EMERGENCY CONTROL APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR USE

• US 20110095603A1
• Filed: 05/12/2010
• Published: 04/28/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Inventors: Lee, Jae Won, Kim, Chul Woo, Lee, Young Kook, Kim, Bum Sik, Kim, Sung Kyu, Moon, Sang Hyeon, Jung, Jin Hwan, Chung, Tae Hwan
• Granted Patent: US 8,508,066 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/10.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/52 related to converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/51 characterised by AC-motors
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/325 with means for allowing continuous operation despite a fault, i.e. fault tolerant converters
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

The present invention provides an emergency control apparatus, and method which maintains the power flow between a battery and an inverter and the operation state of an electric vehicle in the event of failure of a bidirectional DC-DC converter connected between the battery as a power source and the inverter for operating a drive motor.

Claims

1. An emergency control apparatus for maintaining the operation state of a vehicle in the event of failure of a DC-DC converter, the apparatus comprising:

a bypass circuit electrically connected between a battery and inverters;

a switching element provided on the bypass circuit and controlled to selectively open and close the bypass circuit;

a failure detection unit for detecting a failure of a DC-DC converter connected between the battery and the inverters; and

a controller for turning on the switching element to transmit electric power between the battery and the inverters through the bypass circuit when it is determined that there is a failure of the DC-DC converter based on a detection signal from the failure detection unit.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the bypass circuit is provided to connect an input terminal of an inductor and DC link terminals of the inverters.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the switching element is a relay turned on and off in response to a control signal applied from the controller.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the failure detection unit is a current sensor or a voltage sensor provided at input and output terminals of the DC-DC converter.

16. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the switching element is a relay turned on and off in response to a control signal applied from the controller.

5. An emergency control method for maintaining the operation state of a vehicle in the event of failure of a DC-DC converter, the method comprising:

monitoring, at a controller, a failure of the DC-DC converter based on a detection signal of a failure detection unit; and

turning on the switching element to transmit electric power between the battery and the inverters through the bypass circuit when it is determined by the controller that there is a failure of the DC-DC converter.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the controller temporarily stops the output of electric power generated during regenerative braking through the inverters when a failure of the DC-DC converter is detected and turns on the switching element to restart the output of electric power generated during regenerative braking.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the bypass circuit is provided to connect an input terminal of an inductor and DC link terminals of the inverters.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the switching element is a relay turned on and off in response to a control signal applied from the controller.

9. An emergency control apparatus for maintaining the operation state of a vehicle comprising:

a bypass circuit;

a switching element;

a failure detection unit; and

a controller for turning on the switching element to transmit electric power between the battery and the inverters through the bypass circuit.

10. The emergency control apparatus for maintaining the operation state of a vehicle of claim 9, wherein the bypass circuit is electrically connected between a battery and one or more inverters.

11. The emergency control apparatus for maintaining the operation state of a vehicle of claim 9, wherein the switching element is provided on the bypass circuit and controlled to selectively open and close the bypass circuit.

12. The emergency control apparatus for maintaining the operation state of a vehicle of claim 9, wherein the failure detection unit detects a failure of a DC-DC converter connected between the battery and the inverters.

13. The emergency control apparatus for maintaining the operation state of a vehicle of claim 9, wherein the controller turns on the switching element to transmit electric power between the battery and the inverters through the bypass circuit when it is determined that there is a failure of the DC-DC converter based on a detection signal from the failure detection unit.

14. An emergency control method for maintaining the operation state of a vehicle in the event of failure of a DC-DC converter comprising:

monitoring, at a controller, a failure of the DC-DC converter; and

turning on the switching element to transmit electric power between the battery and the inverters through the bypass circuit when it is determined by the controller that there is a failure of the DC-DC converter.

15. The emergency control method for maintaining the operation state of a vehicle in the event of failure of a DC-DC converter of claim 14, wherein the monitoring is based on a detection signal of a failure detection unit.