Redundant Electric Brake Actuation Under Power Supply Failure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electro-mechanical brake systems face the risk of complete failure if one of several components fails, compromising safety.
Innovation Solution
A brake system with a redundant power supply and actuation system that includes a first power supply unit and a redundant power supply unit, an electronic control unit, and a redundant brake actuation system, allowing the system to autonomously activate the brake in case of failure, thereby enhancing safety.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a single power supply unit and brake actuation system are used, then the device complexity is reduced, but the reliability decreases due to complete failure risk
Solution Approach 1:
The brake system is segmented into independent redundant subsystems: a first power supply unit with first brake actuation system, and a second power supply unit with second brake actuation system. Each subsystem can independently activate the electric brake actuator, ensuring that failure of one subsystem does not compromise overall system reliability. This segmentation allows the system to maintain functionality through distributed independence.
Solution Approach 2:
Different power supply units are configured with different characteristics - the first power supply unit serves as primary while the second serves as redundant backup. The control units are locally optimized with self-test capabilities and automatic failover logic. Each local subsystem maintains sufficient functionality to ensure brake activation, with the second subsystem specifically designed to take over when the first fails.
2Reliability
If redundant power supply units and brake actuation systems are implemented, then the reliability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The first and second brake actuation systems are merged into a unified control architecture where both systems share common control logic for brake activation. The electronic control units are integrated to perform coordinated self-tests and automatic failover without requiring separate independent control mechanisms. This merging reduces overall complexity while maintaining redundancy benefits.
Solution Approach 2:
The brake system implements self-service through automatic self-testing and failover capabilities. The control units continuously monitor system health and automatically switch from the first to the second power supply unit when failure is detected, without requiring external intervention. This self-service approach simplifies operation while maintaining high reliability through automatic redundancy activation.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a brake system including at least one brake with an electric brake actuator, at least one electronic control unit for controlling the at least one electric brake, and two different power supply units connected to the at least one electronic control unit and configured for supplying energy to the at least one electric brake actuator. The at least one electronic control unit comprises a first brake actuation system for activating the electric brake actuator and a redundant brake actuation system for activating the electric brake actuator in case of a failure of the first brake actuation system. The invention also relates to a method for using the brake system.