Current Sensor Shunt Assembly With Integrated Temperature Sensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing current sensor assemblies in hybrid and electric vehicles face challenges in achieving reliable and accurate current measurements with redundant safety features, while minimizing cost, space, and power loss, and require external temperature sensors for temperature compensation, leading to potential measurement errors.
Innovation Solution
Integrate a predefined resistance element within a conductive connection element of the resistor arrangement, reducing welding joints and allowing direct temperature sensing, thereby enhancing temperature determination and reducing total resistance, with independent voltage measurements for redundancy and fault detection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a second shunt resistor is connected in series to achieve redundant current measurement, then measurement reliability is improved, but device complexity and production cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates two resistance elements into a single resistor arrangement with one continuous resistance material strip. This merging approach achieves redundant current measurement capability while reducing the number of welding joints from four (in separate shunts) to two, thereby lowering device complexity and production cost while maintaining measurement reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The resistor arrangement serves multiple functions: it provides redundant current measurement through two resistance elements, acts as a single integrated component reducing assembly complexity, and enables temperature compensation through integrated temperature sensing. This multi-functionality resolves the contradiction by achieving reliability without proportionally increasing complexity.
2Reliability
If four welding joints are provided in the resistance arrangement, then connection reliability is improved, but minimum resistance increases and production cost rises
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts unnecessary welding joints from the design by integrating the resistance elements into a single continuous resistance material strip. This reduces the number of welding joints from four to two, removing the harmful effect of excessive joints that increase minimum resistance and power losses while maintaining sufficient connection reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the structural parameter of the resistance arrangement from a multi-segment design with four joints to a continuous strip design with two joints. This parameter change reduces the total resistance and power losses while maintaining the reliability needed for safety-critical current measurement in hybrid and electric vehicles.
3Measurement precision
If external temperature sensors are used to compensate temperature coefficients, then temperature measurement accuracy is improved, but measurement errors increase and device complexity rises
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the temperature sensing function directly into the resistor arrangement by integrating a temperature sensor with the resistance elements. This eliminates the need for external temperature sensors, removing the thermal connection requirements that introduce measurement errors and reliability issues, while maintaining temperature compensation accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses the resistance material strip itself as an intermediary thermal pathway between the resistance elements and the temperature sensor. This integrated approach provides direct thermal coupling without requiring external thermal connections, thereby improving measurement reliability while maintaining temperature measurement precision for compensation.
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
This configuration minimizes power loss, reduces manufacturing costs, and improves measurement accuracy by eliminating the need for external temperature sensors, while ensuring reliable current and temperature determination with enhanced fault detection capabilities.
Implementation Method 1
a first resistance element (106) formed of a first resistance material having a second specific electrical conductivity, which is lower than the first specific electrical conductivity
Implementation Method 2
a first electrically conductive connection element (102) and a second electrically conductive connection element (104), which are formed of a first electrically conductive material having a first specific electrical conductivity
Implementation Method 3
With such currents, it is of great importance to monitor the safety-relevant components
Data Source
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AI summary
The present disclosure relates to a resistor arrangement, a current sensor assembly comprising the resistor arrangement, and a method for determining a temperature of the resistor arrangement. The resistor arrangement (100) comprises a first electrically conductive connection element (102) and a second electrically conductive connection element (104), which are formed of a first electrically conductive material having a first specific electrical conductivity, and a first resistance element (106) formed of a first resistance material having a second specific electrical conductivity, which is lower than the first specific electrical conductivity, wherein the first resistance element (106) is connected with a first end to the first electrically conductive connection element (102) and with a second end to the second electrically conductive connection element (104). The first electrically conductive connection element (102) comprises a terminal connection section (112), which is configured to be electrically connected to an external conductor of an electrical circuit; an intermediate connection section (116), which is connected with the first end of the resistance element; and a resistance section (114), which is arranged in between the terminal connection section (112) and the intermediate section (116), wherein the first resistance element (106) has a first predefined resistance, and wherein the resistance section (114) of the first electrically conductive connection element has a second predefined resistance.