# US 12,184,116 B2 · Control circuit and control method for protecting electrolytic capacitors during charging of electric vehicles > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,184,116 B2 - Document ID: US12184116B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/100,980 - Filed: 2020-11-23 - Published: 2021-05-27 - Granted: 2024-12-31 - Earliest claimed: 2020-11-23 - Assignees: ZF Friedrichshafen AG - Applicants: Zf Friedrichshafen AG - Inventors: Stefan Grieser-Schmitz; Manfred Fuß - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12184116B2 ## CPC - H02J 1/10: Parallel operation of DC sources - H02J 7/345: {using capacitors as storage or buffering devices} - B60L 3/0046: {relating to electric energy storage systems, e.g. batteries or capacitors} - B60L 50/60: using power supplied by batteries (in combination with fuel cells B60L50/75) - B60L 53/62: in response to charging parameters, e.g. current, voltage or electrical charge - B60L 58/16: responding to battery ageing, e.g. to the number of charging cycles or the state of health [SoH] - H02J 7/933: {the cycle being controlled or terminated in response to electric parameters} - B60L 2270/20: Inrush current reduction, i.e. avoiding high currents when connecting the battery - H02J 2105/37: exchanging power with electric vehicles [EV] or with hybrid electric vehicles [HEV] - H02J 2207/50: Charging of capacitors, supercapacitors, ultra-capacitors or double layer capacitors - Y02T 10/70: Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries - Y02T 10/7072: Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors - Y02T 90/12: Electric charging stations - H02J: ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY - B60L: PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (arrangements or mounting of electrical propulsion units or of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion in vehicles B60K1/00, B60K6/20; arrangements or mounting of electrical gearing in vehicles B60K17/12, B60K17/14; preventing wheel slip by reducing power in rail vehicles B61C15/08; dynamo-electric machines H02K; control or regulation of electric motors H02P); SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (electric coupling devices combined with mechanical couplings of vehicles B60D1/64; electric heating for vehicles B60H1/00); ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL (control or regulation of electric motors H02P); MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION ## Abstract A control circuit (10) is configured and intended for use in an electric vehicle (50). The control circuit (10) comprises a first circuit portion (12), a first power supply line (16), a first controllable switch (19), a second circuit portion (20), a second power supply line (26), a second controllable switch (30) and a switch control unit (36). The first circuit portion (12) comprises at least one electrolytic capacitor (14). The first power supply line (16) is configured to supply the first circuit portion (12) with electrical power. The first controllable switch (19) is arranged in the first power supply line (18), wherein the first switch (19) interrupts the first power supply line (16) in an open state in order to prevent the at least one electrolytic capacitor (14) from being supplied with power. The second power supply line (26) is configured to supply the second circuit portion (20) with electrical power. The second controllable switch (30) is arranged in the second power supply line (26), wherein the second switch (30) in an open state interrupts the second power supply line (26). The switch control unit (36) is configured and intended to control the switching states of the first switch (19) and the second switch (30), wherein the first switch (19) and the second switch (30) are closed in a first control state, and wherein in a second control state the first switch (19) is open and the second switch (30) is closed, wherein the switch control unit (36) is further configured and intended to determine the control state on the basis of functional requirements of the electric vehicle (50). ## Claims ### Claim 1 A control circuit (10) for an electric vehicle (50), the control circuit comprising: a first circuit portion (12), which comprises electrolytic capacitors (14), a first power supply (18), a first power supply line (16), which is configured to supply the first circuit portion (12) with electrical power via the first power supply, a first controllable switch (19) in the first power supply line (16), wherein the first controllable switch (19) is configured to interrupt the first power supply line (16) in an open state in order to prevent the supply of electrical power to the electrolytic capacitors (14), a second circuit portion (20), a second power supply (28), a second power supply line (26), which is configured to supply the second circuit portion (20) with electrical power via the second power supply, a second controllable switch (30) in the second power supply line (26), wherein the second controllable switch (30) is configured to interrupt the second power supply line (26) in an open state, a further first controllable switch (40) arranged on a side of all of the electrolytic capacitors (14) of the first circuit portion (12), the further first controllable switch (40) configured to interrupt the first power supply line in the open state, in synchronous operation with the first controllable switch, to prevent supply of power to all of the electrolytic capacitors (14) in the first circuit portion (12), the further first controllable switch unusable to control a state of the second circuit portion, and a switch control unit (36), which is configured to control the switching states of the first controllable switch (19), the further first controllable switch (40), and the second controllable switch (30), wherein in a first control state the first controllable switch (19), the further first controllable switch (40), and the second controllable switch (30) are closed, and wherein in a second control state the first controllable switch (19) and the further first controllable switch (40) are open and the second controllable switch (30) is closed, wherein the switch control unit (36) is further configured to determine the control state based on functional requirements of the electric vehicle (50). ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The control circuit (10) according to claim 1, wherein the first circuit portion (12) is configured to supply an engine control unit (42) with electrical power as the main consumer of the electric vehicle (50), and wherein the second circuit portion (20) is configured to supply at least one secondary consumer of the electric vehicle (50) with electric power. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The control circuit (10) according to claim 1, further comprising: a third circuit portion, which comprises at least one electrolytic capacitor (14), a third power supply, a third power supply line, which is configured to supply the third circuit portion with electrical power via the third power supply, a third controllable switch, wherein the third controllable switch is configured to interrupt the third power supply line in an open state in order to prevent a supply of power to the at least one electrolytic capacitor (14) in the third circuit portion, and an additional switch (38) connected to both the first power supply (18) and the second power supply (28), wherein the first power supply (18) is configured to supply power to both the first and second circuit portions (12, 20) when the first controllable switch (19) and the additional switch (38) are closed and the second controllable switch (30) is open, and wherein the second power supply (28) is configured to supply power to both the first and second circuit portions (12, 20) when the second controllable switch (30) and the additional switch (38) are closed and the first controllable switch (19) is open. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The control circuit (10) according to claim 3, wherein the switch control unit (36) is configured to control the switching state of the third controllable switch, wherein the third controllable switch is closed in the first control state, and wherein the third controllable switch is open in the second control state. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The control circuit (10) according to claim 4, wherein the third circuit portion is configured to supply a parking brake control (46) of the electric vehicle with electrical power. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The control circuit (10) according to claim 3, wherein the additional switch (38) connects the first power supply line (16) and the second power supply line (26) in a closed state, and wherein the additional switch (38) is coupled to the first or second power supply line (16, 26) on a side of the first or second controllable switch (19, 30) facing the first or second circuit portion (12, 20). ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The control circuit (10) according to claim 1, wherein the first power supply line (16) and the second power supply line (26) run at least partially as one line on a side of the first controllable switch (19) or the second controllable switch (30) facing away from the first circuit portion (12) or the second circuit portion (20), respectively. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The control circuit (10) according to claim 1, wherein the first power supply line (16) is configured to be supplied with a first supply voltage and the second power supply line (26) is configured to be supplied with a second supply voltage. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The control circuit (10) according to claim 1, wherein the first circuit portion (12) and the second circuit portion (20) each comprise ceramic capacitors (22). ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The control circuit (10) according to claim 1, wherein the first control state is configured to represent a driving state of the electric vehicle (50), and wherein the second control state is configured to represent a charging state of the electric vehicle (50). ### Claim 11 A control method which is used in an electric vehicle (50), wherein the control method is carried out by means of a control circuit (10) comprising: a first circuit portion (12), which comprises electrolytic capacitors (14), a first power supply (18), a first power supply line (16), which is configured to supply the first circuit portion (12) with electrical power via the first power supply a first controllable switch (19) in the first power supply line (16), wherein the first controllable switch (19) is configured to interrupt the first power supply line (16) in an open state in order to prevent the supply of electrical power to the electrolytic capacitors (14), a second circuit portion (20), a second power supply (28), a second power supply line (26), which is configured to supply the second circuit portion (20) with electrical power via the second power supply, a second controllable switch (30) in the second power supply line (26), wherein the second controllable switch (30) is configured to interrupt the second power supply line (26) in an open state, a further first controllable switch (40) arranged on a side of all of the electrolytic capacitors (14) of the first circuit portion (12), the further first controllable switch (40) configured to interrupt the first power supply line in the open state, in synchronous operation with the first controllable switch, to prevent supply of power to all of the electrolytic capacitors (14) in the first circuit portion (12), the further first controllable switch unusable to control a state of the second circuit portion, and a switch control unit (36), which is configured to control the switching states of the first controllable switch (19), the further first controllable switch (40), and the second controllable switch (30), wherein in a first control state the first controllable switch (19), the further first controllable switch (40), and the second controllable switch (30) are closed, and wherein in a second control state the first controllable switch (19) and the further first controllable switch (40) are open and the second controllable switch (30) is closed, and wherein the control method comprises at least the following steps: determining the control state from the functional requirements of the electric vehicle (50), and controlling the first controllable switch (19) and the second controllable switch (30) via the switch control unit (36) according to the control state.