IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,370,324
Granted Patent B2
US 11,370,324 · App. 16/712,156 · Granted Jun 28, 2022

Fuse and contactor management for an electric mobile application

Inventors: Robert Stephen Douglass (Wildwood, MO); Brandon William Fisher (Portland, OR); Martin Wayne Mensch (Livonia, MI); Austin Robert Zurface (Dowling, MI); Jeff Howard Urian (Waterford, MI); James David (Portage, MI); Bharath Suda (Munich, DE); Asheesh Soni (Bonn, DE)
Assignee: Eaton Intelligent Power Limited
B60L58/21B60L3/04B60L58/25H01H85/0241H02H3/087H02H9/00H01H39/00H01M2220/20
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,370,324
App. No.
16/712,156
Granted
Jun 28, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

A system includes a vehicle including a motive electrical power path; a power distribution unit including: a current protection circuit disposed in the motive electrical power path, the current protection circuit including a fuse and a contactor in a series arrangement with the fuse; a high voltage power input coupling including a first electrical interface for a high voltage power source; and a high voltage power output coupling including a second electrical interface for a motive power load, where the current protection circuit electrically couples the high voltage power input coupling to the high voltage power output coupling.

Claims (30)

1. A method, comprising:

powering a motive electrical power path of a vehicle through a current protection circuit including a fuse and a contactor in a series arrangement with the fuse;

determining a current flow through the motive electrical power path; and

selectively opening the contactor in response to the current flow.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing the fuse with a current rating that is higher than a current corresponding to a rated power throughput of the motive electrical power path.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing the fuse with a current rating that is higher than a current corresponding to a quick charging power throughput of the motive electrical power path.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein selectively opening the contactor is further in response to a rate of change of the current flow.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein selectively opening the contactor is further in response to a comparison of the current flow to a threshold value.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein opening the contactor is further in response to one of an integrated or accumulated value of the current flow.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein opening the contactor is further in response to an expected or predicted value of the current flow.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

storing a plurality of calibration sets corresponding to a plurality of duty cycle values, the plurality of duty cycle values comprising an electrical throughput value corresponding to the fuse, the fuse disposed electrically between an electrical power source and an electrical load;

wherein the plurality of calibration sets comprise current source injection settings for a current injection device operationally coupled to the fuse;

determining a duty cycle of a system comprising the fuse, the electrical power source, and the electrical load;

determining injection settings for the current injection device in response to the plurality of calibration sets and the determined duty cycle; and

operating the current injection device in response to the determined injection settings.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

injecting an alternating current across the fuse, the fuse electrically disposed between an electrical power source and an electrical load;

determining a base power through the fuse by performing a low-pass filter operation on one of a measured current value and a measured voltage value for the fuse;

determining an injected current value by performing a high-pass filter operation on one of the measured current value and the measured voltage value for the fuse; and

adjusting parameters of at least one of a low-pass filter and a high-pass filter in response to a duty cycle of one of power and current through the fuse.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

confirming that contactors electrically positioned in a fuse circuit are open, wherein the fuse circuit comprises the fuse, the fuse electrically disposed between an electrical power source and an electrical load;

determining a null voltage offset value for the fuse circuit;

conducting a plurality of current injection sequences across the fuse, each of the plurality of current injection sequences comprising a selected current amplitude, current frequency, and current waveform value; and

determining a fuse resistance value in response to the plurality of current injection sequences and the null voltage offset value.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining that no current is demanded for a fuse load for the fuse electrically disposed between an electrical power source and an electrical load;

determining a null offset voltage in response to no current demanded for the fuse load; and

storing the null offset voltage.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 29, 2021
From: DAVID, JAMES; SUDA, BHARATH; SONI, ASHEESH
To: EATON INTELLIGENT POWER LIMITED
Reel/Frame 056708/0847 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 9, 2020
From: DOUGLASS, ROBERT STEPHEN; FISHER, BRANDON WILLIAM; MENSCH, MARTIN WAYNE; ZURFACE, AUSTIN ROBERT; URIAN, JEFF HOWARD
To: EATON INTELLIGENT POWER LIMITED
Reel/Frame 052882/0032 →
Priority Claims (5)
IN 201711039846 · Nov 8, 2017 · national
IN 201711039847 · Nov 8, 2017 · national
IN 201711039848 · Nov 8, 2017 · national
IN 201711039849 · Nov 8, 2017 · national
IN 201711039850 · Nov 8, 2017 · national
Continuity (5)
Continuation 16184185 · Nov 8, 2018
Provisional Application 62583367 · Nov 8, 2017
Provisional Application 62583428 · Nov 8, 2017
Provisional Application 62583355 · Nov 8, 2017
Related Publication 20200114780A1 · Apr 16, 2020
Cited By (3)
US 12,187,159 US 12,394,976 US 12,587,003