Vehicle with relay adhesion diagnosis function and relay adhesion diagnosis method

Abstract

A vehicle having a relay adhesion diagnosis function and a relay adhesion diagnosis method, the vehicle being configured to be connectable to a charger providing a charging voltage, and the vehicle including: a fuel cell configured to provide a stack voltage; a multiplexer configured to increase a level of the charging voltage or the stack voltage and output the charging voltage or the stack voltage having the increased level as a boosted voltage; a charging relay disposed between the charger and the multiplexer; and a battery configured to store electrical energy of the boosted voltage. The multiplexer includes: a booster connected between the charging relay and the battery and configured to generate the boosted voltage; and a converter controller configured to diagnose whether the charging relay is adhered using the sensing results of the input terminal voltage and the output terminal voltage of the charging relay.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a vehicle including a relay sticking diagnosis function and a relay sticking diagnosis method performed in the vehicle. Background Art

[0002] The currently mass-produced hydrogen fuel cell vehicles use hydrogen fuel cells and high-voltage batteries as power sources. The energy generated by the hydrogen fuel cell is boosted using a fuel cell DC-DC converter (FDC) arranged between the hydrogen fuel cell and the high-voltage battery, and the boosted energy is supplied to the motor, or the high-voltage battery is charged with the boosted energy. However, excessive use of the high-voltage battery may result in the inability to use the high-voltage battery to achieve electric vehicle (EV) driving or the inability to achieve initial startup of the fuel cell, and as a result, the vehicle may become inoperable.

[0003] In order to prevent the vehicle from becoming inoperable due to insufficient energy of the high-voltage battery, it is necessary to stably maintain the state of charge (SOC) value of the high-voltage battery by additionally charging the high-voltage battery. For this reason, research has been conducted to diagnose whether a charging relay that selectively connects a charger to FDC in a vehicle having an FDC function and a charging function is stuck.

[0004] The information included in this background of the disclosure is only for enhancement of understanding of the general background of the disclosure and should not be taken as an acknowledgment or any form of suggestion that this information forms the prior art already known to a person skilled in the art. Summary of the invention

[0005] Various aspects of the present disclosure are directed to providing a vehicle including a relay sticking diagnostic function and a relay sticking diagnostic method performed in the vehicle that substantially obviate one or more problems due to limitations and disadvantages of the related art.

[0006] Embodiments provide a vehicle configured to accurately diagnose whether a charging relay is stuck and a relay sticking diagnosis method performed in the vehicle.

[0007] However, objects to be achieved by the exemplary embodiments are not limited to the above objects, and other objects not mentioned herein will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description.

[0008] Other advantages, purposes and features of the present disclosure will be set forth in part in the following description, and will become apparent in part to those of ordinary skill in the art after examining the following, or may be learned from practice of the present disclosure. The purposes and other advantages of the present invention may be realized and obtained by the structures particularly pointed out in the written description and its claims and the accompanying drawings.

[0009] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a vehicle configured to be connectable to a charger providing a charging voltage may include: a fuel cell configured to provide a stack voltage; a multiplexer configured to increase the level of the charging voltage or the stack voltage and output the charging voltage or the stack voltage having the increased level as a boosted voltage; a charging relay arranged between the charger and the multiplexer; and a battery configured to store electrical energy of the boosted voltage, wherein the multiplexer may include: a booster connected between the charging relay and the battery and configured to generate the boosted voltage; and a converter controller configured to use sensing results of the input terminal voltage and the output terminal voltage of the charging relay to diagnose whether the charging relay is stuck.

[0010] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the vehicle may further include a mode switching unit configured to selectively connect the fuel cell to the multiplexer.

[0011] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the vehicle may further include an advanced controller configured to control on / off of the charging relay and the mode switching unit and control the converter controller to diagnose whether the charging relay is stuck.

[0012] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the multiplexer may further include a first capacitor connected between the booster and the charging relay.

[0013] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the multiplexer may further include a second capacitor connected between the booster and the battery.

[0014] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the vehicle may further include a battery management system configured to check whether charging of the battery is normally ended, output the check result to the high-level controller, and control on / off of a main relay included in the battery.

[0015] According to another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a relay sticking diagnosis method performed in the above-mentioned vehicle may include: controlling the output current of the charging relay according to whether the charging operation of the charger is ended normally; disconnecting the charging relay, and diagnosing whether the charging relay is stuck by adjusting the level of a first voltage measured at the output end of the charging relay to a target value and using the level difference between a second voltage measured again at the output end of the charging relay and a third voltage measured at the input end of the charging relay.

[0016] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, controlling the output terminal current may include: checking whether the charging operation ends normally or unexpectedly; when the charging operation ends normally, setting the output terminal current to 0 amperes; and when the charging operation ends unexpectedly, checking whether the output terminal current is less than a predetermined current level.

[0017] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, diagnosing whether a charging relay is stuck may include: controlling the level of a first voltage to a target value; measuring a second voltage; checking whether the absolute value of the level difference between the second voltage and the third voltage is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, and when the absolute value is greater than or equal to the predetermined value, determining that the charging relay has been normally disconnected, and when the absolute value is less than the predetermined value, determining that the charging relay has been stuck.

[0018] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the target value may correspond to a half of the level of the first voltage.

[0019] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, diagnosing whether the charging relay is stuck may further include issuing a notification that the charging relay has stuck.

[0020] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the relay sticking diagnostic method may further include: after diagnosing whether the charging relay is stuck, determining that a charging operation of the charger has been completed.

[0021] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the relay sticking diagnostic method may further include disconnecting the main relay.

[0022] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the relay sticking diagnostic method may further include discharging the first capacitor.

[0023] It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description of the present disclosure are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the disclosure as claimed.

[0024] The methods and apparatus of the present disclosure have other features and advantages that will be apparent from or set forth in more detail in the accompanying drawings and the following detailed description incorporated herein, which together serve to explain certain principles of the present disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] Figure 1 is a block diagram of a vehicle including a relay sticking diagnostic function according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0026] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 a circuit diagram of the illustrated charger and vehicle embodiment; and

[0027] Figure 3 is a flowchart for explaining a relay sticking diagnosis method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0028] It will be appreciated that the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, presenting somewhat simplified representations of various features illustrating the basic principles of the present disclosure. The specific design features of the present disclosure as included herein (including, for example, specific dimensions, orientations, locations, and shapes) will be determined in part by the specific intended application and use environment.

[0029] In the drawings, reference numbers refer to the same or equivalent components of the present disclosure throughout the several figures of the drawing. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] Reference will now be made in detail to various embodiments of the present disclosure, examples of which are shown in the accompanying drawings and described below. Although the present disclosure will be described in conjunction with exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, it should be understood that this specification is not intended to limit the present disclosure to those exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. On the other hand, the present disclosure is intended to cover not only the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, but also various replacements, modifications, equivalents and other embodiments that may be included within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims.

[0031] The present disclosure will now be described more fully below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are shown. However, the examples may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the exemplary embodiments set forth herein. Instead, these embodiments are provided to make the present disclosure more thorough and complete and to more fully convey the scope of the present disclosure to those skilled in the art.

[0032] It will be understood that when an element is referred to as being “on” or “under” another element, it can be directly on / under the element, and one or more intervening elements may also be present.

[0033] When an element is referred to as being “on” or “under”, “under the element” as well as “on the element” may be included based on the element.

[0034] Furthermore, relational terms such as “first,” “second,” “on / over,” and “below / under” are used merely to distinguish one object or element from another object or element but do not necessarily require or relate to any physical or logical relationship or sequence between the objects or elements.

[0035] Hereinafter, a vehicle 200 or 200A including a relay sticking diagnostic function and a relay sticking diagnostic method 400 performed in the vehicle according to various exemplary embodiments will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0036] Figure 1 is a block diagram of a vehicle 200 including a relay sticking diagnostic function according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0037] Figure 1 The vehicle 200 shown in the figure can be connected to the charger 100 and charged by the charger. That is, the charger 100 is an energy source provided outside the vehicle 200, not installed in the vehicle 200. The charger 100 can be, for example, a fast charger (or a high-speed charger) or a slow charger. The charger 100 can be connected to the vehicle 200 to supply a voltage (hereinafter referred to as a "charging voltage") to the vehicle 200, and the vehicle 200 can be charged using the charging voltage.

[0038] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a vehicle 200 may include a charging relay 210 , a fuel cell (or a fuel cell stack) 220 , a multiplexer 230 , a motor controller 240 , a battery (or a high voltage battery) 250 , a motor 260 , a mode switching unit 270 , an advanced controller 280 , and a battery management system (BMS) 290 .

[0039] The fuel cell 220 is configured to generate a voltage (hereinafter referred to as a “stack voltage”). That is, the fuel cell 220 may generate electricity through a chemical reaction between oxygen and hydrogen, and may output a stack voltage corresponding to the generated electricity.

[0040] For example, the fuel cell 220 may be a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (or a proton exchange membrane fuel cell) (PEMFC). However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0041] The multiplexer 230 may increase the level of the charging voltage or the stack voltage (i.e., boost the voltage), and may send the voltage having the increased level (hereinafter referred to as “boosted voltage”) to the battery 250 or to a load in the vehicle 200, such as the motor 260, through the motor controller 240. That is, the boosted voltage output from the multiplexer 230 may be used to drive the motor 260, or may be used to charge the battery 250.

[0042] For example, the level of the voltage charged in the battery 250 may be 800 volts, the level of the stack voltage generated by and output from the fuel cell 220 may be 350 volts, and the level of the charging voltage provided from the charger 100 may be 400 volts. In this case, the multiplexer 230 may boost the stack voltage of 350 volts or the charging voltage of 400 volts to 800 volts, and the battery 250 may be charged with the boosted voltage of 800 volts. However, when the level of the charging voltage is 800 volts, the charging voltage may not be boosted by the multiplexer 230, and the battery 250 may be directly connected to the charger 100 to be charged with the charging voltage of 800 volts.

[0043] In this manner, the multiplexer 230 according to the exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure may function as a step-up DC-DC converter.

[0044] In addition, the multiplexer 230 may receive power from the battery 250 and may supply the received power to the fuel cell 220 so that the fuel cell 220 operates. That is, the power supplied from the multiplexer 230 to the fuel cell 220 may be power required to drive the fuel cell 220.

[0045] The charging relay 210 is disposed between the charger 100 and the multiplexer 230 and is configured to selectively connect the charger 100 to the multiplexer 230 .

[0046] The mode switching unit 270 is disposed between the multiplexer 230 and each of the charging relay 210 and the fuel cell 220 , and is configured to selectively connect the charger 100 or the fuel cell 220 to the multiplexer 230 .

[0047] For example, the mode switching unit 270 may directly connect the charging relay 210 to the multiplexer 230 , or may directly connect the fuel cell 220 to the multiplexer 230 .

[0048] The battery 250 stores the electric energy of the boosted voltage output from the multiplexer 230. In addition, the electric energy stored in the battery 250 may be supplied to the fuel cell 220 to start (or drive) the fuel cell 220 or drive the motor 260.

[0049] The BMS 290 may check the state of the battery 250 , for example, check whether charging of the battery 250 has been normally ended, and may output the check result MCS to the high-level controller 280 to control the operation of the battery 250 .

[0050] The motor controller 240 may be disposed between the multiplexer 230 and the motor 260 to drive the motor 260 using the boosted voltage. For example, the motor controller 240 is configured as an inverter that converts the voltage provided from the battery 250 or the multiplexer 230 into a three-phase AC voltage and provides the converted three-phase AC voltage to the motor 260, and the motor 260 may be driven by the converted three-phase AC voltage. In the present manner, the motor 260 may be driven by the power received through the motor controller 240.

[0051] The high-level controller 280 is configured to control on / off of each of the charging relay 210 and the mode switching unit 270 and the operation of the multiplexer 230 .

[0052] That is, the charging relay 210 can be turned on or off in response to a control signal output from the high-level controller 280 to connect the charger 100 to the multiplexer 230 or disconnect the charger 100 from the multiplexer 230. In addition, under the control of the high-level controller 280, the mode switching unit 270 can connect the charging relay 210 to the multiplexer 230 or connect the fuel cell 220 to the multiplexer 230.

[0053] To this end, for example, the advanced controller 280 may be configured to control the charging relay 210 and the mode switching unit 270 based on vehicle ignition on / off state information and vehicle mode information provided from outside thereof. Under the control of the advanced controller 280, the vehicle 200 may operate in the following three modes.

[0054] First, in the fast charging mode in the vehicle IG OFF state, the high-level controller 280 may perform control so that the charging relay 210 is turned on, the mode switching unit 270 interrupts the connection between the fuel cell 220 and the multiplexer 230, and the charging relay 210 is connected to the multiplexer 230. Therefore, the charger 100 may be connected to the multiplexer 230, and the fuel cell 220 and the multiplexer 230 may be disconnected from each other. Therefore, the charging voltage from the charger 100 may be supplied to the multiplexer 230.

[0055] Next, in the fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) mode in the vehicle ignition on (IG ON) state, the high-level controller 280 may disconnect the charging relay 210 to interrupt the connection between the charging relay 210 and the multiplexer 230, and may be configured to control the mode switching unit 270 to connect the fuel cell 220 to the multiplexer 230. Therefore, the electric energy stored in the battery 250 may be converted into electric power for starting of the fuel cell 220, and the converted electric power may be supplied to the fuel cell 220 to drive the fuel cell 220. In addition, the stack voltage corresponding to the electric power generated by the fuel cell 220 may be supplied to the battery 250 or the motor 260 through the multiplexer 230.

[0056] Furthermore, in the EV mode instead of the FCEV mode, in the vehicle ignition start-on (IG ON) state, the advanced controller 280 may not control the multiplexer 230 , may disconnect the charging relay 210 to interrupt the connection between the charger 100 and the multiplexer 230 , and may be configured to control the mode switching unit 270 to interrupt the connection between the fuel cell 220 and the multiplexer 230 .

[0057] In addition, the high level controller 280 may be configured to control the multiplexer 230 to diagnose whether the charging relay 210 is stuck.

[0058] In the following, the Figure 1 An exemplary embodiment 200A of a vehicle 200 is shown in FIG.

[0059] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 Circuit diagrams of an embodiment 100A of a charger 100 and an embodiment 200A of a vehicle 200 are shown. Figure 2 The charger 100A and the vehicle 200A shown in FIG. 1 correspond to Figure 1 An exemplary embodiment of a charger 100 and a vehicle 200 is shown in FIG. Figure 2 Omitted in Figure 1 A diagram of motor controller 240 and motor 260 is shown in FIG.

[0060] The charger 100A includes a power source 110 and a diode D. The power source 110 is configured to provide a charging voltage. The charging voltage corresponds to a voltage across a positive output terminal PO1 (hereinafter referred to as a "first positive output terminal") and a negative output terminal NO1 (hereinafter referred to as a "first negative output terminal") of the power source 110. The diode D includes an anode connected to the positive output terminal PO1 of the power source 110 and a cathode connected to the charging relay 210A. Figure 1 The charger 100 shown in FIG. Figure 21 and 200A, but the vehicles 200 and 200A according to the exemplary embodiment are not limited to any specific form of the charger 100.

[0061] The charging relay 210A may include a first charging relay R1 and a second charging relay R2. The first charging relay R1 may be disposed between the cathode of the diode D and the multiplexer 230A, and the second charging relay R2 may be disposed between the first negative output terminal NO1 and the multiplexer 230A. For example, each of the first charging relay R1 and the second charging relay R2 may be turned on or off in response to a control signal provided from the high-level controller 280.

[0062] The mode switching unit 270A may include a mode relay R3. The mode relay R3 is connected between the first positive output terminal PO1 and the fuel cell 220, and the mode switching unit 270A connects the first negative output terminal NO1 to the fuel cell 220. For example, the mode relay R3 may be turned on or off in response to a control signal provided from the high-level controller 280.

[0063] When the mode relay R3 is turned off, the charging relay 210A and the multiplexer 230 may be directly connected to each other to form a circuit.

[0064] The multiplexer 230A may include a booster (or power module or power level converter) 232 and a converter controller 234. In addition, the multiplexer 230A may further include a first capacitor C1 and a second capacitor C2.

[0065] The booster 232 may be connected between the battery 250A and each of the charging relay 210A and the mode switching unit 270A to transmit the charging voltage from the charger 100A to the battery 250A, or to transmit a boosted voltage (i.e., a charging voltage or a stack voltage having an increased level) to the battery 250A. To this end, the booster 232 may include a plurality of inductors and a plurality of semiconductor switches.

[0066] For example, as shown in the drawing, the booster 232 may include first, second, and third inductors L1, L2, and L3 and first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth semiconductor switches SS1, SS2, SS3, SS4, SS5, and SS6.

[0067] Each of the first inductor L1, the second inductor L2, and the third inductor L3 includes one end connected to the charging relay 210A. The other end of the first inductor L1 may be connected between the first semiconductor switch SS1 and the fourth semiconductor switch SS4, the other end of the second inductor L2 may be connected between the second semiconductor switch SS2 and the fifth semiconductor switch SS5, and the other end of the third inductor L3 may be connected between the third semiconductor switch SS3 and the sixth semiconductor switch SS6.

[0068] For example, the first inductor L1 , the second inductor L2 , and the third inductor L3 may form a filter together with the first capacitor C1 and be configured to buffer electric energy.

[0069] The first semiconductor switch SS1, the second semiconductor switch SS2, the third semiconductor switch SS3, the fourth semiconductor switch SS4, the fifth semiconductor switch SS5 and the sixth semiconductor switch SS6 can be driven in response to the first switch control signal CS1, the second switch control signal CS2, the third switch control signal CS3, the fourth switch control signal CS4, the fifth switch control signal CS5 and the sixth switch control signal CS6, respectively.

[0070] The first semiconductor switch SS1 may be turned on (or switched on) or off (or disconnected) in response to the first switch control signal CS1, and may be connected between the other end of the first inductor L1 and the positive output terminal PO2 (hereinafter referred to as the “second positive output terminal”) of the booster 232. The first semiconductor switch SS1 may include a gate connected to the first switch control signal CS1, a drain connected to the other end of the first inductor L1, and a source connected to the second positive output terminal PO2.

[0071] The second semiconductor switch SS2 can be turned on or off in response to the second switch control signal CS2, and can be connected between the other end of the second inductor L2 and the second positive output terminal PO2. The second semiconductor switch SS2 may include: a gate connected to the second switch control signal CS2; a drain connected to the other end of the second inductor L2; and a source connected to the second positive output terminal PO2.

[0072] The third semiconductor switch SS3 may be turned on or off in response to a third switch control signal CS3, and may be connected between the other end of the third inductor L3 and the second positive output terminal PO2. The third semiconductor switch SS3 may include a gate connected to the third switch control signal CS3, a drain connected to the other end of the third inductor L3, and a source connected to the second positive output terminal PO2.

[0073] The fourth semiconductor switch SS4 may be turned on or off in response to a fourth switch control signal CS4, and may be connected between the other end of the first inductor L1 and a negative output terminal (hereinafter referred to as a "second negative output terminal") NO2 of the booster 232. The fourth semiconductor switch SS4 may include a gate connected to the fourth switch control signal CS4, a source connected to the other end of the first inductor L1, and a drain connected to the second negative output terminal NO2.

[0074] The fifth semiconductor switch SS5 may be turned on or off in response to a fifth switch control signal CS5, and may be connected between the other end of the second inductor L2 and the second negative output terminal NO2. The fifth semiconductor switch SS5 may include a gate connected to the fifth switch control signal CS5, a source connected to the other end of the second inductor L2, and a drain connected to the second negative output terminal NO2.

[0075] The sixth semiconductor switch SS6 may be turned on or off in response to a sixth switch control signal CS6, and may be connected between the other end of the third inductor L3 and the second negative output terminal NO2. The sixth semiconductor switch SS6 may include a gate connected to the sixth switch control signal CS6, a source connected to the other end of the third inductor L3, and a drain connected to the second negative output terminal NO2.

[0076] Each of the first semiconductor switch SS1, the second semiconductor switch SS2, the third semiconductor switch SS3, the fourth semiconductor switch SS4, the fifth semiconductor switch SS5, and the sixth semiconductor switch SS6 may be implemented as an insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) or a field effect transistor (FET). Figure 2 As shown in FIG. 1 , each of the first semiconductor switch SS1 , the second semiconductor switch SS2 , the third semiconductor switch SS3 , the fourth semiconductor switch SS4 , the fifth semiconductor switch SS5 , and the sixth semiconductor switch SS6 may be implemented as a transistor.

[0077] Converter controller 234 can use input terminal voltage VI of charging relay 210A (hereinafter, referred to as “third voltage”), output terminal voltage VO of charging relay 210A, and output terminal current I of charging relay 210A to diagnose whether charging relay 210A is stuck. Figure 3 Described later.

[0078] For example, the multiplexer 230A may sense the third voltage VI and the output terminal voltage VO, and may use the sensing result to diagnose whether the charging relay 210A is stuck.

[0079] In order to realize the above operation, although not shown in the figure, the converter controller 234 may include a current sensor, a voltage sensor, a drive pulse generating circuit, and an analog-to-digital converter (ADC). The voltage sensor may measure the voltage across each of the first capacitor C1 and the second capacitor C2. The current sensor may be connected to the first current sensor IS1, the second current sensor IS2, and the third current sensor IS3, and the current measured by each of the first current sensor IS1, the second current sensor IS2, and the third current sensor IS3 may be obtained. Thereafter, the measured voltage may be converted into a digital form in the ADC, and the measured current may be converted into a digital form in the ADC.

[0080] The driving pulse generating circuit generates a first switching control signal CS1, a second switching control signal CS2, a third switching control signal CS3, a fourth switching control signal CS4, a fifth switching control signal CS5 and a sixth switching control signal CS6 through pulse width modulation (PWM), and outputs the first switching control signal CS1, the second switching control signal CS2, the third switching control signal CS3, the fourth switching control signal CS4, the fifth switching control signal CS5 and the sixth switching control signal CS6 to the first semiconductor switch SS1, the second semiconductor switch SS2, the third semiconductor switch SS3, the fourth semiconductor switch SS4, the fifth semiconductor switch SS5 and the sixth semiconductor switch SS6, respectively.

[0081] The first current sensor IS1 is connected between the first inductor L1 and each of the first semiconductor switch SS1 and the fourth semiconductor switch SS4. The second current sensor IS2 is connected between the second inductor L2 and each of the second semiconductor switch SS2 and the fifth semiconductor switch SS5. The third current sensor IS3 is connected between the third inductor L3 and each of the third semiconductor switch SS3 and the sixth semiconductor switch SS6. The first current sensor IS1, the second current sensor IS2, and the third current sensor IS3 can measure the DC current input to the booster 232, and can output the measured current to the current sensor of the converter controller 234.

[0082] Advanced controller 280 may output a charging current target value or a charging voltage target value to converter controller 234. In order to comply with the charging current target value or the charging voltage target value required by advanced controller 280, converter controller 234 may be configured to generate first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth switch control signals CS1 to CS6 for controlling voltage / current to control on / off of first semiconductor switch SS1, second semiconductor switch SS2, third semiconductor switch SS3, fourth semiconductor switch SS4, fifth semiconductor switch SS5, and sixth semiconductor switch SS6.

[0083] The converter controller 234 may provide various pieces of status information, such as information related to a charging operation preparation state, a charging operation state, or a charging completion state, to the high-level controller 280. Here, the charging operation preparation state may indicate a state in which the charging operation of the charger 100A is ready. In other words, the operation preparation state may refer to a state before the charging operation of the charger 100A starts. In addition, the charging operation state may also refer to a state in which the charging operation of the charger 100A is being processed.

[0084] The first capacitor C1 may be connected between the booster 232 and each of the charging relay 210A and the mode switching unit 270A. That is, one end of the first capacitor C1 may be connected to the first charging relay R1, and the other end thereof may be connected to the second charging relay R2. The first capacitor C1 is configured to remove a ripple component from the DC voltage input to the booster 232, thereby preventing the ripple component from being input to the booster 232. In addition, the first capacitor C1 may also remove a ripple component from the DC voltage output by the booster 232 and supplied to the fuel cell 220, thereby preventing the ripple component from being input to the fuel cell 220.

[0085] The second capacitor C2 may be connected between the booster 232 and the battery 250A. That is, the second capacitor C2 may be connected between the second positive output terminal PO2 and the second negative output terminal NO2. The second capacitor C2 may remove a ripple component from the DC boosted voltage output by the booster 232 and provided to the battery 250A, thereby preventing the ripple component from being input to the battery 250A.

[0086] The battery 250A may include main relays R4, R5, and R6 and a power storage unit 252. The first main relay R4 may be connected between the second positive output terminal PO2 and the power storage unit 252, the third main relay R6 and the load LD connected in series to each other may be connected in parallel to the first main relay R4, and the second main relay R5 may be connected between the power storage unit 252 and the second negative output terminal NO2.

[0087] The BMS 290 may check whether charging has ended normally, and may output the check result to the advanced controller 280. In addition, the BMS 290 may be configured to control on / off of the first, second, and third main relays R4, R5, and R6 included in the battery 250A.

[0088] Hereinafter, a relay sticking diagnosis method performed in a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0089] Figure 3is a flowchart for explaining a relay sticking diagnosis method 400 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0090] Although for better understanding, according to Figure 3 The relay sticking diagnosis method 400 of the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. Figure 2 The relay adhesion diagnosis method 400 according to the exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure may also be performed in a device 200A shown in FIG. Figure 2 The configuration shown is performed in vehicles of different configurations.

[0091] Figure 3 The method 400 shown in FIG. 4 may be performed by the high-level controller 280, the converter controller 234, and the BMS 290. Alternatively, the high-level controller 280, the converter controller 234, and the BMS 290 may be integrated into a single controller including at least one processor.

[0092] First, the output terminal current I of the charging relay 210A is controlled according to whether the charging operation of the charger 100A is normally ended (steps 410 to 414 ).

[0093] In detail, it is checked whether the charging operation of the charger 210A ends normally or ends abruptly (step 410). For example, the state in which the charging operation of the charger 210A ends abruptly may be a state in which the charging relay 210A is disconnected after the main relays R4, R5, and R6 are automatically disconnected when the battery 250A is overheated or an overvoltage is applied to the battery 250A. For example, the BMS 290 may perform step 410 and may output the execution result to the advanced controller 280. For example, overvoltage may refer to a voltage greater than a maximum voltage that the battery can withstand, and overheating may refer to a heat greater than a maximum heat that the battery can withstand.

[0094] When the charging operation of the charger 100A ends unexpectedly, it is checked whether the level of the output terminal current I is less than the predetermined current level I1 (step 412 ). Thereafter, when the level of the output terminal current I is less than the predetermined current level I1 , the process proceeds to step 416 .

[0095] Alternatively, when the charging operation of the charger 100A ends normally, the output terminal current I is set to 0 ampere (A), and the process proceeds to step 416 (step 414 ).

[0096] After step 414 or when the level of the output terminal current I is less than the predetermined current level I1, the charging relay 210A is turned off (step 416).

[0097] In a state where the charging operation of the charger 100A ends unexpectedly, if the charging relay 210A is disconnected when the level of the output terminal current I is greater than the predetermined current level I1, the charging relay 210A may be damaged. In order to prevent this, in a state where the charging operation of the charger 100A ends unexpectedly, the charging relay 210A is disconnected after the level of the output terminal current I becomes less than the predetermined current level I1. For example, the predetermined current level I1 may be 3A to 7A, for example, 5A. However, exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited thereto.

[0098] The above steps 412 to 416 may be performed by the high-level controller 280. That is, in response to the result of step 410 being performed by the BMS 290, the high-level controller 280 may perform step 412 or 414, and may thereafter perform step 416.

[0099] After step 416, the level of voltage V1 (hereinafter referred to as "first voltage") measured at the output terminal of charging relay 210A is adjusted to a target value, and thereafter, using the level difference between voltage V2 (hereinafter referred to as "second voltage") measured again at the output terminal of charging relay 210A and third voltage V1 measured at the input terminal of charging relay 210A, it is diagnosed whether charging relay 210A is stuck (steps 418 to 426). Steps 418 to 426 may be performed by converter controller 234.

[0100] In detail, after step 416, the level of the first voltage is controlled to become a target value (step 418). For example, the target value may correspond to half of the level of the first voltage.

[0101] Thereafter, the second voltage is measured, and it is checked whether the absolute value of the level difference between the measured second voltage V2 and the third voltage VI is greater than or equal to the predetermined value K (step 420). If the charging relay 210A is in a sticking state, even after the level of the first voltage is adjusted to the target value, the difference between the third voltage VI at the input end of the charging relay 210A and the second voltage V2 at the output end (hereinafter referred to as "voltage difference") may be very small. Therefore, the predetermined value K may be set to be greater than the current very small voltage difference. For example, the predetermined value K may be set to any value in a positive integer greater than 1.

[0102] If the absolute value is greater than or equal to the predetermined value K, it is determined that the charging relay 210A has been normally disconnected (step 422). The state in which the absolute value is greater than or equal to the predetermined value K means that the absolute value of the level difference between the third voltage VI at the input terminal of the charging relay 210A and the second voltage V2 at the output terminal is greater than the above-mentioned very small voltage difference. Moreover, this means that the charging relay 210A has been disconnected instead of being turned on. Therefore, it can be determined that the charging relay 210A has been normally disconnected without sticking.

[0103] On the other hand, if the absolute value is less than the predetermined value K, it is determined that the charging relay 210A has been stuck (step 424). The state where the absolute value is less than the predetermined value K means that since the charging relay 210A is in the on state, there is a small voltage difference between the third voltage VI measured at the input end and the second voltage V2 measured at the output end. Therefore, it can be determined that the charging relay 210A has been stuck.

[0104] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, after step 424, it may be indicated that charging relay 210A has stuck (step 426). For example, converter controller 340 may notify high-level controller 280 that charging relay 210A has stuck. In addition, high-level controller 280 may notify a user that charging relay 210A has stuck through a user interface such as a speaker.

[0105] Meanwhile, after step 422 or 426, that is, after diagnosing whether charging relay 210A is stuck, it may be determined that the charging operation of charger 100A has been completed (step 428). Step 428 may be a step of determining that vehicle 200A is in a state where charging can be performed again, and this step may be performed by converter controller 230.

[0106] After step 428, the main relays R3, R4, and R5 are turned off (step 430). If the charging operation of the charger 100A ends unexpectedly, the main relays R4, R5, and R6 are automatically turned off, and therefore, there is no need to perform step 430. However, when the charging operation of the charger 100A ends normally, the main relays R4, R5, and R6 are in the on state, and therefore, step 430 is performed to turn off the main relays R4, R5, and R6.

[0107] Step 430 may be performed by the BMS 290 .

[0108] After step 430 , the first capacitor C1 is discharged (step 432 ). Thereafter, the vehicle 200A may be shut down. Step 432 may be performed by the converter controller 230 .

[0109] To help understand Figure 3With reference to the method 400 shown in FIG. 4 , three cases will be described below.

[0110] The first case is defined as a case where the charging operation of the charger 100A ends normally.

[0111] In this case, the third voltage V1 of the input terminal of the charging relay 210A may be 0 V, and the first voltage V1 of the output terminal of the charging relay 210A may be 400 V. In this case, step 418 is performed to control the level of the first voltage V1 (ie, 400 V) to a target value (ie, 200 V).

[0112] Thereafter, when the second voltage measured again at the output terminal of the charging relay 210A is 200 volts and the third voltage VI is 0 volts, the absolute value is greater than or equal to the predetermined value K, and therefore, it is determined that the charging relay 210A has been normally disconnected (step 422 ).

[0113] The second case is defined as a case where the charging operation of the charger 100A has ended unexpectedly and the charging relay 210A is not stuck.

[0114] In this case, the third voltage V1 at the input terminal of the charging relay 210A may be 400 V, and the first voltage V1 at the output terminal of the charging relay 210A may be 400 V. In this case, step 418 is performed to control the level of the first voltage V1 (i.e., 400 V) to a target value (i.e., 200 V).

[0115] Thereafter, when the second voltage measured at the output terminal of the charging relay 210A is 200 volts and the third voltage VI is 400 volts, the absolute value is greater than or equal to the predetermined value K, and therefore, it is determined that the charging relay 210A has been normally disconnected (step 422 ).

[0116] The third case is defined as a case where the charging operation of the charger 100A has ended unexpectedly and the charging relay 210A has stuck.

[0117] In this case, the third voltage V1 at the input terminal of the charging relay 210A may be 400 V, and the first voltage V1 at the output terminal of the charging relay 210A may be 400 V. In this case, step 418 is performed to control the level of the first voltage V1 (i.e., 400 V) to a target value (i.e., 200 V).

[0118] Thereafter, since the second voltage measured at the output terminal of the charging relay 210A is 200 volts and the charging relay 210A is in a stuck state (i.e., a conducting state), the third voltage V1 also becomes 200 volts instead of 400 volts, and thus the absolute value is smaller than the predetermined value K. Therefore, it is determined that the charging relay 210A has stuck, rather than being normally disconnected (step 426).

[0119] In the case where the charging operation is unexpectedly ended due to overheating of the battery 250 or 250A or application of an overvoltage thereto, when the third voltage VI at the input terminal of the charging relay 210 or 210A is temporarily maintained at 400 volts, the third voltage VI at the input terminal of the charging relay 210 or 210A and the first voltage V1 at the output terminal of the charging relay 210 or 210A may be temporarily maintained at 400 volts. In the present case, since the third voltage VI and the first voltage V1 are identical to each other, even when the charging relay 210 or 210A has been normally disconnected, it may be erroneously determined that the charging relay 210 or 210A has been stuck.

[0120] However, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, it may be accurately determined whether the charging relay 210 or 210A is normally disconnected or stuck by performing steps 418 to 424 .

[0121] As a result, regardless of the state of the residual voltage in the charger 100, by eliminating the possibility of misdiagnosing that the charging relay 210 or 210A is stuck, the vehicle 200 or 200A according to the above exemplary embodiment can accurately and efficiently diagnose whether the charging relay 210 or 210A is stuck, thereby improving the charging stability and thus improving the marketability of the product.

[0122] It is obvious from the above description that according to the vehicle including the relay sticking diagnostic function and the relay sticking diagnostic method performed in the vehicle of the implementation mode, by eliminating the possibility of misdiagnosing the charging relay sticking (regardless of the state of the voltage remaining in the charger), it is possible to accurately and efficiently diagnose whether the charging relay is stuck, thereby improving the charging stability and thus improving the marketability of the product.

[0123] However, effects achievable through the present disclosure are not limited to the above-mentioned effects, and other effects not mentioned herein will be clearly understood from the above description by those skilled in the art.

[0124] In addition, terms related to control devices such as "controller", "control means", "control unit", "control device", "control module", or "server" refer to hardware devices including a memory and a processor configured to execute one or more steps interpreted as an algorithmic structure. The memory stores the algorithmic steps, and the processor executes the algorithmic steps to perform one or more processes of the method according to various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. The control device according to the exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure may be implemented by a non-volatile memory and a processor, the non-volatile memory being configured to store algorithms for controlling the operation of various components of the vehicle or data about software commands for executing the algorithm, and the processor being configured to perform the above operations using data stored in the memory. The memory and the processor may be separate chips. Alternatively, the memory and the processor may be integrated in a single chip. The processor may be implemented as one or more processors. The processor may include various logic circuits and operating circuits, may be configured to process data according to a program provided from the memory, and may be configured to generate a control signal according to the processing results.

[0125] The control device may be at least one microprocessor operated by a predetermined program, and the predetermined program may include a series of commands for executing the methods included in the above-described various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0126] The aforementioned invention may also be embodied as a computer-readable code on a computer-readable recording medium. A computer-readable recording medium is any data storage device capable of storing data that can be subsequently read by a computer system and storing and executing program instructions that can subsequently be read by a computer system. Examples of computer-readable recording media include hard disk drives (HDDs), solid-state disks (SSDs), silicon disk drives (SDDs), read-only memories (ROMs), random access memories (RAMs), CD-ROMs, magnetic tapes, floppy disks, optical data storage devices, and the like, as well as implementations as carrier waves (e.g., transmissions over the Internet). Examples of program instructions include machine language codes (such as those generated by a compiler) and high-level language codes that can be executed by a computer using an interpreter or the like.

[0127] In various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, each of the operations described above may be performed by a control device, and the control device may be configured by a plurality of control devices or an integrated single control device.

[0128] In various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, the memory and the processor may be provided as one chip, or provided as separate chips.

[0129] In various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, the scope of the present disclosure includes software or machine executable commands (e.g., operating systems, applications, firmware, programs, etc.) for enabling operations of methods according to different embodiments to be executed on a device or computer, and non-transitory computer-readable media including such software or commands stored thereon and executable on a device or computer.

[0130] In various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, the control device may be implemented in the form of hardware or software, or may be implemented in a combination of hardware and software.

[0131] Furthermore, terms such as “unit”, “module” and the like included in the specification mean a unit for processing at least one function or operation, which can be implemented by hardware, software or a combination thereof.

[0132] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a vehicle may be referred to as being based on a concept including various vehicles. In some cases, a vehicle may be interpreted as being based on not only various land vehicles (such as cars, motorcycles, trucks, and buses) traveling on roads, but also various vehicles such as airplanes, drones, ships, etc.

[0133] For ease of explanation and accurate definition of the appended claims, the terms "up", "down", "inside", "outside", "upward", "downward", "upward", "downward", "front", "rear", "back", "inside", "outside", "inwardly", "outwardly", "interior", "exterior", "inner", "exterior", "forward", and "rearward" are used to describe features of the exemplary embodiments with reference to the locations of such features shown in the drawings. It should be further understood that the term "connected" or its derivatives refer to both direct and indirect connections.

[0134] The term "and / or" may include a combination of multiple related listed items or any one of the multiple related listed items. For example, "A and / or B" includes all three cases, such as "A", "B", and "A and B".

[0135] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, “at least one of A and B” may mean “at least one of A or B” or “at least one of a combination of at least one of A and B”. Furthermore, “one or more of A and B” may mean “one or more of A or B” or “one or more of a combination of one or more of A and B”.

[0136] In this specification, unless otherwise stated, a singular expression includes a plural expression unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0137] In the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, it should be understood that terms such as “including” or “having” are intended to specify the presence of features, quantities, steps, operations, elements, components, or a combination thereof described in the specification, and do not exclude the possibility of adding or existing one or more other features, quantities, steps, operations, elements, components, or a combination thereof.

[0138] According to the exemplary embodiments of the present invention, components may be combined with each other to be implemented as one, or some components may be omitted.

[0139] Hereinafter, the fact that a plurality of hardwares are operably coupled may include the fact that a direct and / or indirect connection between the plurality of hardwares is established by wire and / or wirelessly.

[0140] For the purpose of illustration and description, the foregoing descriptions of specific exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure have been presented. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the present disclosure to the precise form disclosed, and it is apparent that many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings. In order to illustrate certain principles of the present invention and their practical applications, exemplary embodiments have been selected and described to enable other persons skilled in the art to carry out and utilize various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure and various substitutions and modifications thereof. The scope of the present disclosure is intended to be limited by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A vehicle, including a relay sticking diagnostic function and configured to be connectable to a charger providing a charging voltage, the vehicle comprising: a fuel cell configured to provide a stack voltage; a multiplexer configured to increase a level of the charge voltage or the stack voltage and output the charge voltage or the stack voltage having the increased level as a boosted voltage; A charging relay, arranged between the charger and the multiplexer; as well as a rechargeable battery configured to store electrical energy at the boosted voltage, Wherein, the multiplexer comprises: a voltage booster connected between the charging relay and the rechargeable battery and configured to generate the boosted voltage; and A converter controller is configured to diagnose whether the charging relay is stuck using sensing results of an input terminal voltage and an output terminal voltage of the charging relay.

2. The vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising: A mode switching unit is configured to selectively connect the fuel cell to the multiplexer.

3. The vehicle according to claim 2, further comprising: An advanced controller is configured to control on / off of the charging relay and the mode switching unit and control the converter controller to diagnose whether the charging relay is stuck.

4. The vehicle according to claim 3, wherein: The multiplexer further includes a first capacitor connected between the booster and the charging relay.

5. The vehicle according to claim 4, wherein: The multiplexer also includes a second capacitor connected between the voltage booster and the rechargeable battery.

6. The vehicle according to claim 3 further includes a battery management system, which is configured to: check whether charging of the rechargeable battery is normally completed, output the inspection result to the high-level controller, and control the on / off of a main relay included in the rechargeable battery.

7. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein: The converter controller is also configured to diagnose whether the charging relay is stuck by adjusting the level of a first voltage measured at the output end of the charging relay to a target value and using the level difference between a second voltage measured again at the output end of the charging relay and a third voltage measured at the input end of the charging relay.

8. The vehicle according to claim 7, wherein: The converter controller is further configured to diagnose whether the charging relay is stuck by: controlling the level of the first voltage to be the target value; measuring the second voltage and the third voltage; checking whether an absolute value of a level difference between the second voltage and the third voltage is greater than or equal to a predetermined value; In response to the absolute value being greater than or equal to the predetermined value, determining that the charging relay has been normally disconnected; as well as In response to the absolute value being smaller than the predetermined value, it is determined that the charging relay has stuck.

9. A relay sticking diagnosis method, performed in the vehicle according to claim 4, the method comprising: controlling the output terminal current of the charging relay according to whether the charging operation of the charger is normally completed; Disconnecting the charging relay; as well as Whether the charging relay is stuck is diagnosed by adjusting the level of a first voltage measured at the output end of the charging relay to a target value and using the level difference between a second voltage measured again at the output end of the charging relay and a third voltage measured at the input end of the charging relay.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein: Controlling the output current includes: checking whether the charging operation ends normally or unexpectedly; In response to the charging operation having ended normally, setting the output terminal current to 0 amperes; and In response to the charging operation having ended unexpectedly, checking whether the output terminal current is less than a predetermined current level.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein: The diagnosing whether the charging relay is stuck includes: controlling the level of the first voltage to be the target value; measuring the second voltage and the third voltage; checking whether an absolute value of a level difference between the second voltage and the third voltage is greater than or equal to a predetermined value; When the absolute value is greater than or equal to the predetermined value, determining that the charging relay has been normally disconnected; and When the absolute value is smaller than the predetermined value, it is determined that the charging relay has stuck.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein: The target value corresponds to half the level of the first voltage.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein: The diagnosing whether the charging relay is stuck further includes: after determining that the charging relay is stuck, issuing a notification that the charging relay is stuck.

14. The method according to claim 9, further comprising: After diagnosing whether the charging relay is stuck, it is determined that the charging operation of the charger has been completed.

15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising: After determining that the charging operation of the charger has been completed, a main relay included in the rechargeable battery is turned off.

16. The method according to claim 15, further comprising: The first capacitor is discharged.

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