Multi-voltage auxiliary power system for heavy-duty equipment
AssigneeOx Partners, LLC
InventorsScott Hamilton Rumbaugh, Nathan Robert Hoch
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A multi-voltage auxiliary power system is for heavy-duty equipment having a starter and vehicle electronics powered by a nominal 12V supply. The multi-voltage auxiliary power system has a battery system configured to provide first and second output voltage levels that are different from each other, in which the first output voltage level is higher than the second output voltage level; and control circuitry configured to: detect a cranking event in the heavy-duty equipment; in response to detecting the cranking event, apply the first output voltage level to the starting and battery system; and switch to applying the second output voltage level to sustain the nominal 12V supply for the vehicle electronics when the cranking is complete.
Claims20
A multi-voltage auxiliary power system for heavy-duty equipment having a starter and vehicle electronics powered by a nominal 12V supply, the multi-voltage auxiliary power system comprising:
- a battery system configured to be electrically coupled with the starter and the vehicle electronics of the heavy-duty equipment and provide first and second output voltage levels that are different from each other, in which the first output voltage level is higher than the second output voltage level and the first output voltage level is a chemical battery terminal voltage of the battery system;
- control circuitry configured to:
- detect a cranking event in the heavy-duty equipment based on a first detected transition of a vehicle operating mode from a non-start state to a start attempt state;
- in response to detecting the cranking event, apply the first output voltage level through its electrical connections to the starter;
- detect a completion of the cracking event in the heavy duty vehicle based on a second detected transition of the vehicle operating mode from the start attempt state to a run state;
- and
- in response to detecting the completion, automatically without user intervention, transition from applying the first output voltage level to applying the second output voltage level to sustain the nominal 12V supply for the vehicle electronics when the cranking is complete.
A method, performed by a multi-voltage auxiliary power system in heavy-duty equipment having a starter and vehicle electronics powered by a nominal 12V supply, the method comprising:
- detecting a cranking event in the heavy-duty equipment using control circuitry based on a first detected transition of a vehicle operating mode from a non-start state to a start-attempt state;
- in response to detecting the cranking event, applying a first output voltage level through its electrical connections to the starter, to increase starting power, wherein the first output voltage level is higher than the nominal 12V supply and the first output voltage level is a chemical battery terminal voltage of a battery system in the multi-voltage auxiliary power system, and in which the battery system is configured to be electrically coupled with the starter and the vehicle electronics of the heavy-duty equipment;
- detecting completion of the cranking event ba sed ted transition of the vehicle operating mode from the start-attempt sta te to a run state;
- in response to detecting completion of the cranking event, automatically, without user intervention, transitioning from applying the first output voltage level to applying a second output voltage level to sustain the nominal 12V supply for the vehicle electronics when the cranking is complete;
- and
- isolating the battery system from the vehicle electronics when the heavy-duty equipment is turned off, thereby preventing parasitic power drain.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.