Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Wesley Burkman

Benjamin A Tabatowski-Bush

Baojin Wang

Robert Bolduc

John Paul Gibeau

Francisco Fernandez

Arnold Kweku Mensah-Brown

William David Treharne

Angel Fernando Porras

Ryan J Skaff

Bryan Michael Bolger

Scott James Thompson

Paul Stephen Bryan

Philip Michael Gonzales

Thomas Joseph Wand

Karin Lovett

Rui Wang

Masahiro Kimoto

John Sturza

Ai Keramidas

Patterson Kaduvinal Abraham

Vineeth Seshadri Kallur

Benjamin A Tabatowski-bush

Eric Scott Smolen

A traction battery assembly includes a conduit having an interior that carries a thermal management fluid. A thermal bridge extends into the conduit and spans across the interior from a first side of the conduit to an opposite, second side of the conduit. A traction battery thermal transfer method includes positioning a thermal bridge relative to a conduit such that the thermal bridge extends across an interior of the conduit from a first side of the conduit to an opposite, second side of the conduit, and moving a thermal management fluid through the conduit to exchange thermal energy with the thermal bridge.

Traction battery conduit and thermal bridge assembly

An electrified vehicle includes a contactor having a coil operable by a low-voltage control signal to selectively electrically couple a terminal of a high-voltage bus to a charger receiving power from an external source. A programmed controller predicts the time it will take for the contactor to close after receiving a command based on the coil temperature and voltage of the command signal. The controller generates the low-voltage control signal responsive to a difference between bus voltage and charger voltage being less than a first threshold at the predicted closing time of the contactor. The control signal may also depend on the rate of change of the charger voltage being below a second threshold.

Electrified vehicle high voltage contactor control

A vehicle includes a controller that, responsive to data indicating a voltage associated with an inrush current through a main contactor exceeds a first threshold, commands the main contactor to open and inhibits the vehicle from being driven, and responsive to data indicating the voltage exceeds a second threshold less than the first threshold, commands the main contactor to sequentially open and then close.

Vehicle main contactor weld detection system

This disclosure relates to an electrified vehicle configured to disconnect a battery from a load, and a corresponding method. An example electrified vehicle includes an array of battery cells and an electrical conductor connecting the array to a load. A disconnect is arranged along the electrical conductor. Further, the electrified vehicle includes an electronic circuit with a switch and an igniter. When a voltage drop across the electrical conductor exceeds a threshold, the switch is configured to permit current to flow from at least one of the battery cells through the igniter to trigger the disconnect thereby disconnecting the array of battery cells from the load.

Electrified vehicle configured to disconnect battery from load

An electrified vehicle electrical system includes, among other things, a contactor enclosure, and contactor contacts housed within the contactor enclosure. A resistor is housed within the contactor enclosure or is housed within a relay enclosure outside the contactor enclosure.

Integrated components of an electrified vehicle electrical system and electrical distribution method

A battery assembly includes a plurality of cells stacked to form an array and a plurality of spacers each disposed between an adjacent pair of the cells. Each cell includes at least one terminal. Each of the spacers includes a retainer extending from an edge portion of the spacer. The retainers are configured to orient and engage a busbar for connecting the terminals of an adjacent pair of cells. The battery assembly may also include a busbar module. The busbar module may engage with the retainers to hold the busbar module to the array.

Traction battery spacer with retention element

A system for a vehicle includes a controller and contactor arranged to close responsive to current magnitude through a coil thereof exceeding a first threshold. The controller, following a request to open the contactor, applies current to the coil at a magnitude less than the first threshold for a duration, and responsive to peak current through the contactor during the duration being less than a second threshold, prevents start of the vehicle.

Electrified vehicle contactor status

This disclosure details electrical modules that include integrated bus bar locating and separating features. An exemplary electrical module may include a first housing, a second housing, and a bus bar coupon. The first housing, the second housing, or both may include one or more locating and separating features. The bus bar coupon may be automatically separated into a plurality of individual bus bars by the separating features as the first and second housings of the electrical module are moved together. The electrical module could be utilized within electrified vehicle battery packs or various other electrified components.

Electrical modules with bus bar locating and separating features

A contactor assembly including a housing, an accessible contactor assembly component, a contact bar, and a module is provided. The accessible contactor assembly component may be disposed within the housing. The contact bar may be electrically connected to the accessible contactor assembly component and translatable between an open and a closed position. The module may be programmed to identify whether the contact bar is in the open or closed position based on detected voltage of the accessible contactor assembly component. The assembly may further include a pair of coil terminals, a pair of power terminals, and a diagnostic terminal arranged for electrical communication with the accessible contactor assembly component. The module may be further programmed to detect whether the contact bar is in the open or closed position responsive to detection of a voltage status of the diagnostic terminal.

Contactor diagnostic system and method

A vehicle system includes a relay and coil of a contactor. The relay is configured to transfer current between a traction battery and an electrical load when closed. The system also includes a controller configured to operate a switch such that current flow from the traction battery through the coil and switch, and bypassing the relay, causes the relay to close to permit pre-charging of the load.

Controlled pre-charge circuit arrangement

A power system for a vehicle includes a traction battery that provides power to drive the vehicle, a load, and a harness having wires electrically connecting the traction battery and load, and shielding covering the wires. The power system further includes one or more control blocks that drive a signal onto the shielding, and responsive to an absence of detecting feedback from the signal, issue an interlock integrity alert.

Vehicle high voltage shield based interlock

A power control system for a vehicle includes a precharge circuit that is configured to selectively couple a resistor across either a main or return contactor that are configured to selectively couple terminals of a battery to a load bus. The power control system includes a controller programmed to, in response to a precharge request in a presence of the main contactor being closed when commanded to open and the return contactor being open, couple the resistor across the return contactor to precharge the load bus.

Dual-bus battery precharge circuit

A vehicle system includes a contactor including a coil and relay, a traction battery, a load, and a controller configured to transfer current from the traction battery through the coil to pre-charge the load without causing the relay to close such that a voltage drop across the relay falls below a threshold value, and subsequently cause the relay to close.

Pre-charging load using main contactor coil

A charging system for a high voltage battery includes a pair of contactors each electrically connected to one of positive and negative terminals of the battery and configured to enable charging of the battery when closed; and a controller programmed to generate a notification indicating that one of the contactors is welded closed based on port voltage values achieved while issuing a predetermined sequence of open and close commands to the contactors after charge completion.

High voltage battery contactor arrangement for DC fast charging

An exemplary contactor assembly includes, among other things, a moveable contact that moves back and forth between an electrically coupled position with a plurality of stationary contacts, and an electrically decoupled position with the stationary contacts. A support structure is configured to limit flexing of the moveable contact when in the electrically coupled position. An exemplary support method includes, among other things, transitioning a moveable contact from an electrically decoupled position to an electrically coupled position with a plurality of stationary contacts. The method further includes limiting a flexing movement of the moveable contact with a support structure.

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Dearborn, MI, United States of America

Wesley Burkman