Voltage disconnection of a high-voltage vehicle

• US 10,391,956 B2
• Filed: 03/19/2014
• Issued: 08/27/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Original Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Inventors: Thommes, Marco, Hohne, Margot, Engelhard, Felix, Bittner, Thomas, Neugebauer, Heinz
• Primary Examiner(s): Scott, Jacob S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Butler, Michael E
• Application Number:
  US14/783,178
• Publication Number:
  US 20160059806A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,987 Days
• Field of Search: 701 291
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/00 Supplying electric power to auxiliary equipment of vehicles circuit arrangements for charging batteries H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/30 AC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/10 by alarm
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0046 relating to electric energy storage systems, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/04 Cutting off the power supply under fault conditions protective devices and circuit arrangements in general H01H; H02H
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/62 charged by low-power generators primarily intended to support the batteries, e.g. range extenders
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/66 Arrangements of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• 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: B62D 65/005 Inspection and final control devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0032 disconnection of loads if battery is not under charge, e.g. in vehicle if engine is not running
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• 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 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

In a method for securing a high voltage on-board electric grid of a motor vehicle for repair and/or maintenance of the motor vehicle, the energy inflow of an energy supply unit into the onboard electric grid is blocked during or after a voltage disconnection of the high-voltage on-board electric grid, in which an energy inflow of the energy supply unit to the high-voltage on-board electric grid is interrupted. Additionally or alternatively, the energy inflow of at least one other energy supply device is blocked, wherein the at least one other energy inflow is designed in order to supply energy from a further energy source to the high-voltage on-board electric grid.

Claims

1. A method for securing a high-voltage onboard electric grid operated in a range of at least 300 V up to 400 V of a motor vehicle for repair or maintenance work on the motor vehicle, comprising:

during or after a disconnection of the high-voltage onboard grid from voltage, in which an energy inflow from an energy supply device into the high-voltage onboard grid is interrupted,

blocking with a control device configured to generate control signals the energy inflow of the energy supply device or an energy inflow of at least one other energy supply device into the onboard electric grid, said other energy supply device comprising an electric generator;

implementing a communication device including a communication module connected to an OBD-bus, said communication device being configured to transmit the control signals to a communication interface of the motor vehicle; and

determining whether a charging plug for charging the energy supply device is inserted, and when the charging plug is inserted, suspending the voltage disconnection until the charging plug is pulled out and issuing a warning,

wherein the blocking of the energy inflow of the electric generator is accomplished in at least three ways,

a first way in which a motor control unit of an internal combustion engine coupled with the electric generator is deactivated,

a second way in which a voltage output of the generator is short-circuited, and

a third way in which a shaft for driving the generator is arrested by means of an electric hydraulic brake of the motor vehicle.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one other blocking energy supply device comprises a charging and wherein the blocking step further comprises blocking a control signal of at least one controllable switching element of the charging device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one other energy supply device comprises a plug-in shaft for a charging plug, and wherein the blocking step further comprises locking the plug-in shaft with a locking device, when the charging plug is pulled out.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the locking device is constructed as a retaining pin for retaining the charging plug in the plug-in shaft, said retaining pin being inserted into the plug-in shaft.