Arc fault detection modules for vehicle electrical systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023034902-A1
Application number	US-202017789468-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 28, 2020
Priority date	Dec 27, 2019
Publication date	Feb 2, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

Arc fault detection modules for vehicles intended to supervise circuits and detect arc fault conditions in both alternating current and direct current circuits. A number of these arc fault detection modules may be integrated into a vehicle's electrical system in strategic locations. Each arc fault module contains sensing capabilities for monitoring the circuit, and may also include signal conditioning capabilities, processing capabilities for determining the occurrence of an arc fault, contactors for disabling the supervised circuit, and communications capabilities to interact with other vehicle components and telematics systems. As a result arc fault detection odules can be customized to leverage existing features of a vehicle's electrical system or to provide fully redundant arc fault protection.

First claim

1 . A module for detecting arc fault in in one of an alternating current circuit or a direct current circuit in a power distribution system of a vehicle comprising:
an arc fault detection unit comprising: one or more sensors configured for monitoring an alternating current circuit or a direct current circuit for signs of an arc fault and configured for outputting arc fault data; and signal conditioning circuitry for receiving and translating arc fault data for processing; a processing unit connected directly or indirectly to the signal conditioning circuitry, the processing unit configured to receive arc fault data from the signal conditioning circuitry and configured to identify an arc fault condition; and a notification device connected to the processing unit, the notification device configured to notify a supervisory controller of an arc fault and configured to communicate other data to the supervisory controller.

2 . The module of claim 1 , wherein the processing unit is connected directly to the signal conditioning circuitry in the arc fault detection unit.

3 . The module of claim 2 , wherein notification device is connected to the arc fault detection unit.

4 . The module of claim 1 , wherein the processing unit is an external circuit from the arc fault detection unit.

5 . The module of claim 1 , further comprising a contactor directly or indirectly connected to the processing unit, the contactor configured to interrupt a flow of current through the monitored circuit when an arc fault condition is identified.

6 . The module of claim 5 , wherein the processing unit is a microcontroller, and wherein the microcontroller is configured to command the notification device to indicate an operational status or a non-operational status; and wherein the microcontroller is configured to command the contactor to interrupt a flow of alternating current circuit or direct current through the circuit monitored by the arc fault detection unit.

7 . The module of claim 5 , wherein the processing unit comprises a centralized electronic control unit, wherein the centralized electronic control unit is configured to receive and process signal data from other controllers connected to the power distribution system of the vehicle, and wherein the centralized electronic control unit is configured to receive and process the arc fault data and to transmit a command to the notification device to indicate an operational status or a non-operational status and is configured to transmit a command to the contactor to interrupt a flow of alternating current circuit or direct current through the circuit monitored by the arc fault detection unit.

8 . The module of claim 1 , wherein the one of an alternating current circuit or direct current circuit comprises a direct or indirect connection to a powered unit, and wherein the powered unit comprises one of an On-Board Charger, an inverter, or a DC-DC converter.

9 . A vehicle electric system comprising one or more circuits, at least one of the one or more circuits comprising the module of claim 5 , wherein:
the module is configured to observe a circuit, the observed circuit comprising the one of the alternating current circuit or the direct current circuit, for signs of an arc fault; the module comprises processing logic and the contactor configured to disable the observed circuit; and when the module observes the circuit to comprise the arc fault, the module commands the contactor to disable current flow to the monitored circuit.

10 . The module of claim 9 , wherein the module is configured to maintain the circuit in a disabled state until physically reset or commanded to reset by the supervisory controller.

11 . The module of claim 9 , wherein the module is configured to receive instructions from the supervisory controller to enable or disable the observed circuit via the contactor.

12 . The module of claim 11 , wherein the contactor is further configured to enable or disable the observed circuit in the absence of an arc fault condition.

13 . A vehicle electric system comprising one or more circuits, the one or more circuits comprising a plurality of modules of claim 1 , the vehicle electric system comprising the supervisory controller networked to the plurality of modules, and the vehicle electric system configured with a plurality of remote contactors, wherein:
the plurality of modules are configured to supervise respective ones of the alternating current circuits or direct current circuits to collect and process arc fault data; the plurality of modules are configured to transmit arc fault detection data to the supervisory controller; and the supervisory controller is programmed to manage current flow in the vehicle electrical system by commanding the remote contactors when an arc fault condition is detected.

14 . A vehicle electric system comprising a supervisory controller networked to at least one remote contactor, a first circuit comprising a first module of claim 1 , and a second circuit comprising a second module of claim 1 , wherein:
the first circuit and the second circuit are selected among an alternating current circuit or direct current circuit; the first module comprises first processing logic and a first contactor configured to disable the first circuit independently of the supervisory controller when an arc fault is detected; the second module is configured to transmit arc fault detection data to a supervisory controller; and the supervisory controller is programmed to receive and process the transmitted arc fault detection data, and, when an arc fault condition is detected, the supervisory controller is programmed to manage current flow in the vehicle electrical system by commanding at least one remote contactor to disable

15 . The vehicle electric system of claim 14 , wherein the supervisory controller is further configured to process the programming and to command the at least one remote contactor to disable when predetermined conditions are met.

Assignees

• Eaton Intelligent Power Ltd

Inventors

• Bhalwankar Chaitanya
• Shetty Ritika
• Fisher Brandon William
• Telikepalli Kumar Prasad
• Kodela Naresh Kumar

Classifications

• G01R31/007 Primary

  using microprocessors or computers · CPC title

• G01R31/1272

  of cable, line or wire insulation, e.g. using partial discharge measurements (locating faults in cables G01R31/083) · CPC title

• G01R31/14

  Circuits therefor {, e.g. for generating test voltages, sensing circuits (G01R31/1209 - G01R31/1227 take precedence; for testing switches G01R31/327)} · CPC title

• H02H1/0015

  Using arc detectors · CPC title