Redundant Controller Apparatus for Electric Vehicle Drive Motor
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Solution Overview
Problem
Electric vehicles face reliability issues due to the high failure risk of drive motors and controllers caused by electromagnetic and electrostatic noises, especially when the torque is transmitted through high reduction gear ratios, leading to instability in motor control and potential vehicle wheel torque variations.
Innovation Solution
A redundant controller apparatus is designed with multiple controllers, each comprising a power circuit unit and a control circuit unit, an abnormality determining unit, and a switching unit. This setup allows for immediate switching between controllers in case of failure, ensuring continuous motor control and reducing the impact of electromagnetic and electrostatic interference.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a single controller is used to control the drive motor, then the device complexity is low, but the reliability is poor due to high failure risk from electromagnetic and electrostatic noises
Solution Approach 1:
The controller system is segmented into multiple independent controllers (first controller and second controller), each capable of independently controlling the drive motor. This segmentation allows the system to divide functionality across multiple units, reducing the failure risk of any single controller while maintaining overall system reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The abnormality determining unit continuously monitors the controllers in advance to detect potential failures before they occur. When an abnormality is detected, the switching unit proactively switches from the abnormal controller to the normal controller, preventing complete system failure and ensuring continuous operation.
2Reliability
If multiple controllers are implemented with redundancy, then the reliability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple controllers are merged into a single controller apparatus structure, sharing common components such as the power circuit unit, abnormality determining unit, and switching unit. This merging approach provides redundancy and improved reliability while minimizing the increase in overall system complexity through component sharing.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses a copied controller structure where the second controller serves as a backup copy of the first controller. Both controllers have identical functional capabilities, allowing the system to switch between them. This copying approach ensures reliability through redundancy while maintaining manageable complexity through standardized design.
3Reliability
If continuous monitoring and switching mechanisms are added, then the reliability is enhanced, but the device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The abnormality determining unit and switching unit are designed as universal components that can monitor and manage multiple controllers through a common interface and control logic. This multi-functionality approach enhances reliability through continuous monitoring and automatic switching while minimizing complexity by avoiding dedicated monitoring circuits for each controller pair.
Data Source
AI summary
To provide a controller apparatus of a type, in which the controller is given the redundancy so that the control of the drive motor can be properly performed at all times when an abnormality such as the failure of the controller occurs, with the reliability consequently increased, a plurality of controllers are provided, each including a power circuit for outputting a drive current for the drive motor and a control circuit, which is a light electric circuit, for controlling the power circuit in response to a motor drive command fed from a higher control. An abnormality determiner is provided for determining an abnormality occurring in the controller then in use according to a prescribed rule and then generating a switching signal. A switch is provided, which is operable in response to the switching signal to change the controller then in a state of functioning relative to the drive motor.