Redundant verifiable high voltage measurement port for traction inverter and high voltage distribution

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12174226-B2
Application number	US-202318141111-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 28, 2023
Priority date	Apr 28, 2023
Publication date	Dec 24, 2024
Grant date	Dec 24, 2024

Abstract

A high voltage measurement port and a circuit contact wire assembly for vehicle high-voltage power decommissioning. The high voltage measurement port includes four externally accessible pins for obtaining an electrical characteristic measurement of a connected circuit. For redundancy, the assembly includes a resistor between a first measurement port pin and a first positive DC busbar at a first location, a resistor between a second pin and the first DC busbar at a second location different from the first location, a resistor between a third pin and a second negative DC busbar at a first location, and a resistor between a fourth pin and the second DC busbar at a second location different from the first location. Via the high voltage measurement port, a multi-meter can verify each resistance connection between the positive pins and then again between negative pins before a differential voltage measurement is made between positive and negative.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A measurement system in an electric vehicle comprising:
an electrical connector, the electrical connector including a body with one or more power terminals forming a measurement port adapted for external access;
a first wire having a first end electrically coupled to a corresponding first power terminal of the measurement port and a second end configured to connect to a first electrical component of a circuit assembly;
a second wire having a first end electrically coupled to a corresponding second power terminal of the measurement port and a second end configured to connect to the first electrical component of the circuit assembly;
a third wire having a first end electrically coupled to a corresponding third power terminal of the measurement port and a second end configured to connect to a second electrical component of the circuit assembly;
a fourth wire having a first end electrically coupled to a corresponding fourth power terminal of the measurement port and a second end configured to connect to the second electrical component of the circuit assembly,
each said first wire, second wire, third wire and fourth wire having an in-series resistor device connected between respective first and second ends.

2. The measurement system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said first electrical component is a positive direct current (DC) power bus for sourcing/distributing a positive DC voltage and said second electrical component is a negative direct current (DC) power bus for sourcing/distributing a negative DC voltage.

3. The measurement system as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the second end of said first wire is configured to electrically connect to said first electrical component at a first location, and the second end of said second wire is configured to electrically connect to said first electrical component at a second location.

4. The measurement system as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the second end of said third wire is configured to electrically connect to said second electrical component at a first location, and the second end of said second wire is configured to electrically connect to said second electrical component at a second location.

5. The measurement system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the body is configured to obtain a measurement at one or more power terminals, one or more said power terminals providing a signal indicative of a powered state of the first and second said electric components.

6. The measurement system as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the one or more power terminals forming a measurement port comprises: a further terminal adapted for connection to a high voltage interlock circuit connected to one or more said components of said electric vehicle.

7. The measurement system as claimed in claim 4 , wherein a portion of the first wire and a portion of the third wire are physically enclosed together within a first sleeve, and a portion of the second wire and a portion of the fourth wire are physically enclosed together within a second sleeve, the first sleeve conveying the second ends of the first wire and third wire to the first electric component of the circuit assembly and the second sleeve conveying the second ends of the second wire and fourth wire to the second electric component of the circuit assembly.

8. The measurement system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the in-series resistor device connected between respective first and second ends resistors of the first wire and the in-series resistor device connected between respective first and second ends resistors of the second wire are in staggered arrangement within the first sleeve.

9. The measurement system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the in-series resistor device connected between respective first and second ends resistors of the third wire and the in-series resistor device connected between respective first and second ends resistors of the fourth wire are in staggered arrangement within the second sleeve.

10. The measurement system as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
a metered device for measuring an electrical characteristic between one or more said first power terminal through fourth power terminal, said electrical characteristic indicative of one of:
a high voltage state of said circuit assembly or an off state of the circuit assembly.

11. A method for verifying safe access to components of a high voltage electrical circuit distribution assembly, said method comprising:
probing, using an electrical circuit measurement device, an electrical connector including a body with one or more power terminals forming a measurement port adapted for external access, the measurement port comprising:
a first wire having a first end electrically coupled to a corresponding first power terminal of the measurement port and a second end configured to connect to a first electrical component of the electrical circuit distribution assembly;
a second wire having a first end electrically coupled to a corresponding second power terminal of the measurement port and a second end configured to connect to the first electrical component of the electrical circuit distribution assembly;
a third wire having a first end electrically coupled to a corresponding third power terminal of the measurement port and a second end configured to connect to a second electrical component of the electrical circuit distribution assembly;
a fourth wire having a first end electrically coupled to a corresponding fourth power terminal of the measurement port and a second end configured to connect to the second electrical component of the electrical circuit distribution assembly, each said first wire, second wire, third wire and fourth wire having a respective in-series resistor device connected between respective first and second ends; and

said probing comprising, probing said electrical connector to measure a first resistance between said first power terminal and said second power terminal; and
subsequently probing said electrical connector to measure a second resistance between said third power terminal and said fourth power terminal; and
determining a safety of said electrical circuit distribution assembly based on values of said measured first resistance and said measured second resistance.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11 , further comprising:
changing the electrical circuit measurement device to measure a DC voltage; and
probing between the first power terminal and third power terminal to measure a first voltage therebetween, or probing between the second power terminal and fourth power terminal to measure a second voltage therebetween, the measured first voltage or measured second voltage verifying that the high-voltage measurement port is at a safe voltage.

13. The method as claimed in claim 11 , wherein first resistance measured between said first power terminal and said second power terminal comprises: a resistance measurement between a first +'ive pin terminal and a second +'ive pin terminal of said port, said first +'ive pin terminal and second +'ive pin terminal respectively connected at respective second ends of respective first wire and second wires to the first electrical component of the electrical circuit distribution assembly at different locations.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13 , wherein second resistance measured between said first power terminal and said second power terminal comprises: a resistance measurement between a third −'ive pin terminal and a fourth −'ive pin terminal of said port, said third −'ive pin terminal and fourth −'ive pin terminal respectively connected at respective second ends of respective third wire and fourth

Assignees

• Bae Sys Controls Inc

Inventors

• Vovos Robert J
• Lyons Arthur P

Classifications

• H01R13/6616

  with resistor · CPC title

• G07C5/0808

  Diagnosing performance data (testing of vehicles G01M17/00; testing of electrical installation on vehicles G01R31/005) · CPC title

• G01R31/54

  Testing for continuity · CPC title

• G01R31/006

  on road vehicles, e.g. automobiles or trucks (testing of ignition installations peculiar to internal combustion engines F02P17/00) · CPC title

• G01R19/155 Primary

  Indicating the presence of voltage · CPC title