Method and device for a high-voltage energy system of a vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10737576-B2
Application number	US-201615567886-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 31, 2016
Priority date	Apr 21, 2015
Publication date	Aug 11, 2020
Grant date	Aug 11, 2020

Abstract

A method for a high-voltage energy system of a vehicle wherein a pre-accident error state is determined which shows the current existing error of the high-voltage energy system prior to the time of an accident. Then an accident event is determined. A post-accident error state is determined which shows the current existing error of the high-voltage energy system according to the time of the accident. The high-voltage energy system is deactivated in accordance with the accident, the pre-accident error state, and the post-accident error state.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for a high voltage energy system of a vehicle, the method comprising:
determining an accident event;
determining a post-accident fault state that indicates faults present in the high voltage energy system after a time of the accident event;
determining a pre-accident fault state that indicates faults present in the high voltage energy system before the time of the accident event; and
deactivating the high voltage energy system based on the accident event, the pre-accident fault state and the post-accident fault state.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining of the pre-accident fault state comprises:
detecting faults present in the high voltage energy system when the vehicle is started; and/or
cyclically detecting faults present in the high voltage energy system, wherein the pre-accident fault state is assigned the faults present in the high voltage energy system that existed at a time at a prescribed minimum interval of time before the accident event.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein a fault from the faults present comprises at least one fault from the group comprising:
an insulation fault, which indicates a fault in an electrical insulation of an electrical high voltage component of the high voltage energy system;
a plug connection fault, which indicates a fault in a plug connection that couples an electrical high voltage component of the high voltage energy system to a further electrical high voltage component of the high voltage energy system;
a line interruption fault, which indicates an interruption in a high voltage line of the high voltage energy system; and
a timeout fault, which indicates that an electrical high voltage component does not react, after an actuation, within a prescribed time according to the actuation.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the deactivating of the high voltage energy system comprises:
irreversibly disconnecting the high voltage energy system such that so the high voltage energy system cannot be activated by means of operator control by a user of the vehicle; and/or
irreversibly disconnecting a drive motor of the vehicle coupled to the high voltage energy system, such that so the drive motor cannot be activated by means of operator control by a user of the vehicle.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining of the accident event comprises:
detecting an acceleration of the vehicle; and
comparing the detected acceleration with a prescribed acceleration threshold value.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the high voltage energy system is deactivated only if the post-accident fault state indicates at least one fault in the high voltage energy system that goes beyond the faults of the pre-accident fault state.

7. A monitoring apparatus for a high voltage energy system of a vehicle, the monitoring apparatus comprising:
an accident sensor for determining an accident event;
at least one fault sensor for detecting existing faults in the high voltage energy system; and
a processing apparatus that is coupled to the accident sensor and to the fault sensor and configured to determine a post-accident fault state that indicates existing faults in the high voltage energy system after a time of the accident event,
wherein the processing apparatus is further configured to determine a pre-accident fault state that indicates existing faults in the high voltage energy system before the time of the accident event and to deactivate the high voltage energy system based on the accident event, the pre-accident fault state and the post-accident fault state.

8. The monitoring apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the monitoring apparatus performs a method comprising:
determining an accident event;
determining a post-accident fault state that indicates existing faults in the high voltage energy system after a time of the accident event;
determining a pre-accident fault state that indicates existing faults in the high voltage energy system before the time of the accident event; and
deactivating the high voltage energy system based on the accident event, the pre-accident fault state and the post-accident fault state.

9. A method for a high voltage energy system of a vehicle, the method comprising:
determining whether there is a first fault in the high voltage energy system;
determining whether there is a second fault in the high voltage energy system; and,
deactivating the high voltage energy system based on the first fault and the second deactivating fault only in response to the first fault and the second fault at least momentarily overlapping.

10. A monitoring apparatus for a high voltage energy system of a vehicle, the monitoring apparatus comprising:
at least one fault sensor for detecting existing faults in the high voltage energy system; and
a processing apparatus coupled to the fault sensor and configured to determine whether there is a first fault in the high voltage energy system and whether there is a second fault in the high voltage energy system,
wherein the processing apparatus is further configured to deactivate the high voltage energy system based on the first fault and the second fault only in response to the first fault and the second fault at least momentarily overlapping.

Assignees

• Volkswagen Ag

Inventors

• Ortner Andreas
• Schaab Sebastian
• Bartoszewski Heiner
• Hahn Erik

Classifications

• H01M10/48

  Accumulators combined with arrangements for measuring, testing or indicating the condition of cells, e.g. the level or density of the electrolyte (constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals, H01M50/569) · CPC title

• H01M50/579

  in response to shock · CPC title

• Y02E60/10

  Energy storage using batteries · CPC title

• B60L2240/80

  Time limits · CPC title

• B60L3/0069

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