APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR DETECTING RELAY FUSION OF ECO-FRIENDLY VEHICLE

• US 20170136913A1
• Filed: 06/13/2016
• Published: 05/18/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2015
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Inventors: Lee, Ho Joong, Yang, Hee Tae, Kim, Yu Seok
• Application Number:
  US15/180,522
• Publication Number:
  US 20170136913A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/12 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/547 Voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0069 relating to the isolation, e.g. ground fault or leak current
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/12 Recording operating variables ; Monitoring of operating variables
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/14 Preventing excessive discharging
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/20 having different nominal voltages
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

An apparatus and a method for detecting a relay fusion of an eco-friendly vehicle are provided. The apparatus and method detect whether a relay for preventing an over-discharge of a lithium ion battery of 12V is fused, by ascertaining a voltage change of the lithium ion battery of 12V based on a variation of an output voltage of a low direct current (DC)-DC converter (LDC).

Claims

1. An apparatus for detecting a relay fusion of an eco-friendly vehicle, comprising:

a voltage sensor configured to sense a voltage of a first battery;

a relay configured to prevent an over-discharge of the first battery;

a converter configured to convert a high voltage of a second battery into a low voltage; and

a controller configured to adjust an output voltage of the converter to be equal to the voltage of the first battery, to set the converter to a regular operation mode and then turn off the relay, and to monitor a voltage change of the first battery while adjusting the output voltage of the converter to determine that the fusion does not occur when the voltage of the first battery is not changed and determine that the fusion occurs when the voltage of the first battery is changed.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to determine whether the relay is fused and again adjust the output voltage of the converter to be equal to the voltage of the first battery, and turn on the relay and release the regular operation mode of the converter.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the controller includes a first switch for turning off the relay and a second switch for turning on the relay.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a current sensor configured to sense a current of the first battery.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the controller is configured to determine whether the relay is fused by considering both the voltage change and a current change of the first battery.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when a speed of the vehicle exceeds a first threshold value and the voltage of the first battery exceeds a second threshold value, the controller is configured to detect the fusion of the relay.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first battery is a lithium ion battery of 12V.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the relay is a latching type relay controlled by a pulse signal.

9. A method for detecting a relay fusion in an eco-friendly vehicle including a voltage sensor, a current sensor, a relay for preventing an over-discharge of a first battery, and a converter, the method comprising:

adjusting, by a controller, an output voltage of the converter to be equal to a voltage of the first battery;

setting, by the controller, the converter to a regular operation mode and then turning off the relay;

monitoring, by the controller, a voltage change of the first battery while adjusting the output voltage of the converter, determining, by the controller, that the fusion does not occur when the voltage of the first battery is not changed; and

determining, by the controller, that the fusion occurs when the voltage of the first battery is changed.

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

determining, by the controller, whether the relay is fused and again adjusting the output voltage of the converter to be equal to the voltage of the first battery; and

turning on, by the controller, the relay and releasing the regular operation mode of the converter.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the relay is turned off by a first switch and is turned on by a second switch.

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

sensing, by the current sensor, a current of the first battery.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein in the determination process, whether the relay is fused is determined by further considering a current change of the first battery.

14. The method according to claim 9, wherein a process of detecting whether the relay is fused is performed when a speed of the vehicle exceeds a first threshold value and the voltage of the first battery exceeds a second threshold value.

15. The method according to claim 9, wherein the first battery is a lithium ion battery of 12V.

16. The method according to claim 9, wherein the relay is a latching type relay controlled by a pulse signal.

17. A non-transitory computer readable medium containing program instructions executed by a controller for detecting a relay fusion in an eco-friendly vehicle including a voltage sensor, a current sensor, a relay for preventing an over-discharge of a first battery, and a converter, the computer readable medium comprising:

program instructions that adjust an output voltage of the converter to be equal to a voltage of the first battery;

program instructions that set the converter to a regular operation mode and then turning off the relay;

program instructions that monitor a voltage change of the first battery while adjusting the output voltage of the converter,

program instructions that determine that the fusion does not occur when the voltage of the first battery is not changed; and

program instructions that determine that the fusion occurs when the voltage of the first battery is changed.