Dual Power Supply Current Sensing for Sensor Failure Diagnosis

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing power supply systems cannot determine whether current sensors have failed, particularly in circuits where the shunt ratio is not determined, leading to potential operational issues.

Innovation Solution

A power supply system comprising main and auxiliary power source devices, current sensors, and a failure determination section that monitors currents through various circuits to accurately determine the failure of each current sensor without duplicating sensors, thereby reducing weight and manufacturing costs.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If current sensors are duplicated to determine sensor failures, then sensor failure detection capability is improved, but system weight and manufacturing cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesensor failure detection capabilityVSAvoidsystem weight

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent makes existing current sensors serve multiple functions: their primary function of detecting current for power supply control, and a secondary function of providing data for failure determination through the control unit's calculation of current relationships. This eliminates the need for duplicate sensors while maintaining failure detection capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses its own existing current sensors and control unit to perform self-diagnosis. The control unit calculates whether current relationships satisfy predetermined conditions using data from the existing sensors, enabling the system to detect sensor failures without external or duplicate sensing components.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

2Reliability

If current sensors are duplicated to determine sensor failures, then sensor failure detection capability is improved, but manufacturing cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesensor failure detection capabilityVSAvoidmanufacturing cost

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent makes existing current sensors serve multiple functions: their primary function of detecting current for power supply control, and a secondary function of providing data for failure determination through the control unit's calculation of current relationships. This eliminates the need for duplicate sensors while maintaining failure detection capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses its own existing current sensors and control unit to perform self-diagnosis. The control unit calculates whether current relationships satisfy predetermined conditions using data from the existing sensors, enabling the system to detect sensor failures without external or duplicate sensing components.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

3Measurement precision

If shunt ratio is determined for each stack, then current measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecurrent measurement precisionVSAvoidcircuit complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a control unit as an intermediary that performs failure determination calculations. Instead of modifying each sensor or circuit to provide failure detection, the control unit acts as a mediator that processes data from existing sensors and determines failures based on calculated current relationships, simplifying the overall system architecture.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces potential hardware modifications (such as adding physical indicators or separate detection circuits for each sensor) with a computational approach. The control unit uses software/algorithms to determine sensor failures by calculating whether current relationships satisfy predetermined conditions, substituting mechanical or hardware solutions with electronic computation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentUS20230318337A1Power supply system

Publication Date: 2023.10.05 HONDA MOTOR CO LTD

AI summary

A power supply system includes: a main power source device for supplying electric power to a load device; an auxiliary power source device for supplying electric power to the load device; current sensors for detecting current flowing through a main power source circuit; a current sensor for detecting current flowing through an auxiliary power source circuit; and a load current sensor for detecting current flowing through a load circuit.