Storage battery charging system with alternator output fault indicating circuit

• US 4,000,453 A
• Filed: 12/17/1975
• Issued: 12/28/1976
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/1975
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: General Motors Corporation (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Original Assignee: General Motors Corporation (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: King, Charles W., Ruff, Donald O., Sheldrake, Leonard J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hickey, Robert J.
• Application Number:
  US05/641,564
• Time in Patent Office: 377 Days
• Field of Search: 322/28, 322/99, 320/48, 320/64, 320/68
• US Class Current: 322/99
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/1658 AC voltage or recurrent signals
• 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: H02J 7/00308 Overvoltage protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0047 with monitoring or indicating devices or circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/16 Regulation of the charging current or voltage by variation of field
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 320/13 Fault detection

Abstract

A circuit for indicating faults in a storage battery charging system of the type including a voltage regulator controlled alternator field winding switching transistor and a rectifier circuit having a diode trio which supplies alternator field winding energizing current. A differential amplifier circuit, to which is applied normally equal reference and sensing potentials which become unbalanced with alternator faults, produces a first fault indicating signal in the event of an alternator malfunction and a transistor having the control electrode connected to the output of the field winding diode trio of the rectifier circuit produces a second fault indicating signal in the event of a failure of one of these diodes. These fault indicating signals trigger a transistor conductive to complete an energizing circuit for a fault indicating device. Additionally, an oscillator flashes the fault indicating device "on" and "off" in the event of a voltage regulator failure.

Claims

1. In a storage battery charging system of the type having an alternator including a field winding and alternating current output circuitry interconnected with a rectifier circuit having separate battery charging and alternator field winding energizing circuit outputs and a voltage regulator controlled alternator field winding switching transistor for establishing an alternator field winding energizing circuit across the alternator field winding energizing circuit output of the rectifier circuit, a system fault indicating circuit comprising:

an electrically energizable fault indicating device;

a fault indicating device switching transistor having a control electrode and two current carrying electrodes connected in series with said fault indicating device across a source of energizing potential;

means for producing a reference potential of a predetermined direct current potential level;

means for producing a sensing potential of a direct current potential level directly proportional to the direct current output potential of said rectifier circuit and, in the absence of an alternator fault, substantially equal to said reference potential;

means responsive to said reference and sensing potentials for producing a first fault indicating signal when the direct current potential level of either exceeds the direct current potential level of the other;

means for producing a second fault indicating signal when activated;

first circuit means for activating said means for producing a second fault indicating signal when the potential across said alternator field winding energizing circuit output of said rectifier circuit falls below a predetermined magnitude;

an oscillator circuit for producing output signals of a selected frequency;

second circuit means for periodically activating said means for producing a second fault indicating signal in response to the output signals of said oscillator circuit when system output potential exceeds a predetermined maximum;

circuit means for periodically establishing an alternate alternator field winding energizing circuit across the alternator field winding energizing circuit output of said rectifier circuit in response to the output signals of said oscillator circuit; and

means for applying said first and second fault indicating signals to said control electrode of said fault indicating device switching transistor in the proper polarity relationship to trigger this device conductive through said current carrying electrodes thereof whereby said fault indicating device is energized upon the occurrence of a charging system fault.

2. In a storage battery charging system of the type having an alternator including a field winding and alternating current output circuitry interconnected with a rectifier circuit having separate battery charging and alternator field winding energizing circuit outputs and a voltage regulator controlled alternator field winding switching transitor for establishing an alternator field winding energizing circuit across the alternator field winding energizing circuit output of the rectifier circuit, a system fault indicating circuit comprising:

an electrically energizable fault indicating device;

a fault indicating device switching transistor having a control electrode and two current carrying electrodes connected in series with said fault indicating device across a source of energizing potential;

means for producing a reference potential of a predetermined direct current potential level;

means for producing a sensing potential of a direct current potential level directly proportional to the direct current output potential of said rectifier circuit and, in the absence of an alternator fault, substantially equal to said reference potential;

a differential amplifier circuit responsive to said reference and sensing potentials for producing a first fault indicating signal when the direct current potential level of either exceeds the direct current potential level of the other;

a transistor for producing a second fault indicating signal when activated;

first circuit means for activating said transistor when the potential across said alternator field winding energizing circuit output of said rectifier circuit falls below a predetermined magnitude;

an oscillator circuit for producing output signals of a selected frequency;

second circuit means for periodically activating said transistor in response to the output signals of said oscillator circuit when system output potential exceeds a predetermined maximum;

circuit means for periodically establishing an alternate alternator field winding energizing circuit across the alternator field winding energizing circuit output of said rectifier circuit in response to the output signals of said oscillator circuit; and

means for applying said first and second fault indicating signals to said control electrode of said fault indicating device switching transistor in the proper polarity relationship to trigger this device conductive through said current carrying electrodes thereof whereby said fault indicating device is energized upon the occurrence of a charging system fault.

3. In a storage battery charging system of the type having an alternator including a field winding and alternating current output circuitry interconnected with a rectifier circuit having separate battery charging and alternator field winding energizing circuit outputs and a voltage regulator controlled alternator field winding switching transistor for establishing an alternator field winding energizing circuit across the alternator field winding energizing circuit output of the rectifier circuit, a system fault indicating circuit comprising:

an electrically energizable fault indicating device;

a fault indicating device switching transistor having a control electrode and two current carrying electrodes connected in series with said fault indicating device across a source of energizing potential;

means for producing a reference potential of a predetermined direct current potential level;

means for producing a sensing potential of a direct current potential level directly proportional to the direct current output potential of said rectifier circuit and, in the absence of an alternator fault, substantially equal to said reference potential;

means responsive to said reference and sensing potentials for producing a first fault indicating signal when the direct current potential level of either exceeds the direct current potential level of the other;

a transistor for producing a second fault indicating signal when activated;

first circuit means for activating said transistor when the potential across said alterator field winding energizing circuit output of said rectifier circuit falls below a predetermined magnitude;

an oscillator circuit for producing output signals of a selected frequency;

second circuit means including a Zener diode for periodically activating said means for producing a second fault indicating signal in response to the output signals of said oscillator circuit when system output potential exceeds a predetermined maximum;

circuit means for periodically establishing an alternate alternator field winding energizing circuit across the alternator field winding energizing circuit output of said rectifier circuit in response to the output signals of said oscillator circuit; and

means for applying said first and second fault indicating signals to said control electrode of said fault indicating device switching transistor in the proper polarity relationship to trigger this device conductive through said current carrying electrodes thereof whereby said fault indicating device is energized upon the occurrence of a charging system fault.

4. In a storage battery charging system of the type having an alternator including a field winding and alternating current output circuitry interconnected with a rectifier circuit having separate battery charging and alternator field winding energizing circuit output circuits and a voltage regulator controlled alternator field winding switching transistor for establishing an alternator field winding energizing circuit across the alternator field winding energizing circuit output of the rectifier circuit, a system fault indicating circuit comprising:

an electrically energizable fault indicating device;

a fault indicating device switching transistor having a control electrode and two current carrying electrodes connected in series with said fault indicating device across a source of energizing potentials;

means for producing a reference potential of a predetermined direct current potential level;

means for producing a sensing potential of a direct current potential level directly proportional to the direct current output potential of said rectifier circuit and, in the absence of an alternator fault, substantially equal to said reference potential;

means responsive to said reference and sensing potentials for producing a first fault indicating signal when the direct current potential level of either exceeds the direct current potential level of the other;

a transistor having a base electrode and two current carrying electrodes for producing a second fault indicating signal when activated;

means for connecting said battery charging and alternator field winding energizing circuit output circuits of said rectifier circuit across said base electrode and a selected one of said current carrying electrodes of said transistor in such a manner that base drive current is supplied through said transistor when the potential across said alternator field winding energizing circuit output circuit of said rectifier circuit falls below a predetermined magnitude;

an oscillator circuit for producing output signals of a selected frequency;

second circuit means including a Zener diode for periodically supplying base drive current to said transistor in response to the output signals of said oscillator circuit when system output potential exceeds a predetermined maximum;

circuit means for periodically establishing an alternate alternator field winding energizing circuit across the alternator field winding energizing circuit output of said rectifier circuit in response to the output signals of said oscillator circuit; and

means for applying said first and second fault indicating signals to said control electrode of said fault indicating device switching transistor in the proper polarity relationship to trigger this device conductive through said current carrying electrodes thereof whereby said fault indicating device is energized upon the occurrence of a charging system fault.

5. In a storage battery charging system of the type havng having alternator including a field winding and alternating current output circuitry interconnected with a rectifier circuit having separate battery charging and alternator field winding energizing circuit output circuits and a voltage regulator controlled alternator field winding switching transistor for establishing an alternator field winding energizing circuit across the alternator field winding energizing circuit output of the rectifier circuit, a system fault indicating circuit comprising:

an electrically energizable fault indicating device;

a fault indicating device switching transistor having a control electrode and two current carrying electrodes connected in series with said fault indicating device across a source of energizing potential;

means for producing a reference potential of a predetermined direct current potential level;

means for producing a sensing potential of a direct current potential level directly proportional to the direct current output potential of said rectifier circuit and, in the absence of an alternator fault, substantially equal to said reference potential;

means responsive to said reference and sensing potentials for producing a first fault indicating signal when the direct current potential level of either exceeds the direct current potential level of the other;

a first transistor having a base electrode and two current carrying electrodes for producing a second fault indicating signal when activated;

means for connecting said battery charging and alternator field winding energizing circuit output circuits of said rectifier circuit across said base electrode and a selected one of said current carrying electrodes of said first transistor in such a manner that base electrode drive current is supplied to said transistor when the potential across said alternator field winding energizing circuit output circuit of said rectifier circuit falls below a predetermined magnitude;

a Zener diode;

a second transistor having a base electrode and two current carrying electrodes;

an oscillator circuit for producing output signals of a selected frequency;

means for connecting said battery charging output circuit of said rectifier circuit across the series combination of said Zener diode and said current carrying electrodes of said second transistor in the polarity sense which will provide base electrode drive current to said first transistor when system output potential exceeds a predetermined maximum;

means for applying said output signals of said oscillator circuit across said base electrode and a selected one of said current carrying electrodes of said second transistor in a polarity sense to provide base electrode drive current to said second transistor;

circuit means for periodically establishing an alternate alternator field winding energizing circuit across the alternator field winding energizing circuit output of said rectifier circuit in response to the output signals of said oscillator circuit; and

means for applying said first and second fault indicating signals to said control electrode of said fault indicating device switching transistor in the proper polarity relationship to trigger this device conductive through said current carrying electrodes thereof whereby said fault indicating device is energized upon the occurrence of a charging system fault.