Electric vehicle and method for controlling same
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An electric vehicle comprising:
- a battery for charging a high-voltage operating power therein, and providing the charged power;
a battery management system (BMS) for managing a state of the battery in response to the charging of the battery or the operating power supplied from the battery;
a motor control unit (MCU) for controlling a motor;
a power relay assembly (PRA) including a plurality of relays and resistors, configured to perform switching of the relays in such a manner that the operating power of the battery is supplied to the vehicle according to whether the plurality of relays is operated; and
a vehicle control module (VCM) for stepwise-operating the plurality of relays contained in the power relay assembly (PRA) in response to a state of the power relay assembly (PRA) and sensed data, controlling supply of the operating power from the battery, controlling vehicle traveling using the operating power, and checking an operation state of the plurality of relays,wherein the power relay assembly (PRA) includes;
a first main contact relay(+) connected to a negative(−
) terminal of the battery and the motor control unit (MCU);
a second main contact relay(−
) connected to a positive(+) terminal of the battery and the motor control unit (MCU);
a precharge relay connected in parallel to the second main contact relay;
a precharge resistor connected in series to the precharge relay; and
a current sensor for measuring a current flowing in the first or second main contact relay, and applying the measured current to the vehicle control module (VCM),wherein;
the vehicle control module (VCM), after completion of an operation, if a current value detected by the current sensor is equal to or less than a specific value, turns off the second main contact relay; and
the vehicle control module (VCM), if a voltage value of a second connection line connected to the second main contact relay is less than a predetermined reference value, determines that the second main contact relay is normally turned off.
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Abstract
The present invention relates to an electric vehicle and a method for controlling same, which involve monitoring the state of PRA which switches power supply so as to stably supply power or cut off the supply of power during the operation of the electric vehicle, and controlling of a plurality of switches for supplying power from a battery or cutting off the result of the switching, thus enabling the accurate control of switching and preventing an erroneous operation.
16 Citations
23 Claims
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1. An electric vehicle comprising:
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a battery for charging a high-voltage operating power therein, and providing the charged power; a battery management system (BMS) for managing a state of the battery in response to the charging of the battery or the operating power supplied from the battery; a motor control unit (MCU) for controlling a motor; a power relay assembly (PRA) including a plurality of relays and resistors, configured to perform switching of the relays in such a manner that the operating power of the battery is supplied to the vehicle according to whether the plurality of relays is operated; and a vehicle control module (VCM) for stepwise-operating the plurality of relays contained in the power relay assembly (PRA) in response to a state of the power relay assembly (PRA) and sensed data, controlling supply of the operating power from the battery, controlling vehicle traveling using the operating power, and checking an operation state of the plurality of relays, wherein the power relay assembly (PRA) includes; a first main contact relay(+) connected to a negative(−
) terminal of the battery and the motor control unit (MCU);a second main contact relay(−
) connected to a positive(+) terminal of the battery and the motor control unit (MCU);a precharge relay connected in parallel to the second main contact relay; a precharge resistor connected in series to the precharge relay; and a current sensor for measuring a current flowing in the first or second main contact relay, and applying the measured current to the vehicle control module (VCM), wherein; the vehicle control module (VCM), after completion of an operation, if a current value detected by the current sensor is equal to or less than a specific value, turns off the second main contact relay; and the vehicle control module (VCM), if a voltage value of a second connection line connected to the second main contact relay is less than a predetermined reference value, determines that the second main contact relay is normally turned off. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. An electric vehicle comprising:
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a battery for charging a high-voltage operating power therein, and providing the charged power; a power relay assembly (PRA) including a plurality of relays, configured to perform switching of the relays in such a manner that the operating power of the battery is supplied to the vehicle according to whether the plurality of relays is operated; and a vehicle control module (VCM) for controlling vehicle traveling, persistently determining whether the plurality of relays contained in the power relay assembly (PRA) is normally operated through a PRA diagnostic mode during the vehicle traveling, performing a PRA check mode when at least one of the plurality of relays is operated, and diagnosing a state of the power relay assembly (PRA) by testing the plurality of relays of the power relay assembly (PRA), wherein the vehicle control module (VCM), if the PRA diagnostic mode is established, compares a control signal applied to the power relay assembly (PRA) with a feedback signal received from the power relay assembly (PRA), determines whether the plurality of relays contained in the power relay assembly (PRA) is normally operated according to the comparison result, and stores a message indicating PRA diagnosis failure in a traveling record if the control signal is not identical to the feedback signal. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14)
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15. A method for operating an electric vehicle comprising:
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operating, by a vehicle control module (VCM), if the vehicle starts driving, a first main contact relay contained in a power relay assembly (PRA) in response to state information of a battery management system (BMS), and connecting the battery and a negative(−
) terminal of a motor control unit (MCU);if the first main contact relay normally operates, operating a precharge relay connected to a positive(+) terminal of the battery, and connecting the battery to a positive(+) terminal of the motor control unit (MCU) through a predetermined-sized precharge resistor; if a voltage received from the motor control unit (MCU) is equal to or higher than a predetermined voltage value, operating the second main contact relay connected in parallel to the precharge relay, and connecting the battery to the motor control unit (MCU) through a second main contact relay; if the second main contact relay normally operates, finally connecting the battery to the motor control unit (MCU) by turning off the precharge relay; and performing re-determination after lapse of a predetermined standby time, if the first main contact relay or the second main contact relay does not normally operate; and
turning off the power relay assembly (PRA) and outputting an error message, if the first main contact relay or the second main contact relay does not normally operate during the re-determination. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17)
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18. A method for controlling an electric vehicle comprising:
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sequentially operating a plurality of relays contained in a power relay assembly (PRA) interconnecting a battery and a motor control unit (MCU) so as to provide an operating power; providing the operating power having a voltage reduced by a precharge resistor contained in the power relay assembly (PRA) to the motor control unit (MCU); monitoring whether the power relay assembly (PRA) is damaged by measuring a temperature of the precharge resistor through a resistor temperature sensor; if the power relay assembly (PRA) normally operates, supplying the operating power of a normal voltage from the battery to the motor control unit (MCU); if a measurement temperature of the resistor temperature sensor is less than a reference temperature, determining that the power relay assembly (PRA) is in a normal state; measuring a voltage applied to the motor control unit (MCU), and supplying the operating power of a normal voltage from the battery to the motor control unit (MCU) if the voltage value is equal to or higher than a reference value, and if the voltage value applied to the motor control unit (MCU) is less than the reference value, persistently receiving a measurement temperature of the precharge resistor from the resistor temperature sensor until the voltage value reaches the reference value, and monitoring a state of the power relay assembly (PRA) on the basis of the received measurement temperature. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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21. A method for controlling an electric vehicle comprising:
- checking a pre-stored traveling record when the vehicle starts driving;
if a power relay assembly (PRA) diagnosis failure record does not exist in the traveling record, establishing a PRA diagnostic mode, performing normal traveling of the vehicle while simultaneously monitoring a state of the power relay assembly (PRA), and storing a monitoring result of the power relay assembly (PRA) state in the traveling record; if the PRA diagnosis failure record exists in the traveling record, establishing a power relay assembly (PRA) check mode to check a state of a plurality of relays contained in the power relay assembly (PRA) as well as to determine the presence or absence of a malfunction in the relays, thereby diagnosing the PRA state; and if the PRA diagnostic mode is established, applying a control signal to the power relay assembly (PRA) so as to supply or cut off power, receiving a feedback signal from the power relay assembly (PRA) operating in response to the control signal, comparing the control signal with the feedback signal to determine whether the control signal is identical to the feedback signal, and monitoring the PRA state. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23)
- checking a pre-stored traveling record when the vehicle starts driving;
Specification