Methods and Systems For Detecting Vehicle Charging System Faults

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016103189-A1
Application number	US-201414511254-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 10, 2014
Priority date	Oct 10, 2014
Publication date	Apr 14, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A vehicle may include a vehicle charging system having an alternator operatively coupled to an engine and a controller. The controller may be programmed to output a warning indicative of a vehicle charging system fault in response to a quotient of a voltage drop associated with the alternator and an output current of the alternator exceeding a threshold value while the alternator is operating in a steady state condition.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of detecting a vehicle charging system fault comprising:
in response to a quotient of a voltage drop associated with an alternator and an output current associated with the alternator exceeding a threshold value while the alternator is operating in a steady state condition, outputting for display a warning indicative of a vehicle charging system fault.

2 . The method of claim 1 wherein the steady state condition begins as an output voltage associated with the alternator approaches a voltage set point.

3 . The method of claim 1 wherein the steady state condition begins as an output current associated with the alternator approaches a current set point.

4 . The method of claim 1 wherein the voltage drop associated with an alternator is defined by a difference between a voltage associated with an alternator output and a voltage associated with a power distribution point of a vehicle.

5 . The method of claim 1 wherein the voltage drop associated with an alternator is defined by a difference between a voltage associated with a battery and a voltage associated with a power distribution point.

6 . The method of claim 1 wherein the quotient defines a connection resistance associated with the alternator and a vehicle power distribution point.

7 . A method of monitoring a vehicle charging system comprising:
outputting an alert indicative of a vehicle charging system fault in response to a connector resistance exceeding a threshold while a battery is under charge, wherein the connector resistance is based on an engine speed, an excitation current associated with a generator, and a difference between a voltage associated with the generator and a voltage associated with a power distribution point.

8 . The method of claim 7 wherein a generator output current is defined by the engine speed and the excitation current associated with the generator.

9 . The method of claim 7 wherein the voltage associated with a generator is a generator output voltage based on a generator set point.

10 . The method of claim 7 wherein the voltage associated with a power distribution point is based on an input voltage of a body control module.

11 . The method of claim 7 wherein the voltage associated with a power distribution point is based on a battery voltage and a voltage drop associated with an electrical connection extending between the battery and the power distribution point.

12 . The method of claim 7 wherein the voltage associated with a power distribution point is based on a battery current and a battery resistance.

13 . The method of claim 11 wherein the threshold is based on a temperature and a predetermined connector resistance of an electrical connection extending between the battery and the power distribution point.

14 . A vehicle comprising:
a vehicle charging system having an alternator operatively coupled to an engine; and a controller programmed to output a warning indicative of a vehicle charging system fault in response to a quotient of a voltage drop associated with the alternator and an output current of the alternator exceeding a threshold value while the alternator is operating in a steady state condition.

15 . The vehicle of claim 14 wherein the steady state condition begins as a voltage associated with the alternator approaches a target voltage.

16 . The vehicle of claim 14 wherein the steady state condition begins as current associated with the alternator approaches a target current.

17 . The vehicle of claim 14 wherein the voltage drop associated with the alternator is defined by a difference between a voltage associated with an alternator output voltage and a voltage associated with a vehicle power distribution point.

18 . The vehicle of claim 14 wherein the voltage drop associated with the alternator is defined by a difference between a voltage associated with a battery and a voltage associated with a vehicle power distribution point.

19 . The vehicle of claim 14 wherein the output current of the alternator is defined by a speed associated with the engine and an excitation current associated with the alternator.

20 . The vehicle of claim 14 wherein the threshold value is based on a connector resistance extending between the alternator and a vehicle power distribution point.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Demarco John Anthony
• Grant Robert Michael

Classifications

• G01R31/40 Primary

  Testing power supplies (testing photovoltaic devices H02S50/10) · CPC title

• G01R31/362

  Physics · mapped topic

• G01R31/006

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

• G01R31/007

  using microprocessors or computers · CPC title

• G01R31/343 Primary

  in operation · CPC title