Power feed control device

• US 8,363,364 B2
• Filed: 11/18/2010
• Issued: 01/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Watanabe, Hirotoshi, Mukai, Tatsuya, Mori, Shiro, Fukuo, Naoki, Gotou, Kiyosi, Kakiuchi, Kouji, Nakamura, Shinichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Danny
• Application Number:
  US12/948,876
• Publication Number:
  US 20110122536A1
• Time in Patent Office: 803 Days
• Field of Search: 361 42- 50
• US Class Current: 361/46
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0069 relating to the isolation, e.g. ground fault or leak current
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/24 Using the vehicle's propulsion converter for charging
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 3/334 with means to produce an artificial unbalance for other protection or monitoring reasons or remote control H02H3/338 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

A branch wire L5 from the voltage detection circuit 14 is inserted in the zero-phase-sequence current transformer ZCT in the direction from the load side to the external power supply side. For this configuration, the zero-phase-sequence current transformer ZCT is to detect unbalance of the sum of current flowing in the first and second conductive wires L1, L2 and the current flowing in the branch wire L5. Therefore, the present invention can accurately detect occurrence of electrical leakage.

Claims

1. A power feed control device comprising:

a feed line connected between an external power supply and a load;

a switching device inserted in the feed line, said switching device being configured to make and break the feed line;

a zero-phase-sequence current transformer through which the feed line is passed, said zero-phase-sequence current transformer being configured to detect an unbalanced current in the feed line; and

a voltage detection circuit connected with the feed line between the load and a combination of the switching device and the zero-phase-sequence current transformer, said voltage detection circuit being configured to detect voltage of the feed line,

wherein a branch line from the voltage detection circuit is inserted in the zero-phase-sequence current transformer in the direction from the load side to the external power supply side.

2. A power feed control device as set forth in claim 1,

wherein the feed line is configured to be used for charging a battery using the external power supply, said battery being mounted on a vehicle as the load,

wherein the power feed control device further comprises:

a control circuit electrically connected with a signal line for transmitting a control signal supplied from the vehicle, said control circuit being configured to control to turn on and off the switching device based on the control signal; and

a leakage detection circuit configured to detect electrical leakage based on an unbalanced current detected through the zero-phase-sequence current transformer, said leakage detection circuit being configured to control the switching device to break the feed line when the electrical leakage is detected,

wherein one end of the branch line is grounded,

wherein the voltage detection circuit is configured to detect the voltage of the feed line between the switching device and the vehicle based on a current flowing in the voltage detection circuit,

wherein the control circuit is configured, when detecting a contradiction between a detection result of the voltage detection circuit and a control condition of the switching device, to decide that a contact welding occurs,

wherein the branch line passes through the zero-phase-sequence current transformer in the direction so that current flows in it in the same direction as the current flowing in the feed line from the vehicle to the external power supply.

3. A power feed control device as set forth in claim 1 or claim 2, further comprising:

a power connector comprising a ground terminal, said power connector being configured to be detachably attached to the external power supply; and

a load connector configured to be detachably attached to a connector which the load is equipped with,

wherein said feed line comprises first and second conductive wires arranged between the power connector and the load connector, said first and second conductive wires being configured to be connected with a live wire and a neutral wire of the external power supply when the power connector is connected with the external power supply, respectively,

wherein the power feed control device further comprises a third conductive wire arranged between the ground terminal of the power connector and the load connector, said third conductive wire being configured to be connected with a ground wire of the external power supply when the power connector is connected with the external power supply,

wherein the branch line is connected with the third conductive wire.

4. A power feed control device as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a leakage detection circuit connected with the zero-phase-sequence current transformer, said leakage detection circuit being configured to decide that electrical leakage occurs when the magnitude of the unbalanced current is larger than a predetermined value.

5. A power feed control device as set forth in claim 4, further comprising a control circuit connected with the switching device and the leakage detection circuit, said control circuit being configured to control the switching device to make and break the feed line,

wherein the control circuit is configured to control the switching device to break the feed line when the occurrence of electrical leakage is detected through the leakage detection circuit.

6. A power feed control device as set forth in claim 5, further comprising a fourth conductive wire connected with the control circuit, said forth conductive wire being configured to be connected with a signal wire which the load is equipped with,

wherein the control circuit is configured to send an error signal to the load through the fourth conductive wire when the occurrence of electrical leakage is detected through the leakage detection circuit.

7. A power feed control device as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

a control circuit connected with the switching device and the voltage detection circuit, said control circuit being configured to control the switching device to make and break the feed line; and

a fourth conductive wire connected with the control circuit, said forth conductive wire being configured to be connected with a signal wire which the load is equipped with,

wherein the control circuit is configured to send an error signal to the load through the fourth conductive wire if the voltage is detected through the voltage detection circuit when the control circuit tries to control the switching device to break the feed line.

8. A power feed control device as set forth in claim 2, further comprising:

a power connector comprising a ground terminal, said power connector being configured to be detachably attached to the external power supply; and

a load connector configured to be detachably attached to a connector which the load is equipped with,

wherein said feed line comprises first and second conductive wires arranged between the power connector and the load connector, said first and second conductive wires being configured to be connected with a live wire and a neutral wire of the external power supply when the power connector is connected with the external power supply, respectively,

wherein the power feed control device further comprises a third conductive wire arranged between the ground terminal of the power connector and the load connector, said third conductive wire being configured to be connected with a ground wire of the external power supply when the power connector is connected with the external power supply,

wherein the branch line is connected with the third conductive wire.