Vehicle Electrical System Sub-Network Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current on-board electrical systems in motor vehicles face challenges in ensuring reliable and continuous power supply to safety-critical components, particularly with the introduction of new electronic and mechatronic systems, as failures can lead to sudden malfunctions and safety hazards, especially in autonomous or semi-autonomous driving systems.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a multi-sub-network electrical system with different security levels, where consumers are assigned based on their criticality, with redundant supplies for high-security components, fault-tolerant connections for medium-security components, and single-supply connections for non-security components, using independent energy sources like batteries and generators, and switches to manage energy distribution and disconnect defective networks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a single on-board electrical system is used to supply all consumers, then the device complexity is low, but the reliability of safety-critical consumers deteriorates because a single fault can cause system-wide failure
Solution Approach 1:
The on-board electrical system is divided into multiple independent sub-networks (first sub-network, second sub-network, etc.), each with its own energy supply. Safety-critical consumers are connected to multiple sub-networks so that if one sub-network fails, the consumer can still be supplied by other sub-networks, thereby improving reliability without requiring a complete system redesign.
2Reliability
If redundant energy supplies are provided for safety-critical consumers, then the reliability improves, but the device complexity and energy loss increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs controllable switching elements that dynamically connect or disconnect energy supplies based on operational needs. During normal operation, consumers are connected to a single active energy supply to minimize energy loss. When a fault is detected or during startup phases, the switching elements dynamically reconfigure connections to provide redundant supplies, thereby maintaining reliability while minimizing unnecessary energy consumption.
3Reliability
If controllable switching elements are added to manage energy distribution, then the reliability and control capability improve, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Different consumers are treated differently based on their security levels. Safety-critical consumers are connected to multiple sub-networks with controllable switching elements for redundant supply, while non-critical consumers are connected to a single sub-network without additional switching elements. This localized application of redundancy and switching elements optimizes fault tolerance for critical systems while minimizing overall device complexity.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a vehicle electrical system (10) with a plurality of loads and to a method for supplying a plurality of loads (30, 32, 34, 36, 38) in such a vehicle electrical system. The loads (30, 32, 34, 36, 38) are associated with different security levels.