Method and Apparatus for Determining the Aging of an Electronic Interrupter Element, in Particular of a Power Contactor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016231381-A1
Application number	US-201415024963-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 9, 2014
Priority date	Sep 25, 2013
Publication date	Aug 11, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

The disclosure relates to a method for determining the aging of an electronic interrupter element which is configured to open and close a power circuit. The method according to the disclosure comprises the following steps: a) initializing an aging counter NWear, b) determining the amount I of a current which flows through the electronic interrupter element upon opening the power circuit, c) determining a current-dependent aging value Nwear (I) from the amount I of the current, d) refreshing the aging counter NWear using the current-dependent aging value Nwear (I). The disclosure further relates to a computer program and to an apparatus for determining the aging of an electronic interrupter element and to a battery management system which are in particular configured to carry out the method.

First claim

1 . A method for determining an aging of an electronic interruption element that is configured to open and close a circuit, the method comprising:
a) initializing an aging counter N wear ; b) determining an absolute value I of a current that flows when the circuit is opened by the electronic interruption element; c) determining an aging value N wear (I) that is dependent on the absolute value I of the current; and d) refreshing the aging counter N wear using the aging value N wear (I).

2 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the electronic interruption element has a reference number N mech known for it that indicates a number of opening and closing operations for the electronic interruption element, the method further comprising:
ascertaining the aging value N wear (I) based on a division of the reference number N mech by a number N break (I), the number N break (I) indicating a current-dependent number of opening and closing operations for the electronic interruption element.

3 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
e) determining an absolute value ΔU of a voltage difference across the electronic interruption element when the circuit is closed; f) determining an aging value N wear (ΔU) that is dependent on the absolute value ΔU of the voltage difference; and g) refreshing the aging counter N wear using the aging value N wear (ΔU).

4 . The method as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the electronic interruption element has a reference number N mech known for it that indicates a number of opening and/or closing operations for the electronic interruption element, the method further comprising:
determining the aging value N wear (ΔU) based on a division of the reference number N mech by a number N make (ΔU), the number N make (ΔU) indicating a voltage-dependent number of opening and closing operations for the electronic interruption element.

5 . The method as claimed in claim 4 , further comprising:
ascertaining the number N make (ΔU) taking into account a capacitance of a capacitor and a resistance of a resistor.

6 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
ascertaining a life limit for the electronic interruption element.

7 . The method as claimed in claim 6 , further comprising:
initiating an action at a moment at which the aging counter N wear at least one of reaches and [[or]] exceeds the life limit of the electronic interruption element.

8 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the electronic interruption element is a power contactor for a battery in at least one of an electric vehicle and hybrid electric vehicle.

9 . A computer program for determining an aging of an electronic interruption element that is configured to open and close a circuit, the computer program being stored on a non-transitory storage medium and configured to, when the computer program is executed on a programmable computer device:
a) initialize an aging counter N wear ; b) determine an absolute value I of a current that flows when the circuit is opened by the electronic interruption element; c) determine an aging value N wear (I) that is dependent on the absolute value I of the current; and d) refresh the aging counter N wear using the aging value N wear (I).

10 . A device for determining an aging of an electronic interruption element that is configured to open and close a circuit, the device comprising:
a first device configured to ascertain an the absolute value I of a current that flows when the circuit is opened by the electronic interruption element; a second device configured to determine an aging value N wear (I) that is dependent on from the absolute value I of the current that flows when the circuit is opened by the electronic interruption element; and a third device configured to accumulate the determined aging values N wear (I).

11 . The device as claimed in claim 10 , further comprising:
a device configured to ascertain a voltage of a voltage source, wherein the second device is configured to ascertain the absolute value I of the current that flows when the circuit is opened by the electronic interruption element from the voltage of the voltage source and an internal resistance of the voltage source.

12 . The device as claimed in claim 10 , wherein in the device is part of a battery management system.

Assignees

• Bosch Gmbh Robert
• Samsung Sdi Co Ltd

Inventors

• Salziger Jan
• Galamb Gergely
• Anzicek Joshua
• Probst Dylan

Classifications

• B60W20/50

  Control strategies for responding to system failures, e.g. for fault diagnosis, failsafe operation or limp mode · CPC title

• B60L3/04

  Cutting off the power supply under fault conditions (protective devices and circuit arrangements in general H01H; H02H) · CPC title

• G01R31/327 Primary

  Testing of circuit interrupters, switches or circuit-breakers · CPC title

• G07C3/00

  Registering or indicating the condition or the working of machines or other apparatus, other than vehicles · CPC title

• G05B23/0283 Primary

  Predictive maintenance, e.g. involving the monitoring of a system and, based on the monitoring results, taking decisions on the maintenance schedule of the monitored system; Estimating remaining useful life [RUL] (preventive maintenance, i.e. planning maintenance according to the available resources without monitoring the system G06Q10/06) · CPC title