External Power Supply Remaining Time Calculation for Transport Vehicles
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing power supply systems for transport apparatuses, such as fuel cell vehicles, lack accurate calculation of remaining time for external electrical loads when both internal and external power supplies are in use, leading to potential errors in power management and usability recognition.
Innovation Solution
An external power supply apparatus with an energy storage device, external and internal power supply circuits, and a monitoring unit that calculates the remaining time for external electrical loads by considering the total power amount the energy storage device can discharge and the power consumed by both external and internal loads, while preventing fuel balance shifts to minimize calculation errors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the power supply system only monitors external power consumption, then the monitoring system is simple, but the remaining time calculation is inaccurate because internal power consumption is not considered
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines external power consumption monitoring and internal power consumption monitoring into a single integrated monitoring system. The control unit receives power consumption information from both external devices and internal systems, merging these data streams to perform comprehensive remaining time calculations. This resolves the contradiction by incorporating additional monitoring capabilities while maintaining system integration rather than adding separate complex subsystems.
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit serves multiple functions: it manages fuel cell operation, monitors external power consumption, monitors internal power consumption, and calculates remaining time. By making the control unit multi-functional, the patent avoids adding separate dedicated monitoring hardware, thus improving measurement precision without proportionally increasing device complexity.
2Measurement precision
If the system calculates remaining time based on total power amount only, then the calculation is simple, but it does not account for simultaneous internal and external power usage leading to errors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the total power consumption into distinct components: external power consumption from devices connected to the power outlet and internal power consumption from vehicle systems. By dividing the power management into these segments, the system can track each component separately and sum them for accurate total consumption calculation, improving precision without overwhelming complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit continuously receives feedback on power consumption from both external devices and internal systems, and uses this feedback to dynamically update the remaining time calculation. This closed-loop feedback mechanism ensures that the system adapts to changing power demands in real-time, maintaining high accuracy in power management while using a unified calculation approach.
3Reliability
If the system does not prevent fuel balance shifts, then the system operation is simple, but calculation errors occur due to fuel balance changes during operation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary control actions to prevent fuel balance shifts before they can cause calculation errors. The control unit monitors fuel cell operation and takes preventive measures to maintain stable fuel balance, ensuring that the basis for remaining time calculations remains reliable. This proactive approach improves calculation reliability by addressing potential issues before they manifest as errors.
4Measurement precision
If the system only considers external power supply capability, then the power supply design is simpler, but the remaining time for external devices cannot be accurately determined when internal loads are also operating
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges external power supply monitoring and internal power supply monitoring into a unified power management framework. The control unit integrates information from both external device power consumption and internal system power consumption to calculate the accurate remaining time available for external devices, even when internal loads are simultaneously operating. This integration resolves the contradiction by providing comprehensive visibility into total power usage without requiring entirely separate monitoring systems.
Data Source
AI summary
An electric power supply apparatus includes an electric energy storage, an external power supply circuit, an internal power supply circuit, and circuitry. While the transport apparatus stops, the circuitry is configured to monitor the electric energy storage, the external power supply circuit, and the internal power supply circuit. While the transport apparatus stops, the circuitry is configured to calculate a remaining time during which the electric energy storage is to supply electric power to an external electrical load based on a total power amount, an external electric power, and an internal electric power.