Electric vehicle and insulation state determination method for electric vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9724998-B2
Application number	US-201414153274-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 13, 2014
Priority date	Jan 15, 2013
Publication date	Aug 8, 2017
Grant date	Aug 8, 2017

Abstract

Provided is an electric vehicle including an electric system that generates drive power, a detector, and a controller. The electric system includes a power storage device, a drive device that uses power of the power storage device to generate drive power, a first relay provided between the positive electrode of the power storage device and the drive device, and a second relay provided between the negative electrode of the power storage device and the drive device. The detector is electrically connected to the power storage device and detects an insulation abnormality in the electric system. The controller determines the insulation state of the electric system on the basis of a detection result of the detector obtained when the first relay and the second relay are open and a detection result of the detector obtained when either of the first relay and the second relay is thereafter closed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electric vehicle comprising:
an electric system configured to generate drive power, the electric system comprising:
a power storage device;
a drive device configured to use power of the power storage device to generate drive power;
a first relay provided between a positive electrode of the power storage device and the drive device; and
a second relay provided between a negative electrode of the power storage device and the drive device;

a detector configured to detect an insulation abnormality in the electric system, the detector being electrically connected to the power storage device; and
a controller configured to:
open the first relay and the second relay;
close only one of the first relay and the second relay after the first relay and the second relay have been opened;
determine an insulation state of the electric system on the basis of a detection result of the detector obtained when the first relay and the second relay are open and a detection result of the detector obtained when only one of the first relay and the second relay is thereafter closed; and
determine that the insulation state of the electric system is indefinite when opening of the first relay and the second relay changes a detection result of the detector from abnormal to normal and the detection result of the detector indicates a normal state even when only one of the first relay and the second relay is thereafter closed.

2. The electric vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein
the controller is configured to determine the insulation state of the electric system on the basis of the detection result of the detector obtained when the first relay and the second relay are open and the detection result of the detector obtained when the first relay is thereafter closed.

3. The electric vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein
the controller is configured to determine that an insulation resistance of the drive device has decreased when opening of the first relay and the second relay changes a detection result of the detector from abnormal to normal and the detection result of the detector indicates an abnormal state as a result of only one of the first relay and the second relay being thereafter closed.

4. The electric vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein
the controller is configured to determine that an insulation resistance of the power storage device has decreased when a detection result of the detector indicates an abnormal state when the first relay and the second relay are open.

5. The electric vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein
the detector comprises:
a resistor element;
an AC power source configured to generate an AC voltage having a predetermined frequency;
a capacitor electrically connected between the resistor element and the power storage device; and
a voltage detection unit configured to detect a voltage component having the predetermined frequency in the power line between the resistor element and the capacitor,
the AC power source being electrically connected between the resistor element and a vehicle ground.

6. An insulation state determination method for an electric vehicle, comprising:
detecting with a detector an insulation abnormality of an electric system that generates drive power;
opening a first relay provided between a positive electrode of a power storage device and a drive device, and opening a second relay provided between a negative electrode of the power storage device and the drive device;
closing only one of the first relay and the second relay after the first relay and the second relay have been opened;
determining an insulation state of the electric system on the basis of a detection result of the detector obtained when the first relay and the second relay are open, and a detection result of the detector obtained when only one of the first relay and the second relay is closed; and
determining that the insulation state of the electric system is indefinite when opening of the first relay and the second relay changes a detection result of the detector from abnormal to normal and the detection result of the detector indicates a normal state even when only one of the first relay and the second relay is thereafter closed.

7. The insulation state determination method according to claim 6 , wherein
the insulation state of the electric system is determined on the basis of the detection result of the detector obtained when the first relay and the second relay are open and the detection result of the detector obtained when the first relay is closed.

8. A vehicle comprising:
an electric system configured to generate drive power, the electric system comprising:
a power storage device;
a drive device configured to use power of the power storage device to generate drive power;
a first relay provided between a positive electrode of the power storage device and the drive device; and
a second relay provided between a negative electrode of the power storage device and the drive device;

a detector configured to detect an insulation abnormality in the electric system, the detector being electrically connected to the power storage device; and
a controller configured to:
open the first relay and the second relay;
close only the first relay after the first relay and the second relay have been opened such that the first relay is closed and the second relay is open;
determine an insulation state of the electric system on the basis of: (i) a first detection result of the detector obtained when the first relay and the second relay are open; and (ii) a second detection result of the detector obtained when the first relay is closed and the second relay is open; and
determine that the insulation state of the electric system is indefinite when opening of the first relay and the second relay changes a detection result of the detector from abnormal to normal and the detection result of the detector indicates a normal state even when only the first relay is thereafter closed.

9. The vehicle according to claim 8 , wherein
the controller is configured to determine that an insulation resistance of the drive device has decreased when opening of the first relay and the second relay changes a detection result of the detector from abnormal to normal and the detection result of the detector indicates an abnormal state as a result of only the first relay being thereafter closed.

10. The vehicle according to claim 8 , wherein
the controller is configured to determine that an insulation resistance of the power storage device has decreased when a detection result of the detector indicates an abnormal state when the first relay and the second relay are open.

11. The vehicle according to claim 8 , wherein
the detector comprises:
a resistor element;
an AC power source configured to generate an AC voltage having a predetermined frequency;
a capacitor electrically connected between the resistor element and the power storage device; and
a voltage detection unit configured to detect a voltage component having the predetermined frequency in the power line between the resistor element and the capacitor,
the AC power source being electrically connected between the resistor element and a vehicle ground.

Assignees

• Migita Tsubasa
• Matsumura Mitsuyori
• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Migita Tsubasa
• Matsumura Mitsuyori

Classifications

• B60L3/0069

  relating to the isolation, e.g. ground fault or leak current · CPC title

• B60L3/04

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

• B60L2220/14

  Synchronous machines · CPC title

• B60L2260/26

  Transition between different drive modes · CPC title

• B60L15/20

  for control of the vehicle or its driving motor to achieve a desired performance, e.g. speed, torque, programmed variation of speed · CPC title