Claims:WE CLAIM:
1. An apparatus (100) for detecting presence of water (10) in an enclosure (112) for a high voltage battery pack (118) of a vehicle, the enclosure (112) defined by a base (112a) and side walls (112b) extending from the edges of the base (112a), the side walls (112b) having an inner surface and an outer surface, the battery pack (118) configured to supply electric power to a driving motor of the vehicle via a high voltage contactor (120), said apparatus (100) comprising:
• at least one groove (102) configured on the inner surface of the side walls (112b);
• a DC power supply unit (106);
• at least two conducting elements including:
o a first conducting element (114) secured adjacent to an operative upper edge of said groove (102) and electrically coupled to a positive terminal of said DC power supply unit (106); and
o a second conducting element (116) secured adjacent to an operative lower edge of said groove (102) and electrically coupled to a negative terminal of said DC power supply unit (106),
said conducting elements (114, 116) circumferentially wound on the inner surface of the side walls (112b);
• a potentiometer (108) connected across said conducting elements (114, 116), said potentiometer (108) configured to measure a potential difference between said conducting elements (114, 116) and generate a corresponding potential difference signal; and
• a detection module (110) configured to receive said potential difference signal from said potentiometer (108) and detect the presence of water inside any portion of said groove (102) and in contact with said conducting elements (114, 116) based on said received signal, said detection module (110) further configured to generate an actuating signal for disabling said contactor (120) upon detecting the water presence, thereby preventing the supply of electric power from the high voltage battery pack (118) to the driving motor of the vehicle.
2. The apparatus (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said groove (102) is positioned at an operative bottom portion of the enclosure (112)
3. The apparatus (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said detection module (110) is integrated with an electronic control unit of the vehicle.
4. The apparatus (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said detection module (110) is further configured to generate a trigger signal to activate at least one of an alarm and an emergency tell-tale alert upon detecting the presence of water (10) in the enclosure (112).
5. The apparatus (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said detection module (110) is configured to keep said contactor (120) in a closed condition to facilitate supply of the electric power to the vehicle motor when no water presence is detected within the enclosure (112) of the high voltage battery pack (118).
6. The apparatus (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said DC power supply unit (106) includes a step down converter connected to an auxiliary battery (104) of the vehicle, said converter configured to receive a high voltage input power from said auxiliary battery (104) and convert the received high voltage power to low voltage, thereby generating a low voltage DC power across said positive and negative terminals.
7. A method (200) for detecting presence of water (10) in an enclosure (112) for a high voltage battery pack (118) of a vehicle, the enclosure (112) defined by a base (112a) and side walls (112b) extending from the edges of the base (112a), the side walls (112b) having an inner surface and an outer surface, the battery pack (118) configured to supply electric power to a driving motor of the vehicle via a high voltage contactor (120), said method (200) comprising:
• generating (202), by a potentiometer (108) connected across a first conducting element (114) and a second conducting element (116), a potential difference signal based on a potential difference measured between said first and second conducting elements (114, 116), wherein said first conducting element (114) and said second conducting element (116) are secured adjacent to an operative upper edge and an operative lower edge respectively of a groove (102), said groove (102) configured on the inner surface of the side walls (112b) and positioned at an operative bottom portion of the enclosure (112), said first and second conducting elements (114, 116) circumferentially wound on the inner surface of the side walls (112b) and electrically coupled to positive and negative terminals of a DC power supply unit (106);
• receiving, by a detection module (110), said potential difference signal from said potentiometer (108);
• detecting, by said detection module (110), the presence of water inside any portion of said groove (102) and in contact with said conducting elements (114, 116) based on said received signal;
• generating, by said detection module (110), an actuating signal for disabling said contactor (120) upon detecting the water presence, thereby preventing the supply of electric power from the high voltage battery pack (118) to the driving motor of the vehicle.
8. A vehicle having an apparatus (100), for detecting presence of water (10) in a high voltage battery pack enclosure (112), as claimed in any one of the preceding claims.
Dated this 20th day of January, 2022

_______________________________
MOHAN RAJKUMAR DEWAN, IN/PA – 25
of R.K.DEWAN & CO.
Authorized Agent of Applicant
, Description:TECHNICAL FIELD
The present disclosure relates to a system and method for detecting water presence in an enclosure for a high voltage battery pack of a vehicle.
BACKGROUND
The background information herein below relates to the present disclosure but is not necessarily prior art.
Generally, water condensation occurs in high voltage battery pack enclosures due to environmental conditions such as increased humidity and pressure variation. Water accumulation may also occur due to the leakage of an inside coolant, or when the Ingress Protection (IP) rating of the battery pack enclosure does not meet the required standards. Water accumulation inside the battery pack enclosure carries a high risk and compromises the battery safety. This can even lead to evaporation of accumulated water due to the internal heat of battery, which is not desired.
Currently, various moisture/leakage detection sensors are used in a vehicle to detect water leakage or water accumulation. Usually, these sensors are placed at the lowest point of the battery enclosure’s bottom cover. Therefore, the sensors are not able to detect water accumulation when the vehicle is in a gradient condition or leaning to one side. If water accumulation in the battery pack enclosure goes undetected, it may damage the battery and also risk the user’s safety.
Therefore, there is felt a need for an apparatus for detecting presence of water in an enclosure for a high voltage battery pack of a vehicle that alleviates the above-mentioned problems.
OBJECTS
Some of the objects of the present disclosure, which at least one embodiment herein satisfies, are as follows:
An object of the present disclosure is to provide an apparatus and method for detecting presence of water in a high voltage battery pack enclosure of a vehicle.
Another object of the present disclosure is to provide an apparatus that is capable of detecting presence of water in an enclosure for a high voltage battery pack of a vehicle even when the vehicle is in a gradient condition or is leaning to one side.
Still another object of the present disclosure is to provide an apparatus that is capable of detecting presence of water in a high voltage battery pack enclosure that is cost-effective.
Yet another object of the present disclosure is to provide an apparatus that is capable of detecting presence of water in a high voltage battery pack enclosure that alerts a user in the vehicle about the presence of water in the battery pack enclosure by using an alarm and/or an emergency tell-tale of the vehicle.
Still another object of the present disclosure is to provide an apparatus that is capable of detecting presence of water in an enclosure for a high voltage battery pack that automatically stops the vehicle movement upon detecting the presence of water in the battery pack enclosure, thereby ensuring driver, passenger, and vehicle safety.
Other objects and advantages of the present disclosure will be more apparent from the following description, which is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.
SUMMARY
The present disclosure envisages an apparatus for detecting presence of water in an enclosure for a high voltage battery pack of a vehicle. The enclosure is defined by a base and side walls extending from the edges of the base. The side walls have an inner surface and an outer surface. The high voltage battery pack is configured to supply electric power to a driving motor of the vehicle via a high voltage contactor. The apparatus comprises at least one groove configured on the inner surface of the side walls. The groove is positioned at an operative bottom portion of the enclosure. The apparatus further comprises a DC power supply unit having a positive terminal and a negative terminal, at least two conducting elements, a potentiometer, and a detection module. The two conducting elements include a first conducting element and a second conducting element. The first conducting element is secured adjacent to an operative upper edge of the groove and is electrically coupled to the positive terminal of the DC power supply unit. The second conducting element is secured adjacent to an operative lower edge of the groove and is electrically coupled to the negative terminal of the DC power supply unit. The conducting elements are circumferentially wound on the inner surface of the side walls. The potentiometer is connected across the conducting elements. The potentiometer is configured to measure a potential difference between the conducting elements and generate a corresponding potential difference signal. The detection module is configured to receive the potential difference signal from the potentiometer and detect the presence of water inside any portion of the groove and in contact with the conducting elements based on the received signal. The detection module is further configured to generate an actuating signal for disabling the contactor upon detecting the water presence, thereby preventing the supply of electric power from the high voltage battery pack to the driving motor of the vehicle. The detection module is configured to keep the contactor in a closed condition to facilitate supply of the electric power to the vehicle motor when no water presence is detected within the enclosure of the high voltage battery pack.
In an embodiment, the detection module is integrated with an electronic control unit of the vehicle.
In an embodiment, the detection module is further configured to generate a trigger signal to activate at least one of an alarm and an emergency tell-tale alert upon detecting the presence of water in the enclosure.
In an embodiment, the DC power supply unit includes a step down converter connected to an auxiliary battery of the vehicle. The converter is configured to receive a high voltage input power from the auxiliary battery and convert the received high voltage power to low voltage, thereby generating a low voltage DC power across the positive and negative terminals.
The present disclosure further envisages a method for detecting presence of water in a high voltage battery pack enclosure of a vehicle.
The present disclosure also envisages a vehicle having an apparatus, for detecting presence of water in a high voltage battery pack enclosure of the vehicle.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWING
An apparatus and method for detecting water presence in a high voltage battery pack enclosure of the present disclosure will now be described with the help of accompanying drawing, in which:
Figure 1 illustrates a block diagram of an apparatus for detecting presence of water in a high voltage battery pack enclosure, in accordance with the present disclosure; and
Figures 2A and 2B illustrate a flow diagram of a method for detecting presence of water in a high voltage battery pack enclosure, in accordance with the present disclosure.
LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS
10 – Accumulated water
100 – Apparatus
102 – Groove
104 – Auxiliary Battery
106 – Power Supply Unit
108 – Potentiometer
110 – Detection Module
112 – Enclosure
112a – Base
112b – Side walls
114 – First conducting element
116 – Second conducting element
118 – High Voltage Battery Pack
120 – High Voltage Contactor
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Embodiments, of the present disclosure, will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing.
Embodiments are provided so as to thoroughly and fully convey the scope of the present disclosure to the person skilled in the art. Numerous details are set forth, relating to specific components, and methods, to provide a complete understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent to the person skilled in the art that the details provided in the embodiments should not be construed to limit the scope of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, well-known processes, well-known apparatus structures, and well-known techniques are not described in detail.
The terminology used, in the present disclosure, is only for the purpose of explaining a particular embodiment and such terminology shall not be considered to limit the scope of the present disclosure. As used in the present disclosure, the forms "a,” "an," and "the" may be intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly suggests otherwise. The terms "comprises," "comprising," “including,” and “having,” are open ended transitional phrases and therefore specify the presence of stated features, elements, modules, units and/or components, but do not forbid the presence or addition of one or more other features, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. The particular order of steps disclosed in the method and process of the present disclosure is not to be construed as necessarily requiring their performance as described or illustrated. It is also to be understood that additional or alternative steps may be employed.
When an element is referred to as being "mounted on," “engaged to,” "connected to," or "coupled to" another element, it may be directly on, engaged, connected or coupled to the other element. As used herein, the term "and/or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed elements.
The terms first, second, third, etc., should not be construed to limit the scope of the present disclosure as the aforementioned terms may be only used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer or section from another component, region, layer or section. Terms such as first, second, third etc., when used herein do not imply a specific sequence or order unless clearly suggested by the present disclosure.
Terms such as “inner,” “outer,” "beneath," "below," "lower," "above," "upper," and the like, may be used in the present disclosure to describe relationships between different elements as depicted from the figures.
Generally, in the enclosure of a high voltage battery pack, water accumulation may occur due to environmental conditions such as increased humidity and pressure variation or due to the leakage of an inside coolant, or when the Ingress Protection (IP) rating of the battery pack enclosure does not meet the required standards. Water accumulation inside the enclosure for the battery pack carries a high risk and compromises the battery safety. Currently, various moisture/leakage detection sensors are used in a vehicle to detect water leakage or water accumulation. Usually, these sensors are placed at the lowest point of the battery enclosure’s bottom cover. Therefore, the sensors are incapable of detecting water accumulation in cases where the vehicle is in a gradient condition or leaning to one side. If water accumulation in the enclosure for the battery pack goes undetected, it may damage the battery and also risk the user’s safety.
To address the aforementioned problem, the present disclosure envisages an apparatus (hereinafter “apparatus 100”) and method (hereinafter “method 200”) for detecting presence of water in an enclosure for a high voltage battery pack of a vehicle. The apparatus 100 and the method 200 are described with reference to Figures 1 through 2B. The apparatus 100 detects presence of water 10 in an enclosure 112 of the high voltage battery pack 118 of the vehicle, even when the vehicle is not aligned correctly (i.e., in slanting/gradient position or leaning to one side). The battery pack enclosure 112 of the vehicle is typically defined by a base 112a and one or more side walls 112b extending from the edges of the base 112a. The side walls 112b have an inner surface and an outer surface. The battery pack 118 is configured to supply electric power to the vehicle via a high voltage contactor 120.
Referring to Figure 1, the apparatus 100 comprises at least one groove 102, a DC power supply unit 106, at least two conducting elements, a potentiometer 108, and a detection module 110. The groove 102 is configured on the inner surface of the side walls 112b of the enclosure 112. The groove 102 has an operative upper edge and an operative lower edge. Preferably, the groove 102 is located at an operative bottom portion of the enclosure 112, which may be the bottom-most portion of the enclosure 112. In an alternate embodiment, the groove 102 may be located at any other portion of the enclosure 112 as per the requirement of the application, for e.g., at an operative middle or top portion. In yet another embodiment, the enclosure 112 is configured with multiple grooves 102 at multiple portions of the inner surface thereof. The DC power supply unit 106 has a positive terminal and a negative terminal. The conducting elements include a fist conducting element 114 and a second conducting element 116. The first conducting element 114 is secured adjacent to the operative upper edge of the groove 102 and is electrically coupled to the positive terminal of the DC power supply unit 106. The second conducting element 116 is secured adjacent to the operative lower edge of the groove 102 and is electrically coupled to the negative terminal of the DC power supply unit 106.
In an exemplary embodiment, as shown in Figure 1, the first conducting element 114 is connected to the positive terminal of the DC power supply unit 106 and the second conducting element 116 is connected to the negative terminal of the power supply unit 106. In an alternate embodiment, the first conducting element 114 can be connected to the negative terminal of the power supply unit 106 and the second conducting element 116 can be connected to the positive terminal of the power supply unit 106.
In one embodiment, the power supply unit 106 comprises a step-down converter connected to an auxiliary battery 104 of the vehicle. The step-down converter is configured to receive a high voltage input power from the auxiliary battery 104 and convert the received power to low voltage, thereby generating a low voltage DC power across the positive and negative terminals. In an exemplary embodiment, the step down converter receives the input power of 12 V from the auxiliary battery 104 and further generates a 5V DC power at the output across the positive and negative terminals.
In an alternate embodiment, the power supply unit 106 comprises a separate/independent low voltage battery which is configured to provide the low voltage DC power (for e.g., 5V DC power) across the positive and negative terminals thereof.
The potentiometer 108 is connected across the first conducting element 114 and the second conducting element 116. The potentiometer 108 is configured to measure a potential difference between the conducting elements (114, 116) and generate a corresponding potential difference signal.
The detection module 110 is configured to receive the potential difference signal from the potentiometer 108 and detect the presence of water inside any portion of the groove 102 and in contact with the conducting elements (114, 116) based on the received signal. The detection module 110 is further configured to generate an actuating signal for disabling the high voltage contactor 120 upon detecting the water presence, thereby preventing supply of electric power from the high voltage battery pack 118 to the driving motor of the vehicle. Additionally, the detection module 110 is configured to generate a trigger signal to activate at least one of an alarm and an emergency tell-tale alert upon detecting the presence of water in the enclosure 112.
In an exemplary embodiment, when there is no presence of water in the enclosure 112, there will be no water between the conducting elements (114, 116) of the apparatus 100. Thus, the potentiometer 108 will sense a high potential difference between the conducting elements (114, 116) and further send the potential difference signal to the detection module 110. In this case, the detection module 110 will not generate the actuating signal and the high voltage contactor 120 will remain in a closed state and the vehicle will remain in operation. However, when there is the water 10 inside the enclosure 112 at any portion of the groove 102 and in contact with the conducting elements (114, 116), the potentiometer 108 will sense a near-zero potential difference between the conducting elements (114, 116), and further send the potential difference signal to the detection module 110. When a near-zero potential difference is sensed across the conducting elements (114, 116), the detection module 110 will conclude that there is water accumulation 10 in the enclosure 112 and will generate the actuating signal to disable the contactor 120, thereby preventing supply of electric power from the high voltage battery pack 118 to the motor of the vehicle. The detection module 110 is also configured to generate a trigger signal to activate at least one of an alarm and an emergency tell-tale alert upon detecting the presence of water 10 in the enclosure 112.
In an embodiment, the detection module 110 is integrated with an electronic control unit of the vehicle and implemented using a processor of the electronic control unit. In another embodiment, the detection module 110 is implemented using an independent processor. The processor(s) described herein may be a general-purpose processor, a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), a Digital Signal Processor (DSP), a microprocessor, a microcontroller, or a state machine. The processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, e.g., a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other such configuration. The processor may be configured to retrieve data from and/or write data to the memory. The memory may be, for example, a random-access memory (RAM), a memory buffer, a hard drive, a database, an erasable programmable read only memory (EPROM), an electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM), a read only memory (ROM), a flash memory, a hard disk, a floppy disk, cloud storage, and/or so forth. The memory may include a set of instructions or a control logic which the processor implements to detect water accumulation/leakage and generate at least one of the actuating signal and the trigger signal.
Since, the conducting elements (114, 116) are circumferentially provided on the entire periphery of the inner side of the side walls 112b of the enclosure 112 and at a bottom portion of the enclosure 112, the accumulation/presence of water on any side walls 112b and any bottom portion of the enclosure 112 leads to a near-zero potential difference between the conducting elements (114, 116) which is immediately detected by the detection module 110. Thus, the apparatus 100 is capable of detecting water accumulation even when the vehicle is not aligned correctly with the horizontal plane, i.e., when the vehicle is in a gradient position, or leaning to one side, or climbing up a slanting road/path, or climbing down a slanting road/path, or the surface on which the vehicle is moving or resting is sloping/inclined.
Advantageously, the leakage detection module 110 is configured to keep the high voltage contactor 120 in a closed condition to facilitate supply of the electric power to the vehicle motor when no moisture or water is detected within the enclosure 112 of the high voltage battery pack 118 in a dry condition.
Figures 2a-2b illustrate a flow chart depicting a method 200 for detecting presence of water (10) in an enclosure 112 for a high voltage battery pack 118 of a vehicle.
At step 202, a potential difference signal is generated by a potentiometer 108 connected across a first conducting element 114 and a second conducting element 116. The potential difference signal is based on a potential difference measured between the first and second conducting elements (114, 116), wherein the first conducting element 114 and the second conducting element 116 are secured in an operative upper edge and an operative lower edge respectively of a groove 102. The groove 102 is configured on the inner surface of the side walls 112b and positioned at an operative bottom portion of the enclosure 112. The first and second conducting elements (114, 116) are circumferentially wound on the inner surface of the side walls 112b and are electrically coupled to positive and negative terminals respectively of a DC power supply unit 106.
At block 204, the potential difference signal is received by a detection module 110 from the potentiometer 108.
At block 206, the detection module 110 detects the presence of water inside any portion of the groove 102 and in contact with the conducting elements (114, 116) based on the received signal.
At block 208, the detection module 110 generates an actuating signal based on the received potential difference signal for disabling the contactor 120 upon detecting the water presence to thereby prevent the supply of electric power from the high voltage battery pack 118 to the driving motor of the vehicle.
The present disclosure further envisages a vehicle having the apparatus (100), for detecting presence of water (10) in a high voltage battery pack enclosure (112).
The functions described herein may be implemented in hardware, software executed by a processor, firmware, or any combination thereof. If implemented in software executed by a processor, the functions may be stored on or transmitted over as one or more instructions or code on a computer- readable medium. Other examples and implementations are within the scope and spirit of the disclosure and appended claims. For example, due to the nature of software, functions described above can be implemented using software executed by a processor, hardware, firmware, hardwiring, or combinations of any of these. Features implementing functions may also be physically located at various positions, including being distributed such that portions of functions are implemented at different physical locations.
In addition, any disclosure of components contained within other components or separate from other components should be considered exemplary because multiple other architectures may potentially be implemented to achieve the same functionality, including incorporating all, most, and/or some elements as part of one or more unitary structures and/or separate structures.
TECHNICAL ADVANCEMENTS
The present disclosure described herein above has several technical advantages including, but not limited to, the realization of an apparatus and method for detecting water presence in a high voltage battery pack enclosure of a vehicle that:
• is capable of detecting water accumulation in a high voltage battery pack enclosure of a vehicle even when the vehicle is in a gradient condition or is leaning to one side;
• cost-effective;
• alerts a user in the vehicle about the water accumulation in the battery pack by using an alarm and/or an emergency tell-tale of the vehicle; and
• automatically stops the vehicle movement upon detecting the presence of water in the battery pack enclosure, thereby ensuring driver, passenger, and vehicle safety.
The embodiments herein and the various features and advantageous details thereof are explained with reference to the non-limiting embodiments in the following description. Descriptions of well-known components and processing techniques are omitted so as to not unnecessarily obscure the embodiments herein. The examples used herein are intended merely to facilitate an understanding of ways in which the embodiments herein may be practiced and to further enable those of skill in the art to practice the embodiments herein. Accordingly, the examples should not be construed as limiting the scope of the embodiments herein
The use of the expression “at least” or “at least one” suggests the use of one or more elements or ingredients or quantities, as the use may be in the embodiment of the disclosure to achieve one or more of the desired objects or results.
The foregoing description of the specific embodiments will so fully reveal the general nature of the embodiments herein that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily modify and/or adapt for various applications such specific embodiments without departing from the generic concept, and, therefore, such adaptations and modifications should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation. Therefore, while the embodiments herein have been described in terms of preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the embodiments herein can be practiced with modification within the spirit and scope of the embodiments as described herein.