High-Voltage Power Source Isolation During Automotive Fault States
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
High voltage continuously producing power sources pose a safety hazard during fault states or conditions, such as accidents or system failures, as they can expose first responders and personnel to dangerous voltages, necessitating rapid electrical isolation to prevent high voltage exposure.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of electrical isolation devices, including solid state relays and pyrotechnical safety switches, which can disconnect high voltage components of solar panel arrays or other power sources from the system when a fault is detected, reducing voltage exposure to below predetermined thresholds, such as 60 VDC or 50 VRMS, and remaining isolated even after power loss.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If high voltage components are used to improve system efficiency and reduce wire gauge, then system efficiency improves and wire diameter decreases, but safety hazard increases during fault states
Solution Approach 1:
The solar panel array is divided into multiple independently isolatable components or strings. When a fault occurs, only the affected segment needs to be isolated rather than the entire system, maintaining safety while preserving functionality of healthy segments. This segmentation allows the system to use high voltage configurations for efficiency while mitigating safety risks through localized isolation capability.
Solution Approach 2:
Electrical isolation devices are introduced as intermediary components between the high voltage power source and the load. These devices act as mediators that can rapidly disconnect the high voltage source when faults occur, protecting personnel while allowing the high voltage system to operate efficiently during normal conditions.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If electrical isolation devices are added to improve safety during fault conditions, then safety improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The electrical isolation devices are configured to automatically detect fault conditions and initiate isolation without requiring external intervention or complex control systems. The system self-manages the isolation process through inherent fault detection capabilities, improving safety while minimizing the added complexity by eliminating the need for separate control circuits or manual operation mechanisms.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If components are disconnected during fault states to reduce voltage exposure, then voltage exposure decreases, but system productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the power source into independently isolatable components, the system can disconnect only the faulty segment while keeping healthy segments operational. This maintains voltage exposure reduction for safety while preserving productivity through continued operation of unaffected portions of the system.
Solution Approach 2:
The electrical isolation devices enable dynamic reconfiguration of the system during fault conditions, allowing rapid transition between operational and isolated states. This dynamic capability ensures quick voltage reduction for safety while minimizing downtime and maintaining overall system productivity through flexible adaptation to fault conditions.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for electrically isolating a high voltage continuously producing power source. In one embodiment, a high voltage continuously producing power supplying system for supplying high voltage electrical power to an automotive system includes a plurality of components configured to supply the high voltage electrical power to the automotive system and a high voltage power controller configured to receive the high voltage electrical power from the plurality of components. The system further includes an electrical isolation device configured to electrically isolate at least one of the plurality of components. The high voltage power controller is configured to detect that a fault state of the automotive system has occurred and when the detected fault state is detected, the high voltage power controller is configured to trigger the electrical isolation device to disconnect the at least one of the plurality of components from the automotive system.