Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft

Daimler Ag

Chrysler Group LLC

Chrysler Corporation

James E Tarchinski

William R Cawthorne

Andrew J Namou

Mohammad N Anwar

Sean E Gleason

Russell K Steele

Ronald W Young

Gery J Kissel

William J Omell

Steven E Schulz

Brian James Koch

Peter James Savagian

Stephen T West

Wei D Wang

Shifang Li

Aniket P Kothari

Keith D Van Maanen

Craig A Kollar

Yue Fan

Mike M Mc Donald

Harry J Bauer

Nicholas Kokotovich

David J Mifsud

Jeffrey Johnson

Marc Reischmann

Marjorie A Bassham

Gregory G Cesiel

Paul E Boskovitch

Ryan M Meroz

Stephan N Green

Joseph Ciagala

Sean S Clarke

Ronald J Wiegand

Aniket Korthari

An active isolation detection method may be used with an electrical system having a battery pack connected to a high-voltage bus. The bus has positive and negative bus rails, each having a respective rail-to-ground voltage. The method may include connecting variable resistance element to the high-voltage bus, and determining input information indicative electrical characteristics of the battery pack, the high-voltage bus, and/or a charging station. The method includes varying a bias resistance of the high-voltage bus, via control of the variable resistance element, e.g., via duty cycle control of a binary switch in series with a bias resistor, to produce a varied bias resistance based on the input information. A target voltage shift is achieved on the high-voltage bus as a target level of change in one of the rail-to-ground voltages. An isolation resistance of the electrical system is determined via the controller using the varied bias resistance.

Active isolation detection using adaptive bias resistance

Presented are vehicle charging systems and control logic for provisioning vehicle grid integration (VGI) activities, methods for making/using such charging systems, and electric-drive vehicles with intelligent vehicle charging and VGI capabilities. A method of controlling charging operations of electric-drive vehicles includes a vehicle controller detecting if a vehicle is coupled to an electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE), and determining if the vehicle's current mileage exceeds a calibrated mileage threshold. Responsive to the vehicle being connected to the EVSE and the vehicle's current mileage exceeding the calibrated mileage threshold, the controller determines the current remaining life of the vehicle's traction battery pack and the current time in service of the vehicle. The vehicle controller determines if the current remaining battery life exceeds a predicted remaining battery life corresponding to the current time in service. If so, the vehicle controller enables the traction battery pack to transmit electrical power to the EVSE.

Intelligent motor vehicles, charging systems, and control logic for governing vehicle grid integration operations

Systems and methods disclosed herein provide for a distributed high-voltage bus for a battery system included in a vehicle. In certain embodiments, the systems and methods disclosed herein provide for a scalable high-voltage bus architecture utilizing a common high-voltage rail for powering vehicle systems and/or modules. Independent contactors may be utilized on the opposite rail to selective power high-voltage branches. In further embodiments, a common rail pre-charge circuit may be utilized allowing for independent pre-charging of HV branches and systems and/or modules coupled to the HV bus.

Distributed vehicle battery high-voltage bus systems and methods

A high-voltage relay system for a vehicle. The system includes a high-voltage bus, a parallel relay set and a controller. The parallel relay set includes two or more relays wired in parallel and that are electrically coupled to the high-voltage bus. The controller is programmed to adjust the power flowing through the parallel relay set when a malfunction is detected in one of the relays in the set. The system can include a high-voltage power source electrically coupled to the high voltage bus through the parallel relay set, where the controller reduces the power flowing through the parallel relay by reducing output of the high-voltage power source. The system can include a high-voltage motor electrically coupled to the high voltage bus through the parallel relay set, where the controller reduces the power flowing through the parallel relay set by reducing the motor's power demands.

Scalable high voltage charging and detection system for plug-in electric vehicles

Methods and apparatus are provided for a functional high-voltage interlock system. The apparatus includes an enclosure, a high-voltage terminal, a low-voltage circuit, and a control circuit. The enclosure includes an access point that may be breached. The high-voltage terminal is disposed at least partially within the enclosure, is accessible by breaching the high-voltage access point, and is configured to be energized from a high-voltage electrical power source. The low-voltage circuit is disposed within the enclosure, and is coupled to selectively receive a low-voltage electrical signal. The control circuit is coupled to, and is configured to supply the low-voltage electrical signal to, the low-voltage circuit only when the high-voltage access point is not breached. The control circuit implements a first function and a disparate second function. The first function determines whether the access point is breached and, if so, prevents the high-voltage terminal from being energized from the high-voltage electrical source.

Functional high-voltage interlock system and method

A hybrid powertrain system has a high-voltage electric circuit including a high-voltage battery and a DC link coupled to first and second inverters electrically connected to first and second torque machines. A method for operating the hybrid powertrain system includes receiving a motor torque command for the second torque machine, determining a preferred DC link voltage for achieving the motor torque commanded from the second torque machine, selectively interrupting electric power flow between the high-voltage battery and the DC link to achieve the preferred DC link voltage.

Method and apparatus for controlling a high-voltage battery connection for hybrid powertrain system

A manual service disconnect device for an electric vehicle that includes an integrated pre-charge function. The manual service disconnect device includes a rotatable body having a non-conductive handle and a conductive shaft, a first terminal, a second terminal, a third terminal, a first wire electrically coupled to the third terminal, a second wire electrically coupled to the second terminal, and a resistor electrically coupled to the first wire and the first terminal. The rotatable body is inserted so that the conductive shaft makes electrical contact between the first terminal and the second terminal so that electrical current can flow between the first wire and the second wire through the resistor and the rotated so that the conductive shaft makes electrical contact between the second terminal and the third terminal so that electrical current flows directly between the first wire and the second wire.

Manual service disconnect with integrated precharge function

A method for monitoring operation of a vehicle including a high voltage electrical system including an electrical energy storage device electrically connected to switching circuits of an inverter device via a high voltage bus, the inverter device configured to transfer electric power to an electric machine via activation of a plurality of switch devices, includes monitoring electrical ground isolation of the high voltage electrical system during ongoing operation of the vehicle, detecting an electrical ground isolation fault in the high voltage electrical system, and detecting a location of the electrical ground isolation fault associated with at least one of the electrical energy storage device, the high voltage bus, the inverter device, and the electric machine subsequent to a vehicle key-off event.

Method and apparatus for monitoring electrical ground isolation in a powertrain system

A vehicle includes a high-voltage (HV) energy storage system (ESS), an HV device having HVIL source and return (SR) pins and an HV receptacle, an HV cable, and an HV terminal assembly. The assembly includes a tray portion and retainer for aligning the HV cables with the HV receptacle. An HVIL jumper device is connected to the tray portion and electrically connectable to the HVIL SR pins. The assembly includes a cover portion removably mountable to the tray portion to provide a suitable EMF shield and weather seal. The cover portion includes an HVIL shorting plug. HV electrical energy is supplied from said ESS to the HV device only when all three of the HVIL components, i.e., the HVIL SR pins, the HVIL jumper device, and the HVIL shorting plug, are electrically interconnected to form a closed HVIL circuit, while at the same time the HV cable is properly connected.

High-voltage terminal assembly with integral high-voltage interlock

A method for avoiding electrical resonance in a vehicle having a high-voltage (HV) direct current (DC) bus shared by a first and a second power electronic converter device, such as an air conditioning compressor module (ACCM) and a traction power inverter (TPIM), includes determining an impedance characteristic of the bus, defining resonance points for the bus, selecting lower and upper switching frequency boundaries for the TPIM, and preventing the TPIM from operating within a range defined by these boundaries. A vehicle includes the first and second power electronic converter device, e.g., the APPM and the TPIM, the shared HV DC, and a controller having the algorithm set forth above, wherein the controller is adapted for avoiding electrical resonance in the HV DC bus by executing the algorithm.

Method and apparatus for avoiding electrical resonance in a vehicle having a shared high-voltage bus

A powertrain includes an electromechanical transmission operative to transmit torque between an input member and an electric machine and an output member to transmit tractive torque. The electric machine is electrically connected to an inverter device which is electrically connected to an energy storage device. A method for operating the powertrain includes detecting a shutdown event, commanding the transmission to neutral, commanding the electric machine to cease operating in a torque generating mode, and electrically disconnecting the energy storage device from the inverter device.

Method to manage a high voltage system in a hybrid powertrain system

A system is provided for implementing a series interlock loop. An example of the interlock system includes a series interlock loop, a data table, and a control module. The series interlock loop has an overall electrical characteristic. The series interlock loop includes first and second safety interlocks electrically coupled in series. Each interlock includes a switch coupled in parallel with an impedance value. The data table is configured to store values corresponding to the impedance values. The control module is communicatively coupled to the data table and configured to receive an indication of the overall electrical characteristic and to compare the overall electrical characteristic to the values in the data table to thereby identify an open one of the first and second safety interlocks.

Series interlock system with integrated ability to identify breached locations

A method includes detecting high-voltage faults, such as welded contactors or disconnected components, in a vehicle by measuring the total electrical impedance between positive and negative rails of a high-voltage bus and a ground or chassis, comparing the impedance before and after opening the contactors, and executing a maintenance response. The response includes setting an error code when the open impedance level is less than a threshold multiple of the closed impedance level. A vehicle includes a chassis, energy storage system (ESS), motor/generator, and a high-voltage bus conducting electrical current from the ESS to the motor/generator. Contactors are positioned along each of the rails of the bus, a device for measuring a total electrical impedance level between the chassis and each of the rails, and a controller for determining a welded contactor condition of at least one of the contactors based on the measured total electrical impedance level.

High-voltage vehicle fault detection method and apparatus

An electrical connector adapted for staged disassembly to test for high voltage includes a plug having an enclosed electrical terminal with a first opening exposing the terminal and a socket having another enclosed electrical terminal with an opening exposing the other terminal. The socket opening is substantially complementary to the first opening to receive the plug sufficiently into the socket to electrically engage the terminals in first and second positions. A port in one of the socket or plug provides access to one of the terminals in one of the positions but is obstructed from access to a terminal in the other of the positions. The port is small enough to prevent a finger from accessing a terminal but large enough to receive an electrical meter probe for voltage testing. A latch on the box portions positions the port in each of the two positions.

High voltage connector and method having integrated voltage measurement probe points

A method and apparatus provide an electrical splice between different high-voltage components in a high-voltage propelled vehicle (HVPV), which enables a daisy-chain or series connection of the components. The method includes connecting a first end of a cable to a first component, a second end of the cable to a high-voltage bus bar within a second component to form a splice, and using the outer housings of the components to provide an environmental seal and electromagnetic capability (EMC) shield for the splice, rather than providing such a splice within a dedicated or shared power distribution box. A ring terminal connects to an end of a cable by a press-fitting process or a soldering process. The components can be an energy storage system (ESS), a power inverter module (PIM), an air conditioning control module (ACCM), an auxiliary power module (APM), a power steering controller, and an electrical motor/generator.

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Rochester Hills, MI, United States of America

James E Tarchinski