Method for determining the absence of voltage in an electrical high-voltage system, and electrical high-voltage system

• US 9,500,680 B2
• Filed: 12/14/2012
• Issued: 11/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Volkswagen AG
• Original Assignee: Volkswagen AG
• Inventors: Lachmund, Uwe, Hnsch, Ronny
• Primary Examiner(s): Hollington, Jermele M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rodriguez, Douglas X
• Application Number:
  US14/367,343
• Publication Number:
  US 20150192623A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,439 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0046 relating to electric energy storage systems, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0069 relating to the isolation, e.g. ground fault or leak current
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/10 for monitoring or controlling batteries
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/0084 measuring voltage only all subgroups of G01R19/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/155 Indicating the presence of voltage
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/165 Indicating that current or voltage is either above or below a predetermined value or within or outside a predetermined range of values
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/006 on road vehicles, e.g. automobiles or trucks testing of ignition installations peculiar to internal combustion engines F02P17/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

A method for determining the absence of voltage in an electrical high-voltage system, in particular in an electric or hybrid vehicle, by using at least two control units in the high-voltage system and at least one display unit, wherein the control units detect the voltage in the high-voltage system independently of one another, wherein an absence of voltage is displayed on the display unit only if both control units detect a voltage below a threshold value. Also disclosed is an electrical high-voltage system.

Claims

1. A method for checking safe isolation of a low-voltage electrical distribution system from a high-voltage power supply in a high-voltage electrical system in an electric or hybrid vehicle, the method comprising:

using at least two of a plurality of control devices in the high-voltage system to detect, independently of one another, a voltage on high-voltage lines in the high-voltage system and indicate whether the respectively measured voltages are above or below a threshold voltage value or whether a fault has occurred in the measurement;

determining whether there is safe isolation of the low-voltage electrical distribution system from the high-voltage power supply using the at least two of the plurality of control devices based on the detected voltage on the high-voltage lines in the high-voltage system measured by the at least two of the plurality of control devices; and

displaying an indication of the determined safe isolation of the low-voltage electrical distribution system from the high-voltage power supply on at least one display unit, wherein the displaying of the indication of the determined safe isolation is performed only in response to and based on the determination of the safe isolation performed based on the at least two of the plurality of control devices all detecting a voltage below the threshold voltage value.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least detected actual values for the voltage in the high-voltage electrical system are represented on at least one further display unit.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein an external diagnosis device is connected to the control devices in the high-voltage electrical system via a gateway control device and/or is connected directly to individual control devices.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein a state of safe isolation of the low-voltage electrical distribution system from the high-voltage power supply and/or the detected actual values is/are represented on a display unit of the diagnosis device and a state of safe isolation of the low-voltage electrical distribution system from the high-voltage power supply and/or the detected actual values are represented on a display unit of the electric or hybrid vehicle.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising checking safe isolation of the low-voltage electrical distribution system from the high-voltage power supply when at least one message is transmitted to at least one control device by the diagnosis device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the control devices for detecting the voltage are at least one battery management control device and/or a control device of a high-voltage component of the high-voltage electrical system of the vehicle.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

detecting, with a control device of a charger, a voltage; and

detecting, with a control device of a charge manager, the plug state of at least one electrical socket outlet.

8. A high-voltage electrical system, in an electric or hybrid vehicle, the high voltage electrical system comprising:

an electric drive including a high-voltage power supply and a low-voltage electrical distribution system for the vehicle, wherein the high-voltage power supply is galvanically isolated from the vehicle'"'"'s low-voltage electrical distribution system and the high-voltage power supply includes a high-capacity electric battery;

at least two of a plurality of control devices that detect, independently of one another, a voltage on high-voltage lines in the high-voltage electrical system and indicate whether the respectively measured voltages are above or below a threshold voltage value or if a fault has occurred in the measurement; and

at least one display unit,

wherein the at least two of the plurality of control devices detect, independently of one another, a voltage in the high-voltage system,

wherein there is a determination of safe isolation of the low-voltage electrical distribution system from the high-voltage power supply based on the detected voltage on the high-voltage lines in the high-voltage system measured by the at least two of the plurality of control devices, and

wherein an indication of the determined safe isolation of the low-voltage electrical distribution system from the high-voltage power supply is displayed on the at least one display unit, wherein the indication of the determined safe isolation is displayed only in response to and based on the determination of the safe isolation performed based on the at least two of the plurality of control devices all detect a voltage below the threshold voltage value.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein at least detected actual values for the voltage in the high-voltage electrical system are represented on at least one further display unit.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein an external diagnosis device is connected to the control devices in the high-voltage electrical system via a gateway control device and/or is connected directly to individual control devices.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein a state of safe isolation of the low-voltage electrical distribution system from the high-voltage power supply and/or the detected actual values is/are represented on a display unit of the diagnosis device and a state of safe isolation of the low-voltage electrical distribution system from the high-voltage power supply and/or the detected actual values are represented on a display unit of the electric or hybrid vehicle.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein at least one message is transmitted to at least one control device by the diagnosis device, whereby the checking of safe isolation of the low-voltage electrical distribution system from the high-voltage power supply is initiated.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the control devices for detecting the voltage are at least one battery management control device and/or a control device of a high-voltage component of the high-voltage electrical system of the vehicle.

14. The system of claim 13, further comprising a control device of a charger detecting a voltage and/or a control device of a charge manager detecting the plug state of at least one electrical socket outlet.

15. A method for checking safe isolation of a low-voltage electrical distribution system from a high-voltage power supply in a high-voltage electrical system in an electric or hybrid vehicle, the method comprising:

using at least two of a plurality of control devices in the high-voltage system

to detect, independently of one another, a state value indicating a voltage on high-voltage lines is above or below a threshold voltage value in the high-voltage system or whether a fault has occurred in the measurement, wherein one of the plurality of control devices is a control device of a charge manager detecting a plug state of at least one electrical socket outlet;

determining whether there is safe isolation of the low-voltage electrical distribution system from the high-voltage power supply using the at least two of the plurality of control devices based on the detected state values indicating a voltage on the high-voltage lines is below a threshold value; and

displaying an indication of the determined safe isolation of the low-voltage electrical distribution system from the high-voltage power supply on at least one display unit, wherein the displaying of the indication of the determined safe isolation is performed only in response to and based on the determination of the safe isolation performed based on the at least two of the plurality of control devices all detecting a state value indicating a voltage below the threshold voltage value and the control device of the charge manager of the plurality of control devices detects no charging plug inserted in the at least one electrical socket outlet.