An electric vehicle wading water-proof control system and method

Abstract

This invention discloses a water-proof control system and method for electric vehicles. The control system includes a ventilation frame, a control unit, and a pressure control module. The control unit is connected to the ventilation frame via an electric drive module, which drives the ventilation frame to open and close. The output of the control unit is connected to the pressure control module, which controls the air pressure inside the vehicle to prevent water ingress. The control unit controls the operating states of the ventilation frame and the pressure control module according to the current water-proofing status of the vehicle. The advantages of this invention are: during minor water wading, the combined control of the vehicle's ventilation and air conditioning uses air pressure to prevent water from entering the vehicle, reducing or avoiding water ingress during wading.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of electric vehicle electrical control, and in particular to a control system and method for preventing electric vehicles from getting wet during wading, based on electrical control. Background Technology

[0002] Electric vehicles are high-voltage systems, containing high-voltage components such as battery packs and low-voltage components of 12V or 24V. Regardless of whether it's a high-voltage or low-voltage system, the safety risks posed by water ingress must be considered. In existing technologies, electric vehicles require slight water penetration during the rainy season. To ensure the safety and reliability of electric vehicles and avoid safety hazards such as electrical short circuits caused by water ingress, existing technologies often employ enhanced waterproof sealing designs for the electrical system, using sealing and other waterproofing techniques to address the risk of water ingress. For example, a waterproof electric vehicle motor controller with patent application number 201621355037.7 employs a double waterproof structure between the controller cover and the base plate, and between the controller cover and the connecting column, significantly improving the waterproof performance of the electric vehicle motor controller.

[0003] Waterproofing with a sealed design can solve the problem to some extent. However, waterproofing is generally designed for critical components such as the battery pack. Due to poor vehicle sealing and various assembly gaps, water ingress has a relatively small impact on waterproofed electrical components, but it poses safety risks to unsealed electrical components and even some wiring. Driving on flooded roads in cities exposes electric vehicles to the risk of rainwater entering the vehicle (especially older vehicles with poorer sealing). Water ingress can damage electronic equipment, wiring components, and interior trim. Even if electrical components are not immediately affected, the water cannot dry quickly, causing damage to interior parts and premature aging of wiring harnesses in a humid environment. Repairs for water damage are very expensive and complicated. Existing technologies can effectively solve the water ingress problem through sealing, but this is a structural sealing control. Since a 100% seal is not possible, minimizing or even preventing water ingress during light wading is a key consideration for vehicle electrical control. Existing technologies that only use sealed structures for waterproofing cannot meet this requirement. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and provide a water-proof control system and method for electric vehicles that prevents water from entering the vehicle during light wading. This system uses the ventilation and air conditioning in the vehicle to work together to prevent water from entering the vehicle by means of air pressure, thereby reducing or avoiding water entering the vehicle during wading.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows: an electric vehicle wading and water ingress prevention control system, the control system including a ventilation frame; the control system further including a control unit and a pressure control module; the control unit is connected to the ventilation frame through an electric drive module, and the ventilation frame is driven to open and close by the electric drive module; the output terminal of the control unit is connected to the pressure control module, and the pressure control module is used to control the air pressure inside the vehicle to prevent water ingress; the control unit controls the working state of the ventilation frame and the pressure control module respectively according to the current wading state of the vehicle.

[0006] The control unit is connected to the wading state triggering module, and the control unit determines whether it is currently in a wading state based on the signal from the wading state triggering module.

[0007] The water wading state triggering module includes a manual triggering module and / or an automatic triggering module; wherein the manual triggering module is operated by the user; the automatic triggering module automatically determines the water wading state based on the detected data, and both the manual triggering module and the automatic triggering module are connected to the control unit.

[0008] The control system also includes an in-vehicle air pressure sensor, which is used to collect in-vehicle air pressure data, and its output is connected to the control unit. The control unit controls the working state of the air pressure control module based on the in-vehicle air pressure data so that the in-vehicle air pressure is maintained within a set range when the vehicle is wading through water.

[0009] The control system also includes a wading depth sensor, which is used to detect wading depth data. Its output is connected to the control unit. The control unit adjusts the air pressure maintenance setting range based on the water depth value and controls the working state of the air pressure control module based on the air pressure setting range.

[0010] A method for preventing water ingress into an electric vehicle while wading involves determining whether to enter wading mode based on the current wading status of the vehicle. Once wading mode is entered, the ventilation frame is closed, and the interior of the vehicle is pressurized to make the air pressure inside the vehicle higher than the air pressure outside the vehicle, thereby preventing water from entering the vehicle through air pressure.

[0011] After entering the wading mode, adjust the air conditioning mode to external circulation using the air conditioning controller, and turn on the blower to pressurize the air inside the vehicle.

[0012] Entry into wading mode can be achieved through manual triggering or automatic triggering. Manual triggering is achieved using a wading mode switch, while automatic triggering is achieved by automatically determining the wading status based on detected data and outputting a trigger signal to automatically trigger entry into wading mode.

[0013] After entering the water ingress and wading mode, the blower is controlled to run at maximum speed to achieve a rapid increase in the air pressure inside the vehicle. The air pressure inside the vehicle is collected in real time, and the air pressure inside the vehicle is adjusted to be within the preset air pressure range by adjusting the speed of the blower.

[0014] After the conditions for ending the wading mode are met, exit the wading mode. At this time, open the ventilation frame and restore the air conditioning circulation mode and blower working status to the state before entering the wading mode through the air conditioning controller.

[0015] The advantages of this invention are: when wading through light water, the ventilation and air conditioning inside the vehicle work together to prevent water from entering the vehicle by means of air pressure, thereby reducing or avoiding water ingress when wading through water; the water ingress prevention is controlled only by the vehicle's hardware, reusing internal vehicle components, which is low-cost and easy to implement; the waterproofing is achieved by combining control strategies with existing sealing, providing double waterproofing protection and improving the reliability of the vehicle's water ingress prevention. Attached Figure Description

[0016] The following is a brief explanation of the contents of each of the accompanying drawings and the markings in the drawings:

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the electrical structure of the control system of the present invention;

[0018] Figure 2 This is a flowchart of the control method of the present invention.

[0019] The markings in the above diagrams are as follows: 1. VCU (built-in air pressure sensor), 2. Air conditioning controller, 3. Water wading mode switch, 4. Ventilation frame (with electric valve), 5. Air conditioning assembly, 6. External circulation motor, 7. Blower motor. Detailed Implementation

[0020] The specific embodiments of the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and the description of the preferred embodiments.

[0021] To address the issue of poor sealing or deterioration of the seal over time, which can allow water to enter the vehicle after it has been submerged in water, this solution utilizes air pressure to prevent water from entering the vehicle. This is achieved by pressurizing the vehicle's interior during wading, creating a higher air pressure inside than outside, thus preventing water from entering the vehicle. The specific solution is described below:

[0022] like Figure 1 As shown in the figure, this embodiment provides an electric vehicle wading and water ingress prevention control system. The control system includes a ventilation frame, a control unit, and an air pressure control module. The control unit is used to implement the wading control function. It acts as the main controller to implement the control. It can be integrated into the vehicle or integrated into the vehicle controller in the form of software to achieve reuse. In this embodiment, the vehicle controller (VCU) is used to achieve reuse.

[0023] The ventilation frame is electrically controlled, meaning it is opened and closed via electric valves. The control unit is connected to the ventilation frame via an electric drive module, which in turn drives the ventilation frame to open and close.

[0024] The output of the control unit is connected to the air pressure control module, which controls the air pressure inside the vehicle to prevent water from entering. The air pressure control module is used to adjust the air pressure inside the vehicle by increasing it, including pressurization control based on the control signal from the control unit.

[0025] The control unit controls the working status of the ventilation frame and the air pressure control module respectively according to the current water wading status of the vehicle, thereby realizing the water ingress prevention control under water wading conditions.

[0026] Its working principle is as follows: A wading mode is preset in the vehicle control unit (VCU). The system determines whether to enter wading mode based on the vehicle's current wading status. Once in wading mode, the VCU electrically closes the ventilation frame and simultaneously pressurizes the interior air pressure through the air pressure control module to make the interior air pressure higher than the exterior air pressure. This air pressure helps prevent water from entering the vehicle. Entering wading mode indicates a risk of water ingress. Water typically enters the vehicle through poorly sealed gaps. Therefore, to avoid or reduce water ingress, the interior air pressure is increased to a level higher than the exterior air pressure, exceeding a certain threshold. Maintaining this higher interior air pressure allows gas to escape through these gaps. During wading, the air pressure prevents water from entering the vehicle, thus achieving the goal of preventing water ingress.

[0027] In this embodiment, the air pressure control module is implemented using the vehicle's air conditioning system. The output of the vehicle control unit (VCU) is connected to the air conditioning controller. After entering wading mode, the VCU outputs a control signal to the air conditioning controller. The VCU then controls the air conditioning to switch to external circulation mode and simultaneously controls the blower to start blowing air into the vehicle, thereby pressurizing the interior. Before controlling the air conditioning controller to switch to external circulation and the blower to start, the VCU records and stores the current circulation mode and blower operating status, facilitating a quick return to the initial state after the wading mode ends.

[0028] The control unit is connected to the wading state triggering module. The control unit determines whether the current state is wading based on the signal from the wading state triggering module. The wading state triggering module includes a manual triggering module and / or an automatic triggering module; the manual triggering module is operated by the user; the automatic triggering module automatically determines the wading state based on detected data. Both the manual and automatic triggering modules are connected to the control unit.

[0029] The wading mode can be turned on and off manually or automatically, where:

[0030] When manually activated, the wading mode is turned on and off using a wading switch. This switch can be either a hard switch or a soft switch, located on the center console or multimedia host touchscreen. Users can turn the wading mode on or off based on the current wading conditions. When the wading mode is activated, the ventilation frame (exhaust system) on the electric vehicle uses an electric mechanism (closing via an electric valve to prevent exhaust). A wading mode switch is located on the dashboard, and the VCU (Vehicle Control Unit) has a built-in air pressure sensor. When water is detected on the road, the driver can activate the wading mode switch (indicator light illuminates). Upon receiving the wading switch signal, the VCU closes the electric valve of the ventilation frame. Simultaneously, the VCU sends a command to the air conditioning controller to activate the external air circulation and start the blower to pressurize the vehicle interior. When the car is wading, the air pressure inside the vehicle will be released to the outside through poorly sealed areas. This prevents or slows down the entry of rainwater into the vehicle through these areas, effectively avoiding or reducing the inconvenience and exorbitant repair costs caused by water ingress. This method can solve or reduce the problem of rainwater entering the vehicle when driving on flooded roads, thereby improving driving safety.

[0031] The automatic trigger module mainly detects the vehicle's water ingress status data and determines whether to trigger the wading mode. It uses water immersion sensors and water level sensors located in reasonable positions such as the vehicle chassis or front bumper to detect whether the vehicle is at risk of water ingress and determines whether to send a control signal to trigger the wading mode. When the water immersion sensor or water level sensor detects water ingress or the water level reaches a set value, it is determined that the vehicle is at risk of water ingress, and the wading mode is activated at this time.

[0032] In a preferred embodiment, a pressure sensor is installed inside the vehicle to collect interior air pressure data. Its output is connected to a control unit. The control unit uses this data to regulate the operation of the air pressure control module, ensuring the interior air pressure remains within a set range when the vehicle is wading through water. The pressure sensor collects the interior air pressure in real time because excessively high pressure will cause discomfort to the driver or passengers, while excessively low pressure will prevent water from entering the vehicle. Therefore, it is necessary to control the interior air pressure within a reasonable range. This pressure setting range can be pre-calibrated to maximize water resistance while ensuring the comfort of the occupants.

[0033] The air pressure setting range includes an upper and a lower limit. The upper limit is set to 1200 hPa, and the lower limit is set to 1150 hPa. The control principle after entering wading mode is as follows:

[0034] When an electric vehicle encounters a flooded section of road, the driver activates the wading mode switch on the dashboard, illuminating the indicator light. The VCU (Vehicle Control Unit) activates the electric valve on the ventilation frame to prevent air from escaping from the vehicle. Simultaneously, it sends a command to the air conditioning controller to activate the external air circulation and the blower to its maximum speed, increasing the cabin air pressure. At this point, the car can wade through water. The pressure forces air out through poorly sealed areas, offsetting or reducing water leakage. Once wading mode is activated, the VCU monitors the cabin air pressure in real time. When the pressure reaches the upper limit of 1200 hPa (which can be calibrated), the VCU commands the air conditioning controller to adjust the blower speed to lower the pressure. When the pressure reaches the lower limit of 1150 hPa (which can be calibrated), the VCU commands the air conditioning controller to adjust the blower speed to increase the pressure. By adjusting the blower speed, the air pressure inside the vehicle is maintained within a specific range. After the car passes through the flooded section of road, the driver turns off the wading mode switch, the indicator light goes out, the VCU drives the electric valve of the ventilation frame on the vehicle to open the exhaust passage, and at the same time sends a command to the air conditioning controller to turn off the blower, and the operation ends.

[0035] In a preferred embodiment, the control system further includes or is equipped with a wading depth sensor. The wading depth sensor detects wading depth data, and its output is connected to the control unit. The control unit adjusts the air pressure setting range based on the wading depth value and controls the operation of the air pressure control module based on the air pressure setting range. Because the pressure of water entering the vehicle through gaps in the chassis and other areas varies with different wading depths, the air pressure inside the vehicle also needs to be different to adapt to different wading depths. This avoids the inability to meet the requirements of precise control to prevent water ingress when using the same air pressure setting range for different wading depths. Since the deeper the wading depth, the greater the water pressure, and the greater the pressure of water entering the vehicle, the higher the air pressure needs to be to prevent or minimize water ingress. Therefore, dynamically adjusting the upper and lower limits of the air pressure setting range according to the wading depth can better meet the water ingress prevention requirements under different wading conditions, and then prevent water from outside the vehicle from seeping into the vehicle based on the set air pressure.

[0036] The system pre-calibrates and sets the upper and lower limits of the basic air pressure corresponding to the shallowest wading depth. These values ​​are stored in the VCU. When the wading depth is detected below the shallowest depth, the upper and lower limits are used as the set pressure range to control the vehicle's internal air pressure. When the wading depth is detected above the shallowest depth, the upper and lower limits are increased based on the wading depth, thus matching the requirements for different wading depths and preventing water from entering the vehicle. A threshold table for adjusting air pressure corresponding to different wading depths can be pre-calibrated. The adjustment value is obtained based on the water depth, and the adjusted value is added to the upper and lower limits to obtain the adjusted upper and lower limits, which serve as the set pressure range to meet the requirements for preventing water ingress into the vehicle.

[0037] The main principle behind this water-proofing solution is the difference in air pressure between the inside and outside of the vehicle. The higher air pressure inside the vehicle applies pressure to any loosely sealed gaps, causing gas to escape and preventing water from entering. After manually turning off the wading switch or after automatic detection of the wading phase, the wading mode is deactivated after a delay of T minutes. This serves two purposes: first, it prevents water adhering to the vehicle from slowly seeping in; second, because the air pressure inside the vehicle is significantly higher than the outside air pressure, a strong airflow is generated at the gaps, carrying away any water that may have entered the vehicle. This minimizes the risk of water entering the vehicle. Furthermore, the delayed deactivation of the wading mode further reduces the risk of water entering the vehicle by removing any water that may have entered. The delay time T for the wading mode is set according to the wading mode running time. The longer the wading mode running time, the longer the delay time T. The relationship between the wading mode running time and the delay time T is pre-calibrated. When a signal to turn off the wading mode is received, the wading mode will be turned off after a delay time T.

[0038] After the conditions for ending the wading mode are met, the system exits the wading mode after a delay of time T. Once the delay reaches the time threshold T, the wading mode is closed, the ventilation frame is opened, and the air conditioning controller restores the air conditioning circulation mode and blower operating status to their states before entering wading mode. Since the status information of the air conditioning blower and circulation mode was recorded before entering wading mode, the status information before wading mode was activated can be directly read, and then the recovery procedure can be executed to restore the previous state.

[0039] This embodiment also provides a method for preventing water ingress into an electric vehicle while wading. The method determines whether to enter wading mode based on the current wading status of the vehicle. After entering wading mode, the ventilation frame is closed, and the air pressure inside the vehicle is increased to make the air pressure inside the vehicle higher than the air pressure outside the vehicle, thereby preventing water from entering the vehicle through air pressure.

[0040] After entering the wading mode, adjust the air conditioning mode to external circulation using the air conditioning controller, and turn on the blower to pressurize the air inside the vehicle.

[0041] Entry into wading mode can be achieved through manual triggering or automatic triggering. Manual triggering is achieved using a wading mode switch, while automatic triggering is achieved by automatically determining the wading status based on detected data and outputting a trigger signal to automatically trigger entry into wading mode.

[0042] In wading mode, the blower is controlled to run at maximum speed to rapidly increase the air pressure inside the vehicle. The air pressure inside the vehicle is monitored in real time, and the blower speed is used to adjust the air pressure to a preset range. Running at maximum speed initially is the way to quickly increase the air pressure inside the vehicle, avoiding the risk of water ingress after wading due to a slow increase rate. A rapid increase ensures that the air pressure inside the vehicle is greater than the outside air pressure, reducing the possibility of water ingress, and potentially preventing it altogether. Therefore, after entering wading mode, the blower is first controlled to run at maximum power and maximum speed to quickly reach the set air pressure inside the vehicle. Once the set pressure is reached, the air pressure is then adjusted according to the upper and lower limits to ensure that the air pressure inside the vehicle is greater than the outside air pressure, reducing the risk of water ingress during wading.

[0043] The main principle behind this water-proofing solution is the difference in air pressure between the inside and outside of the vehicle. The higher air pressure inside the vehicle applies pressure to any loosely sealed gaps, causing gas to escape and preventing water from entering. After manually turning off the wading switch or after automatic detection of the wading phase, the wading mode is deactivated after a delay of T minutes. This serves two purposes: first, it prevents water adhering to the vehicle from slowly seeping in; second, because the air pressure inside the vehicle is significantly higher than the outside air pressure, a strong airflow is generated at the gaps, carrying away any water that may have entered the vehicle. This minimizes the risk of water entering the vehicle. Furthermore, the delayed deactivation of the wading mode further reduces the risk of water entering the vehicle by removing any water that may have entered. The delay time T for the wading mode is set according to the wading mode running time. The longer the wading mode running time, the longer the delay time T. The relationship between the wading mode running time and the delay time T is pre-calibrated. When a signal to turn off the wading mode is received, the wading mode will be turned off after a delay time T.

[0044] After the conditions for ending the wading mode are met, the system exits the wading mode after a delay of time T. Once the delay reaches the time threshold T, the wading mode is closed, the ventilation frame is opened, and the air conditioning controller restores the air conditioning circulation mode and blower operating status to their states before entering wading mode. Since the status information of the air conditioning blower and circulation mode was recorded before entering wading mode, the status information before wading mode was activated can be directly read, and then the recovery procedure can be executed to restore the previous state.

[0045] In a preferred embodiment, the control system further includes or is equipped with a wading depth sensor. The wading depth sensor detects wading depth data, and its output is connected to the control unit. The control unit adjusts the air pressure setting range based on the wading depth value and controls the operation of the air pressure control module based on the air pressure setting range. Because the pressure of water entering the vehicle through gaps in the chassis and other areas varies with different wading depths, the air pressure inside the vehicle also needs to be different to adapt to different wading depths. This avoids the inability to meet the requirements of precise control to prevent water ingress when using the same air pressure setting range for different wading depths. Since the deeper the wading depth, the greater the water pressure, and the greater the pressure of water entering the vehicle, the higher the air pressure needs to be to prevent or minimize water ingress. Therefore, dynamically adjusting the upper and lower limits of the air pressure setting range according to the wading depth can better meet the water ingress prevention requirements under different wading conditions, and then prevent water from outside the vehicle from seeping into the vehicle based on the set air pressure.

[0046] The system pre-calibrates and sets the upper and lower limits of the basic air pressure corresponding to the shallowest wading depth. These values ​​are stored in the VCU. When the wading depth is detected below the shallowest depth, the upper and lower limits are used as the set pressure range to control the vehicle's internal air pressure. When the wading depth is detected above the shallowest depth, the upper and lower limits are increased based on the wading depth, thus matching the requirements for different wading depths and preventing water from entering the vehicle. A threshold table for adjusting air pressure corresponding to different wading depths can be pre-calibrated. The adjustment value is obtained based on the water depth, and the adjusted value is added to the upper and lower limits to obtain the adjusted upper and lower limits, which serve as the set pressure range to meet the requirements for preventing water ingress into the vehicle.

[0047] Obviously, the specific implementation of this invention is not limited to the above-described methods. Any non-substantial improvements made using the inventive concept and technical solution of this invention are within the protection scope of this invention.

Claims

1. A water-proof control system for electric vehicles, the control system comprising a ventilation frame; characterized in that: The control system also includes a control unit and a pressure control module; the control unit is connected to the ventilation frame via an electric drive module, and the ventilation frame is driven to open and close via the electric drive module; the output of the control unit is connected to the pressure control module, and the pressure control module is used to control the air pressure inside the vehicle to prevent water from entering; the control unit controls the working status of the ventilation frame and the pressure control module respectively according to the current water wading status of the vehicle. After the wading switch is manually turned off or the wading mode is automatically detected to be finished, the wading mode will be turned off after a delay of T minutes. The delay time T is set according to the wading mode running time. The longer the wading mode running time, the longer the delay time T. The relationship between the wading mode running time and the delay time T is pre-calibrated. When the signal to turn off the wading mode is received, the wading mode will be turned off after a delay of T.

2. The electric vehicle wading and water ingress prevention control system as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The control unit is connected to the wading state triggering module, and the control unit determines whether it is currently in a wading state based on the signal from the wading state triggering module.

3. The electric vehicle wading and water ingress prevention control system as described in claim 2, characterized in that: The water wading state triggering module includes a manual triggering module and / or an automatic triggering module; wherein the manual triggering module is operated by the user; the automatic triggering module automatically determines the water wading state based on the detected data, and both the manual triggering module and the automatic triggering module are connected to the control unit.

4. A water-proof control system for electric vehicles as described in any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that: The control system also includes an in-vehicle air pressure sensor, which is used to collect in-vehicle air pressure data, and its output is connected to the control unit. The control unit controls the working state of the air pressure control module based on the in-vehicle air pressure data so that the in-vehicle air pressure is maintained within a set range when the vehicle is wading through water.

5. The electric vehicle wading and water ingress prevention control system as described in claim 4, characterized in that: The control system also includes a wading depth sensor, which is used to detect wading depth data. Its output is connected to the control unit. The control unit adjusts the air pressure maintenance setting range based on the water depth value and controls the working state of the air pressure control module based on the air pressure setting range.

6. A control method for an electric vehicle wading and flood-proof control system as described in any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that: Determine whether to enter wading mode based on the current water wading status of the vehicle. After entering wading mode, close the ventilation frame and pressurize the interior of the vehicle to make the air pressure inside the vehicle higher than the air pressure outside the vehicle, thereby preventing water from entering the vehicle through air pressure.

7. The control method of the electric vehicle wading and water ingress prevention control system as described in claim 6, characterized in that: After entering the wading mode, adjust the air conditioning mode to external circulation using the air conditioning controller, and turn on the blower to pressurize the air inside the vehicle.

8. The control method of the electric vehicle wading and water-proof control system as described in claim 6, characterized in that: Entry into wading mode can be achieved through manual triggering or automatic triggering. Manual triggering is achieved using a wading mode switch, while automatic triggering is achieved by automatically determining the wading status based on detected data and outputting a trigger signal to automatically trigger entry into wading mode.

9. The control method for the electric vehicle wading and flood-proof control system as described in any one of claims 6-7, characterized in that: After entering the water ingress and wading mode, the blower is controlled to run at maximum speed to achieve a rapid increase in the air pressure inside the vehicle. The air pressure inside the vehicle is collected in real time, and the air pressure inside the vehicle is adjusted to be within the preset air pressure range by adjusting the speed of the blower.

10. The control method of the electric vehicle wading and water-proof control system as described in any one of claims 6-7, characterized in that: After the conditions for ending the wading mode are met, exit the wading mode. At this time, open the ventilation frame and restore the air conditioning circulation mode and blower working status to the state before entering the wading mode through the air conditioning controller.

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