Isolated DCDC Converters for Vehicle Power Bus Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
In vehicles with electrically powered systems for braking, steering, and virtual driving, fault conditions in non-essential systems can lead to power overloading, causing the loss of critical systems like steering and braking, as these systems share power buses, potentially rendering the vehicle unable to continue driving or reach a safe location.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a power system with isolated DCDC converters and power buses, where critical systems for steering, braking, and virtual driving operate on separate power buses from non-essential systems, ensuring continuous power supply even if non-essential systems develop fault conditions and overload their power buses.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If non-essential systems are powered from the same power bus as critical systems, then device complexity is reduced, but reliability deteriorates due to power overloading from fault conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The power system is segmented into multiple isolated power buses: a first power bus supplies critical systems (steering, braking, virtual driving), while a second power bus supplies non-essential systems (climate control, media control, body control). This segmentation prevents fault conditions in non-essential systems from overloading the power bus and affecting critical systems, thereby resolving the contradiction between reduced complexity and improved reliability.
2Reliability
If separate isolated power buses are used for critical and non-essential systems, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The power system is divided into distinct segments (power buses) that are isolated from each other. Each power bus is dedicated to specific systems, creating a modular architecture that improves reliability while keeping the overall system manageable through clear functional separation.
Solution Approach 2:
DC-DC converters serve as intermediary devices between the high-voltage power source and the separate power buses. These converters manage power distribution to each isolated bus, enabling the complex reliable architecture to be controlled through standardized intermediate components.
3Ease of operation
If all systems share a common power bus, then ease of operation is maintained, but harmful factors increase due to power overloading and system loss
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the power distribution into isolated buses, the system prevents harmful power overloads from propagating across the entire vehicle electrical system. Each bus is independently protected, eliminating the cascading failure mode that would otherwise affect all systems on a common bus.
Solution Approach 2:
The isolation architecture converts the potential harm of fault conditions into a beneficial containment effect. When a fault occurs in non-essential systems, the isolation prevents this harmful condition from affecting critical systems, effectively using the system architecture to convert a vulnerability into a protective feature.
Data Source
AI summary
A system includes a first DCDC converter arranged to output electrical power only to a first battery and to first loads in a first specified set. The first specified set includes loads provided to control and perform steering and braking. The system further includes a second DCDC converter arranged to output electrical power to loads isolated from the first loads provided to control and perform steering and braking.