Method for Detecting a Faulty Connection of an Auxiliary Battery

• US 20160069945A1
• Filed: 09/03/2015
• Published: 03/10/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vitesco Technologies GmbH (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Automotive France (Continental AG), Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Inventors: LACHAIZE, Jerome
• Granted Patent: US 10,429,432 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/10 for monitoring or controlling batteries
• 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: B60W 2510/242 for electrical energy
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/36 Arrangements for testing, measuring or monitoring the electrical condition of accumulators or electric batteries, e.g. capacity or state of charge [SoC]
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3835 involving only voltage measurements
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3842 combining voltage and current measurements
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/68 Testing of releasable connections, e.g. of terminals mounted on a printed circuit board
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

A method for detecting a faulty connection of an auxiliary battery (6) incorporated in an auxiliary network (5) of a motor vehicle supplied by the auxiliary battery and by a non-reversible current source (4), such as a DC/DC voltage converter or an alternator, which is voltage controlled to supply an output voltage which is a function of the setpoint voltages. The detection method includes determining at least one minimum and/or maximum voltage value which cannot be reached by the voltage at the terminals of the auxiliary battery (6), then assigning the function of setpoint value to the minimum and/or maximum voltage value, controlling the current source (4) by sending the setpoint value to it, measuring the voltage at the terminals of the auxiliary network (5), and deducing a faulty connection of the auxiliary battery (6) if there is a match between the measured voltage and the setpoint voltage.

Claims

1. A method for detecting a faulty connection of a low-voltage auxiliary battery (6) incorporated in an auxiliary network (5) of a motor vehicle supplied by said auxiliary battery and by a non-reversible current source (4), such as a DC/DC voltage converter or an alternator, which is voltage controlled to supply an output voltage which is a function of the control setpoint voltages of said current source, wherein:

at least one minimum and/or maximum voltage value, which cannot be reached by the voltage at the terminals of the auxiliary battery (6), is determined,

the function of setpoint value is assigned to the minimum and/or maximum voltage value, and the current source (4) is controlled by sending said setpoint value to it,

the voltage is measured at the terminals of the auxiliary network (5),

and a faulty connection of the auxiliary battery (6) is deduced if there is a match between the measured voltage and the setpoint voltage.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, for detecting a faulty connection of an auxiliary battery (6) consisting of a lead-acid battery with a nominal voltage of about 12 V, wherein a minimum setpoint voltage value at least substantially within the range from 8 V to 10.5 V is selected.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, for detecting a faulty connection of an auxiliary battery (6) consisting of a lead-acid battery with a nominal voltage of about 12 V, wherein a maximum setpoint voltage value at least substantially within the range from 15 V to 16 V is selected.

4. The detection method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the function of setpoint value is assigned to a minimum voltage value which cannot be reached by the voltage at the terminals of the auxiliary network (5).

5. The detection method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the strength of the current delivered at the output of the current source (4) is measured, and in that a faulty connection of the auxiliary battery (6) is deduced when, a) there is a match between the measured voltage and the setpoint voltage, and b) the measured strength of the current at the output of the current source (4) has a non-zero value.

6. The detection method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the function of setpoint value is assigned to a minimum voltage value which cannot be reached by the voltage at the terminals of the auxiliary network (5).

7. The detection method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the function of setpoint value is assigned to a minimum voltage value which cannot be reached by the voltage at the terminals of the auxiliary network (5).

8. The detection method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the strength of the current delivered at the output of the current source (4) is measured, and in that a faulty connection of the auxiliary battery (6) is deduced when, a) there is a match between the measured voltage and the setpoint voltage, and b) the measured strength of the current at the output of the current source (4) has a non-zero value.

9. The detection method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the strength of the current delivered at the output of the current source (4) is measured, and in that a faulty connection of the auxiliary battery (6) is deduced when, a) there is a match between the measured voltage and the setpoint voltage, and b) the measured strength of the current at the output of the current source (4) has a non-zero value.