Trailer Power Supply Redundancy with Independent Control Channels
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing power supply systems for trailers lack a reliable and fail-safe mechanism to provide redundant power between a towing vehicle and a trailer, especially for highly autonomous driving applications where system availability is critical.
Innovation Solution
A power supply system comprising multiple independent controllers and power supply channels between the towing vehicle and the trailer, with internal communication links for information exchange and smart switches/fuses for fault detection and power management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a redundant power supply system is implemented for highly autonomous trailer functions, then system availability and reliability are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The power supply system is segmented into multiple independent power supply channels (first power supply channel, second power supply channel) that can operate autonomously. Each channel includes separate controllers (first controller, second controller) and communication paths, allowing the system to maintain functionality even when one channel fails, thus improving reliability while managing complexity through modular design
Solution Approach 2:
Different parts of the system have specialized functions: the first power supply channel handles primary power delivery while the second channel provides redundant power supply. The internal communication link enables selective information exchange between controllers based on operational needs, allowing local optimization of power distribution and control strategies for each channel
2Reliability
If independent power supply channels are provided for multiple controllers, then fault tolerance is improved, but loss of energy increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically switches between single-channel and dual-channel operation modes. During normal operation, only the primary power supply channel is active, consuming minimal energy. When a fault is detected or high availability is required, the system activates the secondary channel, thereby adapting energy consumption to actual operational requirements and reducing unnecessary energy loss
Solution Approach 2:
The internal communication link enables continuous monitoring and feedback between controllers about system status and power channel health. This feedback mechanism allows the system to detect faults early and activate redundant channels only when necessary, optimizing the balance between fault tolerance and energy consumption by avoiding continuous operation of all channels
Data Source
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AI summary
A power supply system (100) for a trailer (10) is disclosed. The power supply system (100) comprises: a first controller (110) and a second controller (120) for controlling one or more loads (400) of the trailer (10); a first power supply terminal (201) for supplying power to the first controller (110) from the towing vehicle (20) via a first power supply channel (210); a second power supply terminal (202) for supplying power to the second controller (120) from the towing vehicle (20) via a second power supply channel (220); and an internal communication link (300) connecting the first controller (110) and the second controller (120) to exchange information with each other, wherein the first power supply channel (210) and the second power supply channel (220) are configured to provide independent power supply to the first controller (110) and to the second controller (120) from the towing vehicle (20).