Electric vehicle drive train with contactor protection

Patent · Sat Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1994

OSTI ID:869627

Konrad, Charles E ^[1]; Benson, Ralph A ^[1]

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1. Roanoke, VA

A drive train for an electric vehicle includes a traction battery, a power drive circuit, a main contactor for connecting and disconnecting the traction battery and the power drive circuit, a voltage detector across contacts of the main contactor, and a controller for controlling the main contactor to prevent movement of its contacts to the closed position when the voltage across the contacts exceeds a predetermined threshold, to thereby protect the contacts of the contactor. The power drive circuit includes an electric traction motor and a DC-to-AC inverter with a capacitive input filter. The controller also inhibits the power drive circuit from driving the motor and thereby discharging the input capacitor if the contacts are inadvertently opened during motoring. A precharging contactor is controlled to charge the input filter capacitor prior to closing the main contactor to further protect the contacts of the main contactor.

• Research Organization: Ford Motor Co
• DOE Contract Number: AC07-90ID13019
• Assignee: General Electric Company (Schenectady, NY)
• Patent Number(s): US 5369540
• OSTI ID: 869627
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

/361/
battery
capacitive
capacitor
charge
circuit
closed
closed position
closing
connecting
contactor
contacts
controlled
controller
controlling
dc-to-ac
detector
discharging
disconnecting
drive
drive circuit
drive train
driving
electric
electric traction
electric vehicle
exceeds
filter
inadvertently
inhibits
input
inverter
main
main contact
motor
motoring
movement
position
power
power drive
precharging
predetermined
predetermined threshold
prevent
prior
protect
protection
threshold
traction
traction battery
traction motor
train
vehicle
vehicle drive
voltage