Vehicle Battery Control Using Auxiliary Charging After Sensor Failure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional electric vehicle systems face challenges with long charging times and inadequate control strategies for swappable battery systems, particularly when a main battery's voltage or current sensor fails, leading to safety issues and limited functionality.
Innovation Solution
A power system for vehicles that includes a main high-voltage battery, a lower voltage battery, DC-DC converters, and an auxiliary battery, where a control unit manages power supply by estimating consumption power and using the auxiliary battery to maintain the state of charge of the main battery, preventing over-discharge and over-charge, even when the main battery's sensor fails.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a battery sensor (voltage or current sensor) of the main battery fails, then the vehicle must be stopped to prevent over-discharge and over-charge, but this causes limited situation in controlling the replaceable battery and reduces vehicle operational reliability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a replaceable battery as an intermediary power source that can temporarily supply power to the vehicle when the main battery sensor fails. The replaceable battery connects to the power system through a connector and DC-DC converter, enabling the vehicle to continue operation without immediately stopping, thus resolving the contradiction between battery safety and vehicle operability
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit changes the operating parameters of the power system by switching from relying solely on the main battery to using the replaceable battery as the primary power source during sensor failure. The control unit estimates consumption power and adjusts charging/discharging rates based on the replaceable battery's capacity, allowing safe operation under altered parameter conditions
2Reliability
If the vehicle uses an auxiliary battery to maintain main battery state of charge during sensor failure, then the main battery can be protected from over-discharge and over-charge, but this requires complex control strategies and power management
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit implements feedback control by continuously monitoring the state of charge of both the main battery and replaceable battery, estimating consumption power based on vehicle operation conditions, and adjusting the charging/discharging rates accordingly. This feedback mechanism enables automatic protection of the main battery while managing the complexity through algorithmic control rather than complex hardware
3Productivity
If a swappable battery system is implemented to solve long charging time, then charging speed is improved, but control strategy and detailed functions for efficiently operating the swappable battery system are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The replaceable battery is designed with multi-functionality: it can serve as a temporary power source during sensor failure, as a backup power source, and as a mobile charging solution. The control unit provides universal control strategies that adapt to different operating conditions (normal operation, sensor failure, low state of charge), making the swappable battery system versatile and efficiently controllable across multiple scenarios
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
Enables safe and stable vehicle operation by maintaining the state of charge of the main battery, preventing overcharging and over-discharging, and allowing continued travel even when the main battery's sensor is faulty, thereby improving safety and operational reliability.
Implementation Method 1
a first DC-DC converter electrically connected between the main battery and the lower voltage battery to supply charge power from the main battery to the lower voltage battery
Implementation Method 2
a second DC-DC converter electrically connected to the main battery to supply charge power thereto
Implementation Method 3
the main battery comprising a battery sensor configured to sense current or voltage of the main battery
Data Source
AI summary
In at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, the system comprises a main battery fixedly mounted in the vehicle and configured to be a high voltage battery and supply power to a drive motor driving wheels of the vehicle, the main battery comprising a battery sensor configured to sense current or voltage of the main battery, a lower voltage battery mounted in the vehicle and configured to be a battery of a lower voltage than that of the main battery, a first DC-DC converter electrically connected between the main battery and the lower voltage battery to supply charge power from the main battery to the lower voltage battery and configured to supply power converted from the main battery to at least an electrical device in the vehicle, a second DC-DC converter electrically connected to the main battery to supply charge power thereto, a connector electrically connected to the second DC-DC converter and configured to allow the auxiliary battery to be detachably connected thereto such that the auxiliary battery is capable to supply charge power to the main battery, and a control unit configured to, when a failure of the battery sensor is identified, control the second DC-DC converter to supply the charge power from the auxiliary battery to the main battery based on estimated consumption power of the main battery.