Trailer Current Draw Management via Battery State Feedback
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for providing current between a tow vehicle and a trailer often exceed the tow vehicle's circuit capacity and do not optimally manage the state of charge of the trailer battery, leading to inefficient energy distribution and potential overcharging or undercharging.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that utilize sensors to measure the state of charge of both the tow vehicle and trailer batteries, with a processor controlling the current flow based on these measurements, determining if a braking event is occurring, and selectively providing current to manage the trailer's battery state, ensuring efficient energy distribution and preventing overcharging or undercharging.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If current is provided from the tow vehicle to the trailer without management, then the trailer can operate, but the tow vehicle's circuit capacity may be exceeded
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously monitors the state of charge of both the vehicle battery and trailer battery, and uses this feedback to dynamically control current flow. The processor adjusts current provision based on real-time battery states, preventing circuit capacity from being exceeded while ensuring trailer operation continues reliably.
Solution Approach 2:
The current management system dynamically adjusts the amount of current provided from the vehicle to the trailer based on changing conditions. The system transitions between different operational modes (charging, discharging, isolated) depending on the state of charge levels and braking events, making the current provision adaptive rather than static.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the trailer braking system operates in degraded mode with limited current, then the vehicle circuit capacity is protected, but braking performance is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies partial current provision during degraded mode operation. Instead of providing full current to the trailer braking system when the vehicle battery is depleted, the system provides limited current sufficient for basic braking functionality, protecting the vehicle circuit while maintaining essential trailer operation.
3Productivity
If the system monitors both battery states and controls current flow dynamically, then energy distribution is optimized, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The processor-based control system performs multiple functions: monitoring both battery states of charge, determining braking events, controlling current flow direction and magnitude, and managing different operational modes. This multi-functional approach consolidates what could be multiple separate systems into a single integrated controller, managing complexity while achieving optimized energy distribution.
Data Source
AI summary
In accordance with an exemplary embodiment, an autonomous system is provided that includes: a tow vehicle, a trailer, and a control system. The tow vehicle has a vehicle battery. The trailer is coupled to the tow vehicle, and has a trailer battery. The control system includes a sensor and a processor. The sensor is configured to at least facilitate measuring a state of charge of the trailer battery. The processor is coupled to the sensor, and is configured to at least facilitate selectively providing current from the tow vehicle to the trailer based on the state of charge of the trailer battery.