Motor vehicle electrical system and method for operating a motor vehicle electrical system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9441600-B2
Application number	US-201214117451-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 30, 2012
Priority date	May 14, 2011
Publication date	Sep 13, 2016
Grant date	Sep 13, 2016

Abstract

A motor vehicle electrical system, wherein a control unit senses or detects a start-stop command for the internal combustion engine, wherein when a start-stop command is sensed or detected a switching element is switched into the first switching state and the voltage at the DC/DC output, which is connected to the switching element, is increased by a control unit by means of a control command, wherein a measuring unit senses and evaluates the voltage condition over the switching element, wherein depending upon the evaluation the start-stop command is or is not carried out by a control unit using a control command. Also disclosed is a method for operating a motor vehicle electrical system.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A motor vehicle electrical system comprising:
a starter for an internal combustion engine and a first energy store, which starter and first energy store are arranged in a first region of the motor vehicle electrical system;
a generator and a second energy store, which generator and second energy store are arranged in a second region of the motor vehicle electrical system;
a switching element arranged between the first and the second region of the motor vehicle electrical system, the switching element having at least two switching states,
wherein, in a first switching state, current flow is possible only in a direction from the first region to the second region or the current flow is interrupted in both directions, and, in a second switching state, the first and second region are connected-through to one another so that current flow in the direction from the first region to the second region and from the second region to the first region are possible, wherein the switching element is actuated by at least one associated control unit based on a first control signal,
wherein the second energy store is connected to the generator via a DC/DC converter, wherein a start/stop command (S-S-B) for the internal combustion engine is detected or identified by the at least one associated control unit, wherein, when a start/stop command is detected or identified, the switching element is switched to the first switching state and the voltage at the DC/DC output, which is connected to the switching element, is increased by the control unit based on a second control command, wherein a measurement unit detects and evaluates the voltage across the switching element, wherein the start/stop command is executed by the at least one associated control unit based on a third control command or is not executed, depending on the evaluation.

2. The motor vehicle electrical system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one associated control unit is one of a plurality of control units integrated in a common control unit.

3. The motor vehicle electrical system of claim 1 , wherein the switching element is a power semiconductor switch, a power relay or a power relay with a parallel diode.

4. The motor vehicle electrical system of claim 1 , wherein the measurement unit detects and evaluates the voltage and/or the voltage gradient.

5. The motor vehicle electrical system of claim 1 , wherein a setpoint voltage of the second energy store is greater than a setpoint voltage of the first energy store.

6. A method for operating a motor vehicle electrical system, wherein the motor vehicle electrical system includes a starter for an internal combustion engine and a first energy store, which starter and first energy store are arranged in a first region of the motor vehicle electrical system, and a generator and a second energy store, which generator and second energy store are arranged in a second region of the motor vehicle electrical system, wherein a switching element is arranged between the first and the second region of the motor vehicle electrical system and has at least two switching states, wherein in a first switching state current flow is possible only in the direction from the first region to the second region or is interrupted in both directions, and in a second switching state the first and second region are connected-through to one another so that current flow in the direction from the first region to the second region and from the second region to the first region are possible, wherein the switching element is actuated by at least one associated control unit based on a control command, the method comprising:
connecting the second energy store to the generator via a DC/DC converter;
detecting or identifying a start/stop command for the internal combustion engine by the at least one associated control unit;
switching the switching element to the first switching state and increasing the voltage at the DC/DC output, which is connected to the switching element, by the at least one associated control unit based on a second control command when a start/stop command is detected or identified;
detecting and evaluating, using a measurement unit, the voltage across the switching element; and
executing the start/stop command by the at least one associated control unit based on a third control command or not executing the start/stop command, depending on the evaluation.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the voltage is used to establish whether the switching element has been switched to the first switching state.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the measurement unit detects and evaluates the voltage and/or the voltage gradient, wherein an interruption in the first energy store or the supply line of the first energy store is detected using the voltage and/or an internal cell short-circuit and/or corrosion of a pole terminal is detected using the voltage gradient.

9. The method of claim 6 , wherein non-execution of a start/stop command is indicated.

10. The method of claim 6 , wherein the switching element remains in the first switching state when a defect in the starter battery is established and the start/stop command is not executed.

Assignees

• Klinkig Andreas
• Fleischer Rainer
• Volkswagen Ag

Inventors

• Klinkig Andreas
• Fleischer Rainer

Classifications

• H02J1/082

  DC supplies with two or more different DC voltage levels · CPC title

• F03D80/88

  of mechanical components · CPC title

• H02J7/1423

  with multiple batteries · CPC title

• F02N11/0866

  comprising several power sources, e.g. battery and capacitor or two batteries · CPC title

• F02N11/08 Primary

  Circuits specially adapted for starting of engines · CPC title