Vehicle Electrical Circuit Voltage Stabilization Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Vehicle electrical systems face voltage crashes and unsafe operating states when high-performance consumers are switched on or system errors occur, due to uncontrolled switch openings and impedance increases, leading to power supply interruptions and failure to maintain minimum operating voltage.

Innovation Solution

A vehicle electrical system with dual current paths and a control device that includes monitoring and control units to manage switches, ensuring the system maintains a safe state by establishing alternative current paths and preventing power interruptions through controllable switches and signal-based control mechanisms.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Power

If high-performance consumers are switched on or system errors occur, then power demand increases beyond the load limit of the first energy supply system, but vehicle electrical system voltage crashes uncontrollably and the safe system state cannot be maintained

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepower supply capabilityVSAvoidsafe system state maintenance
Core Design Contradiction:
PowerVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The control device monitors the electrical system state in advance and predicts potential voltage crashes before they occur. When a crash is anticipated, the control device proactively opens the first switch to disconnect the first energy store and closes the second switch to connect the second energy store, preventing the voltage crash before it happens. This preliminary action ensures the system maintains a safe state even when power demand exceeds the first energy supply system's capacity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If the first switch opens uncontrollably or becomes unexpectedly high-impedance, then power supply from the first energy store to the system load is interrupted, but the vehicle electrical system voltage falls below the minimum required operating voltage

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepower supply continuityVSAvoidminimum operating voltage
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSPower

Solution Approach 1:

The control device continuously monitors the first switch state and the electrical system parameters. When it detects that the first switch has opened uncontrollably or become high-impedance, causing power supply interruption, the control device immediately activates the second current path by closing the second switch. This backup path ensures continuous power supply to the system load and prevents voltage from falling below the minimum operating voltage, cushioning against the harmful effect of the first switch failure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

3Power

If a second energy store is added to the vehicle electrical system to serve as an additional electricity supplier, then the system can handle high-performance consumers, but the system complexity increases with multiple energy stores and switches

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepower supply capabilityVSAvoidnumber of energy stores and switches
Core Design Contradiction:
PowerVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The control device serves as an intermediary that intelligently manages the multiple energy stores and switches. It monitors the electrical system state, determines when to switch between different current paths, and controls the switches accordingly. This centralized control mechanism coordinates the complex interactions between the first and second energy stores and their respective switches, enabling the system to handle high-performance consumers while maintaining manageable complexity through automated decision-making.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP2553789B1Vehicle electrical circuit and control device for stabilising its voltage
Publication Date: 2017.06.28 CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE GMBH
  • EP2553789B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2

AI summary

An on-board power system (BN) for a vehicle (FZ) for a system load (L) is disclosed, having a battery as a first energy store (ESI) and a double-layer capacitor as a second energy store (ES2) as well as a control device (ST) with a first controllable switch (SW1) and a second controllable switch (SW2). In a closed switch state, the first switch (SW1) connects the system load (L) to the first energy store (ESI) electrically. In a closed switch state, the second switch (SW2) connects the system load (L) to the first energy store (ESI) and to the second energy store (ES2) electrically. The control device (ST) monitors the system state in the on-board power system (BN) by means of a monitoring unit (ÜE), by comparing the on-board power system voltage (V_BN) with a predefined threshold value (TH1), and said control device (ST) closes the second switch (SW2) by means of at least one control unit (SEI) and as a function of the comparison result of the monitoring unit (ÜE). In this way, a safe system state can be maintained in the on-board power system.