INSULATION DETECTING DEVICE AND INSULATION DETECTING METHOD OF NON-GROUNDED POWER SUPPLY

• US 20150293167A1
• Filed: 04/07/2015
• Published: 10/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
• Inventors: KAWAMURA, Yoshihiro
• Granted Patent: US 9,575,110 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0069 relating to the isolation, e.g. ground fault or leak current
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/006 on road vehicles, e.g. automobiles or trucks testing of ignition installations peculiar to internal combustion engines F02P17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/14 Circuits therefor , e.g. for generating test voltages, sensing circuits G01R31/1209 - G01R31/1227 take precedence; for testing switches G01R31/327
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/52 Testing for short-circuits, leakage current or ground faults

Abstract

An insulation detecting device includes a control unit configured to monitor a measurement voltage of a flying capacitor charged through a second path, and in a case where a measurement voltage is about 0 V (zero volt), control a switching of switches, control a charging of the flying capacitor through a third path and a measuring of a charged voltage of the flying capacitor charged through the third path, and measure a first measurement voltage in a first time after the switching to the third path and a second measurement voltage in a second time different from the first time, and a calculating unit configured to calculate a ground fault resistance formed between a direct-current power supply and a ground based on the first measurement voltage and the second measurement voltage.

Claims

1. An insulation detecting device which includes a flying capacitor configured to retain a charged voltage and a measurement circuit configured to measure the charged voltage of the flying capacitor, is connected to a direct-current power supply electrically insulated from a ground, and measures a ground fault resistance formed between the direct-current power supply and the ground based on the charged voltage of the flying capacitor which is measured by the measurement circuit, the insulation detecting device comprising:

a plurality of switches configured to switch a first path from a positive electrode of the direct-current power supply to an negative electrode of the direct-current power supply through the flying capacitor, a second path from the positive electrode of the direct-current power supply to the ground through the flying capacitor, a third path from the ground to the negative electrode of the direct-current power supply through the flying capacitor, and a fourth path which releases a connection between the flying capacitor and the direct-current power supply and connects the flying capacitor and the measurement circuit;

a control unit configured to monitor a measurement voltage of the flying capacitor charged through the second path, and in a case where the measurement voltage is about 0 V (zero volt), control a switching of the switches, control a charging of the flying capacitor through the third path and a measuring of the charged voltage of the flying capacitor charged through the third path, and measure a first measurement voltage in a first time after the switching to the third path and a second measurement voltage in a second time different from the first time; and

a calculating unit configured to calculate the ground fault resistance formed between the direct-current power supply and the ground based on the first measurement voltage and the second measurement voltage.

2. The insulation detecting device according to claim 1, wherein

the plurality of switches includes a first switch which is disposed between one end of the flying capacitor and the positive electrode of the direct-current power supply, a second switch which is disposed between the other end of the flying capacitor and the negative electrode of the direct-current power supply, a third switch which is disposed between one end of the flying capacitor and the ground, and a fourth switch which is disposed between the other end of the flying capacitor and the ground, and

the second switch and the fourth switch are connected to each other in parallel, and each of the second switch and the fourth switch includes a protection element configured to maintain a voltage applied to the second switch and the fourth switch to be equal to or lower than a withstanding voltage thereof.

3. The insulation detecting device according to claim 2, wherein

the control unit includes

an estimating unit configured to estimate a voltage applied between the negative electrode side of the direct-current power supply of the second switch and the ground side of the fourth switch in the first path, based on the first and second measurement voltages and a characteristic of the protection element connected in parallel with at least the fourth switch, and

a correcting unit configured to correct an output voltage of the direct-current power supply calculated from a measurement voltage of the flying capacitor charged through the first path, based on a voltage applied between the negative electrode side of the direct-current power supply of the second switch and the ground side of the fourth switch and a characteristic of the protection element connected in parallel with the fourth switch.

4. An insulation detecting device which includes a flying capacitor configured to retain a charged voltage and a measurement circuit configured to measure the charged voltage of the flying capacitor, is connected to a direct-current power supply electrically insulated from a ground and to a voltage boosting circuit on a side of the direct-current power supply, and measure a ground fault resistance formed between the direct-current power supply and a secondary side of the voltage boosting circuit, and the ground, the voltage boosting circuit being configured to boost an output voltage of the direct-current power supply and electrically insulated from the ground, the insulation detecting device comprising:

a plurality of switches configured to switch a first path from a positive electrode of the direct-current power supply to an negative electrode of the direct-current power supply through the flying capacitor, a second path from the positive electrode of the direct-current power supply to the ground through the flying capacitor, a third path from the ground to the negative electrode of the direct-current power supply through the flying capacitor, and a fourth path which releases a connection between the flying capacitor and the direct-current power supply and connects the flying capacitor and the measurement circuit;

a control unit configured to, in a case where an output voltage on the secondary side is boosted by a boosting operation of the voltage boosting circuit and the ground potential becomes higher than a potential on the positive electrode side of the direct-current power supply, control a switching of the switches, control a charging of the flying capacitor through the third path and a measuring of the charged voltage of the flying capacitor charged through the third path, and measure a first measurement voltage in a first time after the switching to the third path and a second measurement voltage in a second time different from the first time; and

a calculating unit configured to calculate the ground fault resistance formed between the direct-current power supply and the secondary side of the voltage boosting circuit, and the ground based on the first measurement voltage and the second measurement voltage.

5. The insulation detecting device according to claim 4, wherein

the plurality of switches includes a first switch which is disposed between one end of the flying capacitor and the positive electrode of the direct-current power supply, a second switch which is disposed between the other end of the flying capacitor and the negative electrode of the direct-current power supply, a third switch which is disposed between one end of the flying capacitor and the ground, and a fourth switch which is disposed between the other end of the flying capacitor and the ground, and

the second switch and the fourth switch are connected to each other in parallel, and each of the second switch and the fourth switch includes a protection element configured to maintain a voltage applied to the second switch and the fourth switch to be equal to or lower than a withstanding voltage thereof.

6. The insulation detecting device according to claim 5, wherein

the control unit includes

an estimating unit configured to estimate a voltage applied between the negative electrode side of the direct-current power supply of the second switch and the ground side of the fourth switch in the first path, based on the first and second measurement voltages and a characteristic of the protection element connected in parallel with at least the fourth switch, and

a correcting unit configured to correct an output voltage of the direct-current power supply calculated from a measurement voltage of the flying capacitor charged through the first path, based on a voltage applied between the negative electrode side of the direct-current power supply of the second switch and the ground side of the fourth switch and a characteristic of the protection element connected in parallel with the fourth switch.

7. An insulation detecting method of measuring a ground fault resistance which is formed between a direct-current power supply electrically insulated from a ground and the ground, the insulation detecting method comprising the steps of:

connecting a flying capacitor between a positive electrode of the direct-current power supply and the ground to charge the flying capacitor;

connecting a measurement circuit to the flying capacitor after the positive electrode of the direct-current power supply is disconnected from the flying capacitor, and measuring a voltage charged in the flying capacitor;

monitoring the measured voltage, and in a case where the measured voltage is about 0 V (zero volt), charging the flying capacitor by connecting the flying capacitor between the ground and an negative electrode of the direct-current power supply, and measuring a first measurement voltage in a first time after the connection of the flying capacitor and a second measurement voltage in a second time different from the first time; and

calculating the ground fault resistance formed between the direct-current power supply and the ground based on the first measurement voltage and the second measurement voltage.