Device for supplying voltage to the loads of an onboard electrical system of a motor vehicle, using a plurality of generators

• US 7,335,998 B2
• Filed: 02/17/2006
• Issued: 02/26/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seg Automotive Germany GMBH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Wolf, Gert
• Primary Examiner(s): Waks; Joseph
• Application Number:
  US11/357,318
• Publication Number:
  US 20060208491A1
• Time in Patent Office: 739 Days
• Field of Search: 290/10
• US Class Current: 290/10
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/1423 with multiple batteries

Abstract

A device for supplying voltage to the loads of an onboard electrical system of a motor vehicle includes a first generator, a regulator allocated to the first generator, a second generator, a regulator allocated to the second generator, and a control apparatus. The control apparatus is connected to at least one, and possibly to both, of the regulators, and the control apparatus supplies these regulators with control signals on the basis of which the loading of the generators is compensated.

Claims

1. A device for supplying voltage to loads of a motor vehicle electrical system, comprising:

a first generator;

a first voltage regulator allocated to the first generator;

a second generator;

a second voltage regulator allocated to the second generator; and

a control apparatus connected to at least one of the first and second voltage regulators, wherein the control apparatus supplies a control signal to the at least one of the first and second voltage regulators, and wherein the at least one of the first and second voltage regulators modifies a loading of an associated generator, depending on the control signal,

wherein the control apparatus predetermines two different regulating speeds for the first and second voltage regulators.

2. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the control signal contains information concerning a load-determining quantity of the at least one of the first and second voltage regulators.

3. The device as recited in claim 2, wherein a degree of loading for a selected generator is ascertained by one of:

a) evaluation of a clock signal of an associated voltage regulator; and

b) evaluation of a signal derived from the clock signal of the associated voltage regulator.

4. The device as recited in claim 2, wherein a degree of loading for a selected generator is ascertained by one of:

a) evaluation of an exciter current of the selected generator; and

b) evaluation of a quantity derived from the exciter current of the selected generator.

5. The device as recited in claim 2, wherein a degree of loading for a selected generator is ascertained by one of:

a) evaluation of an output current of the selected generator; and

b) evaluation of a quantity derived from the output current of the selected generator.

6. The device as recited in claim 2, wherein a degree of loading for a selected generator is ascertained by one of:

a) evaluation of an exciter voltage of the selected generator; and

b) evaluation of a quantity derived from the exciter voltage of the selected generator.

7. The device as recited in claim 3, wherein the first and second generators are equally loaded.

8. The device as recited in claim 2, wherein the control apparatus is connected to both the first and second voltage regulators, and wherein a first control signal is supplied to the first voltage regulator and a second controls signal is supplied to the second voltage regulator, whereby the first voltage regulator modifies the loading of the first generator dependent on the first control signal and the second voltage regulator modifies the loading of the second generator dependent on the second control signal so that both the first and second generators are equally loaded.

9. The device as recited in claim 2, wherein the control apparatus is connected to both the first and second voltage regulators, and wherein one of the first and second voltage regulators ascertains a load state of an associated generator, and wherein the ascertained load state is used to calculate a target load state of a generator associated with the other one of the first and second voltage regulators.

10. The device as recited in claim 9, wherein the first and second voltage regulators limit output voltages of the respective first and second generators to a predetermined maximum value.

11. The device as recited in claim 10, wherein an error message is output when the predetermined maximum value is reached.

12. The device as recited claim 9, wherein the first and second voltage regulators limit output voltages of the respective first and second generators to a predetermined minimum value, independent of the ascertained load state.

13. The device as recited in claim 12, wherein an error message is output when the predetermined minimum value is reached.

14. The device as recited in claim 2, wherein the control apparatus predetermines a regulating speed of at least one of the first and second voltage regulators.

15. The device as recited in claim 2, further comprising:

a third generator; and

a voltage regulator associated with the third generator;

wherein one of the first, second and third generators performs the master function and the remaining generators perform the slave function.

16. The device as recited in claim 2, wherein the control apparatus and at least one of the first and second voltage regulators form a single structural unit.

17. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein one of the first and second generators performs the master function and the other generator performs the slave function, and wherein the control apparatus predetermines a high regulating speed for the voltage regulator associated with the generator performing the master function, and wherein the control apparatus predetermines a low regulating speed for the voltage regulator associated with the generator performing the slave function.

18. The device as recited in claim 17, wherein the first and second generators belong to first and second electrical subsystems, and wherein the first and second generators are configured to be selectively coupled to one another via a coupling element.

19. The device as recited in claim 18, wherein the coupling element is one of a fuse, an ohmic resistor, a DC-DC converter, and a switch.

20. The device as recited in claim 18, wherein, when the first and second generators are decoupled from one another, the control apparatus supplies respective control signals to the first and second voltage regulators corresponding to predetermined voltages for the respective first and second generators.

21. The device as recited in claim 18, wherein, when the first and second generators are decoupled from one another, the control apparatus predetermines a high regulating speed for the voltage regulator associated with the generator performing the slave function.

22. The device as recited in claim 18, wherein, when the first and second generators are decoupled from one another, the control apparatus supplies to the first and second voltage regulators control signals that correspond to different target voltage values.

23. The device as recited in claim 18, wherein supply of voltage to the control apparatus takes place via a diode.

24. The device as recited in claim 23, wherein the control apparatus is connected to the first electrical subsystem via a first diode, and wherein the control apparatus is connected to the second electrical subsystem via a second diode.

25. A device for supplying voltage to loads of a motor vehicle electrical system, comprising:

a first generator;

a first voltage regulator allocated to the first generator;

a second generator;

a second voltage regulator allocated to the second generator; and

a control apparatus connected to the first and second voltage regulators, wherein the control apparatus supplies at least one control signal to the first and second voltage regulators, and wherein the first and second voltage regulators modify a loading of an associated generator, depending on the control signal,

wherein the control apparatus predetermines two different regulating speeds for the first and second voltage regulators.