Electromechanical Brake Inverter Shorting for Failure Containment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Electromechanical brakes (EMBs) are prone to failures and mechanical component degradation due to high responsiveness, leading to instability and reduced durability, especially when subjected to rapid braking or road disturbances.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus and method that includes an inverter, a gate driver, and a controller to monitor and control the electric motor's rotational speed and position within the EMB. The controller adjusts switch states in the inverter to short circuit conditions based on exceeding operational speeds or position thresholds, thereby stabilizing brake control and minimizing failure impacts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the EMB operates at high responsiveness to provide effective braking force, then braking performance is improved, but mechanical components are more prone to failures and degradation
Solution Approach 1:
The controller proactively monitors the rotational speed and position of the electric motor, and preemptively shorts the inverter circuit when abnormal conditions are detected (rotational speed exceeding operating speed or position exceeding threshold), preventing failure propagation before it affects other EMBs or vehicle braking performance
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the harmful high responsiveness that causes mechanical stress into a beneficial feature by using the same rapid response capability to quickly detect and isolate failures. The controller's ability to rapidly respond to abnormal conditions (converted from the harmful rapid mechanical response) prevents failure propagation and protects the overall system
2Reliability
If the controller increases control responsiveness to quickly address failures, then failure containment is improved, but control delay still exists due to controller processing time
Solution Approach 1:
The controller continuously monitors motor rotational speed and position in advance, maintaining readiness to detect abnormal conditions. When failures occur, the pre-established monitoring system enables immediate detection and circuit shorting, minimizing the effective response time despite inherent controller processing delays
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a streamlined failure response mechanism that skips unnecessary control steps. Upon detecting abnormal rotational speed or position, the controller directly shorts the inverter circuit without intermediate processing, rushing through the failure containment process to minimize time loss
Data Source
AI summary
According to the embodiment of the present disclosure, an apparatus of controlling an electromechanical brake may include an inverter configured to supply electric power to an electric motor provided in the electromechanical brake, a gate driver configured to identify an operating state of the inverter, and a controller configured to identify at least one of a rotational speed and a position of the electric motor on the basis of the operating state of the inverter, in which the controller controls switches in the inverter to short a circuit in the inverter on the basis that the rotational speed of the electric motor exceeds an operating speed or the position of the electric motor exceeds a threshold value.