Water Supply Apparatus Control Substrate Isolation
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing water supply apparatuses face challenges in maintaining operation when a control substrate fails due to surge, noise, or sensor lifetime issues, leading to potential water supply failures despite having backup systems, as these failures can prevent the backup operation from functioning effectively.
Innovation Solution
The apparatus is designed with multiple control substrates connected in series through communication lines, featuring a switch to isolate faulty substrates and ensure backup operation by physically blocking communication between the faulty and healthy substrates, along with power and signal redundancy to maintain operation even under abnormal conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a control substrate fails due to surge or noise from lightning, then the backup operation should switch to the standby control substrate, but the malfunctioning control substrate may prevent the backup operation from functioning
Solution Approach 1:
A switch is introduced as an intermediary device on the communication line between the control substrate and other system components. When surge or noise causes malfunction, the switch physically disconnects the faulty control substrate from the communication network, preventing it from interfering with the backup operation while allowing the standby control substrate to take over normally
Solution Approach 2:
The communication system is segmented into isolatable sections using switches. This allows the faulty control substrate to be electrically separated from the rest of the system without affecting the operational status of the standby control substrate and connected devices, enabling reliable backup switching despite harmful external factors
2Reliability
If multiple control substrates are connected in series through communication lines, then backup operation is enabled, but the communication lines may transmit harmful surges and noise between substrates
Solution Approach 1:
Switches are placed at strategic points on the communication lines to act as intermediaries that can physically block the transmission of harmful surges and noise between control substrates. When a substrate malfunctions, the switch isolates it from the communication network, preventing the propagation of harmful electrical disturbances while maintaining system connectivity for the healthy substrates
Data Source
AI summary
A water supply apparatus is capable of performing a backup operation, without lowering water supply capability, when a failure has occurred in one control substrate due to surge or noise caused by lightning or sensor wear, by switching to the other control substrate, and capable of reliably performing the backup operation. The water supply apparatus includes: a plurality of pumps; a plurality of inverters each configured to change and control a rotational frequency of a corresponding one of the plurality of pumps; and a plurality of control substrates configured to control the plurality of inverters. When an abnormality occurs in one control substrate, other control substrate backs up the one control substrate to thereby allow the water supply apparatus to continue its operations. The one control substrate, the plurality of inverters, and the other control substrate are connected in series by communication lines.