Electrical network for a vehicle, having at least one component that can be activated

• US 9,650,000 B2
• Filed: 10/05/2012
• Issued: 05/16/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Valeo Systemes De Controle Moteur (Valeo SE)
• Original Assignee: Valeo Systemes De Controle Moteur (Valeo SE)
• Inventors: Decoster, Sylvain, Delion, Sylvain, Cheng, Thierry, Rechdan, Raymond, Corniglion, Cyrille
• Primary Examiner(s): Gannon, Levi
• Application Number:
  US14/350,226
• Publication Number:
  US 20140252852A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,684 Days
• Field of Search: 307 91, 307 101, 307 107, 307 108
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/03 for supply of electrical power to vehicle subsystems or for circuit arrangements for charging batteries H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/033 characterised by the use of electrical cells or batteries for propulsion puposes B60K1/04; supplying batteries to, or removing batteries from, vehicles B60S5/06; testing of charge state G01R31/36
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/08 Three-wire systems; Systems having more than three wires
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/102 being switching converters H02J1/108, H02J1/12 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/108 using diodes blocking reverse current flow H02J1/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/46 for ICE-powered road vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0019 using switched or multiplexed charge circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0024 Parallel/serial switching of connection of batteries to charge or load circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/1423 with multiple batteries

Abstract

The invention relates to an electrical network (1) for a vehicle, comprising: a first circuit (2) comprising a first power source (7) and at least one first electronic component (8) powered by the first power source (7); and a second circuit (3) comprising a second power source (10) and at least one second electronic component (11) which can be activated and is powered by the second power source (10). The network (1) also comprises: a connecting member (5) between the first (2) and second (3) circuits, said connecting member (5) allowing, in a first configuration, an exchange of current of a first value between the first circuit (2) and the second circuit (3) and, in a second configuration, an exchange of current of a second value between the first circuit (2) and the second circuit (3), in which the second value is lower than the first value; and a control unit (17) which controls the configuration of the connecting member (5).

Claims

1. An electrical network for a vehicle, comprising:

a first circuit comprising a first power source and at least one first electronic component powered by the first power source;

a second circuit comprising a second power source and at least one second electronic component which can be activated and is powered by the second power source;

an alternator injecting electrical current into the network when it is driven to power the first and/or the second power source(s);

a link member between the first and the second circuits, the link member allowing, in a first configuration, an exchange of current of a first value between the first and the second circuits and, in a second configuration, an exchange of current of a second value between the first and the second circuits, the second value being lower than the first value;

a control unit controlling the configuration of the link member; and

a switch, in addition to the link member, wherein the switch and the alternator are arranged in the network so that the alternator is linked to the first power source or to the second power source.

2. The network as claimed in claim 1, the ratio between the electrical power consumed by the second electronic component(s) and the electrical power consumed by the first electronic components) being between 1 and 5.

3. The network as claimed in claim 1, the power consumed by the second electronic component being greater than or equal to 1 kW.

4. The network as claimed in claim 1, the link member comprising a switch, wherein the switch is closed when the link member is in the first configuration and open when the link member is in the second configuration.

5. The network as claimed in claim 1, the link member having an impedance with a value that varies linearly, wherein the value of the impedance in the first configuration of the link member is lower than that in the second configuration of the link member.

6. The network as claimed in claim 5, the ratio between the impedance in the second configuration and the impedance in the first configuration being equal to at least ten.

7. The network as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first and the second power sources are batteries.

8. The network as claimed in claim 1, the control unit being configured to control the activation and/or the deactivation of the second electronic component.

9. The network as claimed in claim 8, the control unit being configured to detect the configuration of the link member before activating the second electronic component.

10. The network as claimed in claim 1, the control unit being configured to control the link member so that, when the alternator is driven, the first and/or the second power source(s) is/are electrically powered.

11. The network as claimed in claim 1, the first configuration of the link member making it possible to power the first power source and the second power source by the alternator.

12. The network as claimed in claim 11, the alternator forming part of the first circuit and electrically powering, when it is driven, the second power source, at least when the link member is in the first configuration.

13. The network as claimed in claim 11, the alternator forming part of the second circuit and powering, when it is driven, the first power source, at least when the link member is in the first configuration.

14. The network as claimed in claim 1, the link member being configured to prevent the second power source from powering the first power source, at least when the link member is in the first configuration.

15. The network as claimed in claim 1, the second electronic component being a compressor configured to deliver air into the intake line of a heat engine.

16. A method for managing an electrical network of a vehicle, the network comprising:

a first circuit comprising a first power source and at least one first electronic component powered by the first power source,

a second circuit comprising a second power source and at least one second electronic component which can be activated and is powered by the second power source,

a link member allowing, in a first configuration, an exchange of current of a first value between the first and the second circuits and, in a second configuration, an exchange of current of a second value between the first and the second circuits, the second value being lower than the first value,

a control unit controlling the configuration of the link member, and

an alternator injecting electrical current into the network when it is driven to power the first and/or the second power source(s), the method comprising;

reducing or preventing, by the control unit acting on the link member, the exchange of current between the first and the second circuits, at least when the second electronic component is activated,

wherein the electrical network comprises a switch in addition to the link member, the switch and the alternator being arranged in the network so that the alternator is linked to the first power source or to the second power source depending on the position of the switch.

17. The method as claimed in claim 16,

controlling, by the control unit, the activation and/or the deactivation of the second electronic component wherein the control of the activation, and/or respectively of the deactivation, of the second electronic component is synchronized with the control of the link member for the latter to be in the second, and/or respectively first, configuration.