Vehicle controller and electric vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10814725-B2
Application number	US-201816201348-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 27, 2018
Priority date	Dec 4, 2017
Publication date	Oct 27, 2020
Grant date	Oct 27, 2020

Abstract

According to one embodiment, a vehicle controller includes an electric power converter, a plurality of first electric power transmission members, a temperature sensor, and a first controller. The electric power converter converts input electric power and outputs the converted electric power. The plurality of first electric power transmission members transmit the input electric power and are connected in parallel to the electric power converter. The temperature sensor is connected to at least one of the plurality of first electric power transmission members. The first controller determines that at least one of the plurality of first electric power transmission members is disconnected when a temperature detected by the temperature sensor changes.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle controller, comprising:
an electric power converter converting input electric power and outputting the converted electric power;
a plurality of first electric power transmission members transmitting the input electric power and connected in parallel to the electric power converter;
a temperature sensor connected to at least one of the plurality of first electric power transmission members; and
a first controller determining that at least one of the plurality of first electric power transmission members has been disconnected when a temperature detected by the temperature sensor changes.

2. The vehicle controller according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a current detector detecting a current value of a current flowing through the plurality of first electric power transmission members, and
a storage storing a current value detected by the current detector and a predetermined first temperature threshold value, wherein
when a current value stored in the storage is the same regardless of the elapse of time, the first controller determines that at least one of the plurality of first electric power transmission members has been disconnected when a temperature detected by the temperature sensor has changed by the first temperature threshold value or more from a temperature detected immediately before.

3. The vehicle controller according to claim 1 , wherein
the temperature sensor is connected to one first electric power transmission member of the plurality of first electric power transmission members and is not connected to the other first electric power transmission members.

4. The vehicle controller according to claim 1 , wherein
the temperature sensor is connected to each of the plurality of first electric power transmission members.

5. The vehicle controller according to claim 1 , wherein
the first controller stops conversion of the electric power by the electric power converter when it is determined that at least one of the plurality of first electric power transmission members has been disconnected.

6. The vehicle controller according to claim 1 , wherein
the first controller lowers an upper limit value of the electric power converted per unit time by the electric power converter when it is determined that at least one of the plurality of first electric power transmission members has been disconnected.

7. The vehicle controller according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a warning unit capable of warning an operator, wherein
the first controller warns the operator using the warning unit when it is determined that at least one of the plurality of first electric power transmission members has been disconnected.

8. The vehicle controller according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a storage storing a predetermined second temperature threshold value, wherein
the first controller determines that at least one of the plurality of first electric power transmission members has been disconnected when a temperature detected by the temperature sensor exceeds the second temperature threshold value.

9. An electric vehicle, comprising:
the vehicle controller according to claim 1 .

10. A vehicle controller, comprising:
an electric power converter converting input electric power and outputting the converted electric power;
a plurality of first electric power transmission members transmitting the converted electric power and connected in parallel to the electric power converter;
a temperature sensor connected to at least one of the plurality of first electric power transmission members; and
a first controller determining that at least one of the plurality of first electric power transmission members has been disconnected when a temperature detected by the temperature sensor changes.

11. The vehicle controller according to claim 10 , further comprising:
a current detector detecting a current value of a current flowing through the plurality of first electric power transmission members, and
a storage storing a current value detected by the current detector and a predetermined first temperature threshold value, wherein
when a current value stored in the storage is the same regardless of the elapse of time, the first controller determines that at least one of the plurality of first electric power transmission members has been disconnected when a temperature detected by the temperature sensor has changed by the first temperature threshold value or more from a temperature detected immediately before.

12. The vehicle controller according to claim 10 , wherein
the temperature sensor is connected to one first electric power transmission member of the plurality of first electric power transmission members and is not connected to the other first electric power transmission members.

13. The vehicle controller according to claim 10 , wherein
the temperature sensor is connected to each of the plurality of first electric power transmission members.

14. The vehicle controller according to claim 10 , wherein
the first controller stops conversion of the electric power by the electric power converter when it is determined that at least one of the plurality of first electric power transmission members has been disconnected.

15. The vehicle controller according to claim 10 , wherein
the first controller lowers an upper limit value of the electric power converted per unit time by the electric power converter when it is determined that at least one of the plurality of first electric power transmission members has been disconnected.

16. The vehicle controller according to claim 10 , further comprising:
a warning unit capable of warning an operator, wherein
the first controller warns the operator using the warning unit when it is determined that at least one of the plurality of first electric power transmission members has been disconnected.

17. The vehicle controller according to claim 10 , further comprising:
a storage storing a predetermined second temperature threshold value, wherein
the first controller determines that at least one of the plurality of first electric power transmission members has been disconnected when a temperature detected by the temperature sensor exceeds the second temperature threshold value.

18. An electric vehicle, comprising:
the vehicle controller according to claim 10 .

19. An electric vehicle, comprising:
an electric power converter converting input electric power and outputting the converted electric power;
a plurality of first electric power transmission members transmitting the input electric power and connected in parallel to the electric power converter;
a plurality of second electric power transmission members respectively connected to portions of the plurality of first electric power transmission members different from portions thereof connected to the electric power converter;
a temperature sensor connected to at least one of the plurality of second electric power transmission members; and
a vehicle controller which determines whether or not at least one of the plurality of second electric power transmission members has been disconnected when a temperature detected by the temperature sensor changes.

20. An electric vehicle, comprising:
an electric power converter converting input electric power and outputting the converted electric power;
a plurality of first electric power transmission members transmitting the converted electric power and connected in parallel to the electric power converter;
a plurality of second electric

Assignees

• Toshiba Kk
• Toshiba Infrastructure Systems & Solutions Corp

Inventors

• Otani Hiroaki
• Makino Tomoyuki

Classifications

• G01K1/026 Primary

  arrangements for monitoring a plurality of temperatures, e.g. by multiplexing · CPC title

• H02P29/0243

  the fault being a broken phase · CPC title

• H02P29/027

  the fault being an over-current · CPC title

• H05K5/0247

  Electrical details of casings, e.g. terminals, passages for cables or wiring · CPC title

• B60L5/18

  using bow-type collectors in contact with trolley wire · CPC title