# US 9,434,258 B2 · Power converter with diagnostic unit power supply output > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,434,258 B2 - Document ID: US9434258B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/653,003 - Filed: 2012-10-16 - Published: 2013-05-23 - Granted: 2016-09-06 - Earliest claimed: 2011-11-18 - Assignees: GM Global Technology Operations LLC - Applicants: GM Global Technology Operations LLC - Inventors: Joseph Berg; John W. Meyer, III; Wesley O. Hamilton; Robert S. Foley - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9434258B2 ## CPC - B60L 3/0053: {relating to fuel cells} - B60L 3/04: Cutting off the power supply under fault conditions (protective devices and circuit arrangements in general H01H; H02H) - B60L 7/14: for vehicles propelled by AC motors - B60L 50/51: characterised by AC-motors - B60L 58/20: having different nominal voltages - B60L 58/30: for monitoring or controlling fuel cells - B60L 58/31: for starting of fuel cells - B60L 58/40: for controlling a combination of batteries and fuel cells - B60L 2210/12: Buck converters - Y02T 10/70: Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries - Y02T 10/72: Electric energy management in electromobility - Y02T 90/40: Application of hydrogen technology to transportation, e.g. using fuel cells - B60L: PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (arrangements or mounting of electrical propulsion units or of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion in vehicles B60K1/00, B60K6/20; arrangements or mounting of electrical gearing in vehicles B60K17/12, B60K17/14; preventing wheel slip by reducing power in rail vehicles B61C15/08; dynamo-electric machines H02K; control or regulation of electric motors H02P); SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (electric coupling devices combined with mechanical couplings of vehicles B60D1/64; electric heating for vehicles B60H1/00); ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL (control or regulation of electric motors H02P); MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION ## Abstract A power converter includes positive and negative input lines and an input capacitor coupled across the input lines. The power converter also includes a switch coupled across the input lines that includes a control contact and an additional contact. The power converter also includes switch controller coupled to the control contact and that includes positive and negative input connections. The power converter also includes a contactor diagnostic supply interface coupled between the positive input connection and the additional contact. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A power converter for use in a vehicle that includes a fuel cell and an electric motor, the power converter comprising: input lines including a positive input line that delivers a first voltage and a negative input line that delivers a second voltage; an input capacitor coupled across the input lines; a switch coupled across the input lines and including a control contact and an additional contact, the additional contact coupled to the positive input line; a switch controller coupled to the control contact, the switch controller including positive and negative input connections and an output connection coupled to the positive input line and the additional contact; and a contactor diagnostic supply interface coupled between the positive input connection and the additional contact, wherein the additional contact, the switch controller, and the contactor diagnostic supply interface share the first voltage. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The power converter of claim 1, further comprising: an isolating power supply coupled to positive and negative input connections. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The power converter of claim 2, wherein the isolating power supply is a flyback direct current (DC) to DC converter. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The power converter of claim 1, wherein the contactor diagnostic supply interface includes: a diode; and a resistor serially connected to the diode. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The power converter of claim 1, wherein the contactor diagnostic supply interface is a charge pump. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The power converter of claim 1, wherein the switch is an insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) that includes a gate, a collector and an emitter. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The power converter of claim 6, wherein the control contact is the gate, the contactor diagnostic supply interface is coupled to the collector, and the emitter is coupled to the negative input line. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The power converter of claim 7, further comprising: an inductor coupled between the input capacitor and the collector. ### Claim 9 A vehicle comprising: a fuel cell; an electric motor; and a power converter electrically coupled between the fuel cell and the electric motor, the power converter including: input lines including a positive input line that delivers a first voltage and a negative input line that delivers a second voltage; an input capacitor coupled across the input lines; a switch coupled across the input lines and including a control contact and an additional contact, the additional contact coupled to the positive input line; a switch controller coupled to the control contact, the switch controller including positive and negative input connections and an output connection coupled to the positive input line and the additional contact; and a contactor diagnostic supply interface coupled between the positive input connection and the additional contact, wherein the additional contact, the switch controller, and the contactor diagnostic supply interface share the first voltage. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The vehicle of claim 9, wherein the power converter further includes: an isolating power supply coupled to positive and negative input connections. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The vehicle of claim 10, wherein the isolating power supply is a flyback direct current (DC) to DC converter. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The vehicle of claim 10, further comprising: a power supply coupled to the isolating power supply, wherein the isolating power supply isolates the power supply from the fuel cell. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The vehicle of claim 9, wherein the contactor diagnostic supply interface includes: a diode; and a resistor serially connected to the diode. ### Claim 14 (depends on 9) The vehicle of claim 9, wherein the contactor diagnostic supply interface is a charge pump. ### Claim 15 (depends on 9) The vehicle of claim 9, wherein the switch is an insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) that includes a gate, a collector and an emitter. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The vehicle of claim 15, wherein the control contact is the gate, the contactor diagnostic supply interface is coupled to the collector, and the emitter is coupled to the negative input line. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The power converter of claim 16, further comprising: an inductor coupled between the input capacitor and the collector. ### Claim 18 A method of performing a diagnostic test on a fuel cell in a vehicle that includes a power converter electrically coupled between the fuel cell and an electric motor, the method comprising: selectively applying a first voltage to a positive input line via a first contactor switch and selectively applying a second voltage to a negative input via a second contactor switch; coupling a switch across the positive and negative input lines, the switch including a control contact and an additional contact, the additional contact coupled to the positive input line; selectively outputting a control signal to the control contact via a switch controller, the switch controller including positive and negative input connections and an output connection coupled to the positive input line and the additional contact; coupling a contactor diagnostic supply interface between the positive input connection and the additional contact, so as to share the first voltage with the additional contact, the switch controller, and the contactor diagnostic supply interface; connecting an isolating power supply between a power source installed on the vehicle and the fuel cell, and outputting current from the isolating power supply in response to power supplied by the power source; charging an input capacitor of the power converter with the current output from the isolated power supply in response to opening the switch; and utilizing the charge in the input capacitor to perform the diagnostic test, wherein the diagnostic test is a fuel cell contactor test that diagnoses operation of at least one of the first and second contact switches.