Vehicle Cable Light Guide Shield Damage Detection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing electrical lines in vehicles, particularly those used in hybrid and electric motor vehicles, lack a reliable method to continuously monitor their functional integrity, especially when exposed to high electrical voltages, which can pose safety risks if damaged.

Innovation Solution

Incorporating a light guide integrated within the shield of the electrical line, allowing for constant monitoring of the line's integrity through deformation or damage detection using light pulses, and triggering an immediate disconnection from the voltage source via an evaluation unit and switching element.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If electrical lines are used in high-voltage vehicle systems without continuous monitoring, then device complexity is reduced, but functional reliability deteriorates due to undetected damage

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefunctional reliabilityVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The light guide is integrated directly into the shield structure of the electrical line, merging the monitoring function with the existing protective shielding. This combination allows continuous reliability monitoring without adding separate external monitoring components, thus improving reliability while minimizing the increase in device complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces potential mechanical damage detection methods with an optical monitoring system. The light guide uses optical principles to detect shield deformations or breaches, substituting mechanical sensing approaches with a more sensitive optical field-based detection method that can continuously monitor integrity without physical contact.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Reliability

If a light guide is integrated into the shield for continuous monitoring, then functional reliability is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefunctional reliabilityVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The light guide is integrated directly into the shield structure of the electrical line, merging the monitoring function with the existing protective shielding. This combination allows continuous reliability monitoring without adding separate external monitoring components, thus improving reliability while minimizing the increase in device complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Measurement precision

If the light guide is positioned far outside in the cable structure, then damage detection precision is improved, but the cable structure becomes more complex

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedamage detection precisionVSAvoidcable structure
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The light guide is integrated directly into the shield structure of the electrical line, merging the monitoring function with the existing protective shielding. This combination allows continuous reliability monitoring without adding separate external monitoring components, thus improving reliability while minimizing the increase in device complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

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

Ensures the reliable and immediate detection of any damage to the electrical line, ensuring safety by preventing continued operation under damaged conditions and avoiding potential hazards from electromagnetic interference.

Implementation Method 1

Incorporating a light guide integrated within the shield of the electrical line, allowing for constant monitoring of the line's integrity through deformation or damage detection using light pulses

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectOptical Fibre: Optical Fibre

Data Source

PatentEP2725398B1Electric cable for a motor vehicle
Publication Date: 2019.03.20 NEXANS SA
  • EP2725398B1 patent drawingFigure 1~3

AI summary

The line (5) has a set of insulated electrical conductors (6-8) surrounded by a common electrically effective screen (9). A light conductor (10) is presented in construction of the line over entire length of the line. The light conductor is connected to an evaluating unit that is connected to a switching element in an operating position and integrated in the screen or directly underneath the screen while contacting the screen such that damage to the line produces with certainty of deformation of the light conductor that results in a signal to be recognized by the evaluating unit.