Alternator-Starter Sensor Error Detection via Current Feedback
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Solution Overview
Problem
Alternator-starters in motor vehicles, particularly in electric or hybrid vehicles, face temperature measurement errors due to faulty temperature sensors or elastic element failures during regenerative braking, leading to potential malfunctions and breakdowns, which existing solutions fail to detect automatically without additional equipment.
Innovation Solution
A control module in the alternator-starter system compares temperature measurements from a stator winding sensor and an ambient temperature sensor to detect erroneous readings, emitting an alarm and reducing current transmission to prevent overheating, using a counter incremented by current intensity to optimize measurement timing and reduce energy consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a temperature sensor is mounted on an elastic element to measure stator winding temperature, then temperature monitoring capability is improved, but the risk of undetected sensor failure increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses feedback by comparing the temperature sensor signal with current magnitude information. The control module continuously monitors whether the temperature sensor reading is consistent with the expected temperature based on current load, and generates a failure indication when inconsistency is detected, enabling automatic failure detection without additional sensors.
Solution Approach 2:
The control module uses existing internal resources (current measurement capabilities and processing unit) to perform the temperature verification function. The system serves itself by using its own operational data to validate the temperature sensor, eliminating the need for external verification equipment.
2Reliability
If additional temperature verification equipment is added to detect sensor failures, then reliability is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The control module is designed to perform multiple functions: it controls the alternator-starter operation, monitors temperature sensor signals, verifies temperature consistency with current load, and generates failure indications. By making the control module universal and multi-functional, the patent avoids adding separate verification equipment, thus maintaining simplicity while improving reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses its own existing current measurement and control capabilities to verify temperature sensor functionality. This self-service approach allows the system to detect sensor failures without requiring external verification devices, thereby avoiding increased complexity and cost.
3Measurement precision
If temperature sensor is placed close to stator windings for accurate measurement, then measurement precision is improved, but vulnerability to sensor failure and undetected errors increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback by comparing the temperature sensor reading with the expected temperature derived from current magnitude. The control module uses this feedback mechanism to detect when the temperature sensor provides erroneous readings, even when the sensor is positioned close to the stator windings for accurate measurement.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to a motor vehicle alternator-starter (1) comprising: - stator phase windings, - an inverter (3) connected to the stator phase windings and configured to supply an on-board electrical network (7) when operating in alternator mode, - a first temperature sensor (14) configured to measure the temperature of the stator phase windings, - a control module (11) of the inverter (3) comprising a second temperature sensor (16) for measuring the ambient temperature, wherein the control module (11) is configured to compare the temperature values measured by the first (14) and the second (16) temperature sensors when operating in alternator mode and to detect an erroneous measurement of the first temperature sensor (14) from said comparison.