IP Library › Granted Patent US 10,971,993
Granted Patent B2
US 10,971,993 · App. 15/669,334 · Granted Apr 6, 2021

Fault detection

Inventors: Shuitao Yang (Canton, MI); Yan Zhou (Canton, MI); Baoming Ge (Okemos, MI); Lihua Chen (Northville, MI); Fan Xu (Novi, MI); Mohammed Khorshed Alam (Dearborn, MI)
Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
H02M1/32B60R16/033G01R31/00G01R31/42G01R31/50H02M7/5387H02M7/5395H02P29/0241G01R31/006H02M2001/0009H02P27/08
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 10,971,993
App. No.
15/669,334
Granted
Apr 6, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

A vehicle includes an inverter having a supply bus including a contactor operable to conduct current through a resistive element connected to a capacitive element having a voltage supplied by a battery. The vehicle includes a controller configured to energize a first gate of the inverter. The energization is responsive to the voltage exceeding a threshold. The controller is configured to detect current flow between a first phase associated with the gate and the bus based on a voltage drop associated with the voltage.

Claims (25)

1. A vehicle comprising:

an inverter having a supply bus including a contactor operable to conduct current through a resistive element connected to a capacitive element having a voltage supplied by a battery; and

a controller configured to, responsive to the voltage exceeding a threshold, energize a first gate of the inverter for a duration that is defined by the threshold, and detect current flow between a first phase associated with the gate and the bus based on a voltage drop associated with the voltage.

2. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the duration is further defined by an expected voltage drop.

3. The vehicle. of claim 2 , wherein the controller is further configured to energize a second gate of the inverter during the duration, and detect current flow between the first phase associated with the first gate and a second phase associated with the second gate based on the voltage drop associated with the voltage.

4. The vehicle of claim 2 , wherein the controller is further configured to energize a second gate of the inverter after the duration, and detect current flow between a second phase associated with. the second gate and the bus based on a voltage drop associated with the voltage.

5. rhe vehicle of claim 2 , wherein the controller is further configured to energize a second gate of the inverter during the duration and deenergize the second gate after expiration of the duration, and detect current flow between a second phase associated with the second gate and the bus and current flow between the first phase associated with the first gate and the second phase.

6. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to, responsive to the voltage reaching an operational plateau, energize a first gate pair of the inverter, and responsive to absence of current flowing through phases associated with the first gate pair, indicate a fault.

7. The vehicle of claim 6 , wherein the first gate pair includes gates from different phases of the inverter.

8. The vehicle of claim 6 , wherein the controller is further configured to energize a second gate pair and a third gate pair of the inverter, and responsive to absence of current through any two of the first gate pair, second gate pair, or third gate pair, indicate an open circuit fault phase based on a common phase associated with the pairs.

9. The vehicle of claim 6 , wherein energization of the first gate pair is after the contactor is opened and a main switch is closed.

10. A vehicle comprising:

an inverter having a bus including a contactor operable to conduct current through a resistive element connected to a capacitive element having a voltage supplied by a battery; and

a controller configured to,

responsive to the voltage reaching art operational plateau, energize a first gate pair of the inverter, and responsive to absence of current flowing through phases associated. with the first gate pair, indicate a fault, and

responsive to the voltage exceeding a threshold, energize a first gate of the inverter, and detect current flow between a first phase associated with the gate and the bus, wherein the gate is energized for a. duration that is defined by a. value of the threshold then deenergized.

11. The vehicle of claim 10 , wherein the first gate pair includes gates from different phases of the inverter.

12. The vehicle of claim 10 , wherein the controller is further configured to energize a second gate pair and a third gate pair of the inverter, and responsive to absence of current through any two of the first gate pair, second gate pair, or third gate pair, indicate an open circuit fault phase based on a common phase associated with the pairs.

13. The vehicle of claim 10 , wherein energization of the first gate pair is after the contactor is opened and a main switch is closed.

14. The vehicle of claim 10 , wherein the controller is further configured to energize a second gate of the inverter during the duration, and detect current flow between the first phase associated with the first gate and a second phase associated with the second gate.

15. The vehicle of claim 10 , wherein the controller is further configured to energize a second gate of the inverter after the duration, and detect current flow between a second phase associated with the second gate and the bus.

16. The vehicle of claim 10 , wherein the controller is further configured to energize a second gate of the inverter during the duration and deenergize the second gate after expiration of the duration, and detect current flow between a second phase associated with the second gate and the bus and current flow between the first phase associated with the first gate and the second phase.

17. A vehicle comprising:

an inverter having a bus including a contactor operable to conduct current through a resistive element connected to a capacitive element having a voltage supplied by a battery; and

a controller configured to, responsive to the voltage exceeding a threshold, energize a first gate of the inverter for a duration that is defined by a value of the threshold, and detect current flow between a first phase associated with the gate and the bus based on a phase current of the first phase exceeding a predetermined threshold.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 4, 2017
From: YANG, SHUITAO; ZHOU, YAN; GE, BAOMING; CHEN, LIHUA; XU, FAN; ALAM, MOHAMMED KHORSHED
To: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
Reel/Frame 043205/0045 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20190044429A1 · Feb 7, 2019