EV Test Bench Bus Simulation for Electrical Fault Safety Checks

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current test benches for electric vehicles do not adequately evaluate the safety of electrical systems and components, particularly in dangerous situations, nor do they assess the behavior of alarm and protection systems effectively.

Innovation Solution

A test bench with a bidirectional communication bus and a control unit that simulates operating situations and errors by interrupting and generating messages with 'false' parameters, allowing for the evaluation of electrical systems and components in both high-voltage and low-voltage systems, including scenarios like ground faults and power outages.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a test bench is designed to simulate operating situations and errors using bidirectional communication bus and control unit, then the safety evaluation capability is improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesafety evaluation capabilityVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a bench communication bus as an intermediary between the test bench and the vehicle's internal communication bus. This mediator enables bidirectional communication to simulate operating situations and errors without directly modifying the vehicle systems, thereby improving safety evaluation capability while managing device complexity through structured intermediate layering.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The control unit creates virtual copies of operating situations and error conditions by generating messages with false parameters on the communication bus. This copying approach allows comprehensive safety testing of multiple scenarios without requiring physical replication of dangerous conditions, improving evaluation capability while avoiding proportional increases in physical device complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

2Measurement precision

If the test bench simulates dangerous operating situations and errors, then the detection precision of safety issues is improved, but the time required for testing increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedetection precisionVSAvoidtesting time
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The test bench pre-configures multiple operating situations and error scenarios in the control unit before actual testing begins. By preparing test sequences and false parameter messages in advance, the system achieves high detection precision for safety issues while reducing overall testing time through structured preliminary preparation rather than ad-hoc testing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The bidirectional communication bus enables periodic transmission of test messages and responses between the test bench and vehicle systems. This periodic action allows systematic evaluation of multiple safety scenarios in structured time intervals, improving detection precision through comprehensive coverage while managing testing time through rhythmic, efficient communication cycles.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

Data Source

PatentEP4266068A1Test bench and test method for vehicles with an electric motor
Publication Date: 2023.10.25 SEAT SA
  • EP4266068A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4266068A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4266068A1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The present invention relates to a test bench for vehicles with an electric motor, where the test bench comprises a bench communication bus (Zb) configured to communicate bidirectionally with the internal communication bus (Zv) of the vehicle (V) and a control unit (UC) operatively connected to the bench communication bus (Zb), with the bench communication bus (Zb) and the control unit (UC) being configured to simulate and subject components (CH, CL) of the electrical systems of the vehicle (V) to given operating situations and/or to operating errors and test the responses emitted by the components (CH, CL) to the internal communication bus (Zv) of the vehicle (V). The present invention also relates to a test method adapted to use the bench of the invention.