Patent ID: 7996163
Filing Date: 2011-08-09
Classification: B60K,B60L,B60W,B60Y,G01R,H02P,Y02T

Abstract:
1. A method for detecting a short in a direct current (DC) link for a power circuit in an electric drive coupled with a prime mover, the power circuit including a rectifier circuit having at least a diode pair coupled with a power generator and disposed to provide a DC output voltage to the DC link, the method comprising: receiving at least one power generator output at a controller; receiving at least one machine parameter associated with the prime mover at the controller; receiving a set of diagnostic values associated with the DC link and the at least one power generator output at the controller; determining a set of expected operating values based on the at least one power generator output and the at least one machine parameter by the controller, the set of expected operating values corresponding to the received set of diagnostic values; comparing each diagnostic value from the set of diagnostic values to a corresponding expected operating value from the set of expected operating values by the controller to determine a difference for each diagnostic value; and setting an indicator flag by the controller that a short circuit condition with respect to the DC link exists if the difference between one or more diagnostic values and a corresponding one or more expected values exceeds a threshold.