Method of predicting remaining life of voltage-limiting element and electronic device

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a method of predicting a remaining life of a voltage limiting element and an electronic device. The method includes receiving a current sensing signal, the current sensing signal representing a current flowing through the voltage limiting element during an overvoltage period; determining an overvoltage parameter value of an overvoltage parameter during the overvoltage period based on the current sensing signal; and determining the remaining life of the voltage limiting element using an overvoltage model of the voltage limiting element based on a length of the overvoltage period and the overvoltage parameter value. Through the technical solution of the embodiments of the present disclosure, the accuracy of the prediction of the remaining life of the voltage limiting element is improved.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of electronic devices, and more particularly, to a method for predicting the remaining life of a voltage limiting element, an electronic device, a computer readable storage medium, and an electronic device. BACKGROUND

[0002] In order to protect electronic devices from damage caused by overvoltage, electronic devices are generally required to have overvoltage protection function. Overvoltage generally includes surges (such as suffering from lightning) occurring on the line or overvoltage of the power supply system. Surge protection device (SPD) is a commonly used device that can protect other devices on the line from the impact of surges, but the important elements inside itself, such as voltage limiting elements, such as metal oxide varistors (MOV), suppression diodes, etc., will have a certain degree of aging after surges. When the voltage limiting element is aged to a certain extent, the SPD will lose its protection ability, at which time the voltage limiting element needs to be replaced. In order to be able to prompt the user to replace the voltage limiting element in time, it is necessary to predict the aging degree or the remaining life of the voltage limiting element.

[0003] The known method for predicting the aging degree of the voltage limiting element at present is generally only for surges. The surge current is characterized by short time and large current, the time is microsecond level, and the current peak value is kiloampere level. However, this method does not consider the influence of the overvoltage of the power supply system itself (such as power frequency overvoltage) on the voltage limiting element, so the prediction result cannot truly reflect the remaining life of the voltage limiting element.

[0004] Another method for predicting the life of the voltage limiting element is to monitor the leakage current in the voltage limiting element, because the degree of loss of the voltage limiting element has a certain correlation with the leakage current. This method has higher accuracy requirements for testing, and the calculation is relatively complex. SUMMARY

[0005] Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method for predicting the remaining life of a voltage limiting element, an electronic device, a computer readable storage medium, and an electronic device to at least solve one of the above and other potential problems of the prior art.

[0006] According to one aspect of the disclosure, a method for predicting the remaining life of a voltage limiting element is provided. The method includes receiving a current sensing signal; determining an overvoltage parameter value of an overvoltage parameter during an overvoltage time period based on the current sensing signal; and determining the remaining life of the voltage limiting element using an overvoltage model of the voltage limiting element based on a length of the overvoltage time period and the overvoltage parameter value. Wherein the current sensing signal represents a current flowing through the voltage limiting element during the overvoltage time period. By predicting the remaining life of the voltage limiting element based on the current sensing signal and the overvoltage parameter through the overvoltage model, the remaining life of the voltage limiting element can be accurately predicted for various overvoltage conditions including power frequency overvoltage.

[0007] In some implementations, the method further includes determining the overvoltage time period based on a threshold current and a sampled current; and determining the length of the overvoltage time period based on a sampling period and a number of sampling points at which the current sensing signal is sampled during the overvoltage time period. By determining whether the voltage limiting element is overvoltage based on the threshold current and the sampled current, the overvoltage time period can be determined. By determining the length of the overvoltage time period based on the sampling period and the number of sampling points, the length of the overvoltage time period can be accurately determined.

[0008] In some implementations, the method further includes determining the overvoltage time period based on a threshold voltage and a voltage across the voltage limiting element; and determining the length of the overvoltage time period based on a sampling period and a number of sampling points at which the current sensing signal is sampled during the overvoltage time period. By determining whether the voltage limiting element is overvoltage based on the comparison of the overvoltage value and the threshold voltage, the overvoltage time period can be determined. By determining the length of the overvoltage time period based on the sampling period and the number of sampling points, the length of the overvoltage time period can be accurately determined.

[0009] In some implementations, determining the length of the overvoltage time period includes determining a length of an initial overvoltage time period, a length of a middle overvoltage time period, and a length of a final overvoltage time period based on the sampling period, the number of sampling points, and the sampled voltage value, wherein the initial overvoltage time period is a first unit time period containing a first overvoltage sampling point, and the final overvoltage time period is a second unit time period containing a last overvoltage sampling point; and accumulating the length of the initial overvoltage time period, the length of the middle overvoltage time period, and the length of the final overvoltage time period to obtain the length of the overvoltage time period. By considering the characteristics of the overvoltage waveform, the overvoltage time period is divided into the initial time period, the middle time period, and the final time period, and the length of the overvoltage time period can be accurately determined.

[0010] In some implementations, determining the length of the initial time period of the overvoltage includes determining whether the received sampled voltage exceeds a first threshold voltage, and if the sampled voltage exceeds the first threshold voltage, an absolute value of a difference between the sampled voltage and a previous sampled voltage exceeds a second threshold voltage, and an absolute value of the previous sampled voltage is smaller than an absolute value of the sampled voltage, determining a length of a time period between a time corresponding to the sampled voltage and a time at the end of the first unit time period as the length of the initial time period. By comparing the voltage sampling value with a predetermined threshold value, and by comparing two adjacent sampling values, it is possible to determine whether a mutation of the voltage occurs, and thus determine the initial time period of the overvoltage.

[0011] In some implementations, determining the end time period includes determining whether the received sampled voltage exceeds a first threshold voltage, and if the sampled voltage exceeds the first threshold voltage, an absolute value of a difference between the sampled voltage and a subsequent sampled voltage exceeds a second threshold voltage, and an absolute value of the sampled voltage is greater than an absolute value of the subsequent sampled voltage, determining a length of a time period between a start of the second unit time period and a time corresponding to the sampled voltage as the length of the end time period. By comparing the voltage sampling value with a predetermined threshold value, and by comparing two adjacent sampling values, it is possible to determine whether a mutation of the voltage occurs, and thus determine the end time period of the overvoltage.

[0012] In some implementations, determining the length of the intermediate time period includes determining whether the received sampled voltage exceeds a first threshold voltage, and if the sampled voltage exceeds the first threshold voltage, determining a length of a time period in which an absolute value of a difference between any two adjacent sampled voltages is lower than a second threshold value as the length of the intermediate time period. By comparing the voltage sampling value with a predetermined threshold value, and by comparing two adjacent sampling values, it is possible to determine whether a mutation of the voltage occurs, and thus determine the time period in which no mutation occurs as the intermediate time period.

[0013] In some implementations, determining the remaining life of the voltage-limiting element using the overvoltage model of the voltage-limiting element includes determining the life of the voltage-limiting element using at least one of a first model representing a correlation between a peak current and the life of the voltage-limiting element, a second model representing a correlation between a root mean square current and the life of the voltage-limiting element, a third model representing a correlation between a first product and the life of the voltage-limiting element, and a fourth model representing a correlation between a second product and the life of the voltage-limiting element, the first product being a product of a clamping voltage of the voltage-limiting element and the peak current, and the second product being a product of the root mean square current and the clamping voltage of the voltage-limiting element. By using a predetermined overvoltage model, it is possible to accurately predict the life of the voltage-limiting element remaining after the overvoltage.

[0014] In some implementations, determining the overvoltage parameter value of the overvoltage parameter during the overvoltage time period based on the current sensing signal includes determining a current peak value, a current effective value, a first product of a clamping voltage and the current peak value, and a second product of the current effective value and the clamping voltage during the overvoltage time period based on the current sensing signal. Since the overvoltage parameters mentioned above can be obtained more conveniently, the remaining life can be calculated quickly and accurately.

[0015] In some implementations, determining the overvoltage parameter value of the overvoltage parameter during the overvoltage time period based on the current sensing signal includes determining a plurality of unit time period overvoltage parameter values during a plurality of unit time periods during the overvoltage time period, and determining an average of the plurality of unit time period overvoltage parameter values corresponding to the plurality of unit time periods as the overvoltage parameter value. By determining the overvoltage parameter values during the plurality of time periods and taking the average, the overvoltage condition during the overvoltage time period can be more accurately reflected, thereby facilitating accurate prediction of the overvoltage life.

[0016] In some implementations, determining the remaining life of the voltage limiting element based on the length of the overvoltage time period and the overvoltage parameter value using the overvoltage model of the voltage limiting element includes determining an overvoltage loss of the voltage limiting element based on the length of the overvoltage time period and the overvoltage parameter value, and determining the remaining life of the voltage limiting element based on the initial life and the overvoltage loss. By determining the overvoltage loss during the overvoltage time period, the remaining life of the voltage limiting element can be determined based on the initial life.

[0017] In some implementations, determining the overvoltage loss of the voltage limiting element based on the length of the overvoltage time period and the overvoltage parameter value includes determining a plurality of unit overvoltage parameter values of the overvoltage parameter during a plurality of unit time periods based on the current sensing signal, respectively determining a plurality of unit losses of the voltage limiting element during the plurality of unit time periods by using the overvoltage model of the voltage limiting element based on the plurality of unit overvoltage parameter values, and accumulating the plurality of unit losses to obtain the overvoltage loss. By respectively determining the plurality of unit losses of the voltage limiting element during the plurality of unit time periods, the loss during each unit time period can be accurately determined, and thus the total overvoltage loss can be accurately determined.

[0018] According to another aspect of the embodiments of the present disclosure, an electronic device is provided. The electronic device includes a voltage-limiting element, a measurement circuit configured to measure the voltage-limiting element to obtain a current sensing signal representing a current flowing through the voltage-limiting element during an overvoltage period, and a processor configured to receive the current sensing signal, determine an overvoltage parameter value of an overvoltage parameter during the overvoltage period based on the current sensing signal, and determine a remaining life of the voltage-limiting element using an overvoltage model of the voltage-limiting element based on a length of the overvoltage period and the overvoltage parameter value. The electronic device can predict the remaining life of the voltage-limiting element, thereby being able to indicate a state of the voltage-limiting element to a user so that the user can replace the voltage-limiting element in time before the voltage-limiting element is about to be damaged.

[0019] In some implementations, the electronic device further includes an AD converter configured to perform analog-to-digital conversion on the current sensing signal obtained by the measurement circuit. The AD converter performs analog-to-digital conversion on the current sensing signal obtained by the measurement circuit, so that the processor can process the current sensing signal, thereby determining the remaining life of the voltage-limiting element.

[0020] In some implementations, the electronic device further includes a human-machine interface configured to indicate the state of the voltage-limiting element based on the remaining life of the voltage-limiting element determined by the processor. The human-machine interface enables the electronic device to intuitively interact with the user, display the state of the voltage-limiting element in real time, or remind the user to replace the voltage-limiting element in time.

[0021] According to another aspect of the embodiments of the present disclosure, a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program is provided. The program, when executed by a processor, implements any of the above methods.

[0022] According to another aspect of the embodiments of the present disclosure, an electronic device is provided. The electronic device includes a processor, and a memory storing instructions executable by the processor, which, when executed by the memory, cause the electronic device to perform any of the above methods.

[0023] It will be understood from the following description that the method for predicting the remaining life of the voltage-limiting element according to the embodiments of the present disclosure can improve the accuracy of predicting the remaining life of the voltage-limiting element, and is applicable to the case of line overvoltage, thereby widening the application range of the known method for predicting the remaining life of the voltage-limiting element.

[0024] The summary is provided to introduce some choices of concepts in a simplified form, which will be further described in the detailed description below. The summary is not intended to identify key or essential features of the present disclosure, nor is it intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Attached Figure Description

[0025] Figure 1 A schematic block diagram of an electronic device according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0026] Figure 2 A flowchart illustrating a method for predicting the remaining lifetime of a voltage-limiting element according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0027] Figure 3 The diagram illustrates a fitted curve showing the relationship between overvoltage parameters and lifetime of a voltage-limiting element according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0028] Figure 4 A waveform diagram of an overvoltage test according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure is shown; and

[0029] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of a processor according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0030] In the various figures, the same or corresponding reference numerals indicate the same or corresponding parts. Detailed Implementation

[0031] The principles of this disclosure will now be described with reference to various exemplary embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that these embodiments are described merely to enable those skilled in the art to better understand and further implement this disclosure, and are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure in any way. It should be noted that similar or identical reference numerals may be used in the figures where feasible, and similar or identical reference numerals may denote similar or identical functions. Those skilled in the art will readily recognize that alternative embodiments of the structures and methods described herein may be employed without departing from the principles of the invention as described herein.

[0032] The term "comprising" and its variations as used herein signify open inclusion, i.e., "including but not limited to". Unless otherwise stated, the term "or" means "and / or". The term "based on" means "at least partially based on". The terms "one example embodiment" and "one embodiment" mean "at least one example embodiment". The term "another embodiment" means "at least one additional embodiment". The terms "first", "second", etc., may refer to different or the same objects.

[0033] For voltage limiting elements, they have high impedance when there is no surge, but as the surge current and voltage rise, their impedance will continue to decrease. Common voltage limiting elements include varistors and suppressor diodes. As mentioned above, one known method of predicting the aging degree of voltage limiting elements does not take into account the effect of the power supply system's own overvoltage on the voltage limiting element, so the prediction result cannot truly reflect the remaining life of the voltage limiting element. Another method of predicting the life of voltage limiting elements is achieved by monitoring the leakage current in the voltage limiting element, which requires higher accuracy for testing and more complex calculations.

[0034] Embodiments of the present disclosure provide improved electronic devices and methods for predicting the remaining life of voltage limiting elements. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the remaining life of a voltage limiting element is determined by obtaining overvoltage parameters related to the voltage limiting element, such as peak current, and using an overvoltage model. The overvoltage model, for example, can be a relationship between the life of the voltage limiting element and the overvoltage parameters based on numerous tests, and can be pre-stored in the memory of the electronic device or obtained in real time from the cloud through network communication. The overvoltage model can be a curve representing the relationship between the life of the voltage limiting element and the overvoltage parameters, or a corresponding lookup table. According to the parameter values of the received overvoltage parameters, the remaining life of the voltage limiting element can be calculated based on the values of the related overvoltage parameters in the overvoltage model.

[0035] The method of predicting the life of voltage limiting elements of embodiments of the present disclosure can quantify the loss of the life of voltage limiting elements for various overvoltage conditions including power frequency overvoltage, thereby accurately and quickly predicting the remaining life of the voltage limiting elements.

[0036] The technical solutions according to example embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below in conjunction with Figures 1 to 5 The technical solutions according to example embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below in conjunction with Figure 1A schematic diagram of an electronic device 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. The electronic device 100 includes a voltage limiting element 102, a measurement circuit 104, an ADC 106, a processor 108, and a human machine interface (HMI) 110. In some embodiments, the voltage limiting element 102 can be a voltage sensitive resistor, such as a metal oxide varistor. In some embodiments, the voltage limiting element 102 can be a suppression diode. Voltage limiting elements 102 are typically used in parallel in a circuit, for example, in parallel with a load between a power line and a ground line. When the circuit is used normally, the voltage applied across the voltage limiting element 102 is below the threshold voltage of the voltage limiting element 102. At this time, the impedance of the voltage limiting element 102 is high, the leakage current is small, and it can be regarded as an open circuit. Once the voltage across the voltage limiting element 102 reaches the threshold voltage, the voltage limiting element 102 starts to conduct. At this time, the resistance in the voltage limiting element 102 drops rapidly, and a large current can flow through the voltage limiting element 102, thereby shunting the load to be protected.

[0037] The measurement circuit 104 tests the voltage limiting element 102 and collects relevant overvoltage parameters described in detail below. The ADC 106 AD converts the output of the measurement circuit 104, i.e., converts the analog signal collected by the measurement circuit 104 into a digital signal and provides it to the processor 108 for processing. Figure 1 In the embodiment shown, the ADC 106 is separate from the measurement circuit 104, however, embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited thereto. Alternatively, the ADC 106 can also be integrated with the measurement circuit 104.

[0038] The processor 108 receives the current sensing signal, determines the overvoltage parameter value of the overvoltage parameter during the overvoltage time period based on the current sensing signal, and determines the remaining life of the voltage limiting element 102 using an overvoltage model of the voltage limiting element based on the length of the overvoltage time period and the overvoltage parameter value. The electronic device 100 also includes an HMI 110, such as an indicator. The indicator can be, for example, an LED, a buzzer, etc. When the service life of the voltage limiting element 102 is about to end, the HMI 110 reminds the user to replace the voltage limiting element 102 in time. The HMI 110 can also be a button, through which the user can start or shut down the electronic device 100, for example. The HMI 110 is not limited to the indicators, buttons, etc. described above, but can also be any component that can achieve human-machine interaction. Figure 1 The structure of the electronic device 100 shown in the figure is only schematic, and embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to the specific structure described above, but can have various changes.

[0039] Figure 2A method flowchart for predicting the remaining life of a voltage limiting element according to embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. It should be understood that the method 200 can also include additional actions not shown and / or can omit actions shown, the scope of the disclosure is not limited in this regard. The method 200 can be performed by the electronic device 100 and Figure 1 Figure 5 the electronic device 800 in

[0040] At 202, the processor of the electronic device 100 receives a current sensing signal, where the current sensing signal represents a current flowing through the voltage limiting element 102 during an overvoltage period. In some embodiments, the current sensing signal can be obtained by the measurement circuit 104 sampling the current flowing through the voltage limiting element 102. In some embodiments, the measurement circuit 104 includes a current sensor, a voltage sensor, a transformer, etc. to directly or indirectly measure the current flowing through the voltage limiting element 102. The current sensing signal can be a regular periodic current or voltage signal or can be an irregular current or voltage signal.

[0041] At 204, an overvoltage parameter value of an overvoltage parameter during the overvoltage period is determined based on the current sensing signal. In some embodiments, the overvoltage parameter can include at least one of a current peak value Ipeak flowing through the voltage limiting element 102, a current root mean square value Irms, and a product of the current peak value Ipeak, the current root mean square value Irms, and a clamping voltage Uv, respectively. The current peak value Ipeak represents a value of the current waveform at a peak or a trough where the absolute value is the largest. The current root mean square value Irms is a root mean square current, which represents a current value of a direct current that is considered to be an effective value of an alternating current if the same amount of heat is generated by the two currents through the same resistance in the same time. The clamping voltage Uv can also be referred to as a conduction threshold voltage. When the voltage exceeds the clamping voltage Uv, the voltage limiting element 102 changes from an off state to an on state. For each voltage limiting element 102, the clamping voltage Uv is a fixed value. Through processing of multiple current or voltage sensing signals, the values of the above-mentioned overvoltage parameters, i.e., the overvoltage parameter value, can be determined. In the above-mentioned embodiments, whether the overvoltage is periodic or aperiodic, more than one peak waveform is included during the overvoltage, and the peak waveform (similarly, the current root mean square value, etc.) is related to the life of the voltage limiting element 102. The collection of the above-mentioned overvoltage parameters is relatively easy, and through the collection of these overvoltage parameters, the subsequent calculation using the overvoltage model is prepared.

[0042] ​In some embodiments, a plurality of unit time overvoltage parameter values in a plurality of unit time periods during the overvoltage period is first determined. The unit time period can be half of the period of the line voltage, i.e. T / 2, T being the period of the voltage on the line. That is, the overvoltage parameter value, e.g. Ipeak, or Irms, or the product thereof and Uv, in each T / 2 is determined. The average of the plurality of unit time overvoltage parameter values corresponding to the plurality of unit time periods can then be determined as the overvoltage parameter value, i.e. the average of the overvoltage parameter values in each T / 2 is determined as the overvoltage parameter value. In the above embodiments, by taking the unit time period as half of the period of the line voltage, it is ensured that in each T / 2 during the overvoltage period, there is a corresponding peak current Ipeak, so that the peak current Ipeak can be determined for each unit time period. By considering the overvoltage parameter values in a plurality of time periods and taking the average thereof, the overvoltage condition during the overvoltage period can be more accurately reflected, so as to facilitate accurate prediction of the overvoltage lifetime.

[0043] In some embodiments, the method further comprises determining the overvoltage period based on the sampled current and the threshold current. By sampling the current and the threshold current at a predetermined frequency, e.g. hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands of Hz, etc., and comparing the sampled values with the corresponding predetermined overvoltage threshold, it can be determined whether the voltage limiting element 102 is overvoltage, so as to determine the overvoltage period. For example, when a current signal exceeding the predetermined threshold current is detected, it can be determined that the voltage limiting element 102 has been in an overvoltage state. In the case where the start and end of the overvoltage state are determined, the overvoltage period can be determined. In addition, based on the sampling period and the number of sampling points during which the current sensing signal is sampled during the overvoltage period, the length of the overvoltage period can be determined. For example, the sampling period is Ts, and the total number of sampling points in the overvoltage period is M, then the length of the overvoltage period is Ts*M.

[0044] Alternatively, the overvoltage period can also be determined based on the voltage across the voltage limiting element 102 and the threshold voltage. For example, by comparing the voltage across the voltage limiting element 102 with the threshold voltage, it can be determined whether the voltage limiting element 102 is in a conducting state. By determining the time at which the voltage limiting element 102 initially starts to conduct during the period and the time at which it finally becomes cut-off, the overvoltage period can be determined. That is, the period between the first sampling point exceeding the threshold voltage during the overvoltage period and the last sampling point exceeding the threshold voltage during the overvoltage period can be determined as the overvoltage period. By determining whether the voltage limiting element 102 is conducting through comparison of the sampled voltage value and the threshold voltage, the period of overvoltage is determined, and then the length of the overvoltage period is determined through the sampling period and the number of sampling points.

[0045] In some embodiments, the length of the overvoltage time period can be determined based on a number of sampling points and a sampling period at which the current sensing signal is sampled during the overvoltage time period.

[0046] The method of obtaining the overvoltage model of the voltage limiting element 102 will be described below. Figures 3 to 4 The overvoltage model of the voltage limiting element represents the relationship between the lifetime of the voltage limiting element 102 and the overvoltage parameter. The overvoltage model can be obtained by measuring the corresponding relationship between the overvoltage parameter and the service life for a plurality of voltage limiting elements respectively, and by fitting. For example, a plurality of voltage limiting elements manufactured by the same process can be considered to have substantially the same lifetime. By randomly selecting some voltage limiting elements from the plurality of voltage limiting elements and testing different overvoltage parameters thereof, the overvoltage model for the plurality of voltage limiting elements can be obtained. The overvoltage model can be pre-stored in the memory of the electronic device or pre-stored in the cloud for subsequent prediction of the remaining life by the electronic device.

[0047] In order to predict the lifetime of the voltage limiting element under overvoltage, it is necessary to determine the relationship between the lifetime of the voltage limiting element and the voltage and current under overvoltage. In some embodiments of the present application, an experimental method is used to obtain the relationship between the lifetime of the voltage limiting element and the voltage and current.

[0048] In some embodiments, during the testing of the voltage limiting element, a certain overvoltage is applied across the voltage limiting element, i.e. a voltage exceeding the threshold voltage of the voltage limiting element. In the case where the applied overvoltage is not direct current, the overvoltage refers to the voltage exceeding the threshold voltage included in the applied voltage within a predetermined time period, without requiring the voltage value at all time points to exceed the threshold voltage. Then the total time that the voltage limiting element can withstand is measured. Thus, by this method, the total withstand time of the voltage limiting element under various voltage and current conditions can be obtained. The relationship between the relevant overvoltage parameter and the lifetime of the voltage limiting element is then obtained by curve fitting.

[0049] In some embodiments, the applied voltage is a voltage obtained by boosting the power frequency voltage (220V, 50Hz). For example, 800V, 750V, 650V, etc. It should be noted that the voltages listed here are only illustrative, and the present disclosure is not limited to the listed values.

[0050] For example, the test current (expected short-circuit current) in the voltage limiting element can be determined according to different overvoltage values applied first. The expected short-circuit current refers to the current value flowing through the voltage limiting element when the voltage limiting element is in a short-circuit state. For the same model of voltage limiting element, the same overvoltage is applied, and the corresponding test current may be different. This is because different resistance values can be connected in series in the circuit during the test of the voltage limiting element. Thus, the expected short-circuit current in the test circuit may be different under the same overvoltage.

[0051] In some embodiments, one of Ipeak (peak current) and Irms (current effective value) in the voltage limiting element and the endurance time can be measured when the overvoltage is applied across the voltage limiting element; and Uv*Ipeak and Irms*Uv are calculated. Wherein Uv is the clamping voltage of the voltage limiting element, which can also be referred to as the conduction threshold voltage. The endurance time indicates the time duration of the voltage limiting element from the start of conduction to the final failure under the voltage.

[0052] As can be seen, in the above embodiments, the life of the voltage limiting element is determined by applying an overvoltage to turn on the voltage limiting element until the end of life. The overvoltage parameters (Ipeak, Irms, Uv*Ipeak, Irms*Uv) and the endurance time are recorded. Then, by testing a plurality of sample voltage limiting elements, a fitting curve representing the correlation between the overvoltage parameters and the endurance time can be generated. Through the fitting curve, the functional relationship between the two can be determined.

[0053] In some embodiments, there can be multiple current peaks during the overvoltage, and the average of the absolute values of all Ipeak can be taken as the Ipeak during the overvoltage, and then the fitting curve is obtained.

[0054] The above embodiments are described by taking the generation of the fitting curve representing the correlation between the two as an example. The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to the above manner, but can have various modifications. For example, a corresponding table can be generated according to the tested overvoltage parameters and endurance time, and the specific overvoltage parameters and their corresponding endurance time are recorded in the table. The fitting curve and the table can be stored in the memory of the electronic device or in the cloud for use.

[0055] Figure 3 A fitting curve diagram of the correlation between the overvoltage parameters of the voltage limiting element and the life of the voltage limiting element according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is schematically shown. As Figure 3As shown, the ordinate is lifetime, in millisecond (ms). The abscissa is overvoltage parameter, wherein the overvoltage parameter can be one of the following: Ipeak, Irms, Ipeak*Uv, Irms*Uv. The corresponding overvoltage parameter can be selected according to actual needs to obtain the above-mentioned correlation.

[0056] A fitting curve representing the correlation between the ordinate and the abscissa can be obtained through the multiple test points. In some embodiments, the fitting curve can be automatically generated by software based on the multiple test points, or can be obtained by manual calculation based on the multiple test points according to a predetermined algorithm. The fitting curve is one of the overvoltage models mentioned above.

[0057] As mentioned above, Uv is the clamping voltage of the voltage limiting element, i.e. the threshold voltage. For each voltage limiting element, Uv is a fixed value. However, there is a deviation of ±10% due to individual differences. Therefore, considering the individual differences, the product of Ipeak*Uv can be used as the abscissa to determine the correlation with the ordinate (lifetime).

[0058] In Figure 3 In the fitting curve shown, the fitting relationship can reflect the lifetime characteristics of the voltage limiting element under overvoltage when different overvoltage parameters are used as the abscissa, but there is a certain difference in accuracy. One of the curves with the best fitting degree can be selected as the basis for lifetime prediction. The fitting degree can be determined by the closeness of each value point obtained by testing to the fitting curve.

[0059] For example, in some embodiments, the relationship between lifetime and Ipeak is selected as the basis for lifetime prediction:

[0060] lifetime=F(Ipeak)

[0061] The above formula shows that the lifetime of the voltage limiting element is a function of Ipeak. For different types of voltage limiting elements, the specific expression of the function F will be different, which can be obtained by testing.

[0062] Similarly, according to actual conditions, the functions lifetime=F(Ipeak*Uv), lifetime=F(Irms), or lifetime=F(Irms*Uv) can also be selected.

[0063] The above Figure 3 The above describes a method for obtaining an overvoltage model of a voltage limiting element. However, the method for obtaining an overvoltage model of a voltage limiting element in the embodiments of the present disclosure is not limited to using the above-mentioned overvoltage parameters, but other overvoltage parameters can also be used.

[0064] It should be noted that the numerical values described herein and elsewhere in this document are merely for illustrative and exemplary purposes and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure in any way. Any other numerical values are possible. The method shown herein is merely exemplary and embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to this specific method but can vary.

[0065] In the above embodiments, the overvoltage is mainly illustrated as a voltage similar to a power frequency voltage. However, the scheme of embodiments of the present disclosure is not limited to the amplitude and frequency of the overvoltage in the above embodiments but can have other amplitudes and frequencies. Moreover, it is obvious that the voltage waveform of the overvoltage is not limited to a sine wave but can be any other waveform including irregular waveforms.

[0066] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the overvoltage parameters are illustrated by taking Ipeak, Irms, Uv*Ipeak, Irms*Uv as examples. However, the overvoltage parameters in embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to Ipeak, Irms, Uv*Ipeak, Irms*Uv but can also adopt other values, such as the product of Ipeak and the width of the current pulse, etc.

[0067] The scheme of embodiments of the present disclosure is not limited to the overvoltage prediction of the power supply system but can be applied to the prediction of surges in varying embodiments. As mentioned before, the surge current is characterized by a short time and a large current, with the time being in the order of microseconds and the current peak being in the order of kiloamperes. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, by adopting a higher sampling frequency, the prediction of the residual life of the voltage limiting element under overvoltage including surges can also be achieved.

[0068] The following will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings Figure 4 Further description will be given on how to determine the length of the overvoltage time period. Figure 4 The waveform schematic diagram of the overvoltage test according to embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. As shown in Figure 4 The upper part of FIG. 4 is a voltage waveform and the lower part is a corresponding current waveform. The horizontal coordinate in the figure is time, with the unit being ms. The vertical coordinate of the upper part is V and the vertical coordinate of the lower part is A. From Figure 4 It can be seen from the figure that the time of the horizontal coordinate is divided into multiple unit times, which is T / 2 in this embodiment. Wherein T represents the frequency of the overvoltage, such as 50Hz, 60Hz, 100Hz, 1000Hz, etc. Obviously, the above frequency values are merely illustrative and embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to the overvoltage with the above frequencies but can be any frequency of overvoltage. In addition, embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to the overvoltage with periodic frequency but can be applied to the overvoltage with non-periodic frequency.

[0069] In some embodiments, considering the voltage abrupt changes at the start and end of the overvoltage period, the overvoltage time calculation during these abrupt changes cannot be performed using the general method for non-abrupt changes. This is because the general method for non-abrupt changes can be simply obtained by multiplying the sampling period Ts by the number of sampling points N within each unit time period. However, during the unit time period when a voltage abrupt change occurs, the overvoltage waveform does not fill the entire unit time period, so the number of sampling points does not reach N, and therefore, it cannot be directly calculated using Ts*N. To address this issue, in some embodiments of this disclosure, the voltage waveform is subdivided into three types based on its shape: wavefront (starting time period), wave middle (middle time period), and wave tail (ending time period), as follows: Figure 4 As shown. The wavefront is the overvoltage waveform within the first unit time period of the overvoltage, such as the waveform within the first T / 2. The wavetail is the waveform within the last unit time period of the overvoltage, such as the waveform within the last T / 2. The wavemid is the normal overvoltage waveform between the wavefront and the wavetail.

[0070] In some embodiments, the lengths of the wavefront, wave middle, and wave tail are determined separately, and then summed to obtain the length of the overvoltage time period. The lengths of the wavefront, wave middle, and wave tail are determined as follows: based on the sampling period, the number of sampling points, and the sampled voltage value, the lengths of the start time period, the middle time period, and the end time period of the overvoltage are determined. The start time period of the overvoltage is the first unit time period including the first overvoltage sampling point, i.e., as mentioned above. Figure 4 The first T / 2 shown. The end time period of the overvoltage is the second unit time period that includes the last overvoltage sampling point, i.e., as mentioned above. Figure 4 The waveform shown is within the last T / 2 of the overvoltage period. The wave midpoint is the time interval between the two. After determining the wavefront, wave midpoint, and wave tail, the lengths of the overvoltage start time, the middle time, and the end time can be summed to obtain the length of the overvoltage duration. The first overvoltage sampling point refers to the first overvoltage point acquired at the very beginning of the overvoltage. For example, as shown... Figure 4 As shown in the image, the sampling point is located at the position indicated by the arrow on the left side of tw. The last overvoltage sampling point refers to the last overvoltage point collected just before the overvoltage ended. (See image for details.) Figure 4 As shown, the sampling point is located at the position indicated by the right arrow of tw.

[0071] In the above embodiments, by specifically considering the characteristics of the voltage waveform, the overvoltage time period is divided into a starting time period, an intermediate time period, and an ending time period, which are calculated respectively. Since this method takes into account that the length of the head and tail of the wave may not be sufficient for a unit time period T / 2, it is accurate to the specific mutation position, determines which sampling point the position corresponds to, and thus can accurately calculate the length of the head and tail of the wave by combining the sampling period Ts, thereby accurately calculating the overall overvoltage time period.

[0072] In some embodiments, the time tw of a single overvoltage can be calculated based on the voltage waveform. For example, it can be determined from the voltage waveform when the voltage limiting element 102 starts to conduct and when it becomes cut-off, so that the time period during which the voltage limiting element 102 conducts, i.e. the overvoltage time period, can be determined. Then the length of the overvoltage time period is calculated by the sampling period Ts and the total number of sampling points.

[0073] In some embodiments, the length of the starting time period of overvoltage is determined by determining whether the received sampling voltage exceeds a first threshold voltage, for example, the first threshold voltage is the conduction threshold voltage of the voltage limiting element 102. If the sampling voltage exceeds the first threshold voltage, it indicates that there is overvoltage. In the case where the sampling voltage exceeds the first threshold voltage, it is determined whether the absolute value of the difference between the sampling voltage and the previous sampling voltage exceeds a second threshold voltage, which can be less than the first threshold voltage but greater than a certain predetermined value. If the determination result is yes, it indicates that there is a mutation in the voltage at this point. It is possible that this is the head of the wave or the tail of the wave, which needs to be further determined. It is determined whether the absolute value of the previous sampling voltage is less than the absolute value of the sampling voltage. If the determination result is yes, it is determined that this time period is the head, i.e. the starting time. Thus, the length of the time period between the time corresponding to the sampling voltage and the end of the first unit time period is determined as the length of the starting time period.

[0074] In other words, the head of the wave can be determined by determining whether there is a voltage sampling point in the sampling points that exceeds Uv; determining whether there is a mutation in the voltage values of the two adjacent sampling points, i.e. satisfying the condition abs(U(i+1)-U(i))>U_THRESHOLD, i.e. the voltage values of the two adjacent sampling points are greater than a predetermined threshold, and determining whether the absolute value of the sampling point voltage before the mutation is less than the absolute value of the sampling point voltage after the mutation, i.e. satisfying the condition abs(U(i))<abs(U(i+1)), where i is an integer greater than 0.

[0075] If the determination results of the above conditions are all yes, the length of the time period between the time corresponding to the first sampling voltage and the end of the first unit time period is determined as the length of the starting time period. Figure 4As shown, the time period between the time point at which the voltage mutation occurs (the time point indicated by the left arrow of tw) and the time ts at which the first unit time period ends in the figure is determined as the start time period of the overvoltage.

[0076] In the above embodiment, by comparing the voltage sampling value with the predetermined threshold value and by comparing the two adjacent sampling values, it can be determined whether the voltage has a mutation, thereby determining the start time period of the overvoltage.

[0077] In some embodiments, the end time period is determined by determining whether the received sampling voltage exceeds a first threshold voltage. As mentioned before, if the sampling voltage exceeds the first threshold voltage, it indicates that there is an overvoltage. It is judged whether the absolute value of the difference between the sampling voltage and the next sampling voltage exceeds a second threshold voltage. Here, the first and second threshold voltages are the same as the first and second threshold voltages mentioned before. If the judgment result is yes, it indicates that there is a mutation in the voltage here. It is possible that it is the wave head or the wave tail, which needs to be further determined. It is judged whether the absolute value of the sampling voltage is greater than the absolute value of the next sampling voltage. If the judgment result is yes, it is determined that this time period is the wave tail, i.e. the end time period. Thus, the length of the time period between the start of the second unit time period and the time point corresponding to the sampling voltage can be determined as the length of the end time period. Figure 4 As shown, the voltage waveform between the start time te of the second unit time period and the time point at which the voltage mutation occurs (the time point indicated by the right arrow of tw) in the figure is determined as the end time of the overvoltage.

[0078] In other words, the wave tail is determined by the following method: it is determined whether there is a voltage sampling point exceeding Uv. It is determined whether there is a mutation in the voltage values of the two adjacent sampling points, i.e. the condition abs(U(i+1)-U(i))>U_THRESHOLD is met, i.e. the absolute value of the difference between the voltage values of the two adjacent sampling points is greater than the predetermined threshold value. It is determined whether the absolute value of the sampling point voltage before the mutation is greater than the absolute value of the sampling point voltage after the mutation, i.e. the condition abs(U(i))>abs(U(i+1)) is met.

[0079] If the judgment results of the above conditions are all yes, the length of the time period between the start of the second unit time period and the time point corresponding to the sampling voltage is determined as the length of the end time period.

[0080] In the above embodiment, by comparing the voltage sampling value with the predetermined threshold value and by comparing the two adjacent sampling values, it can be determined whether the voltage has a mutation, thereby determining the end time period of the overvoltage.

[0081] In some embodiments, the length of the intermediate time period is determined by determining whether the received sampling voltage exceeds a first threshold voltage, where the first threshold voltage can be the turn-on threshold voltage of the voltage-limiting element 102. If the sampling voltage exceeds the first threshold voltage, it indicates that there is an overvoltage. If the sampling voltage exceeds the first threshold voltage, it is determined whether the absolute value of the difference between any two adjacent sampling voltages is lower than a second threshold, where the second threshold can be the clamping potential of the voltage-limiting element 102. Here, the first and second threshold voltages are the same as the first and second threshold voltages mentioned above. If the determination result is yes, it indicates that there is no voltage mutation in the time period, and the length of the time period is determined as the length of the intermediate time period.

[0082] In other words, the wave is determined by determining whether there is a sampling point of voltage exceeding Uv, and determining whether there is no mutation between the voltage values of two adjacent sampling points. If the determination results of the above conditions are both yes, it is determined that the unit time period is in the intermediate time period.

[0083] In the above embodiments, by comparing the voltage sampling value with the predetermined threshold value, and by comparing two adjacent sampling values, it can be determined whether the voltage has a mutation, so as to determine the intermediate time period of the overvoltage.

[0084] In some embodiments, for the overvoltage in the intermediate time period, the length of the unit time period can be calculated by multiplying the sampling period Ts by the number of sampling points N in the unit time period. Then the total length of the intermediate time period of the overvoltage can be determined based on the number of unit time periods. For example, L unit time periods, and the length of the intermediate time period is Ts*N*L.

[0085] In some embodiments, for the overvoltage in the initial time period, the length of the initial time period of the overvoltage can be determined based on the sampling period Ts and the number of sampling points after the first overvoltage sampling point in the first unit time period. For example, the first overvoltage sampling point is the i-th sampling point in T / 2, and the number of sampling points after the first overvoltage sampling point in the first unit time period is N-i. Therefore, the length of the initial time period is Ts*(N-i).

[0086] In some embodiments, for the length of the end time period of overvoltage, the length of the end time period of overvoltage can be determined based on the sampling period Ts and the number of sampling points before the last overvoltage sampling point in the second unit time period. For example, if the last overvoltage sampling point is the i-th sampling point in the T / 2, the number of sampling points before the last overvoltage sampling point in the second unit time period is i. Therefore, the length of the start time period is Ts*i.

[0087] Figure 4 The voltage and current waveforms shown are only schematic waveforms of overvoltage of the voltage limiting element in some embodiments of the present disclosure, and it is obvious that the overvoltage waveforms of the voltage limiting element in embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to the shapes and amplitudes described above, but can have various changes. The selection method of the unit time period described above is also not limited to the method in the above embodiments, but can be selected in other ways.

[0088] At 206, the remaining life of the voltage limiting element 102 is determined using the overvoltage model of the voltage limiting element 102 based on the length of the overvoltage time period and the overvoltage parameter value.

[0089] In some embodiments, the remaining life of the voltage-limited element 102 can be determined by using one of the following models: a first model representing the correlation between the current peak value and the life of the voltage-limited element 102, for example, the first model can be a fitting curve reflecting the relationship between Ipeak and the life of the voltage-limited element 102; a second model representing the correlation between the current effective value and the life of the voltage-limited element 102, for example, the second model can be a fitting curve reflecting the relationship between Irms and the life of the voltage-limited element 102; a third model representing the correlation between the first product and the life of the voltage-limited element 102, for example, the third model can be a fitting curve reflecting the relationship between the first product and the life of the voltage-limited element 102; a fourth model representing the correlation between the second product and the life of the voltage-limited element 102, for example, the fourth model can be a fitting curve reflecting the relationship between the second product and the life of the voltage-limited element 102. The first product is the product of the clamping voltage of the voltage-limited element 102 and the current peak value, and the second product is the product of the current effective value and the clamping voltage of the voltage-limited element 102. The overvoltage model can be a curve representing the relationship between the life of the voltage-limited element 102 and the overvoltage parameter, or a corresponding data table. In some embodiments, as described above, the overvoltage model can be determined by experimental methods. In the above embodiments, the remaining life of the voltage-limited element 102 after overvoltage can be accurately predicted by using the predetermined overvoltage model. The above models are only exemplary, and the overvoltage model of the embodiments of the present disclosure is not limited to the above models.

[0090] In some embodiments, the following one of the overvoltage parameters is determined based on the current sensing signal: the current peak value Ipeak during the overvoltage time period, the current effective value Irms, the first product of the clamping voltage Uv and the current peak value Ipeak, and the second product of the current effective value Irms and the clamping voltage Uv. In the above embodiments, the above overvoltage parameters can be conveniently obtained for comparison, thereby preparing for the calculation of the remaining life and simplifying the prediction process.

[0091] In some embodiments, the overvoltage parameter value of each unit time period is determined during the overvoltage time period. As mentioned before, the unit time period can be half of the period of the voltage on the line, i.e. T / 2, where T is the period of the voltage on the line. The average of the overvoltage parameter values of the unit time periods corresponding to the unit time periods is determined as the overvoltage parameter value. For example, after Ipeak in each T / 2 is determined, the Ipeak in all T / 2 is averaged to obtain the Ipeak during the overvoltage time period. In the above embodiments, by considering the overvoltage parameter values in multiple time periods and averaging them, the overvoltage condition during the overvoltage period can be more accurately reflected, thus facilitating accurate prediction of the overvoltage life.

[0092] In some embodiments, the overvoltage loss of the voltage limiting element 102 is determined based on the length of the overvoltage time period and the overvoltage parameter value. After the length of the overvoltage time period and the overvoltage parameter value are determined, the life loss during the overvoltage time period, i.e. the overvoltage loss, can be calculated by using the overvoltage model. The overvoltage loss can be a relative value, i.e. a percentage value; or an absolute value, e.g. a specific loss time. The remaining life of the voltage limiting element 102 can then be determined based on the initial life and the overvoltage loss. The remaining life can be a relative value, i.e. a percentage value of the remaining life, which can be obtained by subtracting the percentage of the loss from 100%. The remaining life can also be an absolute value, which can be obtained by subtracting the life of the loss from the original life. In the above embodiments, by determining the overvoltage loss during the overvoltage time period, the remaining life of the voltage limiting element 102 after experiencing the overvoltage can be determined based on the initial life.

[0093] In some embodiments, the overvoltage parameter values of the unit time periods are determined based on the current sensing signal. For example, Ipeak*Uv in each T / 2 is determined; and based on the overvoltage parameter values of the unit time periods, the unit losses of the voltage limiting element 102 in the unit time periods are respectively determined by using the overvoltage model of the voltage limiting element 102. That is, in T / 2, the life of the voltage limiting element 102 in the T / 2 is predicted by using the overvoltage model, based on which the life loss of the voltage limiting element 102 in the T / 2, i.e. the unit loss, can be determined; and the total overvoltage loss can be obtained by accumulating the unit losses. In the above embodiments, by respectively determining the unit losses of the voltage limiting element 102 in the unit time periods, the total overvoltage loss can be accurately determined.

[0094] The above embodiments will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Figures 3 to 4Further description is made on how to determine the remaining life of the voltage limiting element 102 based on the length of the overvoltage period and the overvoltage parameter value using the overvoltage model of the voltage limiting element 102.

[0095] In some embodiments, the expected endurance time (life) of the voltage limiting element 102 under the current profile can be calculated. First, the length of the overvoltage period can be determined by the current profile. As mentioned before, the overvoltage period can be determined by comparing the sampled current with a predetermined current threshold value, and the voltage limiting element 102 is determined to be in the conducting state when the sampled current is greater than the predetermined current threshold value. By determining the time at which the voltage limiting element 102 initially starts to conduct and the time at which the voltage limiting element 102 finally becomes cut-off by the current value, the length of the overvoltage period can be determined. Further, the expected life, i.e. the expected endurance time, of the overvoltage period can be determined based on the length of the overvoltage period and based on the overvoltage parameters, such as Ipeak, Irms, etc., and using the overvoltage model.

[0096] In some embodiments, the life consumption of the voltage limiting element 102 for one overvoltage is tw / Life-time, where tw represents the time of the one overvoltage period, and Life-time represents the expected endurance time of the overvoltage period.

[0097] In some embodiments, for periodic overvoltage, since one I peak , peak may not be the same, it is necessary to calculate the life consumption for each T / 2, i.e. using the following formula to calculate respectively:

[0098] L1 = t1 / F(I peak1 ),

[0099] L2 = t2 / F(I peak2 ),

[0100] …

[0101] Ln = tn / F(I peakn ).

[0102] where t1, t2…tn are the overvoltage time in the unit time period, that is, for the periodic overvoltage waveform, in addition to the waveform at both ends, the middle t2…tn-1 are equal, all T / 2, where F(I peaki ) represents the functional relationship between the expected life in the ith time period and the peak current in the time period. The functional relationship can be obtained by the method described above. Figure 5

[0103] ​In this embodiment, the life consumption of the voltage limiting element 102 caused by this overvoltage is obtained by accumulating the life consumption in each unit time period, i.e., Ls = L1 + L2 + … + Ln. Therefore, in this embodiment, the remaining life is 100% - Ls.

[0104] In the above embodiments, Ipeak is taken as an example for illustration. It is obvious that the overvoltage parameter of the embodiments of the present disclosure is not limited to Ipeak, but can adopt other overvoltage parameters mentioned above. In the above embodiments, Ipeak of each T / 2 time period is calculated respectively, and the life consumption of each is calculated. The embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to the above manner. In some other embodiments, the average value of the absolute values of each Ipeak is taken as Ipeak of this overvoltage, so as to calculate the life consumption. The specific process is not described in detail.

[0105] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of a processor according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0106] As shown in Figure 5 The electronic device 500 includes a processor 510 that controls the operation and functions of the electronic device 500. For example, in certain example embodiments, the processor 510 can perform various operations by means of instructions 530 stored in a memory 520 coupled thereto. The memory 520 can be of any suitable type appropriate to the local technical environment, and can be realized using any suitable data storage technology, including but not limited to semiconductor-based memory devices, magnetic memory devices and systems, optical memory devices and systems. Although ​ Although only one memory unit is shown in the figure, there can be multiple physically different memory units in the electronic device 500.

[0107] The processor 510 can be of any suitable type appropriate to the local technical environment, and can include but is not limited to one or more of a general purpose computer, a special purpose computer, a microcontroller, a digital signal controller (DSP), and one or more of a controller-based multi-core controller architecture. The electronic device 500 can also include multiple processors 510. The processor 510 can be coupled with a communication unit (not shown). The communication unit can enable the reception and transmission of information by radio signals or by means of optical fibers, cables and / or other means.

[0108] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a computer readable storage medium is also provided, which stores a computer program, and the program is executed by a processor to implement the above method of the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0109] In addition, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, an electronic device is also provided, comprising: a processor; a memory storing instructions executable by the processor, when the instructions are executed by the memory, the electronic device performs the method described above.

[0110] The voltage limiting element described in the above embodiments can be a pressure sensitive resistor or a suppressor diode. Among them, the pressure sensitive resistor can typically be a metal oxide varistor. Of course, the embodiments described taking the pressure sensitive resistor and the suppressor diode as representatives are the preferred embodiments of the present disclosure, but the voltage limiting element is not limited to the pressure sensitive resistor and the suppressor diode, and the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present disclosure can also be applied to other voltage limiting elements.

[0111] The above has described the embodiments of the present disclosure, the above description is exemplary, only for optional embodiments of the present disclosure, and is not exhaustive, and is not used to limit the present disclosure. Although the claims in the present application have been made for specific combinations of features, it should be understood that the scope of the present disclosure also includes any novel features or any novel combinations of features disclosed herein, whether or not it relates to the same solution in any of the presently claimed claims. The applicant hereby informs that new claims can be made during the examination of the present application or any further application derived therefrom to these features and / or combinations of these features.

[0112] The choice of terms used herein is intended to best explain the principles of the embodiments, practical applications, or technical improvements in the market, or to enable other ordinary skilled persons in the art to understand the embodiments disclosed herein. The present disclosure can have various modifications and changes for those skilled in the art. Any modification, equivalent replacement, improvement, etc. within the spirit and principles of the present disclosure shall be included in the protection scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A method for predicting the remaining lifetime of a voltage-limiting component, comprising: Receive a current sensing signal, the current sensing signal representing the current flowing through the voltage limiting element during the overvoltage period; The overvoltage parameter value during the overvoltage time period is determined based on the current sensing signal. as well as Based on the length of the overvoltage period and the overvoltage parameter value, the remaining lifetime of the voltage-limiting element is determined using an overvoltage model of the voltage-limiting element. The overvoltage time period is determined based on the voltage across the voltage-limiting element and the threshold voltage. as well as The length of the overvoltage time period is determined based on the sampling period and the number of sampling points during which the current sensing signal is sampled during the overvoltage time period. The voltage applied across the voltage-limiting element is obtained by boosting the power frequency voltage.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the length of the overpressure time period comprises: Based on the sampling period, the number of sampling points, and the sampling voltage value, the lengths of the starting time period, the middle time period, and the ending time period of the overvoltage are determined, wherein the starting time period of the overvoltage is a first unit time period including the first overvoltage sampling point, and the ending time period of the overvoltage is a second unit time period including the last overvoltage sampling point; and The length of the overpressure time period is obtained by summing the length of the start time period, the length of the middle time period, and the length of the end time period.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein determining the length of the initiation time period of the overpressure includes: Determine whether the received sampled voltage exceeds a first threshold voltage; as well as If the sampling voltage exceeds the first threshold voltage, the absolute value of the difference between the sampling voltage and the previous sampling voltage exceeds the second threshold voltage, and the absolute value of the previous sampling voltage is less than the absolute value of the sampling voltage, then the length of the time period between the time corresponding to the sampling voltage and the time at the end of the first unit time period is determined as the length of the starting time period.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein determining the end time period comprises: Determine whether the received sampled voltage exceeds the first threshold voltage; as well as If the sampled voltage exceeds the first threshold voltage, the absolute value of the difference between the sampled voltage and the next sampled voltage exceeds the second threshold voltage, and the absolute value of the sampled voltage is greater than the absolute value of the next sampled voltage, then the length of the time period from the beginning of the second unit time period to the time corresponding to the sampled voltage is determined as the length of the last time period.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein determining the length of the intermediate time period comprises: Determine whether the received sampled voltage exceeds the first threshold voltage; as well as If the sampled voltage exceeds the first threshold voltage, then the length of the time period in which the absolute value of the difference between any two adjacent sampled voltages is lower than the second threshold is determined as the length of the intermediate time period.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the remaining lifetime of the voltage-limiting element using an overvoltage model of the voltage-limiting element comprises: The lifetime of the voltage limiting element is determined using at least one of the following models: a first model representing the correlation between peak current and lifetime of the voltage limiting element; a second model representing the correlation between RMS current and lifetime of the voltage limiting element; a third model representing the correlation between a first product and lifetime of the voltage limiting element; and a fourth model representing the correlation between a second product and lifetime of the voltage limiting element. The first product is the product of the clamping voltage of the voltage limiting element and peak current, and the second product is the product of RMS current and clamping voltage of the voltage limiting element.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the overvoltage parameter value during the overvoltage time period based on the current sensing signal comprises: Based on the current sensing signal, the peak current, the effective current value, the clamping voltage and the first product of the peak current, and the effective current value and the clamping voltage are determined during the overvoltage period.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the overvoltage parameter value during the overvoltage time period based on the current sensing signal comprises: Determine multiple unit time interval overpressure parameter values ​​within multiple unit time intervals during the overpressure time period; as well as The average value of the overpressure parameter values ​​corresponding to the multiple unit time periods is determined as the overpressure parameter value.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the remaining lifetime of the voltage-limiting element using an overvoltage model of the voltage-limiting element based on the length of the overvoltage time period and the overvoltage parameter value comprises: Based on the length of the overvoltage time period and the overvoltage parameter value, the overvoltage loss of the voltage limiting element is determined; as well as The remaining lifetime of the voltage-limiting element is determined based on the initial lifetime and the overvoltage loss.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein determining the overvoltage loss of the voltage limiting element based on the length of the overvoltage time period and the overvoltage parameter value comprises: Based on the current sensing signal, determine multiple unit overvoltage parameter values ​​for the overvoltage parameter within multiple unit time periods; Based on the multiple unit overvoltage parameter values, and by using the overvoltage model of the voltage limiting element, the multiple unit losses of the voltage limiting element in the multiple unit time periods are determined respectively. as well as The multiple unit losses are summed to obtain the overvoltage loss.

11. A method for predicting the remaining lifetime of a voltage-limiting component, comprising: Receive a current sensing signal, the current sensing signal representing the current flowing through the voltage limiting element during the overvoltage period; The overvoltage parameter value during the overvoltage time period is determined based on the current sensing signal. as well as Based on the length of the overvoltage period and the overvoltage parameter value, the remaining lifetime of the voltage-limiting element is determined using an overvoltage model of the voltage-limiting element. The method further includes: The overvoltage time period is determined based on the sampled current and the threshold current; and The length of the overvoltage time period is determined based on the sampling period and the number of sampling points during which the current sensing signal is sampled during the overvoltage time period. The voltage applied across the voltage-limiting element is obtained by boosting the power frequency voltage.

12. An electronic device comprising: Voltage limiting components; A measurement circuit is configured to measure the voltage-limiting element to obtain a current sensing signal, the current sensing signal representing the current flowing through the voltage-limiting element during an overvoltage period; as well as The processor is configured to receive the current sensing signal; The overvoltage parameter value during the overvoltage time period is determined based on the current sensing signal. And based on the length of the overvoltage period and the overvoltage parameter value, the remaining lifetime of the voltage limiting element is determined using an overvoltage model of the voltage limiting element; The processor is further configured to determine the overvoltage period based on the voltage across the voltage-limiting element and a threshold voltage; and to determine the length of the overvoltage period based on the sampling period and the number of sampling points for sampling the current sensing signal during the overvoltage period. The voltage applied across the voltage-limiting element is obtained by boosting the power frequency voltage.

13. The electronic device according to claim 12, further comprising: An AD converter is configured to perform analog-to-digital conversion on the current sensing signal acquired by the measurement circuit.

14. The electronic device according to claim 12, further comprising: The human-machine interface is configured to indicate the state of the voltage-limiting element based on the remaining lifetime of the voltage-limiting element determined by the processor.

15. A computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the method of any one of claims 1-11.

16. An electronic device comprising: processor; A memory storing instructions executable by the processor, which, when executed by the memory, cause the electronic device to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-11.

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