Dual-bus battery precharge circuit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10476262-B2
Application number	US-201715469012-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 24, 2017
Priority date	Mar 24, 2017
Publication date	Nov 12, 2019
Grant date	Nov 12, 2019

Abstract

A power control system for a vehicle includes a precharge circuit that is configured to selectively couple a resistor across either a main or return contactor that are configured to selectively couple terminals of a battery to a load bus. The power control system includes a controller programmed to, in response to a precharge request in a presence of the main contactor being closed when commanded to open and the return contactor being open, couple the resistor across the return contactor to precharge the load bus.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle comprising:
a precharge circuit configured to selectively couple a resistor across either a first or second contactor that are configured to selectively couple terminals of a battery to a load bus; and
a controller programmed to, in response to a precharge request in a presence of the first contactor being closed when commanded to open and the second contactor being open, couple the resistor across the second contactor to precharge the load bus.

2. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the controller is further programmed to, in response to the precharge request in a presence of the first contactor being open and the second contactor being closed when commanded to open, couple the resistor across the first contactor to precharge the load bus.

3. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the precharge circuit comprises a first switching device configured to selectively couple the resistor between a positive terminal of the battery and a positive terminal of the load bus, and a second switching device configured to selectively couple the resistor between a negative terminal of the battery and a negative terminal of the load bus.

4. The vehicle of claim 3 wherein the first switching device is a p-channel metal oxide semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) and the second switching device is an n-channel MOSFET.

5. The vehicle of claim 3 wherein the precharge circuit further comprises a first diode coupled between the resistor and the positive terminal of the load bus and configured to flow current when the first switching device selectively couples the resistor, and a second diode coupled between the resistor and the negative terminal of the load bus and configured to flow current when the second switching device selectively couples the resistor.

6. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the controller is further programmed to, in response to the precharge request in a presence of both the first contactor and the second contactor being open and following an immediately preceding precharge request that resulted in coupling the resistor across the first contactor, couple the resistor across the second contactor to precharge the load bus.

7. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the controller is further programmed to, in response to the precharge request in a presence of both the first contactor and the second contactor being open and following an immediately preceding precharge request that resulted in coupling the resistor across the second contactor, couple the resistor across the first contactor to precharge the load bus.

8. A method comprising:
coupling a resistor across a first contactor coupled between negative terminals of a battery and a load bus in response to a precharge request and a second contactor, coupled between positive terminals of the battery and the load bus, being shorted closed when commanded to open; and
coupling the resistor across the second contactor in response to the precharge request and the second contactor being open.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising coupling the resistor across the second contactor in response to the precharge request and the first contactor being shorted closed when commanded to open.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein coupling the resistor across the second contactor is further in response to the precharge request following an immediately preceding precharge request that resulted in coupling the resistor across the first contactor.

11. The method of claim 8 further comprising coupling the resistor across the first contactor in response to both the first contactor and the second contactor being open and the precharge request following an immediately preceding precharge request that resulted in coupling the resistor across the second contactor.

12. A vehicle comprising:
a precharge circuit configured to selectively couple a resistor across either a first or second contactor that are configured to selectively couple terminals of a battery to a load bus; and
a controller programmed to, in response to a precharge request that follows an immediately preceding precharge request that resulted in coupling the resistor across the first contactor, couple the resistor across the second contactor to precharge the load bus.

13. The vehicle of claim 12 wherein the controller is further programmed to, in response to the precharge request that follows the immediately preceding precharge request that resulted in coupling the resistor across the first contactor and the second contactor being closed when commanded to open, couple the resistor across the first contactor.

14. The vehicle of claim 12 wherein the controller is further programmed to, in response to the precharge request that follows the immediately preceding precharge request that resulted in coupling the resistor across the second contactor, couple the resistor across the first contactor to precharge the load bus.

15. The vehicle of claim 12 wherein the controller is further programmed to, in response to the precharge request that follows the immediately preceding precharge request that resulted in coupling the resistor across the second contactor and the first contactor being closed when commanded to open, couple the resistor across the second contactor.

16. The vehicle of claim 12 wherein the precharge circuit comprises a first switching device configured to selectively couple the resistor between a positive terminal of the battery and a positive terminal of the load bus, and a second switching device configured to selectively couple the resistor between a negative terminal of the battery and a negative terminal of the load bus.

17. The vehicle of claim 16 wherein the first switching device is a p-channel metal oxide semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) and the second switching device is an n-channel MOSFET.

18. The vehicle of claim 16 wherein the precharge circuit further comprises a first diode coupled between the resistor and the positive terminal of the load bus and configured to flow current when the first switching device selectively couples the resistor, and a second diode coupled between the resistor and the negative terminal of the load bus and configured to flow current when the second switching device selectively couples the resistor.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Burkman Wesley Edward
• Sturza John

Classifications

• B60L58/00

  Methods or circuit arrangements for monitoring or controlling batteries or fuel cells, specially adapted for electric vehicles · CPC title

• B60L2270/20

  Inrush current reduction, i.e. avoiding high currents when connecting the battery · CPC title

• B60L3/0092

  with use of redundant elements for safety purposes · CPC title

• H02H9/001

  limiting speed of change of electric quantities, e.g. soft switching on or off (progressive control of electronic switches for eliminating interferences H03K17/16) · CPC title

• B60L3/0069

  relating to the isolation, e.g. ground fault or leak current · CPC title