Insulation detecting device for non-grounded power source

• US 7,075,311 B1
• Filed: 04/28/2005
• Issued: 07/11/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company), Yazaki Corporation
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company), Yazaki Corporation
• Inventors: Sone, Toshihiro, Shimada, Tadashi, Oshiro, Kazutoshi, Kawamura, Yoshihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Vincent Q.
• Application Number:
  US11/116,431
• Time in Patent Office: 439 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 324/557
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/1272 of cable, line or wire insulation, e.g. using partial discharge measurements locating faults in cables G01R31/083
• 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 31/40 Testing power supplies testing photovoltaic devices H02S50/10

Abstract

An insulation detecting device having a capacitor and a DC power source, insulated from a ground potential part. A voltage detecting unit, detects a voltage across the capacitor. A first switching unit connects the capacitor to the DC power source in series for a first preset time shorter than a time taken for completely charging the capacitor. A second switching unit connects the capacitor between a positive terminal of the DC power source and the ground potential part in series for a second preset time. A third switching unit connects the capacitor between a negative terminal of the DC power source and the ground potential part in series for the second preset time. A fourth switching unit connects the voltage detecting unit to the capacitor after the first to third switching units are turned off. A computing unit estimates a voltage across the power source.

Claims

1. An insulation detecting device for a non-grounded power source, comprising:

a capacitor;

a DC power source, insulated from a ground potential part;

a voltage detecting unit, detecting a voltage across the capacitor;

a first switching unit, connecting the capacitor to the DC power source in series for a first preset time shorter than a time taken for completely charging the capacitor;

a second switching unit, connecting the capacitor between a positive terminal of the DC power source and the ground potential part in series for a second preset time;

a third switching unit, connecting the capacitor between a negative terminal of the DC power source and the ground potential part in series for the second preset time;

a fourth switching unit, connecting the voltage detecting unit to the capacitor after the first to third switching units are turned off; and

a computing unit, estimating a voltage across the power source based on a detection voltage that is detected by the voltage detecting unit after the first switching unit is turned off, and computing insulation resistances of the power source to the ground potential part based on the estimated voltage and each detection voltage that is detected by the voltage detecting unit after either of the second and third switching unit is turned off.

2. The insulation detecting device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the first switching unit includes a first switch device connected to the positive terminal of the power source and a second switch device connected to the negative terminal of the power source;

wherein the third switching unit includes the second switch device and a third switch device connected in series to the first switch device;

wherein the second switching unit includes the first switch device and a fourth switch device connected in series to the second switch device;

wherein the fourth switching unit includes the third switch device and the fourth switch device;

wherein a first series circuit including a first diode, a first resistor and the capacitor are connected between a node between the first switch device and the third switch device and a node between the second switch device and the fourth switch device, an anode of the first diode being connected to the first switch device;

wherein a second series circuit including a second diode and a second resistor is connected in parallel to the first diode and the first resistor of the first series circuit, an anode of the second diode being connected to a node between the first resistor and the capacitor;

wherein the voltage detecting unit is connected between the third switch device and the fourth switch device; and

wherein the ground potential part is connected between the voltage detecting unit and the fourth switch device.

3. The insulation detecting device as set forth in claim 2, further comprising a by-passing unit including a fifth switch device which forms a by-passing path of the second resistor when the fifth switch is turned on.