High Voltage System Deactivation Control for Electric Vehicles
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for deactivating and reactivating a high-voltage system in motor vehicles are not sufficiently safe, as they rely heavily on manual actions and lack measures to ensure that reactivation only occurs after complete protection against accidental contact is established, posing a risk of electric shock to maintenance personnel.
Innovation Solution
A method that automates the deactivation and reactivation of a high-voltage system by directing requests to engine and battery management control systems, with redundant processes and timed requests to ensure safety, and uses measuring devices to confirm the absence or presence of voltage, and requires a code for reactivation only after guided troubleshooting is completed.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual service disconnect (HV-SD or LV-SD) is used to interrupt the high-voltage system, then the system can be deactivated, but the reactivation process is not sufficiently safe and poses risk of electric shock to maintenance personnel
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a control unit as an intermediary between the service disconnect and the high-voltage system. This control unit receives signals from the service disconnect state and autonomously controls the interruption of the high-voltage system, ensuring that reactivation only occurs after guided troubleshooting is completed and safety measures are in place, thereby eliminating the risk of premature reactivation and electric shock to maintenance personnel
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit automatically monitors the service disconnect state and controls the high-voltage system interruption without requiring manual intervention for safety-critical decisions. The system self-ensures that reactivation conditions are met by automatically detecting when guided troubleshooting is completed and when it is safe to reactivate the high-voltage system
2Reliability
If automated control is implemented to ensure safe reactivation, then safety is improved, but the device complexity increases due to additional control systems
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit performs multiple functions: it monitors the service disconnect state, controls the high-voltage system interruption, determines when guided troubleshooting is completed, and autonomously decides when reactivation is safe. By consolidating these multiple safety-critical functions into a single control unit, the patent avoids the need for multiple separate complex systems while maintaining high safety standards
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a method for deactivating an electric high voltage system of a motor vehicle, the method comprising the steps of: requesting an interruption of the high voltage system in a first control system; requesting an interruption of the high voltage system in a second control system; and the automatic interruption of the high voltage system by at least one of the control systems.