Power interface control device of a vehicle propulsion battery

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11745677-B2
Application number	US-201916281556-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 21, 2019
Priority date	Feb 21, 2018
Publication date	Sep 5, 2023
Grant date	Sep 5, 2023

Abstract

Power interface control device of a vehicle propulsion battery potential ports to carry out differential potential measurements, a current sensor to measure a current supplied by the propulsion battery and a closed container made of insulating material to which said ports and said sensor are associated, wherein said container comprises connection means to allow a mechanical coupling between the container and said electrical conductor.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A power interface control device of a vehicle propulsion battery comprising:
a single closed container made of insulating material, wherein the single closed container houses:
at least four potential ports configured to carry out at least three potential differential measurements for electrical conductors associated with a power supply line interposed between a propulsion battery and a vehicle data network, the power supply line including first and second electrical conductors (BB 1 , BB 2 ), wherein a first and second electrical switch (INT 1 , INT 2 ) are respectively arranged on the first and second electrical conductors when in contact therewith, wherein the at least four potential ports are electrically connected upstream and downstream of each of said first and second switches (INT 1 , INT 2 ) to detect any opening and dosing thereof, wherein the at least first three potential differential measurements comprise a voltage V 0 measured between terminals of the propulsion battery and a power interface, a voltage V 1 measured between a point upstream of a first switch (INT 1 ) and a point downstream of a second switch (INT 2 ) in the power supply line, and a voltage V 2 measured between a point upstream of the second switch (INT 2 ) and downstream of the first switch (INT 1 ) in the power supply line, wherein V 3 downstream from the power interface is calculated from V 0 , V 1 and V 2 voltages;
a first current sensor to carry out a first measurement of the current passing through one of the first and second electrical conductors (BB 1 , BB 2 ) of said power interface;
actuation means to control opening and closing of the first and second electrical switches of said power interface;
processing means configured for:
acquiring said differential measurements and said current measurement,
controlling said actuation means; and

interface means to allow an operational interfacing between said processing means and the vehicle data network;

wherein the single closed container further comprises connection means to allow a mechanical coupling between the container and both the first and second electrical conductors (BB 1 , BB 2 ), and an electrical coupling between one of the at least four potential ports in the container and one of the first and second electrical conductors of the power supply line via a first connector (CONN 1 ) to provide power directly to the device, wherein a remainder of the at least four ports are in electrical communication with a third connector (CONN 3 ) configured for connection via the interface means to the vehicle data network, wherein a second connector (CONN 2 ) is configured to provide connection between the actuation means and at least first and second electrical switches (INT 1 , INT 2 ) to detect and control any opening and closing of at least the first and second electrical switches (INT 1 , INT 2 ).

2. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the mechanical and electrical coupling between the container and said electrical conductor automatically causes a galvanic connection between one of said first four potential ports and said electrical conductor of the power supply line.

3. The device according to claim 1 , wherein said connection means comprise a longitudinal groove designed to allow a complementary engagement of said container with said electrical conductor and wherein the electrical connection comprises an electrode arranged in a surface of said groove.

4. The device according to claim 3 , wherein said electrode is a pin protruding from a bottom surface of said longitudinal groove.

5. The device according to claim 4 , wherein said pin is designed to be fitted in a complementary hole made in said electrical conductor to avoid any axial sliding of the container along the conductor.

6. The device according to claim 4 , wherein said pin is spring-loaded and configured to be pressed on said electrical conductor when said container is operatively connected to said electrical conductor.

7. The device according to claim 3 , wherein said electrode coincides with at least one plate, arranged on at least one of the opposite walls of said groove, designed to clamp said electrical conductor in the groove when said container is operatively connected to said electrical conductor.

8. The device according to claim 1 , further comprising within the single closed container:
second two potential ports of an electrical conductor associated with a charging line in a parallel relationship with the power supply line configured to carry out at least a further potential differential measurement of a voltage V 4 upstream from third and fourth switches in the charging line;
actuation means to control the opening and closing of the third and fourth electrical switches,
and wherein said processing means are configured to open said first and second switches of the power supply line and to close said third and fourth switches in the charging line when said further potential differential measurement of voltage V 4 exceeds a predetermined threshold value.

9. The device according to claim 1 , wherein said processing means are further programmed to communicate said first three potential differential measurements for the V 0 , V 1 and V 2 voltages and/or a further potential measurement of voltage V 4 and/or said first measurement of the current passing through said electrical conductor.

10. The device according to claim 1 , further comprising a second current sensor to carry out a second measurement of the current passing through said electrical conductor and wherein said first current sensor has a first maximum measurable current value, which is at least one order of magnitude higher than a second maximum current value measurable by said second current sensor and wherein said processing means are configured to discard said first current measurement when said second current measurement is lower than a second maximum current value measurable by said second current sensor.

11. The device according to claim 1 , wherein said voltages V 0 , V 1 , and V 3 and/or said first current sensor are interfaced with said processing means by means of an operational opto-coupler (configured to carry out an analogue-to-digital conversion of said first measurements.

12. The device according to claim 10 , wherein the single closed container further comprises two additional potential ports of an electrical conductor associated with a charging line including third and fourth switches, wherein the two additional ports are configured to carry out potential differential measurements associated with the charging line for measuring a voltage V 4 upstream from the first, second, third and fourth switches, and wherein said two additional ports and/or said second current sensor are interfaced with said processing means by means of an operational opto-coupler configured to carry out an analogue-to-digital conversion of said second measurements.

13. The device according to claim 2 , wherein a galvanic uncoupling device is interposed between said processing means and said interface means.

14. The device according to claim 1 , wherein said interface means are connected with said vehicle data network by means of a galvanic uncoupling device.

Assignees

• Ferrari Spa

Inventors

• Sitta Ugo
• Poggio Luca
• Abbiati Andrea Benoit

Classifications

• B60R16/03 Primary

  for supply of electrical power to vehicle subsystems {or for (circuit arrangements for charging batteries H02J7/00)} · CPC title

• B60L50/60

  using power supplied by batteries (in combination with fuel cells B60L50/75) · CPC title

• B60L53/14

  Conductive energy transfer · CPC title

• B60L53/22 Primary

  Constructional details or arrangements of charging converters specially adapted for charging electric vehicles · CPC title

• H01R13/6683

  with built-in sensor · CPC title