US 12,368,296 B2 · Implementing contactor opening and fusing strategies in a power distribution unit

Abstract

Apparatuses and methods for implementing contactor opening and fusing strategies in a power distribution unit are disclosed, including a power distribution unit comprising: one or more contactors coupled to one or more charging systems; one or more active fuses in a circuit connecting the one or more contactors to a battery system; and a microcontroller configured to: receive one or more current values; determine whether the one or more current values meet a first set of predetermined current thresholds; in response to determining that the one or more current values meet the first set of predetermined current thresholds, trigger the one or more active fuses; determine whether the one or more current values meet a second set of predetermined current thresholds; and in response to determining that the one or more current values meet the second set of predetermined current thresholds, signal the one or more contactors to open.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A power distribution unit for implementing contactor opening and fusing strategies, the power distribution unit comprising:

one or more contactors coupled to one or more charging systems;
one or more active fuses in a circuit connecting the one or more contactors to a battery system;
and
a microcontroller configured to:
receive from a current sensor, one or more current values corresponding to a current associated with the one or more contactors coupled to the one or more charging systems;
determine whether the one or more current values meet a first set of predetermined current thresholds;
in response to determining that the one or more current values meet the first set of predetermined current thresholds, sever a connection between the one or more contactors and the battery system by triggering the one or more active fuses;
determine whether the one or more current values meet a second set of predetermined current thresholds;
and
in response to determining that the one or more current values meet the second set of predetermined current thresholds, sever a connection between the charging system and the battery by signaling the one or more contactors to open.

7 more elements

A method for implementing contactor opening and fusing strategies in a power distribution unit, the method comprising:

receiving from a current sensor of a power distribution unit, by a microcontroller of the power distribution unit, one or more current values corresponding to a current associated with one or more contactors coupled to one or more charging systems;
determining, by the microcontroller, whether the one or more current values meet a first set of predetermined current thresholds;
in response to determining that the one or more current values meet the first set of predetermined current thresholds, sever a connection between the one or more contactors and a battery system by triggering, by the microcontroller, one or more active fuses in a circuit connecting the one or more contactors to the battery system;
determining, by the microcontroller, whether the one or more current values meet a second set of predetermined current thresholds;
and
in response to determining that the one or more current values meet the second set of predetermined current thresholds, sever a connection between the charging system and the battery by signaling, by the microcontroller, the one or more contactors to open.

3 more elements

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium for implementing contactor opening and fusing strategies in a power distribution unit, the non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions which, when executed, cause a microcontroller of the power distribution unit to:

receive from a current sensor of the power distribution unit, one or more current values corresponding to a current associated with one or more contactors coupled to one or more charging systems;
determine whether the one or more current values meet a first set of predetermined current thresholds;
in response to determining that the one or more current values meet the first set of predetermined current thresholds, sever a connection between the one or more contactors and a battery system by triggering one or more active fuses in a circuit connecting the one or more contactors to the battery system;
determine whether the one or more current values meet a second set of predetermined current thresholds;
and
in response to determining that the one or more current values meet the second set of predetermined current thresholds, sever a connection between the charging system and the battery by signaling the one or more contactors to open.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Implementing contactor opening and fusing strategies in a power distribution unit

Life of this patent

Implementing contactor opening and fusing strategies in a power distribution unit

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20