Dual Power Supply Switching for Battery Discharge Restriction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing power supply systems for vehicles lack effective redundancy and management of storage battery charging and discharging, leading to potential losses in electrical load functions during abnormalities and inefficient energy usage.
Innovation Solution
A power supply system with dual power supply systems and an inter-system switch, along with a charging unit for boosting the storage battery voltage and a discharge restriction unit, which includes a determination unit to manage abnormality detection and use restriction to prevent unnecessary energy consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a storage battery is added to the power supply system to provide redundancy, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases due to additional charging and discharging management requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The power supply system is divided into two independent systems: a first system with a first power supply and first conduction path, and a second system with a second power supply and second conduction path. This segmentation allows each system to operate independently, providing redundancy while maintaining manageable complexity through modular architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
An inter-system switch is introduced as an intermediary component to manage power flow between the first and second conduction paths. This mediator enables automatic switching between power supplies during abnormalities, improving reliability while centralizing control logic to manage system complexity.
2Use of energy by moving object
If the storage battery is charged to a voltage higher than the power supply voltage, then energy storage capacity is improved, but harmful factors increase due to potential reverse current flow
Solution Approach 1:
A discharge restriction unit is installed in advance in the second conduction path to prevent reverse current flow from the storage battery to the first power supply. This preliminary protective measure allows the storage battery to be charged to higher voltages for improved energy capacity while blocking the harmful reverse current effect.
Solution Approach 2:
The discharge restriction unit acts as an intermediary component that selectively blocks reverse current while allowing forward current flow during normal operation. This mediator enables safe high-voltage charging of the storage battery without the harmful effects of reverse current.
3Reliability
If the discharge restriction unit is made more reliable to prevent reverse current, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases due to additional abnormality detection requirements
Solution Approach 1:
An abnormality determination unit is implemented to monitor the discharge restriction unit's operation and provide feedback about its status. This feedback mechanism detects abnormalities in real-time, improving the overall reliability of the discharge restriction function while using intelligent monitoring to manage the added complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The discharge restriction unit incorporates self-diagnostic capabilities through the abnormality determination unit, allowing it to monitor its own operation and detect faults automatically. This self-service approach improves reliability through continuous monitoring while using automated detection to reduce the complexity of external monitoring systems.
4Reliability
If abnormality detection functions are added to monitor the discharge restriction unit, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases due to additional control units
Solution Approach 1:
The abnormality determination unit is designed with multi-functionality, serving both to monitor the discharge restriction unit and to control the use restriction switch. This universal component approach improves reliability through comprehensive monitoring while reducing overall system complexity by consolidating multiple functions into a single control unit.
Solution Approach 2:
The determination unit and use restriction unit are merged into an integrated control system that combines abnormality detection and response functions. This merging improves reliability by ensuring coordinated operation of detection and restriction functions while reducing the number of separate control units, thereby managing system complexity.
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
The system ensures redundancy in electric power supply, maintains proper charging and discharging of the storage battery, and suppresses unnecessary energy consumption by restricting use when abnormalities occur in the discharge restriction unit.
Implementation Method 1
a charging unit provided in the first path to charge, in the first state of the power supply system, the storage battery to a voltage higher than the power supply voltage of the first power supply with electric power supplied from the first power supply
Implementation Method 2
a discharge restriction unit provided in the second path to restrict discharge of the storage battery in the second system
Data Source
AI summary
A power supply system includes: a first system having a first power supply; a second system having a second power supply; and an inter-system switch provided in a connection path connecting the first and second systems. First and second paths are provided in parallel between a connection point, at which the connection path is connected with the second system, and the second power supply. The power supply system further includes: a charging unit provided in the first path to charge, with the inter-system switch closed, a storage battery of the second power supply; a discharge restriction unit provided in the second path to restrict discharge of the storage battery; an abnormality determination unit that determines whether an abnormality has occurred in the discharge restriction unit; and a use restriction unit that restricts use of the second power supply upon determination that an abnormality has occurred in the discharge restriction unit.