US 9,851,388 B2 · Apparatus and method for detecting faults of battery heating system and relays

Abstract

Disclosed is a method and system for detecting faults of a battery heating system and relays. In particular, a method for detecting welding of each relay such as a main relay, a precharge relay or a heater relay and a method for detecting a fault of a battery heating system such as a short circuit, disconnection or damage of each heater are provided by sensing a voltage. In the methods, the on/off state of the heater relay and the high voltage relays is controlled through a predetermined process to detect a fault of the heater relay or the high voltage relay, and welding of the heater relay or the high voltage relay is then detected from a voltage for fault detection which is sensed through a voltage sensing circuit unit for fault detection.

Claims18

Dependent claims

An apparatus for detecting faults of a heater relay and high voltage relays in a battery heating system which includes a heater installed in each battery module of a battery pack to heat the battery module, the heater relay configured to selectively apply power to the heaters connected in series, and the high voltage relays of (+) and (−) power lines connected to the battery pack, the apparatus comprising:

a voltage sensing circuit unit configured to detect a fault and configured to sense a voltage for fault detection when the faults of the heater relay and the high voltage relays are detected;
and
a battery management system (BMS) configured to operate the on/off of the heater relay and the high voltage relays and detect welding of the heater relay and the high voltage relays from the voltage for fault detection,
wherein the BMS is configured to operate the off state of the heater relay when the (+) and (−) main relays among the high voltage relays are in the on state and when the precharge relay among the high voltage relays is in the off state, and then detect welding of the heater relay from the voltage for fault detection.

1 more element

A method for detecting faults of a heater relay and high voltage relays in a battery heating system which includes a heater installed in each battery module of a battery pack to heat the battery module, the heater relay configured to selectively apply power to the heaters connected in series, and the high voltage relays of (+) and (−) power lines connected to the battery pack, the method comprising:

operating, by a controller, an on/off state of the heater relay and the high voltage relays through a predetermined process to detect a fault of the heater relay or the high voltage relay;
and
detecting, by the controller, welding of the heater relay or the high voltage relay from a voltage for fault detection which is sensed using a voltage sensing circuit unit for fault detection,
wherein the off state of the heater relay is controlled when which the (+) and (−) main relays among the high voltage relays are in the on state and when the precharge relay among the high voltage relays is in the off state, and welding of the heater relay is then decided from the voltage for fault detection.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Apparatus and method for detecting faults of battery heating system and relays

Life of this patent

Apparatus and method for detecting faults of battery heating system and relays

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims18