US 2008/0185999 A1 · POWER SUPPLY DEVICE

Abstract

A power supply device that enables completion of precharging to be accurately determined without increasing manufacturing cost. The power supply device includes a battery pack, a positive main contactor, a precharge contactor, and a precharge resistor. The battery pack supplies DC power to an inverter. A smoothing capacitor is arranged between input terminals of the inverter. The positive main contact disconnects the inverter from a positive electrode of the battery pack. A voltmeter detects the voltage between a negative electrode of the battery pack and a connection node of the precharge contactor and precharge resistor. Voltage detection values taken by the voltmeter immediately before precharging and during precharging are used to determine precharging completion.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A power supply device comprising:

a load including a smoothing capacitor used for precharging;
a direct current power supply which supplies direct current power to the load and which includes a first electrode and a second electrode;
a main contactor arranged between the load and the first electrode of the direct current power supply;
a precharge contactor connected in parallel to the main contactor;
a precharge resistor connected in parallel to the main contactor and in series to the precharge contactor between the direct current power source and the precharge contactor, wherein the smoothing capacitor undergoes precharging via the precharge resistor when the precharge contactor closes;
and
a voltage detection unit which detects voltage between the second electrode of the direct current power supply and a connection node of the precharge contactor and the precharge resistor.

4 more elements

A method for controlling precharging performed by a power supply device, the power supply device including a load having a smoothing capacitor used for precharging, a direct current power supply for supplying power supply voltage to the load and having a first electrode and a second electrode, a main contactor arranged between the load and the first electrode of the direct current power supply, a precharge contactor connected in parallel to the main contactor, a precharge resistor connected in parallel to the main contactor and connected in series to the precharge contactor between the direct current power source and the precharge contactor, and a voltage detection unit connected between the second electrode of the direct current power supply and a connection node of the precharge contactor and the precharge resistor, the method comprising:

obtaining a first voltage detection value detected by the voltage detection unit in a state in which the precharge contactor is open;
obtaining a second voltage detection value detected by the voltage detection unit in a state in which the precharge contactor is closed;
and
determining whether precharging has been completed based on the first voltage detection value and the second voltage detection value.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Power supply device

Life of this patent

Power supply device

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims18