Electric Vehicle Power Source System with Step-Up Unit for Abnormal Battery States
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Solution Overview
Problem
Electric-powered vehicles face challenges when the high-voltage battery is in an abnormal state, as they cannot ensure continuous power supply to the traveling motor, leading to potential safety hazards and inability to reach a safe location.
Innovation Solution
A power source system that includes a high-voltage battery, a low-voltage battery, and a step-up unit, where the controller switches between normal and abnormal power supply circuits, coupling the low-voltage battery and traveling motor via the step-up unit when the high-voltage battery is abnormal, ensuring power delivery to the traveling motor.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the high-voltage battery is used to supply power to the traveling motor, then the vehicle can operate normally, but the system becomes vulnerable when the high-voltage battery is in an abnormal state
Solution Approach 1:
The system prepares an abnormal-time electric power supply circuit in advance, including a low-voltage battery and step-up unit, so that when the high-voltage battery becomes abnormal, the vehicle can immediately switch to using the low-voltage battery to power the traveling motor, enabling refuge travel to a safe location
Solution Approach 2:
A step-up unit is introduced as an intermediary component between the low-voltage battery and the traveling motor. This step-up unit converts the low voltage from the low-voltage battery to the high voltage required by the traveling motor, enabling the low-voltage battery to power the motor during abnormal conditions
2Device complexity
If only a high-voltage battery is used, then the system is simple, but the vehicle cannot reach a safe location when the battery is abnormal
Solution Approach 1:
The power source system is segmented into two independent parts: a high-voltage battery for normal operation and a low-voltage battery for abnormal conditions. This segmentation allows each battery to serve its specific function, ensuring the vehicle can reach a safe location even when the high-voltage battery fails
3Reliability
If the low-voltage battery is used to power the traveling motor during abnormal states, then the vehicle can reach a safe location, but the power supply capacity is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The step-up unit changes the voltage parameter of the low-voltage battery output, converting it to the high voltage required by the traveling motor. This parameter transformation enables the low-voltage battery to provide sufficient power capacity to the motor despite its lower nominal voltage
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
Enables electric-powered vehicles to safely reach a refuge location even when the high-voltage battery is in an abnormal state by effectively utilizing the low-voltage battery to power the traveling motor, thereby preventing road obstruction and ensuring vehicle safety.
Implementation Method 1
The step-up unit is configured to step up a voltage of the low-voltage battery and apply the stepped-up voltage to the traveling motor
Data Source
AI summary
In a power source system, a high-voltage battery and a low voltage battery are configured to store electric powers to be supplied to a traveling motor and an accessory, respectively. A step-up unit is interposed between the low-voltage battery and the traveling motor, and is configured to step up a voltage of the low-voltage battery and apply the stepped-up voltage to the traveling motor. A controller is configured to perform switching to a normal-time electric power supply circuit, in which the high-voltage battery and the traveling motor are coupled to each other, when the high-voltage battery is in a normal state and perform switching to an abnormal-time electric power supply circuit, in which the low-voltage battery and the traveling motor are coupled to each other via the step-up unit, when the high-voltage battery is in an abnormal state.