Active Current-Limiting for Efficient Energy Storage Charging
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Summary
Problems
The existing charging systems for electrical energy storage devices in vehicles, such as airbag systems, face inefficiencies due to high initial supply currents that cause mass displacements, thermal and mechanical stress, and reduced component lifespan, leading to increased space and assembly costs.
Innovation solutions
An active current-limiting device is integrated into the main current path, which dynamically adjusts resistance based on the charging state of the energy storage device, allowing a constant high current flow initially and preventing excessive current, thus minimizing power loss and eliminating the need for additional resistors downstream from the voltage transformer, reducing the number of components and assembly costs.
TRIZ Analysis
Specific contradictions:
General conflict description:
Principle concept:
If resistors are added to the main current path to limit maximum supply current, then current limiting is achieved, but efficiency is reduced due to power dissipation in resistors
Why choose this principle:
The patent uses an active current-limiting device that dynamically changes its internal resistance parameter based on operating conditions. The device presents high resistance during initial charging to limit current, then transitions to low resistance during normal operation, eliminating continuous power dissipation. This dynamic parameter change resolves the contradiction between current limiting and efficiency.
Principle concept:
If multiple resistors and capacitors are added to filter interference signals and limit current, then circuit protection is improved, but device complexity increases
Why choose this principle:
The active current-limiting device performs multiple functions simultaneously: it limits inrush current, filters interference signals, and protects the voltage transformer device. By consolidating these protection functions into a single intelligent component rather than using multiple passive components, the patent reduces device complexity while maintaining or improving reliability.
Application Domain
Data Source
AI summary:
An active current-limiting device is integrated into the main current path, which dynamically adjusts resistance based on the charging state of the energy storage device, allowing a constant high current flow initially and preventing excessive current, thus minimizing power loss and eliminating the need for additional resistors downstream from the voltage transformer, reducing the number of components and assembly costs.
Abstract
A device is described for charging an electrical energy storage device, which has an active current-limiting device in a main current path in order to limit a supply current to a predefined maximum current. A voltage transformer device is situated downstream from the current-limiting device for raising the potential of the electrical energy storage device over a supply potential.