Super-Capacitor Capacitance Monitoring for Emergency Braking Readiness
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electro-mechanical braking systems face challenges in monitoring the capacitance of super-capacitors without compromising the ability to perform emergency braking, as super-capacitors experience wear leading to insufficient energy storage for safety-critical functions.
Innovation Solution
A method to determine the capacitance of a super-capacitor by measuring voltage variations and current during charge or discharge cycles, allowing continuous monitoring without disrupting the system's functionality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the super-capacitor is monitored by changing its energy state for capacitance measurement, then capacitance measurement is enabled, but the ability to perform emergency braking is temporarily compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs capacitance measurement during scheduled maintenance periods when the super-capacitor is already in a charged state ready for emergency braking. The measurement uses the existing energy state without requiring additional charging or discharging, thus performing the measurement action in advance of any potential failure without compromising safety readiness.
Solution Approach 2:
The monitoring system utilizes the super-capacitor's own stored energy and inherent electrical properties to perform self-diagnosis. By measuring voltage decay characteristics during normal operation or using the charged state for measurement, the system enables the super-capacitor to monitor itself without external energy input or state changes that would compromise emergency braking capability.
2Reliability
If the super-capacitor stores sufficient energy for emergency braking, then safety is ensured, but the capacitance may degrade over time without detection
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements continuous or periodic feedback monitoring of the super-capacitor's electrical characteristics during normal operation. By measuring voltage, current, and power parameters and comparing them against expected values, the system detects capacitance degradation trends and provides feedback signals to indicate when the super-capacitor performance falls below safety thresholds, enabling proactive maintenance while ensuring ongoing safety.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables continuous monitoring of super-capacitor capacitance to ensure sufficient energy is available for emergency braking, enhancing safety by preventing unexpected failures.
Implementation Method 1
an electrical energy storage means, in particular a super-capacitor (100)
Implementation Method 2
The energy stored in a super-capacitor is: 1/2 C V2, where C is the capacitance and V is the voltage
Implementation Method 3
measuring a first voltage value at terminals of said super-capacitor; performing a charge or discharge action of said super-capacitor
Implementation Method 4
measuring a current value flowing in one of said terminals of said super-capacitor
Data Source
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AI summary
A method for determining a capacitance value of a super-capacitor (100) of an electro-mechanical braking system (102) is described. The method comprises: a) measuring a first voltage value at terminals of the super-capacitor (100); b) if the first voltage value is greater than a predetermined minimum voltage value, performing a charge or discharge action of the super-capacitor for a measurement time period, in order to make the terminals of the super-capacitor assume a second voltage value greater than or equal to said minimum voltage value; c) determining a voltage variation at the terminals of the super-capacitor during the measurement time period; d) determining a voltage variation rate; e) measuring a current value flowing in one of the terminals of the super-capacitor, at a measurement instant; f) calculating the capacitance value of the super-capacitor by means of the ratio between the measured current value and the voltage variation rate. An electro-mechanical braking system (102) and a vehicle are also described.