Battery electromechanical switching device diagnostics system and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020371160-A1
Application number	US-201816606122-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 20, 2018
Priority date	Apr 21, 2017
Publication date	Nov 26, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

An electrical system comprising a battery system and a control system is disclosed. The battery system may comprise a first switching device, a first battery electrically coupled in series with the first switching device, a second battery electrically coupled in parallel with the first switching device and the first battery when the first switching device is in a closed position, and a second switching device coupled in series with a load. The control system may be configured to perform diagnostics on the battery system.

First claim

We claim:

1 . An electrical system comprising:
a battery system comprising:
a first switching device;
a first battery electrically coupled in series with the first switching device;
a second battery electrically coupled in parallel with the first switching device and the
first battery when the first switching device is in a closed position; and
a second switching device coupled in series with a load; a control system configured to perform diagnostics on the battery system, the control system is configured to:
instruct the second switching device to close to electrically couple the second
switching device and the load in parallel with the second battery; and
determine an actual position of the first switching device based at least in part on
current flow through the first battery while the second switching device is closed.

2 . The electrical system of claim 1 , wherein the control system is configured to instruct the second switching device to close when the battery system is in a steady-state, wherein the current flow through the first battery is approximately zero when the first switching device is in the closed position and the battery system is in the steady-state.

3 . The electrical system of claim 1 , wherein the load comprises a relay coil of the first switching device.

4 . The electrical system of claim 1 , comprising a current sensor coupled in series with the first switching device;
wherein the control system is configured to determine the actual position of the first switching device based at least in part on a sensor signal received from the current sensor.

5 . The electrical system of claim 4 , wherein the current sensor comprises a shunt resistor.

6 . The electrical system of claim 4 , wherein the actual position of the first switching device can be used to determine whether the first battery and/or second battery is available for use by a vehicle.

7 . A vehicle having the electrical system of claim 6 .

8 . The vehicle of claim 7 , wherein the electrical system is used to evaluate whether safety-critical functionality can be supported by the first battery and/or the second battery.

9 . An electrical system comprising:
a battery system; and a control system configured to perform diagnostics on the battery system; the battery system further comprising a standalone battery module having:
a positive terminal;
a negative terminal;
a battery cell;
a primary switching device electrically coupled between the battery cell and the positive terminal; and
a secondary switching device electrically coupled between the battery cell and the positive terminal in parallel with the primary switching device.

10 . The electrical system of claim 9 , wherein the control system is configured to:
Instruct the secondary switching device to close to electrically couple the battery cell to the positive terminal; and determine an actual position of the primary switching device, secondary switching device, or both the primary switching device and secondary switching device based at least in part on voltage drop across either the primary switching device or the secondary switching device while the secondary switching device is closed.

11 . An electrical system comprising:
a battery system comprising:
a first battery;
a first switching device electrically coupled in series with a first load;
a second switching device electrically coupled in series with a second load;
a second battery;
a sensor; and
a relay;
wherein the first battery is electrically coupled in parallel with the first switching device and the second battery is electrically coupled in parallel with the second switching device; and a control system configured to perform diagnostics on the battery system, the control system is configured to determine relay status by obtaining a number of measurements of current across the battery system.

12 . The electrical system of claim 11 , wherein the sensor is a current sensor which comprises a shunt resistor.

13 . The electrical system of claim 11 , wherein the measurements include:
obtaining first current measurement while the first switching device and second switching device are both in an open state; obtaining a second current measurement while the first switching device is closed and the second switching device is open; obtaining a third current measurement while the first switching device is open and the second switching device is closed.

14 . The electrical system of claim 11 , wherein the relay status can be used to determine whether a battery is available for use by a vehicle.

15 . A vehicle having the electrical system of claim 11 .

16 . The vehicle of claim 15 further comprising advanced driver functionality.

17 . The vehicle of claim 15 , wherein the electrical system is used to evaluate whether safety-critical functionality can be supported by the first battery and/or the second battery.

Assignees

• Cps Tech Holdings Llc

Inventors

• Johnson Mark R
• Blemberg Michael R
• Dulle Ronald J
• Rinaldo Steven G
• Jin Zoe H
• Grimsley Douglas G

Classifications

• H02J7/60

  including safety or protection arrangements · CPC title

• H02J7/80 Primary

  including monitoring or indicating arrangements · CPC title

• G01R31/3275 Primary

  Fault detection or status indication · CPC title

• G01R31/3278

  of relays, solenoids or reed switches (measuring contact resistance G01R27/205; high voltage magnetic switches G01R31/3271, G01R31/333; testing electric windings G01R31/72; monitoring of fail safe circuits H01H47/002) · CPC title

• B60L3/0023

  Detecting, eliminating, remedying or compensating for drive train abnormalities, e.g. failures within the drive train · CPC title