High voltage indication system

#This application relates to a voltage indication system, and more particularly, to a high-voltage indication system.

#Electric or hybrid machines are widely used as alternatives to their mechanical counterparts in industrial applications due to their higher efficiency and lower maintenance requirements. These machines typically contain high-voltage electric loads. Large charge-storing devices are usually included to stabilize the high-voltage power system. During normal operation these charge storing devices may be capable of storing several thousand volts of potential energy. The charge-storing devices may store high-voltage charges for substantial amounts of time, even when the machine is powered down. Thus, it may be desirable to detect a high-voltage condition associated with an electric or hybrid machine and provide a warning signal indicative of the high-voltage condition.

#Furthermore, it is also important that the indication system is reliable, in particular, the system is desired to have a low false alarm rate. Self-test and diagnostic functions are therefore desirable features of the indication system, to minimize the possibility of both a missing alarm and a false alarm due to malfunction of the indication system.

#FIG. 1 illustrates a machine consistent with an exemplary disclosed embodiment;

#FIG. 2 provides a block diagram of a high voltage indication system consistent with an exemplary disclosed embodiment; and

#FIG. 3 provides a flowchart of an exemplary operation process for indicating high-voltage with self-test and diagnostic functions, consistent with the disclosed embodiment shown in FIG. 2.

#FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary disclosed machine 100 consistent with certain disclosed embodiments. Machine 100 may include, among other things, a power source 101, one or more electric loads (or high-voltage sources) 110, and a high voltage indication system 120. Machine, as the term is used herein, refers to a fixed or mobile machine that may perform some type of operation associated with a particular industry, such as mining, construction, farming, etc. and operate between or within work environments (e.g., a construction site, mine site, power plant, etc.) A non-limiting example of a fixed machine includes an engine system operating in a plant or off-shore environment (e.g., off-shore drilling platform). Non-limiting examples of mobile machines include commercial machines, such as trucks, cranes, earth moving vehicle, mining vehicles, backhoes, material handling equipment, farming equipment, marine vessels, on-highway vehicles, or any other type of movable machine that operates in a work environment.

#Power source 101 may include various components configured to provide electric power for use by one or more systems of machine 100. For instance, power source 101 may include a generator driven by an engine, such as a combustion engine. Alternatively, power source 101 may include any other suitable device for providing a power output such as, for example, a battery, a fuel cell, or any other type of power source configured to provide electrical power to machine 100.

#According to one embodiment, electric load 110 may be an electric motor, such as, for example, an AC induction motor, a brushless DC motor, a variable or switched reluctance motor, a stepper motor, a linear motor, or any other type of motor. The electric motor may be coupled to power source 101 and may be configured to convert at least a portion of the electric power output from power source 101 to mechanical energy for performing a task associated with machine 100. Electric load 110 may also be any other devices on a high-voltage system such as an electronic battery charger.