System and method for monitoring contactor health

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9975434-B2
Application number	US-201314034955-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 24, 2013
Priority date	Sep 24, 2013
Publication date	May 22, 2018
Grant date	May 22, 2018

Abstract

A method for monitoring contactor health according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes, among other things, storing wear data associated with a contactor, categorizing the wear data into at least a first bin and a second bin, assigning a first health level to the wear data associated with the first bin and assigning a second health level to the wear data associated with the second bin. Health information concerning the contactor is communicated to the vehicle operator.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electrified vehicle, comprising:
a battery cell;
a contactor configured to selectively disconnect said battery cell from a load; and
a health monitoring system including:
a sensor that monitors at least a current through said contactor; and
a control unit in communication with said sensor; said control unit configured to store wear data associated with said contactor and command an action specific to each of a plurality of categories of said wear data.

2. The electrified vehicle as recited in claim 1 , wherein said wear data includes current running through a high voltage power line of said contactor.

3. The electrified vehicle as recited in claim 1 , wherein said control unit is configured to store said wear data in a histogram.

4. The electrified vehicle as recited in claim 1 , wherein said contactor includes a housing, a stationary contact, a moveable contact and a coil.

5. The electrified vehicle as recited in claim 4 , wherein said moveable contact is moveable between a first position in which said moveable contact is spaced from said stationary contact to decouple said contactor from a load and a second position in which said moveable contact is received against said stationary contact to couple said contactor to said load.

6. The electrified vehicle as recited in claim 1 , wherein said sensor is positioned between said contactor and said battery cell.

7. The electrified vehicle as recited in claim 1 , wherein said sensor is configured to sense said current running through a high voltage power line connected to said contactor.

8. The electrified vehicle as recited in claim 1 , wherein said control unit is configured to categorize said wear data into a plurality of bins.

9. The electrified vehicle as recited in claim 8 , wherein said control unit is configured to assign a first health level to said wear data associated with a first bin of said plurality of bins and assign a second health level to said wear data associated with a second bin of said plurality of bins.

10. The electrified vehicle as recited in claim 9 , wherein said first health level is different from said second health level.

11. The electrified vehicle as recited in claim 1 , wherein said control unit is configured to store an additional value of said wear data each time said sensor measures a current cycle.

12. The electrified vehicle as recited in claim 1 , wherein said control unit is configured to compare said wear data for each of said plurality of categories of said wear data with a threshold.

13. The electrified vehicle as recited in claim 1 , wherein said action includes communicating a diagnostic trouble code to a customer.

14. The electrified vehicle as recited in claim 1 , wherein said action includes actuating an instrument panel warning light.

15. The electrified vehicle as recited in claim 1 , wherein said action includes reducing power limits of the electric vehicle.

16. The electrified vehicle as recited in claim 1 , wherein said action includes preventing restart of the electric vehicle.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Hartl Derek
• Keramidas Ai

Classifications

• H01R43/002

  Maintenance of line connectors, e.g. cleaning · CPC title

• B60L3/12 Primary

  Recording operating variables {; Monitoring of operating variables} · CPC title

• B60L3/04

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

• Y02T90/16

  Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles · CPC title

• Y02T90/14

  Plug-in electric vehicles · CPC title