Industrial Battery Heater Isolation to Reduce Switch Wear
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing industrial battery designs for material handling vehicles lack efficient temperature management and fault detection mechanisms, leading to excessive wear on switching devices and potential safety risks.
Innovation Solution
A battery design incorporating isolated switching devices controlled by a controller that selectively opens and closes based on temperature data and fault detection, reducing wear and enhancing safety by sequencing the operation of switching devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a single switching device is used to control power to the heater, then the control circuit is simple, but the switching device experiences excessive wear and potential failure
Solution Approach 1:
The single switching device is divided into two separate switching devices (first switching device and second switching device). The first switching device controls power to the heater, while the second switching device controls power to the battery cells. This segmentation distributes the wear and operational stress across multiple devices, improving reliability while maintaining relatively simple control logic through the controller.
2Temperature
If the switching device is opened frequently to manage temperature, then temperature control is improved, but the switching device wear increases
Solution Approach 1:
By separating the heater control function (first switching device) from the battery power control function (second switching device), the system can manage temperature by controlling only the first switching device when heating is needed, without necessarily opening the second switching device. This reduces unnecessary wear on switching devices while maintaining effective temperature management.
Solution Approach 2:
The controller periodically monitors battery cell temperature and selectively opens or closes the first switching device based on temperature thresholds. This periodic, condition-based operation allows temperature management while minimizing the frequency of switching operations, thereby extending switching device lifespan.
3Reliability
If all switching devices are opened upon fault detection, then safety is improved, but normal operation is disrupted and wear increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control system is segmented to independently manage different switching devices based on fault type and location. When a fault is detected in the heater circuit, only the first switching device is opened, while the second switching device remains closed to maintain battery power supply. This selective isolation improves safety by containing faults to specific circuits while maintaining overall system productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The controller acts as an intermediary that intelligently determines which switching device to open based on the specific fault condition. This mediation allows the system to respond appropriately to different fault scenarios, opening only the necessary switching device to isolate the problem while keeping other circuits operational, thus balancing safety with continued operation.
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
The solution reduces wear on switching devices and improves safety by selectively managing temperature and fault conditions, ensuring efficient battery operation and prolonged device lifespan.
Implementation Method 1
a heater to provide heat to the battery cell
Data Source
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AI summary
An industrial battery design for use in a material handling vehicle (100). The battery includes a battery cell (232, 234, 236, 242, 244, 246), a heater (238, 248) to provide heat to the battery cell (232, 234, 236, 242, 244, 246), a temperature sensor (239, 249) to monitor a temperature of the battery cell (232, 234, 236, 242, 244, 246), a first switching device (202) through which power for the heater (238, 248) is routed, a second switching (204) device through which power for the heater (238, 248) is not routed, and a controller (222). The controller (222) includes circuitry configured to receive temperature data indicative of the temperature of the battery cell (232, 234, 236, 242, 244, 246) from the temperature sensor (239, 249) and to open the first switching device without opening the second switching device based on the temperature data received from the temperature sensor.