Method and system for monitoring vehicle electrical systems

• US 8,463,483 B2
• Filed: 02/12/2010
• Issued: 06/11/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Welchko, Brian A., Raftari, Abbas, Hiti, Silva, Park, Jeong J., Buur, Hanne, Wang, Wei D., Cawthorne, William R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): PAYNE, ROBERT T
• Application Number:
  US12/704,659
• Publication Number:
  US 20110202226A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,215 Days
• Field of Search: 701/70, 701/93, 701/41, 701/300, 701/29.2, 701/49, 701/301, 123/399, 477/120, 180/65.265, 180/65.6
• US Class Current: 701/29.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/46 Series type
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/48 Parallel type
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/025 using field orientation; Vector control; Direct Torque Control [DTC]
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/20 for control of the vehicle or its driving motor to achieve a desired performance, e.g. speed, torque, programmed variation of speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2220/14 Synchronous machines
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/36 Temperature of vehicle components or parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0038 relating to sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/16 with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0039 of the propulsion unit
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/087 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/045 Monitoring control system parameters
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• 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 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for monitoring an electrical system of a vehicle. Data pertaining to the electrical system is obtained. Calculation modules are performed using the data to generate intermediate determinations. An aggregate calculation module is performed using each of the intermediate determinations to generate an aggregate determination pertaining to the electrical system. Redundant intermediate calculations are performed using the data to generate redundant intermediate determinations. Each of the redundant intermediate determinations is used for comparison with a respective intermediate determination.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring an electrical system of a vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:

performing a plurality of first intermediate calculations pertaining to the electrical system to generate a first plurality of intermediate results using a processor, each of the plurality of first intermediate results pertaining to a respective one of a plurality of parameters pertaining to the electrical system;

performing an aggregate calculation using the plurality of first intermediate results to generate a calculated value pertaining to the electrical system using the processor;

performing a plurality of redundant intermediate calculations pertaining to the electrical system to generate a plurality of redundant intermediate results, each of the plurality of redundant intermediate results pertaining to the respective one of the plurality of parameters pertaining to a corresponding one of the plurality of first intermediate results;

calculating a difference between each redundant intermediate result and the corresponding first intermediate results; and

taking remedial action using the processor if any of the differences is greater than a predetermined value.

2. The method of step of claim 1, wherein the step of performing the aggregate calculation comprises the step of calculating an electric motor torque for the vehicle using the plurality of intermediate results and the processor.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of performing the plurality of intermediate calculations comprises the step of calculating, using the data and the processor, values for each of the following:

a reference current of the electrical system;

a regulated current of the electrical system, and a pulse width modulation of the electrical system.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the plurality of first intermediate calculations are performed using data from a first memory; and

the plurality of intermediate calculations are performed using data from a second memory that is separate from the first memory.

4. A method for monitoring an electrical system of a vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:

performing a plurality of calculation modules using first data pertaining to the electrical system from first storage areas to generate a plurality of intermediate determinations, each calculation module generating a respective one of a plurality of intermediate determinations using the data and a processor;

performing an aggregate calculation module using each of the plurality of intermediate determinations to generate an aggregate determination pertaining to the electrical system using the processor; and

performing a plurality of redundant intermediate calculations using second data from second storage areas separate from the first storage areas to generate a plurality of redundant intermediate determinations, each of the plurality of redundant intermediate calculations generating a corresponding one of the plurality of redundant intermediate determinations that corresponds to a respective one of the plurality of intermediate determinations using the processor.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of:

comparing each of the plurality of intermediate determinations with the corresponding one of the plurality of redundant intermediate determinations using the processor.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of:

taking remedial action using the processor if any of the plurality of intermediate determinations is not equal to the respective one of the plurality of the plurality of redundant intermediate determinations.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of:

calculating a difference between each of the plurality of intermediate determinations and the respective one of the plurality of redundant intermediate determinations to generate a plurality of differences using the processor.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of:

taking remedial action using the processor if any of the differences are greater than a predetermined threshold.

9. The method of step of claim 4, wherein the step of performing the aggregate calculation comprises the step of calculating an electric motor torque for the vehicle using the plurality of intermediate determinations and the processor.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of performing the plurality of intermediate calculations comprises the steps:

calculating a reference current of the electrical system using the data and the processor;

calculating a regulated current of the electrical system using the data and the processor; and

calculating a pulse width modulation of the electrical system using the data and the processor.

11. A system for monitoring an electrical system of a vehicle, the system comprising:

a plurality of sensors configured to obtain data pertaining to the electrical system; and

a processor coupled to the plurality of sensors and configured to;

perform a plurality of calculation modules using first data pertaining to the electrical system from first storage areas to generate a plurality of intermediate determinations, each calculation module generating a respective one of a plurality of intermediate determinations using the data;

perform an aggregate calculation module using each of the plurality of intermediate determinations to generate an aggregate determination pertaining to the electrical system; and

perform a plurality of redundant intermediate calculations using second data from second storage areas separate from the first storage areas to generate a plurality of redundant intermediate determinations, each of the plurality of redundant intermediate calculations generating a corresponding one of the plurality of redundant intermediate determinations that corresponds to a respective one of the plurality of intermediate determinations.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to compare each of the plurality of intermediate determinations with the corresponding one of the plurality of redundant intermediate determinations.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the processor is further configured to take remedial action if any of the plurality of intermediate determinations is not equal to the respective one of the plurality of the plurality of redundant intermediate determinations.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the processor is further configured to:

calculate a difference between each of the plurality of intermediate determinations and the respective one of the plurality of redundant intermediate determinations to generate a plurality of differences; and

take remedial action if any of the differences are greater than a predetermined threshold.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to:

calculate a reference current of the electrical system using the data and the processor;

calculate a regulated current of the electrical system using the data and the processor;

calculate a pulse width modulation of the electrical system using the data and the processor;

calculate the electric motor torque using the reference current, the regulated current, and the pulse width modulation;

calculate a redundant value of the reference current;

calculate a redundant value of the regulated current; and

calculate a redundant value of the pulse width modulation.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to:

compare the reference current with the redundant value of the reference current;

compare the regulated current with the redundant value of the regulated current; and

compare the pulse width modulation with the redundant value of the pulse width modulation.