Redundant Sensor Arrangement for Battery Pack Monitoring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Battery electronics in hybrid and electric vehicles require frequent servicing due to high demand and difficulty in accessing and replacing sensors within the battery pack, leading to increased maintenance costs.
Innovation Solution
A sensor arrangement with a controller and multiple sensor units connected via redundant communication lanes allows for error detection and resolution by comparing sensor readings, enabling continued operation even if one sensor unit malfunctions, reducing the need for costly service events.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If sensors are packaged and mounted within the battery pack, then monitoring capability is improved, but ease of repair deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the monitoring function into multiple independent sensor units distributed throughout the battery pack, each monitoring specific nodes. This segmentation allows individual sensors to be accessed and replaced without affecting the entire battery pack structure, resolving the contradiction between integrated monitoring and ease of repair.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements redundancy with multiple sensor units monitoring the same node, allowing a malfunctioning sensor to be discarded and replaced while the system continues operating with remaining sensors. This enables easy replacement of individual sensors without compromising overall system functionality.
2Productivity
If battery electronics are required to operate for extended periods, then productivity is improved, but reliability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-establishes redundant sensor units that serve as backup resources before any malfunction occurs. When a sensor fails after extended operation, the redundant unit immediately takes over, cushioning against the reliability deterioration that would otherwise result from extended service periods.
Solution Approach 2:
The controller continuously monitors sensor readings and compares data from multiple sensor units. When discrepancies indicate sensor degradation or failure, the system provides feedback to replace the malfunctioning sensor, enabling extended operation while maintaining reliability through proactive maintenance.
3Reliability
If redundant sensor units are implemented, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple sensor units monitoring the same node are merged into a single logical monitoring function controlled by one controller. The controller consolidates data from redundant sensors, providing reliability through redundancy while maintaining manageable system complexity through unified control logic.
Data Source
AI summary
A sensor arrangement and method that may be used with a variety of different energy storage devices, including battery packs found in hybrid vehicles, battery electric vehicles, and other types of vehicles. An exemplary sensor arrangement includes a number of sensor units, a controller, and several connections, wherein two or more sensor units are coupled to each node of the battery pack and are coupled to the controller over different connections. An exemplary method is divided into two aspects: an error detection aspect and an error resolution aspect. Because the sensor arrangement provides multiple sensor readings for each node being evaluated, the method can enable the sensor arrangement to continue operating accurately and with redundancy even if it experiences a loss of one or more sensor units.