Vehicular Fuel Cell System Collision Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicular fuel cell systems face challenges in reliably shutting off the fuel supply and power system during collisions, as controllers may fail due to impact, leading to potential hydrogen leakage and electrical hazards.
Innovation Solution
A vehicular fuel cell system with a collision detector, high voltage unit, high voltage controller, hydrogen supply unit, and supply valve controller, where the controllers on opposite sides of the vehicle perform discharging and shut-off controls independently to ensure reliable function cessation in case of collision, using proximity sensors to determine the collision location and prevent simultaneous failures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If controllers are arranged at the front or rear of the vehicle for collision detection and control, then the control response time is improved, but the reliability deteriorates because the controllers may fail due to collision impact
Solution Approach 1:
The control system is segmented into multiple independent controllers distributed at different locations (front and rear) of the vehicle. Each controller can independently detect collisions and execute control functions, ensuring that the failure of one controller does not compromise the entire system's reliability while maintaining rapid local response capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The controllers are pre-configured with collision detection algorithms and control execution routines. Upon detecting a collision through sensors, the controllers immediately execute pre-programmed shutdown sequences for the fuel cell stack, power system, and hydrogen supply valve, eliminating the need for complex real-time decision-making and ensuring rapid response.
2Device complexity
If a single controller is used to control both the power system and fuel supply, then the device complexity is reduced, but the reliability deteriorates because a single point of failure may occur
Solution Approach 1:
The control functions are segmented into separate controllers: one controller manages the power system (relay control) while another controller manages the fuel supply (shut-off valve control). This functional segmentation eliminates single-point failures, as each controller operates independently and can be individually replaced or repaired without affecting the other control function.
Solution Approach 2:
A collision detection sensor system acts as an intermediary that triggers both controllers simultaneously upon detecting a collision. This intermediary mechanism ensures coordinated action between the power system controller and fuel supply controller without requiring direct communication between them, maintaining simplicity while improving reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicular fuel cell system includes a collision detector configured to detect collision on the front and rear sides of a vehicle, a high voltage unit arranged on one side of the front and rear sides of the vehicle, a high voltage controller arranged on the one side and configured to control the high voltage unit, a hydrogen supply unit arranged on the other side of the front and rear sides of the vehicle and configured to supply hydrogen to a fuel cell stack, and a supply valve controller arranged on the other side and configured to control a hydrogen supply valve, the hydrogen supply valve being configured to shut off a supply path of hydrogen from the hydrogen supply unit to the fuel cell stack.