Dual Battery Relay Control for Stable Hybrid Vehicle Starting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Low-cost hybrid electric vehicles face issues with voltage drops during mode changes, leading to controller resets and lamp flickering due to the absence of a starter generator, necessitating a stable battery control system.
Innovation Solution
A method for controlling a dual battery system by managing a relay to connect and disconnect batteries based on vehicle and battery states, including charging the second battery in parallel when starting is unsuccessful and maintaining the first battery's voltage stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a low-cost hybrid electric vehicle removes the starter generator and DC-DC converter, then production cost is reduced, but voltage stability deteriorates causing controller resets and lamp flickering
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the battery system into two separate batteries: a first battery connected to the alternator for charging and a second battery connected to the starter for starting. This segmentation allows each battery to have dedicated functions, preventing voltage instability that would occur if a single battery had to serve both purposes simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a relay as an intermediary component between the first and second batteries. This relay acts as a mediator that can connect or disconnect the batteries based on vehicle operating conditions, allowing the system to maintain voltage stability by isolating the starter battery from alternator-induced voltage fluctuations during charging operations.
2Power
If the relay connects both batteries in parallel, then starting performance is improved, but voltage fluctuations from the alternator affect the starter battery
Solution Approach 1:
The relay's connection state is dynamically adjusted based on vehicle operating conditions. The control unit monitors the operating state and automatically switches the relay between connected and disconnected states, optimizing the balance between starting performance and voltage stability without requiring manual intervention or complex additional hardware.
3Reliability
If the relay is opened to isolate batteries, then voltage stability is maintained, but starting capability is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary charging of the second battery from the first battery when the vehicle is stationary or the alternator is operating. This preliminary action ensures that the starter battery is fully charged and ready before starting is needed, so that isolating the batteries during charging does not compromise starting capability when required.
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
Prevents electric load fluctuations and ensures vehicle starting performance by stabilizing battery voltage, preventing controller resets and lamp flickering.
Implementation Method 1
opening a relay positioned between a first battery for a load and a second battery for starting
Implementation Method 2
the first battery may be connected to an alternator
Implementation Method 3
a first battery for a load and a second battery for starting
Data Source
AI summary
A method for operating a processor controlling a dual battery mounted on a hybrid electric vehicle, includes opening a relay positioned between a first battery for a load and a second battery for starting, and checking whether the attempt to start is successful when an attempt to start the hybrid electric vehicle is detected, closing the relay so that the first battery and the second battery are electrically connected in parallel when the processor concludes that the attempt to start is unsuccessful, and charging the second battery by entering the second battery into a charging mode when a reattempt to start the hybrid electric vehicle is successful.