Electro-Pneumatic Brake Redundancy for Fail-Operation Slip Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing electro-pneumatic braking systems for commercial vehicles lack a reliable fail-operation mode that ensures safe auxiliary braking and brake slip control in case of central brake control device failure, as they are not adequately addressed by existing solutions designed for hydraulic or fluid-operated systems.

Innovation Solution

An electro-pneumatic braking system with a second brake control device that enables redundant brake control and slip control operations by dividing wheel speed sensors into groups, using direct signal lines, and employing the electric parking brake control device as a secondary controller to manage pneumatic brake cylinders, ensuring reliable operation even in the event of central control device failure.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a second brake control device is added for fail-operation mode, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebrake control reliabilityVSAvoidcontrol device complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The existing electric parking brake control device is made multi-functional by enabling it to perform both parking brake control and fail-operation service braking control. This eliminates the need for a dedicated second brake control device while maintaining redundancy and reliability in the braking system.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent merges the functions of the electric parking brake control device with the fail-operation service braking control functions. By combining these control functions into a single device, the system achieves redundancy without increasing the number of control devices, thus improving reliability while controlling complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Reliability

If direct signal lines are provided between wheel speed sensors and brake control devices, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesignal transmission reliabilityVSAvoidsignal line complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The wheel speed sensors are divided into two groups, with each group connected to a different brake control device via direct signal lines. This segmentation ensures that each control device has direct access to some sensor signals, improving reliability while distributing the signal line complexity across the system rather than requiring all sensors to connect to all controllers.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

3Adaptability or versatility

If wheel speed sensors are divided into two groups read by different control devices, then fail-operation brake slip control is enabled, but measurement precision may be affected

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebrake slip control capabilityVSAvoidwheel speed measurement precision
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The brake control devices use feedback from the wheel speed sensors to detect wheel slip conditions and adjust braking force accordingly. By dividing sensors into groups and providing direct signal lines, each control device receives real-time wheel speed data needed for feedback-based brake slip control, enabling this capability without compromising measurement precision.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentEP3938255B1Electro-pneumatical brake system for utility vehicle
Publication Date: 2023.08.30 ZF CV SYST EURO BV
  • EP3938255B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3938255B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3938255B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention relates to an electropneumatic brake system (2) for a utility vehicle (1), having wheel rotational speed sensors which are divided into two wheel rotational speed sensor groups (14A, 114A, 214A, 314A) that are read by a central brake controller or a second brake controller. In a braking operation, the central brake controller controls the wheel brakes and allows a slip control operation. If the central brake controller malfunctions, the second brake controller controls the wheel brakes and allows an alternative slip control operation.