fed to the electronic control unit via the signal line of the temperature sensor.

8. The device according to claim 7, wherein the electronic control unit includes a controllable semiconductor switch connected on an actuation side to an evaluation unit for evaluating a temperature signal conducted via said signal line.

9. The device according to claim 1, wherein said magnetic-field-sensitive sensor of the releasable contact connection of the electronic control unit comprises a signal output that can be connected to a vehicle electrical system reference potential.

10. The device according to claim 1, wherein the power switch opens when said loop circuit is opened, and disconnects the electronic control unit from the high-voltage battery.

11. The device according to claim 1, wherein said magnetic-field-sensitive sensor is a Hall effect sensor.

12. A method for monitoring high voltages of a hybrid vehicle having a number of high-voltage components and having an electronic control unit for actuating at least one electric machine and power actuators connected to a high-voltage battery via a power switch, the method which comprises:

monitoring the high-voltage components by means of a loop circuit and deactivating the high-voltage components when the loop circuit is opened; and

when a contact connection of one or both of the electric machine and the electronic control unit is released, generating a sensor signal with a magnetic-field-sensitive sensor, and activating a discharge unit for shock-proof discharging of an energy storage device.

13. The method according to claim 12, which comprises, when the loop circuit is opened, activating the power switch and disconnecting the electronic control unit from the high-voltage battery.