Method to determine an operating characteristic of a vehicle power converter

• US 7,557,555 B2
• Filed: 04/05/2007
• Issued: 07/07/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Nefcy, Bernard, Tang, Yuqing, McCormick, Lynn, Scott, Jeffery, Wang, Jin, Chen, Chingchi, Wu, Hongjie, Degner, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Han; Jessica
• Application Number:
  US11/696,909
• Publication Number:
  US 20080246508A1
• Time in Patent Office: 824 Days
• Field of Search: 323/222, 323/225, 323/259, 323/284, 323/285, 323/288, 323/290, 323/351, 363 39- 41
• US Class Current: 323/288
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/40 Testing power supplies testing photovoltaic devices H02S50/10

Abstract

Measured or otherwise known operating characteristics of a DC/DC power converter are used to determine, without measuring, an operating characteristic of the DC/DC power converter.

Claims

1. A method for determining, without measuring, an operating characteristic of a DC/DC power converter for an automotive vehicle including a power storage unit and a bus wherein the DC/DC power converter has a storage side electrically connected with the power storage unit and a bus side electrically connected with the bus and wherein the DC/DC power converter includes a first capacitor, having a first voltage, electrically connected with the storage side and a second capacitor, having a second voltage, electrically connected with the bus side, the method comprising:

determining a duty cycle of the DC/DC power converter;

measuring one of the first and second voltages; and

determining, without measuring, the other of the first and second voltages based on the duty cycle and the one of the first and second voltages thereby determining the operating characteristic of the DC/DC power converter.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the DC/DC power converter further includes an inductor electrically connected with the storage side, wherein a current flows through the inductor, and wherein the method further comprises measuring the current.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the inductor has an inductance, further comprising determining the inductance based on the duty cycle, the first and second voltages, and a ripple of the current.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the ripple is an average ripple.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the DC/DC power converter further includes an inductor, having an inductance, electrically connected with the storage side and wherein a current flows through the inductor, further comprising determining, without measuring, a ripple of the current based on the duty cycle, the first and second voltages, and the inductance.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising measuring the ripple and comparing the measured ripple with the determined ripple.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising, after the step of determining, without measuring, the other of the first and second voltages, measuring the other of the first and second voltages and comparing the determined voltage to the measured voltage.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the duty cycle is an average duty cycle.

9. A method for determining, without measuring, an operating characteristic of a DC/DC power converter for an automotive vehicle including a power storage unit and a bus, wherein the DC/DC power converter has a storage side electrically connected with the power storage unit and a bus side electrically connected with the bus, wherein the DC/DC power converter includes a first capacitor, having a first voltage, electrically connected with the storage side, a second capacitor, having a second voltage, electrically connected with the bus side, and an inductor, having an inductance, electrically connected with the storage side, and wherein a current flows through the inductor, the method comprising:

determining at least one of an on time and an off time of the DC/DC power converter;

measuring all but one of the first voltage, the second voltage, and a ripple of the current thereby identifying measured operating characteristics; and

determining, without measuring, the other of the first voltage, the second voltage, and the ripple of the current based on one of the on time and off time, the measured operating characteristics, and the inductance thereby determining the operating characteristic of the DC/DC power converter.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the first voltage and second voltage comprise the measured operating characteristics.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the second voltage and ripple comprise the measured operating characteristics.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein the first voltage and ripple comprise the measured operating characteristics.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein the on time is an average on time.

14. The method of claim 9 wherein the off time is an average off time.

15. The method of claim 9 wherein the ripple is an average ripple.