Redundant power distribution system based on single power source

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11813995-B2
Application number	US-202217990713-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 20, 2022
Priority date	Mar 15, 2022
Publication date	Nov 14, 2023
Grant date	Nov 14, 2023

Abstract

An electrical power distribution system includes a first power bus operating in a first voltage range and a second power bus operating in the first voltage range. A first eFuse circuit selectively couples a power source to the first power bus. A second eFuse circuit selectively couples the power source to the second power bus. A first accumulator is coupled to a first node between the first eFuse circuit and the first power bus. A second accumulator is electrically coupled to a second node between the second eFuse circuit and the second power bus. The first eFuse circuit opens in response to a first electrical fault at the first power bus, and the second power bus is powered with the power source or the first accumulator. The second eFuse circuit opens in response to a second electrical fault at the second power bus, and the first power bus is powered with the power source or the first accumulator.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An automotive vehicle comprising:
a first power bus operating in a first voltage range;
a second power bus operating in the first voltage range;
a plurality of vehicle corner modules coupled to the first power bus and the second power bus;
a power source;
a first eFuse circuit selectively coupling the power source to the first power bus;
a second eFuse circuit selectively coupling the power source to the second power bus;
a first accumulator coupled to a first node between the first eFuse circuit and the first power bus;
a second accumulator electrically coupled to a second node between the second eFuse circuit and the second power bus;
the first eFuse circuit opens in response to a first electrical fault at the first power bus, and the second power bus powered with the power source or the first accumulator; and
the second eFuse circuit opens in response to a second electrical fault at the second power bus, and the first power bus powered with the power source or the first accumulator;
wherein the first power bus is coupled to a steering controller of each of the plurality of vehicle corner modules having a steering system and the second power bus is coupled to the steering controller of each of the plurality of vehicle corner modules having the steering system.

2. The automotive vehicle of claim 1 wherein the first eFuse circuit opens by disconnecting the power source from the first power bus and the second eFuse circuit opens by disconnecting the power source from the second power bus.

3. The automotive vehicle of claim 1 wherein the first power bus is powered by the first accumulator and the second power bus powered by the second accumulator during a failure of the power source and wherein the first eFuse circuit and the second eFuse circuit are open during the failure of the power source.

4. The automotive vehicle of claim 1 further comprising a first relay electrically coupled to the first node between the first eFuse circuit and the first power bus, and further comprising a second relay electrically coupled to the second node between the second eFuse circuit and the second power bus.

5. The automotive vehicle of claim 4 wherein the first relay opens in response to the first electrical fault at the first power bus, wherein the second relay opens in response to the second electrical fault at the second power bus.

6. The automotive vehicle of claim 5 further comprising a relay controller controlling the relay in response to a fault detection circuit.

7. The automotive vehicle of claim 6 wherein the relay controller closes the first relay or the second relay when the first electrical fault or the second electrical fault subsides.

8. The automotive vehicle of claim 1 wherein the power source comprises a DC-to-DC converter.

9. The automotive vehicle of claim 1 wherein the first accumulator comprises a first battery or a first ultracapacitor and wherein the second accumulator comprises a second battery or a second ultracapacitor.

10. The automotive vehicle of claim 1 wherein a steering controller is electrically coupled to the first power bus or the second power bus, or both.

11. The automotive vehicle of claim 1 wherein the first power bus is coupled to a first plurality of components and the second power bus is coupled to a second plurality of components, said first plurality of components greater than the second plurality of components.

12. An automotive vehicle comprising:
a first power bus operating in a first voltage range;
a second power bus operating in the first voltage range;
a power source;
a first eFuse circuit selectively coupling the power source to the first power bus;
a second eFuse circuit selectively coupling the power source to the second power bus;
a first accumulator coupled to a first node between the first eFuse circuit and the first power bus;
a second accumulator electrically coupled to a second node between the second eFuse circuit and the second power bus;
the first eFuse circuit opens in response to a first electrical fault at the first power bus, and the second power bus powered with the power source or the first accumulator; and
the second eFuse circuit opens in response to a second electrical fault at the second power bus, and the first power bus powered with the power source or the first accumulator;
wherein the first power bus is coupled to a front left brake controller and a rear right brake controller, and the second power bus is coupled to a front right brake controller and a rear left brake controller.

13. The automotive vehicle of claim 12 wherein the first eFuse circuit opens by disconnecting the power source from the first power bus and the second eFuse circuit opens by disconnecting the power source from the second power bus.

14. The automotive vehicle of claim 12 wherein the first power bus is powered by the first accumulator and the second power bus powered by the second accumulator during a failure of the power source and wherein the first eFuse circuit and the second eFuse circuit are open during the failure of the power source.

15. The automotive vehicle of claim 12 further comprising a first relay electrically coupled to the first node between the first eFuse circuit and the first power bus, and further comprising a second relay electrically coupled to the second node between the second eFuse circuit and the second power bus.

16. The automotive vehicle of claim 15 wherein the first relay opens in response to the first electrical fault at the first power bus, wherein the second relay opens in response to the second electrical fault at the second power bus.

17. The automotive vehicle of claim 16 further comprising a relay controller controlling the relay in response to a fault detection circuit.

18. The automotive vehicle of claim 17 wherein the relay controller closes the first relay or the second relay when the first electrical fault or the second electrical fault subsides.

19. The automotive vehicle of claim 12 wherein the power source comprises a DC-to-DC converter.

20. The automotive vehicle of claim 12 wherein the first accumulator comprises a first battery or a first ultracapacitor and wherein the second accumulator comprises a second battery or a second ultracapacitor.

21. The automotive vehicle of claim 12 wherein a steering controller is electrically coupled to the first power bus or the second power bus, or both.

22. The automotive vehicle of claim 12 wherein the first power bus is coupled to a first plurality of components and the second power bus is coupled to a second plurality of components, said first plurality of components greater than the second plurality of components.

23. A method of distributing electrical power using power buses comprising:
operating a first power bus in a first voltage range;
operating a second power bus in the first voltage range;
electrically coupling the first power bus to a front left brake controller and a rear right brake controller and electrically coupling the second power bus to a front right brake controller and a rear left brake controller;
selectively coupling a power source to the first power bus through a first eFuse circuit;
selectively coupling the power source to the second power bus through a second eFuse circuit;
electrically coupling a first accumulator to a first node between the first eFuse circuit and the first power bus;
electrically coupling a second accumulator to a second nod

Assignees

• Ree Automotive Ltd

Inventors

• Geula Gal
• Doron Neta

Classifications

• H02J7/50

  acting upon multiple batteries simultaneously or sequentially · CPC title

• H02J2105/30

  the load networks being external to vehicles, i.e. exchanging power with vehicles · CPC title

• B60R16/0232 Primary

  for measuring vehicle parameters and indicating critical, abnormal or dangerous conditions · CPC title

• B60R16/033

  characterised by the use of electrical cells or batteries (for propulsion puposes B60K1/04; supplying batteries to, or removing batteries from, vehicles B60S5/06; testing of charge state G01R31/36) · CPC title

• H02J7/0013

  Electricity · mapped topic