Distributed Fault Insertion Units for Scalable Electrical Fault Simulation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing hardware-in-the-loop test benches for simulating electrical faults in control systems are complex and difficult to scale, with central fault control units requiring detailed knowledge of modular fault simulation units (FIUs) to manage switches effectively, making integration of custom or third-party FIUs challenging.
Innovation Solution
A test bench design featuring a central fault control unit that creates abstract fault descriptions, which are then interpreted by local FIUs to independently derive and execute switch control rules for simulating electrical faults, allowing for scalable and flexible integration of custom FIUs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a central fault control unit directly controls switches on distributed FIUs, then fault simulation can be performed, but the complexity of fault management increases with each FIU added and the system becomes difficult to scale
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the fault control functionality into segments: the central fault control unit generates abstract fault descriptions, while each FIU independently derives control rules for its local switches. This segmentation distributes the control intelligence from a centralized approach to a distributed architecture, reducing the complexity burden on the central unit as more FIUs are added.
Solution Approach 2:
Each FIU is equipped with the capability to independently derive control rules from abstract fault descriptions without requiring detailed knowledge of other FIUs' internal designs. The FIUs serve themselves by autonomously determining switch control strategies based on the fault requirements, eliminating the need for the central unit to manage each FIU's specific switch configurations.
2Manufacturing precision
If the central fault control unit must be familiar with the design of each FIU to control switches correctly, then precise fault control is achieved, but integration of custom or third-party FIUs becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The abstract fault description serves as a universal interface between the central fault control unit and any FIU in the system. Rather than requiring custom control logic for each FIU design, the standardized abstract description format allows any FIU to understand and execute fault simulation requirements, enabling integration of custom, third-party, or commercially available FIUs without modifying the central control unit.
Solution Approach 2:
The abstract fault description acts as an intermediary layer that translates between the central control unit's fault requirements and the FIU's internal switch control mechanisms. This intermediary abstraction hides the specific design details of each FIU, allowing the central unit to control switches precisely without needing to know the internal architecture of each FIU.
3Manufacturing precision
If detailed control rules are transmitted from the central fault control unit to each FIU, then precise switch control is achieved, but the communication overhead and control complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts only the essential fault simulation requirements from the detailed switch control logic. Instead of transmitting comprehensive control rules that include FIU-specific details, the system transmits abstract fault descriptions containing only the necessary fault parameters and requirements. The FIUs then locally derive the specific control rules needed for their switch arrangements, reducing communication overhead while maintaining control accuracy.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
Test bench (2) for confronting a test object (4) with a simulated electrical fault. The test bench comprises a central fault control unit (10) for orchestrating the simulated electrical faults and at least one local node (8a) configured as an FIU (Failure Insertion Unit) with a switch arrangement (16a) for falsifying selected electrical currents in the test bench. The fault control unit is configured to create an abstract fault description that specifies at least one electrical fault to be inserted into an electrical line (6a) and to transmit it to the local node. The local node is configured to derive from the abstract fault description a control rule for the switch arrangement that is suitable for inserting the electrical fault into the electrical line and to insert the electrical fault into the electrical line by controlling the switch arrangement according to the control rule.