Vehicle Control Unit Power Prioritization During Voltage Interruptions
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Solution Overview
Problem
Modern motor vehicles with increasing energy demands face challenges in maintaining reliable operation during temporary voltage interruptions, as large energy stores like capacitors required for backup power are costly and space-intensive.
Innovation Solution
A control device with a voltage supply module that generates an intermediate voltage from stored energy to prioritize essential functional modules during external power disruptions, allowing for reduced energy storage needs by deactivating less critical modules and using existing capacitors for both voltage stabilization and backup power.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If large-dimensioned energy stores are provided to ensure reliable operation during voltage interruptions, then reliability is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The functional modules are divided into two groups: safety-relevant modules that receive intermediate voltage during interruption, and non-safety-relevant modules that are deactivated. This segmentation allows the energy store to be sized for only the critical functions rather than all functions, reducing its size and cost while maintaining reliability for safety-critical operations.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of providing power to all functional modules during a voltage interruption, the system provides intermediate voltage only to the subset of safety-relevant modules. This partial action approach reduces the energy demand during interruption, allowing for smaller and less expensive energy stores while still ensuring reliable operation for critical functions.
2Reliability
If correspondingly large-dimensioned energy stores are provided to cover increasing energy demand, then reliability is improved, but installation space and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system deactivates non-safety-relevant functional modules during voltage interruptions and provides intermediate voltage only to safety-relevant modules. This reduces the total energy demand during interruption events, allowing the energy store to be dimensioned smaller while still ensuring reliable energy supply for critical functions, thereby reducing installation space requirements.
3Reliability
If intermediate voltage is provided to all functional modules during interruption, then reliability is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control device provides intermediate voltage from the energy store only to safety-relevant functional modules during voltage interruptions, while deactivating non-safety-relevant modules. This partial power supply approach maintains operational reliability for critical functions while significantly reducing the energy consumption from the limited energy store capacity during interruption events.
Solution Approach 2:
Different quality of power supply is applied to different functional modules based on their safety relevance. Safety-relevant modules receive intermediate voltage to maintain operation, while non-safety-relevant modules are deactivated. This differentiated approach ensures reliability where needed while minimizing overall energy consumption during interruptions.
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 efficient operation of critical functionalities during short-term energy outages by reducing internal energy consumption and minimizing the size and cost of energy storage, while maintaining safety-relevant functions without disrupting external communication.
Implementation Method 1
using existing capacitors for both voltage stabilization and backup power
Data Source
AI summary
A control device for a motor vehicle. In the event of an interruption of an external voltage supply, limited functionality can continue to be maintained. For this purpose, it is provided to deactivate some functional modules of the control device in the event of an interruption of the external supply voltage and to use electrical energy stored in the deactivated functional modules for the voltage supply of further functional modules.