Vehicle Encapsulation Monitoring for Subsystem Failure Isolation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current encapsulation monitoring systems for battery-powered vehicles lack the ability to individually monitor each subsystem connected to the energy storage system, making it difficult to quickly identify and address failures, which can compromise safety.

Innovation Solution

An encapsulation monitoring system comprising a communication element, a malfunction monitoring element, and a control unit that allows for independent monitoring of each subsystem by assessing the availability or unavailability of the power supply, enabling quick identification and resolution of failures through binary status reports and user-friendly interfaces.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If a 12 V loop connected to all low voltage and high voltage connectors in series is used for monitoring, then the electrical encapsulation can be monitored, but it is difficult to identify the specific failure location in individual subsystems

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefailure location identificationVSAvoidmonitoring system structure
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The monitoring system is segmented into multiple independent monitoring units, each assigned to a specific subsystem. Each unit includes a malfunction monitoring element and communication element that can independently monitor its designated subsystem's power supply status, enabling precise failure location identification without requiring a complex series loop structure

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Loss of time

If individual subsystem monitoring is implemented, then failure location can be quickly identified, but the system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefailure identification timeVSAvoidmonitoring system structure
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of timeVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Each subsystem is equipped with its own malfunction monitoring element that autonomously detects power supply availability and communicates status information. The system performs self-monitoring without requiring external intervention, enabling rapid failure identification while maintaining a relatively simple distributed architecture where each unit operates independently

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentEP4378739A1Encapsulation monitoring system
Publication Date: 2024.06.05 VOLVO CAR CORP
  • EP4378739A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4378739A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4378739A1 patent drawing

AI summary

The present disclosure relates to an encapsulation monitoring system for a vehicle, a vehicle comprising such encapsulation monitoring system, an encapsulation monitoring method and a computer program element for such encapsulation monitoring system. The encapsulation monitoring system comprises a communication element, a malfunction monitoring element, and a control unit. The communication element and the malfunction monitoring element are arrangeable on at least one subsystem of the vehicle. The subsystem is supplied by an energy storage system. The malfunction monitoring element is configured to identify an availability of a power supply if the subsystem is connected to the energy storage system. The malfunction monitoring element is configured to identify an unavailability of the power supply if the subsystem is disconnected from the energy storage system. The control unit is configured to send a status request to the communication element. The communication element is configured to send a status report in response to the status request to the control unit. The status report contains only an availability or an unavailability of the power supply.