Vehicle and method of controlling the vehicle

Abstract

A vehicle and a method of controlling the vehicle are provided. The method of controlling the vehicle includes detecting, by an excitation voltage calculation measuring device, an excitation voltage applied to an excitation coil of a relay provided to regulate a power supply of a battery, calculating, by a logic determining device, a temperature of the relay based on the excitation voltage, and calculating, by the logic determining device, a remaining life of the relay based on the calculated temperature of the relay.

Description

[0001] Cross-reference to related applications

[0002] This application claims priority and benefit to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2020-0077806, filed on June 25, 2020, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Technical Field

[0003] This disclosure relates to a vehicle, and more specifically, to a vehicle having a relay that regulates the battery power supply to the vehicle. Background Technology

[0004] High-voltage batteries are an essential component for powering electric or hybrid vehicles. Because they output high voltage, it is crucial to strictly regulate whether energization occurs through a high-voltage relay for safety. High-voltage relays inevitably generate heat depending on ambient temperature and load, and if thermal damage continues due to this heat, the relay may burn out and lose its ability to regulate energization. Summary of the Invention

[0005] One aspect of this disclosure is to provide a vehicle that can predict the service life of a high-voltage relay based on the voltage across the excitation coil of the high-voltage relay and the heating and temperature changes of the high-voltage relay, and to prepare in advance before the high-voltage relay fails by using the information of the predicted service life.

[0006] Additional aspects of this disclosure will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and will be apparent in part from the description, or may be learned by practice of this disclosure.

[0007] According to one aspect of this disclosure, a method for controlling a vehicle may include: detecting an excitation voltage applied to the excitation coil of a relay by an excitation voltage calculation and measurement device, the relay being configured to regulate the power supply of a battery; calculating the temperature of the relay based on the excitation voltage of the relay by a logic determination device; and calculating the remaining life of the relay based on the calculated temperature of the relay by the logic determination device.

[0008] The method may further include: the logic determining device calculating the temperature of the relay using at least one of voltage-temperature data of the relay set by the relay manufacturer and voltage-temperature data of the relay obtained experimentally.

[0009] The method may further include: using the temperature difference between the relay temperature and a preset reference temperature, the number of high-temperature diagnostics, and the SN life curve to calculate the remaining life of the relay by a logic determination device.

[0010] According to another aspect of this disclosure, a method for controlling a vehicle may include: detecting, by means of an excitation voltage calculation and measurement device, an excitation voltage applied to the excitation coil of a relay configured to regulate the power supply of a battery; calculating, by means of a logic determination device, the temperature of the relay based on the excitation voltage of the relay; calculating, by means of the logic determination device, the remaining life of the relay based on the calculated temperature of the relay; determining, by means of the logic determination device, whether a degradation failure of the relay has occurred or whether it has entered a degradation failure risk group based on the calculated temperature of the relay; determining, by means of the logic determination device, whether the relay has entered a degradation failure risk group based on the calculated remaining life of the relay; and outputting a warning by means of the logic determination device in response to the occurrence of a degradation failure of the relay or entry into a degradation failure risk group.

[0011] The method may further include: the logic determining device calculating the temperature of the relay using at least one of voltage-temperature data of the relay set by the relay manufacturer and voltage-temperature data of the relay obtained experimentally.

[0012] The method may further include: using the temperature difference between the relay temperature and a preset reference temperature, the number of high-temperature diagnostics, and the SN life curve to calculate the remaining life of the relay by a logic determination device.

[0013] The method may further include: in response to the calculated temperature of the relay exceeding a preset reference temperature, limiting the output of the battery by a logic determination device.

[0014] The method may further include: in response to the calculated number of times the temperature of the relay exceeds a preset reference temperature exceeding a preset number, the logic determination device determines that a relay deterioration fault has occurred.

[0015] The method may further include: in response to determining that a relay failure has occurred, stopping the vehicle from moving by a logic determination device.

[0016] The method may further include: in response to determining that the relay has entered the degradation failure risk group, the logic determining device displays the entry of the degradation failure risk group on the display and displays a vehicle maintenance guide message.

[0017] According to another aspect of this disclosure, a vehicle may include: an excitation voltage calculation and measurement device configured to detect an excitation voltage applied to an excitation coil of a relay configured to regulate the power supply of a battery; and a logic determination device configured to calculate the temperature of the relay based on the excitation voltage of the relay, and to calculate the remaining life of the relay based on the calculated temperature of the relay.

[0018] The logic determination device can be configured to calculate the temperature of the relay using at least one of voltage-temperature data of the relay set by the relay manufacturer and voltage-temperature data of the relay obtained experimentally.

[0019] The logic determination device can be configured to calculate the remaining life of the relay using the temperature difference between the relay's temperature and a preset reference temperature, the number of high-temperature diagnostics, and the SN life curve.

[0020] According to another aspect of this disclosure, a vehicle may include: an excitation voltage calculation and measurement device configured to detect an excitation voltage applied to the excitation coil of a relay configured to regulate the power supply of a battery; and a logic determination device configured to calculate the temperature of the relay based on the excitation voltage of the relay, calculate the remaining life of the relay based on the calculated temperature of the relay, determine whether a degradation failure of the relay has occurred or whether it has entered a degradation failure risk group based on the calculated temperature of the relay, determine whether the relay has entered a degradation failure risk group based on the calculated remaining life of the relay, and output a warning in response to the occurrence of a degradation failure of the relay or entry into a degradation failure risk group.

[0021] The logic determination device can be configured to calculate the temperature of the relay using at least one of voltage-temperature data of the relay set by the relay manufacturer and voltage-temperature data of the relay obtained experimentally.

[0022] The logic determination device can be configured to calculate the remaining life of the relay using the temperature difference between the relay's temperature and a preset reference temperature, the number of high-temperature diagnostics, and the SN life curve.

[0023] The logic determination device can be configured to limit the battery output in response to a calculated relay temperature exceeding a preset reference temperature.

[0024] The logic determination device can be configured to determine that a relay deterioration fault has occurred in response to the calculated number of times the relay temperature exceeds a preset reference temperature.

[0025] The logic determination device can be configured to stop the vehicle from moving in response to determining that a relay failure has occurred.

[0026] The logic determination device can be configured to, in response to the determination relay having entered the degradation failure risk group, display the entry of the degradation failure risk group on the display and display a vehicle maintenance guide message. Attached Figure Description

[0027] These and / or other aspects of this disclosure will become apparent and more readily understood from the following description of embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0028] Figure 1 This is a diagram illustrating a vehicle control system of one form of this disclosure.

[0029] Figure 2 This is a diagram illustrating the operation of a key component of a high-voltage relay for fault diagnosis in a vehicle, as described in this disclosure.

[0030] Figure 3 This is a diagram illustrating one form of the method for controlling a vehicle according to the present disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0031] Figure 1 This is a diagram illustrating some forms of vehicle control systems disclosed herein.

[0032] Figure 1 The battery management system 102 of the control system shown can perform diagnostics on the excitation coil 118 to predict and prepare for potential problems in the high-voltage relay 106, and output warning messages via the display 108 based on the diagnostic results to draw the driver's attention.

[0033] exist Figure 1 In this configuration, the high-voltage relay 106 can supply power from the high-voltage battery to the vehicle's electric motor. The high-voltage relay 106 may include an excitation coil 118 and a driver 120.

[0034] An excitation current Iex flows through the excitation coil 118. Through the action of this excitation current Iex, an electromagnetic force acts on the driver 120, causing the driver 120 to perform a mechanical reciprocating motion, thus switching the high-voltage relay 106 on / off. By rotating the high-voltage relay 106, the 12V voltage from the low-voltage battery 104 can be supplied to the electrical components.

[0035] The battery management system 102 may include a power supply 110, a controller 112, a switching device 114, an excitation voltage calculation and measurement device 116, and a logic determination device 122.

[0036] Power supply 110 can receive a 12V voltage from a low-voltage battery 104 (different from the high-voltage battery), generate an input voltage Vin, and supply the input voltage Vin to the switching device 114. The input voltage Vin is applied to the excitation coil 118 of the high-voltage relay 106 and is also used to calculate temperature and service life after the voltage (current) is applied to the excitation coil 118. Additionally, power supply 110 can generate a 5V supply voltage and supply it to the controller 112. The supply voltage can be used to operate the controller 112.

[0037] The controller 112 can generate an on / off signal for turning the switching device 114 on / off, and send the on / off signal to the switching device 114. When the switching device 114 is turned on, the input voltage Vin can be sent to the excitation voltage calculation and measurement device 116 through the switching device 114.

[0038] The switching device 114 can be turned on in response to the generation of the on / off signal of the controller 112, thereby applying the input voltage Vin to the excitation voltage calculation and measurement device 116, and the excitation voltage calculation and measurement device 116 can apply the excitation voltage Vex to the excitation coil 118 of the high voltage relay 106 in response to the application of the input voltage Vin.

[0039] The excitation voltage calculation and measurement device 116 can measure the magnitude of the excitation voltage Vex and send the value to the logic determination device 122 for storage.

[0040] The logic determination device 122 can perform a diagnosis of the high-voltage relay 106 based on the stored voltage data and send the diagnostic results to the controller 112. The controller 112 can take measures based on the diagnostic results provided by the logic determination device 122 to ensure vehicle safety. For example, the controller 112 can generate a warning via the display 108 or switch the vehicle's driving mode to a limp home mode that partially limits the vehicle's performance or functions.

[0041] Figure 2 This is a diagram illustrating the operation of the main components of some forms of high-voltage relays for vehicle fault diagnosis according to this disclosure.

[0042] like Figure 2 As shown, the excitation voltage calculation and measurement device 116 may be equipped with a pull-up resistor Rdiag and a voltage measuring device for measuring the magnitude of the excitation voltage Vex. The excitation voltage Vex can be measured by the voltage distribution between the pull-up resistor Rdiag and the coil resistance Rcoil (the resistive component of the excitation coil 118). The voltage measuring device can measure the voltage between the pull-up resistor Rdiag and the coil resistance Rcoil (i.e., the voltage across the coil resistance Rcoil) as the excitation voltage Vex and send the measured value to the logic determination device 122.

[0043] The logic determination device 122 can use the measurement result of the excitation voltage Vex provided by the voltage measurement device of the excitation voltage calculation measurement device 116 to determine whether the high voltage relay 106 has a deterioration fault or has entered the deterioration fault risk group.

[0044] The excitation coil 118 of the high-voltage relay 106 may be in the form of copper material wound around a magnetic material. When a fault occurs in the high-voltage relay 106 and the temperature of the driver 120 rises, the adjacent excitation coil 118 is affected by the increased temperature of the driver 120, and therefore the coil resistance Rcoil of the excitation coil 118 increases.

[0045] exist Figure 2 Since the pull-up resistor Rdiag is fixed, when the resistance of the coil resistor Rcoil increases due to the temperature rise of the driver 120, the magnetizing voltage Vex across the coil resistor Rcoil can also increase. Conversely, when the resistance of the coil resistor Rcoil decreases, the magnetizing voltage Vex across the coil resistor Rcoil can also decrease.

[0046] The logic determination device 122 can ensure that the voltage-temperature meter is on the datasheet provided by the manufacturer of the high-voltage relay 106 or on the voltage-temperature meter obtained in advance through experiments, and convert the excitation voltage Vex measured by the voltage-temperature meter during actual vehicle operation into the relay temperature Tr.

[0047] The logic determination device 122 can determine that the high-voltage relay 106 is overheating when the instantaneous relay temperature Tr is higher than a preset reference temperature Td, and limit the output of the low-voltage battery 104 Limit (coasting to zero mode). The preset reference temperature Td can be determined by taking into account the product specifications or experimental results of the high-voltage relay 106.

[0048] The logic determination device 122 can calculate the remaining life Lr of the relay using the temperature difference ΔT between the relay temperature Tr and the reference temperature Td, the number of high-temperature diagnostics N, and the SN life curve. The logic determination device 122 can provide the calculated remaining life Lr of the relay to the user via the display 108. When the remaining life Lr of the relay is less than the reference life Ld (a value set considering the life distribution), the logic determination device 122 can determine that the high-voltage relay 106 is overheating and belongs to the deterioration failure risk group, generate a warning for the deterioration failure risk group, and display a recommended vehicle maintenance guidance message on the display 108.

[0049] Figure 3 This is a diagram illustrating some forms of methods for controlling a vehicle as disclosed in this disclosure.

[0050] refer to Figure 3 When the vehicle's engine starts, the high-voltage relay 106 is switched on to supply power to the electronic components and can drive the vehicle (302 to 306).

[0051] The excitation voltage calculation and measurement device 116 can calculate / measure the excitation voltage Vex(320) applied to the excitation coil 118 of the high-voltage relay 106.

[0052] The logic determination device 122 can measure the relay temperature Tr of the high-voltage relay 106 based on the measured value of the excitation voltage Vex provided by the excitation voltage calculation and measurement device 116, and calculate the remaining life Lr of the relay using the temperature difference ΔT between the relay temperature Tr and the reference temperature Td, the number of high-temperature diagnostics N, and the SN life curve (322).

[0053] When the instantaneous relay temperature Tr is higher than the preset reference temperature Td (yes in 324), the logic determination device 122 can determine that the high voltage relay 106 is overheating, limit the output of the low voltage battery 104, and increase the number of high temperature diagnostics N to N+1 (326).

[0054] When the number of high-temperature diagnoses N exceeds the reference value Nd (Yes in 328), the logic determination device 122 can determine that a deterioration fault has occurred in the high-voltage relay 106, and display the occurrence of the deterioration fault in the high-voltage relay 106 on the display 108 (330). In response to the occurrence of the deterioration fault, the controller 112 can cooperate with other controllers of the vehicle to stop the vehicle from moving (332).

[0055] Additionally, when the instantaneous relay temperature Tr is higher than the preset reference temperature Td (in 324), the logic determination device 122 can determine that the high-voltage relay 106 is overheated and belongs to the deterioration fault risk group, generate a warning of the deterioration fault risk group (342), and display a guidance message for recommended vehicle maintenance (344) on the display 108.

[0056] Even if the remaining life Lr of the relay calculated in operation 322 is less than the preset reference life Ld (which is true in 340), the logic determination device 122 can determine that the high-voltage relay 106 is overheated and belongs to the deterioration failure risk group, generate a warning of the deterioration failure risk group (342), and display a guidance message for recommended vehicle maintenance (344) on the display 108.

[0057] According to embodiments of this disclosure, the service life of a high-voltage relay can be predicted based on the voltage across the excitation coil of the high-voltage relay, taking into account the relay's heating and temperature variations. Furthermore, the predicted service life information can be used to prepare for potential failures of the high-voltage relay.

[0058] The disclosed embodiments are merely illustrative of technical ideas, and those skilled in the art will understand that various modifications, alterations, and substitutions can be made without departing from the essential characteristics of the disclosed embodiments. Therefore, the exemplary embodiments and drawings disclosed above are not intended to limit the technical ideas, but rather to describe the spirit of the technology, and the scope of the technical ideas is not limited by the embodiments and drawings. The scope of protection should be interpreted by the appended claims, and all technical ideas within the equivalent scope should be interpreted as included within the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a vehicle, the method comprising the following steps: The excitation voltage applied to the excitation coil of the relay is detected by an excitation voltage calculation and measurement device. The relay is configured to regulate the power supply of the battery. The temperature of the relay is calculated by a logic determination device based on the excitation voltage; The logic determining device uses the temperature difference between the relay's temperature and a preset reference temperature, the number of high-temperature diagnostics, and the SN life curve to calculate the remaining life of the relay. When the calculated temperature of the relay exceeds the preset reference temperature, the logic determination device limits the output of the battery; and If the calculated number of times the temperature of the relay exceeds the preset reference temperature is greater than a preset number, the logic determination device determines that a degradation fault of the relay has occurred.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The method further includes the following steps: The logic determining device calculates the temperature of the relay using at least one of the voltage-temperature data of the relay set by the relay manufacturer and the voltage-temperature data of the relay obtained experimentally.

3. A method for controlling a vehicle, the method comprising the following steps: The excitation voltage applied to the excitation coil of the relay is detected by an excitation voltage calculation and measurement device. The relay is configured to regulate the power supply of the battery. The temperature of the relay is calculated by a logic determination device based on the excitation voltage; The logic determining device uses the temperature difference between the relay's temperature and a preset reference temperature, the number of high-temperature diagnostics, and the SN life curve to calculate the remaining life of the relay. The logic determining device determines, based on the calculated temperature of the relay, whether a degradation failure of the relay has occurred or whether the relay has entered a degradation failure risk group. The logic determining device determines whether the relay enters the degradation failure risk group based on the calculated remaining life of the relay; In response to the occurrence of the degradation fault of the relay or the entry into the degradation fault risk group, the logic determination device outputs a warning; When the calculated temperature of the relay exceeds the preset reference temperature, the logic determination device limits the output of the battery; and If the calculated number of times the temperature of the relay exceeds the preset reference temperature is greater than a preset number, the logic determination device determines that the degradation fault of the relay has occurred.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein, The method further includes the following steps: The logic determining device calculates the temperature of the relay using at least one of the voltage-temperature data of the relay set by the relay manufacturer and the voltage-temperature data of the relay obtained experimentally.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein, The method further includes the following steps: In response to determining that the relay has deteriorated, the logic determination device stops the vehicle from moving.

6. The method according to claim 3, wherein, The method further includes the following steps: In response to determining that the relay has entered the degradation failure risk group, the logic determining device displays the entry of the degradation failure risk group on the display and displays a vehicle maintenance guide message.

7. A vehicle comprising: An excitation voltage calculation and measurement device is configured to detect the excitation voltage applied to the excitation coil of a relay, the relay being configured to regulate the power supply of a battery; as well as The logic determining device is configured as follows: The temperature of the relay is calculated based on the excitation voltage of the relay; The remaining lifespan of the relay is calculated using the temperature difference between the relay's temperature and a preset reference temperature, the number of high-temperature diagnostics, and the SN life curve. When the calculated temperature of the relay exceeds the preset reference temperature, the output of the battery is limited; and When the calculated number of times the relay temperature exceeds the preset reference temperature is greater than a preset number, it is determined that the relay has deteriorated.

8. The vehicle according to claim 7, wherein, The logic determining device is further configured to: The temperature of the relay is calculated using at least one of the voltage-temperature data of the relay set by the relay manufacturer and the voltage-temperature data of the relay obtained experimentally.

9. A vehicle comprising: An excitation voltage calculation and measurement device is configured to detect the excitation voltage applied to the excitation coil of a relay, the relay being configured to regulate the power supply of a battery; as well as The logic determining device is configured as follows: The temperature of the relay is calculated based on the excitation voltage; The remaining lifespan of the relay is calculated using the temperature difference between the relay's temperature and a preset reference temperature, the number of high-temperature diagnostics, and the SN life curve. The calculated temperature of the relay is used to determine whether a degradation failure of the relay has occurred or whether the relay has entered a degradation failure risk group. Whether a relay enters the degradation failure risk group is determined based on the calculated remaining life of the relay. In response to the occurrence of the degradation fault of the relay or the entry into the degradation fault risk group, a warning is output; When the calculated temperature of the relay exceeds the preset reference temperature, the output of the battery is limited; and When the calculated number of times the relay temperature exceeds the preset reference temperature is greater than a preset number, it is determined that the relay has deteriorated.

10. The vehicle according to claim 9, wherein, The logic determining device is further configured to: The temperature of the relay is calculated using at least one of the voltage-temperature data of the relay set by the relay manufacturer and the voltage-temperature data of the relay obtained experimentally.

11. The vehicle according to claim 9, wherein, The logic determining device is further configured to: When it is determined that the relay has deteriorated, the vehicle is stopped from operating.

12. The vehicle according to claim 9, wherein, The logic determining device is further configured to: When it is determined that the relay has entered the degradation failure risk group, the entry of the degradation failure risk group is displayed on the screen; and a vehicle maintenance guide message is displayed.

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