Switchable passive discharge for high voltage electronics
AssigneeBorgWarner US Technologies LLC
InventorsKirk McClure, Scott Gerber
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A high-voltage (HV) system is provided including at least one HV component, a passive resistance load coupled to the at least one HV component, a control circuit coupled to the passive resistance load, and an isolated power supply coupled to the control circuit. The control circuit is switchable between a first state in which the control circuit closes an electric circuit connecting the at least one HV component and the passive resistance load and a second state in which the control circuit opens the electric circuit connecting the at least one HV component and the passive resistance load. The isolated power supply controls the control circuit to be in one of the first state and the second state.
Claims13
A control method of discharging at least one high voltage (HV) component, the method comprising:
- providing a discharge circuit configured to connect the at least one HV component to a passive resistance load and a control circuit, wherein the control circuit comprises a junction-gate field-effect transistor (JFET);
- providing an isolated power supply, operably coupled to the control circuit, configured to control the control circuit to switch between a first state in which the control circuit opens the discharge circuit and a second state in which the control circuit closes the discharge circuit, wherein the isolated power supply pulls a gate of the JFET negative to control the control circuit to open the discharge circuit, wherein the isolated power supply includes a high voltage flyback power supply, and wherein the control circuit is connected to an additional flyback resistance load;
- the control circuit closing the discharge circuit, thereby allowing the at least one HV component to discharge through the passive resistance load, wherein the additional flyback resistance load is controlled by a watchdog circuit configured to turn on the additional flyback resistance load in response to the discharge circuit closing and turn off the additional flyback resistance load in response to the discharge circuit opening.
A high voltage (HV) system comprising:
- at least one HV component;
- a passive resistance load coupled to the at least one HV component;
- a control circuit that includes a junction-gate field-effect transistor (JFET) and is coupled to the passive resistance load, wherein the control circuit is operable in a first state in which the control circuit closes an electric circuit connecting the at least one HV component and the passive resistance load and a second state in which the control circuit opens the electric circuit connecting the at least one HV component and the passive resistance load;
- and
- an isolated power supply operably coupled to the control circuit, wherein the isolated power supply controls the control circuit to be in one of the first state and the second state, wherein the isolated power supply controls the control circuit to be in the first state by pulling a gate of the JFET negative, wherein the isolated power supply includes a high voltage flyback power supply, and wherein the control circuit is connected to an additional flyback resistance load, wherein the additional flyback resistance load is controlled by a watchdog circuit configured to turn on the additional flyback resistance load in response to the electronic circuit closing and turn off the additional flyback resistance load in response to the electronic circuit opening.
A non-transitory computer-readable medium, storing thereon executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, facilitate performance of a method comprising:
- providing a discharge circuit configured to connect at least one HV component to a passive resistance load and a control circuit that includes a junction-gate field-effect transistor (JFET);
- an isolated power supply, operably coupled to the control circuit and configured to control the control circuit to switch between a first state in which the control circuit opens the discharge circuit and a second state in which the control circuit closes the discharge circuit, wherein the isolated power supply pulls a gate of the JFET negative to control the control circuit to open the discharge circuit, wherein the isolated power supply includes a high voltage flyback power supply, and wherein the control circuit is connected to an additional flyback resistance load;
- the control circuit closing the discharge circuit, thereby allowing the at least one HV component to discharge through the passive resistance load, wherein the additional flyback resistance load is controlled by a watchdog circuit configured to turn on the additional flyback resistance load in response to the discharge circuit closing and turn off the additional flyback resistance load in response to the discharge circuit opening.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.