Vehicle EWIS Short-Circuit Simulation for Cable Route Spacing
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Solution Overview
Problem
The design of electrical wiring interconnection systems (EWIS) in vehicles, particularly aircraft, is complex and space-constrained, necessitating early validation of regulatory compliance regarding cable route spacing to meet civil aviation standards.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented method for simulating and analyzing electrical short circuits in a 3D digital model of the EWIS, generating a conformity report to identify impacted segments, allowing for rerouting of signals to ensure compliance and reduce manufacturing time.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If cable routes are spaced to meet regulatory distances, then safety and compliance are improved, but space utilization and routing flexibility deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by performing short circuit simulations during the design phase before manufacturing. The system simulates electrical short circuits between adjacent cable routes and analyzes the results to validate compliance with regulatory spacing requirements. This allows designers to identify and resolve spacing issues early, ensuring regulatory compliance is built into the routing design from the outset.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a 3D digital model as a virtual copy of the physical EWIS (Electrical Wiring Interconnection System). This digital twin allows repeated simulation of short circuit scenarios without physical modification, enabling comprehensive compliance validation through multiple simulation runs on identical virtual cable route configurations.
2Reliability
If simulation and analysis tools are implemented early in design, then compliance validation is improved, but device complexity and computational requirements worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the EWIS into discrete cable route segments represented as 3D modeled road segments in the digital model. Each segment can be independently selected and simulated for short circuit conditions. This segmentation allows the complex compliance validation to be broken down into manageable simulation units, reducing the complexity of individual analysis tasks while maintaining comprehensive coverage.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a computer-implemented simulation system as an intermediary between the design team and compliance requirements. This intermediary tool automates the short circuit analysis process, handling the complex computational tasks and providing compliance validation results without requiring manual analysis of every possible short circuit scenario.
3Reliability
If comprehensive short circuit simulation is performed on all cable routes, then compliance assurance is improved, but analysis time and computational resources worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements partial action by allowing users to select specific cable route segments for simulation rather than requiring analysis of all segments. The system can focus simulations on critical areas or high-risk routes, providing comprehensive compliance assurance where needed while reducing overall analysis time by excluding low-risk areas from detailed simulation.
Solution Approach 2:
The simulation system provides feedback by analyzing the results of short circuit simulations and comparing them against regulatory compliance requirements. This feedback mechanism identifies non-compliant routing configurations and guides designers in making corrective adjustments, ensuring compliance is achieved efficiently through targeted iterations rather than exhaustive analysis of all possibilities.
Data Source
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AI summary
A method for simulating and analyzing at least one electrical short circuit in a vehicle's electrical wiring interconnection system (EWIS) is proposed. The result is an EWIS safety report that lists, for a selected modeled road segment (on which at least one short circuit is simulated), any functional information associated with one or more modeled road segments impacted by the simulated short circuit. A method for designing and manufacturing the EWIS, based on the simulation and analysis method, is also proposed. This helps the manufacturer validate the EWIS's compliance (particularly the spacing between cable routes to avoid risks in the event of a short circuit on one of them) as early as possible in the system's design and manufacturing process.