1. An isolation monitor, comprising:
a controller monitoring an isolation voltage between a power circuit in a high voltage circuit portion and a chassis;
a switchable bias voltage module applying a switchable bias voltage between the power circuit and a chassis ground during one or more isolation monitoring periods; and
the isolation monitor configured to monitor one or more isolation voltages when a bias voltage is applied by the switchable bias voltage module and determine from the one or more isolation voltages if an electrical fault between the power circuit and the chassis is modifying the one or more isolation voltages.
2. The isolation monitor of claim 1, wherein the switchable bias voltage module includes at least one switch having a series resistor to form a switchable circuit path to a voltage sense line of the power circuit.
3. The isolation monitor of claim 1, wherein the switchable bias voltage module includes a first switchable path having a first switch with a first series resistor to couple the chassis ground to a first sense voltage line of the power circuit and a second switchable path having a second switch with a second series resistor to couple the chassis ground to a second sense voltage line of the power circuit.
4. The isolation monitor of claim 1, wherein the controller triggers an alarm when the isolation resistance is below a threshold level.
5. The isolation monitor of claim 1, wherein the controller monitors changes in isolation resistance to predict a failure time.
6. The isolation monitor of claim 1, wherein the controller determines a fault location based on monitoring isolation voltage for two different bias voltages.
7. An isolation monitor to monitor isolation resistance between a power circuit and a chassis in a battery powered electric vehicle, comprising:
a controller monitoring an isolation voltage through a voltage divider circuit coupled between a sense line of the power circuit voltage and a chassis ground;
a first switch in series with a first resistor configured such that when the first switch is turned on it couples a first bias voltage the chassis ground;
a second switch in series with a second resistor configured such that when the second switch is turned on it couples a second bias voltage the chassis ground;
the first switch and the second switch being operated in a monitoring mode such that in a first portion of a monitoring period the first switch is on and the second switch is off and in a second portion of a monitoring period the first switch is off and the second switch is on in order to toggle the bias voltage between the first bias voltage and the second bias voltage;
wherein if an electrical fault exists between the high voltage portion and the chassis ground the electrical fault acts as a voltage source having an associated resistance coupled to the chassis ground;
the isolation monitor configured to monitor isolation voltage during the first and second portions of each monitoring period to monitor the isolation between the power circuit and the chassis; and
wherein when an electrical fault exists between the high voltage portion and the chassis ground the electrical fault acts as a voltage source having an associated resistance coupled to the chassis ground that modifies the measured isolation voltages.
8. The isolation monitor of claim 7, wherein the at least two different bias voltages correspond to a positive battery voltage and a negative battery voltage, wherein the isolation monitor monitors a first isolation voltage when the chassis is coupled to a positive battery voltage and a second isolation voltage when the chassis is coupled to a negative battery voltage.
9. The isolation monitor of claim 7, wherein the controller triggers an alarm when the isolation resistance is below a threshold level.
10. The isolation monitor of claim 7, wherein the controller monitors changes in isolation resistance to predict a failure time.
11. The isolation monitor of claim 7, wherein the controller determines a fault location based on monitoring isolation voltage for two different bias voltages.
12. The isolation monitor of claim 7, wherein the isolation monitor is integrated in a motor controller.
13. A method of performing isolation monitoring, comprising:
applying a switchable bias voltage to a chassis ground;
measuring an isolation voltage between a power circuit and a chassis during time periods when the switchable bias voltage is applied; and
detecting changes in isolation voltages associated with electrical faults between the power circuit and the chassis ground.
14. The method of claim 13 further comprising triggering an alarm when the isolation resistance is below a threshold level.
15. The method of claim 13, further comprising monitoring changes in isolation resistance to predict a failure time.
16. The method of claim 13, further comprising determining a fault location based on monitoring isolation voltage for two different bias voltages.
17. The method of claim 13 wherein in a first measuring portion the bias voltage is applied from an upper set of high impedance resistors via an upper sense line and in a second measuring portion the bias voltage is applied from a lower set of high impedance resistors via a lower sense line.
18. An isolation monitoring system, comprising:
sense lines coupled to a positive battery line and a negative battery line of a high voltage circuit;
a controller to monitor isolation voltage between the high voltage circuit and a chassis, the controller configured to:
apply a switchable bias voltage to a chassis ground via a circuit having at least one switch to couple the chassis ground to at least one potential of the high voltage circuit;
measure an isolation voltage between a power circuit and a chassis during time periods when the switchable bias voltage is applied; and
detect changes in isolation voltages associated with electrical faults between the power circuit and the chassis ground.
19. The isolation monitor of claim 18 wherein in a first measuring portion the bias voltage is applied from an upper set of high impedance resistors via an upper sense line and in a second measuring portion the bias voltage is applied from a lower set of high impedance resistors via a lower sense line.
20. The isolation monitor of claim 18, wherein the controller triggers an alarm when the isolation resistance is below a threshold level.
21. The isolation monitor of claim 18, wherein the controller monitors changes in isolation resistance to predict a failure time.
22. The isolation monitor of claim 18, wherein the controller determines a fault location based on monitoring isolation voltage for two different bias voltages.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A round module builder for forming a round module comprising an outer circumference, a first end, a first edge adjacent the outer circumference and the first end, a second end, and a second edge adjacent the outer circumference and the second end, the round module builder comprising:
a first module-forming portion configured to receive a crop;
a second module-forming portion pivotally coupleable to the first module-forming portion, the first module-forming portion and the second module-forming portion configured to rotate the crop into the round module;
a wrapping device coupleable to at least one of the first module-forming portion and the second module-forming portion, the wrapping device configured to position a wrap onto the outer circumference, the first edge, and the second edge of the round module; and
a wrap indication device coupleable to at least one of the first module-forming portion and the second module-forming portion, the wrap indication device configured to measure an indication of the wrap on at least one of the first edge and the second edge of the round module.
2. The round module builder of claim 1, further comprising a harvester comprising a harvesting structure configured to remove crop from a field, an accumulator in communication with the harvesting structure for receiving crop therefrom, a feeder in communication with the accumulator for receiving crop therefrom, the feeder configured to compress the crop, and the round module builder in communication with the feeder for receiving crop therefrom.
3. The round module builder of claim 1, wherein the wrap indication device is at least one of a sonic sensor and a visual device.
4. The round module builder of claim 1, wherein the wrap comprises at least one identification tag and the wrap indication device measures an indication of the identification tag.
5. The round module builder of claim 4, wherein the identification tag is an electronic tag.
6. The round module builder of claim 5, wherein the electronic tag is an RFID tag.
7. The round module builder of claim 1, further comprising an alarm configured to indicate whether the wrap is on at least one of the first edge and the second edge of the round module.
8. The round module builder of claim 1, wherein the wrap indication device comprises a logic circuitry configured to compare a first pressure reading of a pressure required to rotate the round module, taken before the wrap is positioned, to a second pressure reading, taken after the wrapping device is initiated, to determine if there has been a change in pressure, which indicates the wrap has been positioned onto the round module.
9. A round module builder for forming a round module comprising an outer circumference, a first end, and a second end, the round module builder comprising:
a first module-forming portion configured to receive a crop;
a second module-forming portion pivotally coupleable to the first module-forming portion, the first module-forming portion and the second module-forming portion configured to rotate the crop into the round module;
a wrapping device coupleable to at least one of the first module-forming portion and the second module-forming portion, the wrapping device configured to position a wrap onto the outer circumference of the round module; and
a wrap indication device coupleable to at least one of the first module-forming portion and the second module-forming portion, the wrap indication device comprising a logic circuitry configured to compare a first pressure reading of a pressure required to rotate the round module, taken before the wrap is positioned, to a second pressure reading, taken after the wrapping device is initiated, to determine if there has been a change in pressure, which indicates the wrap has been positioned onto the round module.
10. The round module builder of claim 9, further comprising a harvester comprising a harvesting structure configured to remove the crop from a field, an accumulator in communication with the harvesting structure for receiving the crop therefrom, a feeder in communication with the accumulator for receiving the crop therefrom, the feeder configured to compress the crop, and the round module builder in communication with the feeder for receiving crop therefrom.
11. The round module builder of claim 10, wherein the harvester is a cotton harvester.
12. The round module builder of claim 9, further comprising an alarm configured to indicate whether the wrap is on the round module.
13. A method for forming a round module comprising an outer circumference, a first end, a first edge adjacent the outer circumference and the first end, a second end, and a second edge adjacent the outer circumference and the second end, the method comprising:
providing a first module-forming portion to receive a crop;
providing a second module-forming portion to rotate the crop into the round module;
initiating a wrapping device to position a wrap onto the outer circumference, the first edge, and the second edge of the round module; and
providing a wrap indication device to measure an indication of the wrap on at least one of the first edge and the second edge of the round module.
14. The method of claim 13, further comprising providing a harvester to harvest the crop, the harvester comprising a harvesting structure for removing the crop from a field, an accumulator for receiving the crop from the harvesting structure, a feeder for receiving the crop from the accumulator, compressing the crop, and communicating the crop to the first module-forming portion.
15. The method of claim 14, wherein the crop is hay.
16. The method of claim 14, wherein the crop is cotton.
17. The method of claim 14, wherein the crop is corn stalks.
18. The method of claim 13, further comprising communicating whether the wrap is on the round module.
19. The method of claim 13, wherein the wrap indication device is at least one of a sonic sensor and a visual device.
20. The method of claim 13, further comprising placing at least one identification tag on the wrap and the wrap indication device measuring an indication of the identification tag.