Contactor Through-Current Monitoring for Failure Rate Prediction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current systems lack the ability to predict and diagnose contactor failures in advance, leading to increased repair costs and safety risks due to unforeseen failures in battery systems.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that predict and diagnose contactor failure rates by counting a lifespan index based on the normality of through-currents on both the primary and secondary sides of the contactor when connected to a battery, determining an increased failure rate when abnormal through-current values exceed predetermined thresholds.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If contactor operation is monitored without prediction capability, then system operation continues normally, but failure occurs unexpectedly causing increased repair costs and safety risks
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary monitoring of through-current characteristics before actual failure occurs. By continuously measuring and comparing current values against reference data during normal operation, the system predicts potential failures in advance, enabling preventive maintenance before the contactor actually fails.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces complex mechanical failure analysis with electrical measurement-based prediction. Instead of monitoring physical wear or mechanical degradation directly, the system uses through-current measurements and statistical comparison to infer contactor health status, substituting mechanical diagnostics with electrical sensing.
2Reliability
If through-current measurement and comparison is performed continuously, then contactor failure can be predicted in advance, but energy consumption and processing load increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs partial monitoring by measuring through-current only when necessary for prediction purposes, rather than continuously analyzing all operational parameters. The measurement is triggered based on operational conditions, performing just enough monitoring to detect failure trends without excessive energy consumption.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to a system and a method of predicting a failure rate of a contactor, which predict and diagnose a failure rate or a lifespan before the generation of a failure of a contactor in advance by counting a lifespan index of a contactor based on normality of through-currents of a primary side and a secondary side of the contactor, and determining that a failure rate of the contactor increases when a count value for an abnormal through-current exceeds a predetermined threshold value.