DE102022131871A1 - Shutdown device for a charging control and method for operating the shut-down device - Google Patents

Abstract

A shutdown device for a charging control is proposed, with at least one main controller (11) and at least one charging switch (14). The charging switch is designed to be able to supply a charging current to an energy storage device or to block it. The main controller (11) can generate a main enable (21) for the charging switch (14). A main control (12) can generate a control signal for the charging switch (14) from the main enable (21). The shutdown device also includes a safety controller (15). This safety controller (15) can generate a safety enable (23) for the charging switch (14). A safety control (13) from the safety enable (23) can then generate a control signal for the charging switch (14).

Description

The present invention relates to a shutdown device for a charging control and methods for operating the shutdown device.

Corresponding charging controls can be found, among other things, in charging stations for charging electrical energy storage devices such as accumulators in vehicles. But charging controls are also used in other areas of electronics to charge energy storage devices.

Such charging controls contain a microcontroller that can control the charging process. The microcontroller can act on a charging switch to switch it according to the control of the charging process.

This microcontroller is also used to carry out safety functions. A corresponding microcontroller can be designed to monitor the charging process and, in the event of a fault or if defined influences occur, to interrupt the charging process by controlling the charging switch accordingly.

For this purpose, a charging control system is known from the state of the art in which a microcontroller takes over control. It is also known that a safety circuit is set up in the charging control system with the microcontroller. An application that controls the charging and the safety circuit also runs on the microcontroller.

In order to be able to detect faults or to measure and evaluate the defined influences, additional elements such as insulation monitors or similar are connected to the microcontroller. Such a charging control is known, for example, from the EP 4 088 964 A1 known.

If the application or the operating system of the microcontroller is updated, the safety circuit must always be requalified, which means that additional costs and time are incurred for testing and approval by external institutes.

Based on the known state of the art, this invention sets itself the task of eliminating such requirements or at least of preventing the time required for testing and approval from leading to a functional failure.

This object is achieved with the features of claim 1 and the independent claim 10.

For this purpose, a shutdown device for a charging control is proposed, with at least one main controller and at least one charging switch. The charging switch can supply or limit a charging current to the energy storage device to be charged. The charging switch can be designed as a simple 2-point switch (preferably as a charging contactor) and can be designed in a mechanical or electronic design. The charging switch can also be designed as a control element, which can limit the amount of charging current depending on the control.

The charging switch can also be designed for multiple contacts or each contact of the charging control can contain its own charging switch. Likewise, each charging switch can have its own main controller or all charging switches can be controlled by a common main controller.

The main controller can control the charging switch using a main enable and thus enable or limit the charging current for the energy storage device to be charged, even to the point of switching it off. For this purpose, a main control is included in the switch-off device, which can generate a control signal for the charging switch from the main enable generated by the main controller, thereby controlling the charging switch.

The main controller includes an updateable application that controls the charging process. For this purpose, a charging curve can be defined in the application, via which the charging process can be controlled by the energy supplied to the energy storage device using the charging switch. This charging curve can also cause the charging switch to be switched easily if the charging switch is designed as a 2-point switch.

This application also includes a safety circuit that can react to unexpected conditions and/or errors during charging. In such a case, the main controller can switch off the charging switch via the main control.

According to the invention, the shutdown device now includes a safety controller, which is operated in addition to the main controller in the device.

The safety controller can also control the charging switch through a safety release and thus release or limit the charging current for the energy storage device to be charged, up to and including shutdown. For this purpose, a safety control is included in the shutdown device, which uses the safety release generated by the safety controller to generate a control signal for the charging switch, whereby the control of the charging switch is realized.

According to the invention, not only can the main controller generate a control signal for the charging switch via the main control, but also the safety controller via the safety control. This means that the main controller as well as the safety controller can also ensure that the charging control is switched off.

This embodiment according to the invention ensures that even when the application on the main controller is updated, all safety functions of the charging control remain active, even if the safety circuit of the main controller has to be checked and approved and is therefore not available at the time.

Preferably, it is proposed that the control signal for the charging switch is generated by an AND link between the two releases, namely the main release and the safety release. This ensures that the charging switch can only be controlled when the safety circuits of both controllers, namely the main controller and the safety controller, are released. If one of the two controllers detects a condition under which no release is permitted, the charging control is safely switched off.

Such an AND link is preferably carried out in such a way that the two controls, namely the main control and the safety control, are connected in series. The control signal generated by the main control is not fed directly to the charging switch, but first to the safety control. The safety release generated by the safety controller is also fed to the safety control. Only if both controls (main circuit and safety circuit) control a release of the charging switch is a corresponding control signal fed to the charging switch.

Preferably, the main release is also fed to the safety controller so that it can evaluate the main release and react accordingly.

To evaluate and control the releases (main and safety releases) via the two controllers, these can be connected to at least one safety module via at least one signal line. Examples of safety modules include insulation monitors and/or residual current monitors. These safety modules can then inform one or both controllers (main controller and safety controller) about possible errors and undesirable states via the signal line.

For this purpose, different safety modules can be connected to different controllers, i.e. main controller and/or safety controller, if different evaluations are to be carried out for the two safety circuits. However, it is preferable to supply the same safety modules to each controller.

Using the information from the safety modules, the controllers can then evaluate the charging control status and decide whether the charging switch needs to be switched off. The two safety circuits via the main controller and the safety controller thus create redundant, double safety.

The signal line with which the safety modules are connected to the controllers is a serial data connection, such as RS-232 or RS-485. Bus connections, such as a CAN bus, are also possible, as are Ethernet connections.

The main controller can also be equipped with a control option for the charging control. This allows the main controller to pass on signals, e.g. for acoustic or optical identification, to the charging control. This control option also makes it possible to update the application on the main controller.

To use the shutdown device designed in this way, a method is proposed in which the control signal for the charging switch is first generated by the main controller. This means that the main controller causes a control signal by generating the main release via the main control to a control signal which is fed to the charging switch.

The control signal for the charging switch is also generated by the safety controller. This means that the safety controller generates a control signal by generating the safety release via the safety control to a control signal that is fed to the charging switch.

By arranging the controls (main control and safety control) in series, the control signal of the safety controller can now block or release the control signal of the main controller. In other words, the control signal of the safety circuit has priority over the control signal of the main circuit.

The control signal of the main controller is evaluated and controlled by the application on the main controller. The application is designed in such a way that the charging process itself is stored, as are the safety functions of the main circuit.

The main controller can therefore decide and evaluate based on charging states and/or external measured values and/or signals and then influence the control of the charging switch.

The main controller can also use the signals from at least one safety module. These signals are fed to the main controller via a signal line and are thus made available to the main controller. The main controller then reacts to these signals and incorporates them into the evaluation. This means that the main controller can also refuse the main release and thus switch off the charging switch.

The control signal of the safety controller is also evaluated and controlled by an application on the safety controller. The application is limited to the safety functions of the security circuit.

The safety controller can therefore decide and evaluate based on charging states (which it receives from the main controller) and/or external measured values and/or signals and then influence the control of the charging switch.

For this purpose, the safety controller can also use the signals from at least one safety module. These signals are fed to the safety controller via a signal line and are thus made available to the safety controller.

The safety controller then reacts to these signals and incorporates them into the evaluation. This means that the safety controller can also refuse the safety release and thus switch off the charging switch. When using the series connection of the two controls (main control and safety control), the safety controller can then also block the release of the main controller and thus ensures that the charging switch is switched off safely.

• 1: Blockdarstellung einer erfindungsgemäßen Vorrichtung;

Further features can be seen in the attached drawings. They show:

• 1 : Block diagram of a device according to the invention;

1 shows a shutdown device according to the invention for a charging control. The shutdown device includes a main circuit consisting of a main controller 11 and a main control 12, which is able to generate a control signal for a charging switch 14.

The main controller 11 contains an updateable application that can take over the charging control for an energy storage device over the entire charging period. To do this, the main controller 11 can send a signal in the form of a main release 21 to the main control 12, whereby the main control 12 can generate the control signal for the charging switch 14 from the main release 21.

The charging switch 14 can be designed as a switch in the form of, for example, a charging contactor, or as an electronic component which can supply the charging current to the energy storage device depending on the control signal, can limit it and can switch it off.

The shutdown device according to the invention further includes a safety circuit consisting of a safety controller 15 and a safety control 13, which is able to generate a control signal for the charging switch 14.

The safety controller 15 contains an application that can monitor the charging control over the entire charging period. For this purpose, the safety controller 15 can send a signal in the form of a safety release 23 to the safety control 13, whereby the safety control 13 can generate the control signal for the charging switch 14 from the safety release 23.

In contrast to the main controller 11, the safety controller 15 does not perform any control function for the actual charging process, but merely provides safety functions to monitor the charging process and, if necessary, to limit or switch off the charging current using the charging switch 14. For this purpose, the main release 21 is routed to the safety controller 15.

The main controller 11 and the safety controller 15 are connected to at least one safety module 10 via at least one signal line 20 in order to be able to detect sources of errors and unwanted charging states. Both controllers can then react according to the applications and adjust the releases (main release 21 and safety release 23) accordingly in order to limit or switch off the charging current via the controls (main control 12 and safety control 13).

The safety control 13 is connected downstream of the main control 12 and is thus arranged in series. The control signal of the main control 12 is thus initially fed to the safety control 13, which is also fed the safety release 23.

The safety control 13 therefore represents an AND connection with the main control, since the safety control 13 only passes a control signal to the charging switch 14 if a control signal is present from the main control 12 and the safety release 23 is present. If one of the two is missing, no control signal is sent to the charging switch 14, so that it switches off safely.

If a control signal is passed on to the charging switch 14, this can mean the simple switching and thus release of the charging current to the energy storage device or a control of the charging switch 14 to control the charging current.

The safety modules 20 mentioned are preferably designed as insulation monitors and/or residual current monitors and are connected to the controllers of the shutdown device via signal lines. The signal lines can be bus systems or serial connections, such as RS-232, RS-485 or Ethernet.

This arrangement can ensure a safe shutdown and thus a functioning safety system, even if an update of the application on the main controller 11 means that the safety functions are not available at the time due to a lack of qualification and/or approval.

The present application is not limited to the aforementioned features. Rather, other embodiments are conceivable. For example, the signal line 20 could not represent a line to the higher-level system, but a radio connection, such as WLAN, Bluetooth or GSM. The microcontroller could also be a simple microprocessor and, depending on the requirements, use an external memory or have no memory. Finally, voltage and/or current measuring devices can also be used as a safety module in order to be able to monitor the voltage and/or current values during the charging process.

LIST OF REFERENCE SYMBOLS

10

Security module

11

Main controller

12

Main control

13

Safety control

14

Charging switch

15

Security controller

20

Signal line

21

Main release

22

shortcut

23

Security clearance

QUOTES INCLUDED IN THE DESCRIPTION

This list of documents listed by the applicant was generated automatically and is included solely for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA accepts no liability for any errors or omissions.

Cited patent literature

• EP 4088964 A1 [0006]

Claims (14)

Shutdown device for a charging control, with at least one main controller (11) and at least one charging switch (14), wherein the main controller (11) can generate a main release (21) for the charging switch (14) and wherein a main control (12) can generate a control signal for the charging switch (14) from the main release (21), characterized in that the shutdown device includes a safety controller (15), that the safety controller (15) can generate a safety release (23) for the at least one charging switch (14) and that a safety control (13) can generate a control signal for the charging switch (14) from the safety release (23). Shut-off device according to Claim 1 , characterized in that the main release (21) and the safety release (23) are connected with a logical AND operation (22). Shut-off device according to Claim 1 or 2 , characterized in that the main controller (11) is designed to be updateable. Shut-off device according to one of the Claims 1 until 3 , characterized in that at least one security module (10) is connected to the main controller (11) via at least one signal line (20). Shut-off device according to one of the Claims 1 until 4 , characterized in that at least one security module (10) is connected to the security controller (15) via at least one signal line (20). Shut-off device according to Claim 5 , characterized in that the same security modules (10) which are connected to the main controller (11) are also connected to the security controller (15). Shut-off device according to one of the Claims 1 until 6 , characterized in that the safety module (10) is an insulation monitor or a residual current device. Shut-off device according to one of the Claims 4 until 7 , characterized in that the signal line (20) is designed as a serial data connection or as a bus system. Shut-off device according to one of the Claims 1 until 8th , characterized in that the main controller (11) is equipped with a control option for the charging control. Method for operating a shutdown device according to one of the Claims 1 until 9 , characterized in that the control signal for the charging switch (14) is generated by the main controller (11). Procedure according to Claim 10 , characterized in that the control signal for the charging switch (14) is generated by the safety controller (15). Procedure according to Claim 11 , characterized in that the control signal for the charging switch (14) by the safety controller (15) blocks or releases the control signal for the charging switch (14) by the main controller (11) based on signals from the safety module (10). Method according to one of the Claims 10 until 12 , characterized in that the main controller (11) generates the control signal for the charging switch (14) in dependence on signals from the security module (10). Method according to one of the Claims 10 until 13 , characterized in that the safety controller (15) generates the control signal for the charging switch (14) in dependence on signals from the safety module (10).