Motor Vehicle

• US 7,779,942 B2
• Filed: 09/21/2007
• Issued: 08/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Original Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Inventors: Goetz, Georg, Kaindl, Markus, Gebert, Juergen, Oesterreicher, Florian
• Primary Examiner(s): Morris; Lesley
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gurari; Erez
• Application Number:
  US11/859,233
• Publication Number:
  US 20080073132A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,068 Days
• Field of Search: 180/65.21, 180/65.265, 180/65.275, 180/65.285, 180/65.29, 318/139
• US Class Current: 180/65.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/04 Cutting off the power supply under fault conditions protective devices and circuit arrangements in general H01H; H02H
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/40 using propulsion power supplied by capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/30 for monitoring or controlling fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/40 Application of hydrogen technology to transportation, e.g. using fuel cells

Abstract

A motor vehicle (KFZ) including an electric power source (EQ) for providing DC current, a converter (U) for converting the DC current into three-phase AC current of identical phase angle or polyphase current as a function of the vehicle operating state, and an electric machine (EM), to which the current provided by the converter is fed, is provided.

Claims

1. A motor vehicle comprising:

an electric power source for providing DC current;

a converter for converting the DC current into three-phase AC current of identical phase angle when the motor vehicle is in either one of an accident vehicle operating state and a repair vehicle operating state, and converting the DC current into polyphase current when the motor vehicle is in a vehicle operating state other than the accident vehicle operating state and the repair vehicle operating state;

an electric machine, to which the current provided by the converter is fed; and

a control unit, which is set up to control the converter in such a way that the converter automatically provides three-phase AC current of identical phase angle when the motor vehicle is in either one of the accident vehicle operating state and the repair vehicle operating state and polyphase current when the motor vehicle is in a vehicle operating state other than the accident vehicle operating state and the repair vehicle operating state.

2. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising a detection unit for detecting the vehicle operating state, which is signaled to the control unit.

3. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising an input interface for inputting the vehicle operating state, which is signaled to the control unit.

4. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the power source comprises a super capacitor.

5. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising a detection unit for detecting the current vehicle operating state, which is signaled to the control unit, wherein the detection unit comprises an acceleration sensor, and

the detection unit is set up in such way that it may detect the accident vehicle operating state.

6. The motor vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the input interface is set up in such way that the repair vehicle operating state may be input via the input interface.

7. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the motor vehicle is drivable by the electric machine or the power source is chargeable by the power of the motor vehicle or the power provided by an internal combustion engine of the motor vehicle.

8. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the power source has at least one of the following properties:

discharge time of the power source is less than 20 seconds;

power content of the power source is greater than 100 watt-hours; and

the rated voltage of the power source is greater than 60 volts.

10. The motor vehicle according to claim 2, further comprising an input interface for inputting the current vehicle operating state, which is signaled to the control unit.

11. The motor vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the power source comprises a super capacitor.

12. The motor vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the power source comprises a super capacitor.

13. The motor vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the detection unit comprises an acceleration sensor, and

the detection unit is set up in such way that it may detect an accident vehicle operating state.

14. The motor vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the detection unit comprises an acceleration sensor, and

the detection unit is set up in such way that it may detect an accident vehicle operating state.

15. The motor vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the motor vehicle is drivable by the electric machine or the power source is chargeable by the power of the motor vehicle or the power provided by an internal combustion engine of the motor vehicle.

16. The motor vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the motor vehicle is drivable by the electric machine or the power source is chargeable by the power of the motor vehicle or the power provided by an internal combustion engine of the motor vehicle.

17. The motor vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the power source has at least one of the following properties:

discharge time of the power source is less than 20 seconds;

power content of the power source is greater than 100 watt-hours; and

the rated voltage of the power source is greater than 60 volts.

18. The motor vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the power source has at least one of the following properties:

discharge time of the power source is less than 20 seconds;

power content of the power source is greater than 100 watt-hours; and

the rated voltage of the power source is greater than 60 volts.

19. The motor vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the control unit controls the converter in such a way that the converter automatically provides three-phase AC current of identical phase angle or polyphase current as a function of the state of a hydrogen tank,

wherein the power source comprises a fuel cell fed from the hydrogen tank.

9. A motor vehicle comprising:

an electric power source for providing DC current;

a converter for converting the DC current into three-phase AC current of identical phase angle or polyphase current as a function of vehicle operating state;

an electric machine, to which the current provided by the converter is fed; and

a control unit, which is set up to control the converter in such a way that the converter automatically provides three-phase AC current of identical phase angle or polyphase current as a function of a current vehicle operating state,

wherein the control unit controls the converter in such a way that the converter automatically provides three-phase AC current of identical phase angle or polyphase current as a function of the state of a hydrogen tank,

wherein the power source comprises a fuel cell fed from the hydrogen tank.

20. A method for controlling a converter of a motor vehicle, comprising the acts of:

providing DC current to the converter;

automatically converting the DC current into three-phase AC current of identical phase angle when the motor vehicle is in either one of an accident vehicle operating state and a repair vehicle operating state, and automatically converting the DC current into polyphase current when the motor vehicle is in a vehicle operating state other than the accident vehicle operating state and the repair vehicle operating state; and

outputting the three-phase AC current of identical phase angle when the motor vehicle is in either one of the accident vehicle operating state and the repair vehicle operating state and the polyphase current when the motor vehicle is in a vehicle operating state other than the accident vehicle operating state and the repair vehicle operating state from the converter to an electric machine.