Auxiliary Battery Startup Testing for EV Low-Voltage Supply
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems fail to accurately determine the state of auxiliary batteries in electric vehicles, leading to potential voltage collapses that can endanger passengers due to insufficient electrical power supply during critical maneuvers, and do not provide reliable alerts to drivers about battery degradation or undercharging.
Innovation Solution
A monitoring device and method that includes a processor and memory to trigger current consumption through the auxiliary battery during startup, determining minimum voltage and internal resistance to assess the battery state, providing alerts based on predefined states and reliability information.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If the auxiliary battery capacity is only sufficient for basic computer power (not very high power level), then the vehicle can be equipped with a smaller auxiliary battery, but the electrical power level may be insufficient to ensure safe electrical supply needs during critical maneuvers
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary safety tests during vehicle startup before critical maneuvers occur. The processor triggers current consumption through the auxiliary battery and measures voltage and internal resistance to assess battery capability in advance, allowing the system to determine whether the battery can support safe electrical supply needs before actual critical events occur.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors auxiliary battery status by measuring voltage and internal resistance during safety tests, compares these measurements against threshold values, and provides feedback through driver alerts when the battery cannot ensure safe electrical supply. This closed-loop feedback mechanism ensures the system responds to actual battery conditions rather than relying on fixed capacity assumptions.
2Device complexity
If simple capacity threshold checks are performed, then the monitoring system is simple to implement, but the system cannot determine the actual state of the auxiliary battery or provide reliable safety assessments
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces simple capacity threshold checking with electrical measurements of voltage and internal resistance during controlled current consumption tests. Instead of relying on capacity data alone, the processor actively measures the battery's electrical characteristics by triggering current draw and observing the resulting voltage drop, providing a more accurate assessment of actual battery state and safe supply capability.
3Loss of time
If no safety tests are performed during startup, then the vehicle can start faster with fewer test procedures, but the system cannot assess whether the auxiliary battery can ensure safe electrical supply before vehicle movement
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs a focused safety test during startup that triggers controlled current consumption through the auxiliary battery to assess its capability. This partial action - testing only the essential safety parameter of whether the battery can support critical loads - provides necessary safety assessment without performing exhaustive tests on all battery functions, thus balancing startup time requirements with safety assessment needs.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Ensures accurate assessment of auxiliary battery health before vehicle movement, ensuring safe electrical power supply and providing timely alerts to passengers about potential risks, thereby enhancing safety and reliability.
Implementation Method 1
an on-board network supplied with electrical energy by a power unit comprising a rechargeable auxiliary battery
Implementation Method 2
determining a minimum voltage across the terminals of the auxiliary battery and an internal resistance of the latter
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
AI summary
Disclosed is a monitoring device (DS) fitted to a vehicle (V) comprising an electric power train and an on-board network (RB) supplied with electrical energy by a power supply unit comprising a low-voltage rechargeable battery (BS) and at least one electric power generator (GE). The device (DS) comprises a processor (PR) and a memory performing operations that consist, when the electric power train is started, in initiating a current consumption selected by the on-board network (RB) via the electric power generator (GE) then via the low-voltage rechargeable battery (BS), in order to determine a minimum voltage across the terminals of the low-voltage rechargeable battery (BS) and an internal resistance of the latter (BS), then to determine a state of the low-voltage rechargeable battery (BS) according to the minimum voltage and internal resistance thus determined.