Fail safe apparatus and method for eco-friendly vehicle

• US 9,862,275 B2
• Filed: 08/03/2015
• Issued: 01/09/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Inventors: Cha, Jung Min, Park, Dae Ro
• Primary Examiner(s): Johnson, Ryan
• Application Number:
  US14/816,364
• Publication Number:
  US 20160303976A1
• Time in Patent Office: 890 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0046 relating to electric energy storage systems, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0084 relating to control modules
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/15 with additional electric power supply with capacitors charged by engine-driven generators B60L50/40; with batteries charged by engine-driven generators B60L50/61
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/16 with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/14 Preventing excessive discharging
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/15 Preventing overcharging
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/20 having different nominal voltages
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/26 for electrical energy, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/50 Control strategies for responding to system failures, e.g. for fault diagnosis, failsafe operation or limp mode
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/907 Electricity storage, e.g. battery, capacitor

Abstract

The fail safe apparatus for an eco-friendly vehicle includes: a main battery to supply driving power of a vehicle; a battery controller to manage a state of charge of the main battery; a power converter to convert power supplied from the main battery into power for charging an auxiliary battery; a motor controller to drive a motor with the power supplied from the main battery; a hybrid starter generator to start an engine and charge the main battery; and a vehicle controller to monitor a capacity voltage of any one of the power converter and the motor controller when there is an error in data communication of the battery controller and control charging and discharging of the main battery based on the monitored results.

Claims

1. A fail safe apparatus for an eco-friendly vehicle, comprising:

a main battery configured to supply driving power of a vehicle;

a battery controller configured to manage a state of charge of the main battery;

a power converter configured to convert power supplied from the main battery into power for charging an auxiliary battery;

a motor controller configured to drive a motor with the power supplied from the main battery;

a hybrid starter generator configured to start an engine and charge the main battery; and

a vehicle controller configured to monitor a capacity voltage of at least one of the power converter and the motor controller when there is an error in data communication of the battery controller, and configured to control charging and discharging of the main battery based on monitored results of the capacity voltage.

2. The fail safe apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the power converter is a low voltage DC-DC converter.

3. The fail safe apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the error in the data communication of the battery controller is determined, the vehicle controller is configured to determine whether engine starting succeeds and a clutch connection driving is made and is configured to determine whether the capacity voltage exceeds an upper limit threshold when the engine starting succeeds and the clutch connection driving is made.

4. The fail safe apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the vehicle controller is configured to stop the charging and the discharging of the main battery when the capacity voltage exceeds an upper limit threshold.

5. The fail safe apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the upper limit threshold is an upper limit of the charging of the main battery.

6. The fail safe apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the vehicle controller is configured to determine whether the capacity voltage is below a lower limit threshold when the capacity voltage is equal to or less than the upper limit threshold and is configured to request to the battery controller a relay off of the main battery and to perform an engine driving when the capacity voltage is below the lower limit threshold.

7. The fail safe apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the vehicle controller is configured to charge the main battery and to inhibit the discharging of the main battery when the capacity voltage is equal to or more than the lower limit threshold.

8. The fail safe apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the vehicle controller is configured to request to the battery controller a relay off of the main battery and inhibits the vehicle driving when an engine starting does not succeed and the clutch connection driving is not made.

9. A fail safe method for an eco-friendly vehicle, comprising:

sensing, by a vehicle controller, an occurrence of a data communication problem of a battery controller;

determining whether engine starting succeeds and clutch connection driving is made, when the occurrence of the data communication problem is sensed;

determining, if it is confirmed that the engine starting succeeds and the clutch connection driving is made, whether a capacity voltage of at least one of a power converter and a motor controller is within a range from a lower limit threshold to an upper limit threshold; and

charging a main battery and inhibiting discharging of the main battery when the capacity voltage is within the range.

10. The fail safe method according to claim 9, further comprising:

inhibiting the charging and the discharging of the main battery when the capacity voltage exceeds the upper limit threshold.

11. The fail safe method according to claim 9, further comprising:

requesting a relay off of the main battery and performing engine driving when the capacity voltage is below the lower limit threshold.

12. The fail safe method according to claim 9, further comprising:

requesting a relay off of the main battery and inhibiting vehicle driving when the engine starting does not succeed and the clutch connection driving is not made.

13. The fail safe method according to claim 9, wherein the main battery is charged by a motor and a hybrid starter generator.

14. The fail safe method according to claim 9, wherein the lower limit threshold is a lower limit of the discharging of the main battery.