Master Control Unit for Electric Vehicle Battery and Power Electronics Coordination
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Solution Overview
Problem
In electric and hybrid vehicles, the power electronics often demand higher currents than the battery can handle, leading to rapid battery aging, overheating, and potential safety violations due to the lack of a higher-level control entity to manage conflicting parameters like torque requirements and charging capacity.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle architecture with a master control unit that outsources functionalities of the battery management system and power electronics, allowing for higher-level management and coordination of parameters such as cooling, charging, and torque adjustment, using information from the navigation system to optimize vehicle performance and prevent battery overload.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If power electronics demand higher currents to meet torque requirements, then vehicle performance is improved, but battery aging accelerates and safety risks increase
Solution Approach 1:
The master control unit performs preliminary assessment of battery state (charge level, temperature, health status) before power electronics operate. It predicts future battery states and pre-adjusts operating parameters to prevent overload conditions, ensuring battery remains within safe operating limits while allowing optimal power delivery.
Solution Approach 2:
The master control unit acts as an intermediary between battery management system and power electronics. It receives power requests from power electronics, assesses battery capability, and mediates by adjusting operating parameters or limiting current demand to match battery capacity, thus resolving the conflict between performance demand and battery protection.
2Power
If power electronics operate at high current levels, then vehicle performance is improved, but battery temperature increases causing safety violations
Solution Approach 1:
The master control unit continuously monitors battery temperature and performs preliminary thermal assessment before high-power operation. It predicts temperature rise based on current load and environmental conditions, and pre-adjusts operating parameters or activates cooling systems to prevent temperature exceeding safety limits.
Solution Approach 2:
The master control unit implements closed-loop feedback by continuously monitoring battery temperature and adjusting power electronics operating parameters in real-time. When temperature approaches critical thresholds, it automatically reduces current demand or modifies operating conditions to maintain safe temperature levels while preserving vehicle performance.
3Reliability
If a master control unit is introduced to manage battery and power electronics coordination, then system safety and optimization are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The master control unit is designed as a multi-functional control entity that integrates battery management functions, power electronics coordination, thermal management, and performance optimization. By consolidating multiple control functions into a single universal controller, the system achieves improved safety and coordination without proportionally increasing overall system complexity.
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
The invention relates to a vehicle architecture (10) for controlling and regulating an electric drive (20) of an electric or hybrid vehicle, having a power electronics system (18) which is connected firstly to the electric drive (20) and secondly to a battery or to a battery system (22). A battery management system (24) is associated with the battery or the battery system (22). The vehicle architecture (10) comprises a master controller (12, 12') or a controller which is equipped with a master functionality into which functionalities at least of the battery management system (24) and of the power electronics system (18) of the electric drive (20) are exported.