METHOD FOR DETECTING AN ELECTRICAL FAULT IN AN ELECTRICAL NETWORK OF A MOTOR VEHICLE

• US 20110022261A1
• Filed: 11/11/2008
• Published: 01/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Klein, Ulrich, Pushkolli, Beqir
• Granted Patent: US 9,007,068 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/29
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/007 using microprocessors or computers
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/08 Locating faults in cables, transmission lines, or networks
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/52 Testing for short-circuits, leakage current or ground faults

Abstract

A method for detecting an electrical fault in an electrical network of a motor vehicle, the network having at least one battery, at least one pulse-controlled inverter and at least one d.c. voltage converter, and an intermediate circuit current associated with the pulse-controlled inverter being detected with the aid of an intermediate circuit current sensor. A battery current associated with the battery is detected with the aid of a battery current sensor and a d.c. voltage converter current associated with the d.c. voltage converter is detected with the aid of a d.c. voltage converter current sensor, and the magnitude of the detected intermediate circuit current is compared with an intermediate circuit current determined by calculation with the aid of the battery current sensor and the d.c. voltage converter current sensor to check whether a specifiable deviation has been exceeded. A method for detecting an electrical fault in an electrical network of a vehicle that is not current-based, but rather voltage-based.

Claims

1-12. -12. (canceled)

13. A method for detecting an electrical fault in an electrical network of a motor vehicle, the method comprising:

detecting a battery current associated with at least one battery of the network with the aid of a battery current sensor, wherein the network includes the at least one battery, at least one pulse-controlled inverter, and at least one d.c. voltage converter;

detecting an intermediate circuit current associated with the pulse-controlled inverter with the aid of an intermediate circuit current sensor;

detecting a d.c. voltage converter current associated with the d.c. voltage converter with the aid of a d.c. voltage converter current sensor; and

comparing a magnitude of the detected intermediate circuit current with an intermediate circuit current, which is determined by calculation, with the aid of the battery current sensor and the d.c. voltage converter current sensor; and

checking, based on the comparing, whether a specifiable deviation has been exceeded.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein Kirchhoff'"'"'s rule is used to determine the deviation.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the deviation, in a motor operating mode of an electrical machine associated with the pulse-controlled inverter, is determined using the equation I_ZK−

I_Batt+I_DCDC=0, where I_ZK is the detected intermediate circuit current, I_Batt is the detected battery current, and I_DCDC is the detected d.c. voltage converter current.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the deviation, in a generator operating mode of the electrical machine, is determined by the equation I_ZK−

I_Batt−

I_DCDC=0.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the operability of at least one of the battery current sensor and the d.c. voltage converter current sensor is first ascertained.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein it is implemented while high-voltage loads are deactivated.

19. A method for detecting an electrical fault in an electrical network of a motor vehicle, the method comprising:

detecting an intermediate circuit voltage associated with at least one pulse-controlled inverter of the network with the aid of an intermediate circuit voltage sensor, wherein the network includes at least one battery, the at least one pulse-controlled inverter, and at least one d.c. voltage converter;

detecting, with a d.c. voltage converter voltage sensor, a d.c. voltage converter voltage associated with the d.c. voltage converter;

comparing a magnitude of the detected intermediate circuit voltage with the detected d.c. voltage converter voltage; and

checking, based on the comparing, whether a specifiable deviation has been exceeded.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein Kirchhoff'"'"'s rule is used to determine the deviation.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein a battery voltage sensor is used to detect a battery voltage associated with the battery, and wherein the magnitude of the detected intermediate circuit voltage is compared with the detected battery voltage to check whether the specifiable deviation has been exceeded.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein a detected battery voltage is compared with the detected d.c. voltage converter voltage to check whether the specifiable deviation has been exceeded.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein it is implemented while high-voltage loads are deactivated.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein an operability of at least one of the battery voltage sensor and the d.c. voltage converter voltage sensor is first ascertained.