Detailed Description
The power conversion device, the power distribution system, and the vehicle according to the present invention will be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It is to be noted that the following detailed description is exemplary rather than limiting in nature and is intended to provide a basic understanding of the invention and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention.
In the context of the present invention, the terms "first", "second", and the like are used for distinguishing between similar objects and not necessarily for describing a sequential order of the objects in terms of time, space, size, and the like. Furthermore, unless specifically stated otherwise, the terms "comprises," "comprising," and the like, herein are intended to mean non-exclusive inclusion. Also, the term "vehicle", "automobile" or other similar terms herein include motor vehicles in general, such as passenger cars (including sport utility vehicles, buses, trucks, etc.), various commercial vehicles, boats, planes, etc., and include hybrid cars, electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, etc. A hybrid vehicle is a vehicle having two or more power sources, such as gasoline powered and electric vehicles.
Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Fig. 1 shows a power conversion apparatus 1000 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The power conversion apparatus 1000 includes a DC-DC converter 110, a first set of output ports 130, and a first set of electronic fuses 120.
The DC-DC converter 110 is used to convert electric energy input to the power conversion apparatus 1000. Specifically, the DC-DC converter 110 may convert an input high voltage into a low voltage, for example, an input 48V voltage into a common voltage level of 12V for a low voltage load in the vehicle. In further embodiments, the DC-DC converter 110 may convert the input power to a specific current value.
The electric energy converted by the DC-DC converter 110 is transmitted to the first group of output ports 130 via the first group of electronic fuses 120. Wherein the first set of output ports 130 may be formed by a set of power connectors. The first set of electronic fuses 120 is used to turn on or off a path through which the converted power is transmitted from the DC-DC converter 110 to the first set of output ports 130.
Although not shown in fig. 1, the first set of electronic fuses 120 may include one or more electronic fuses, and in correspondence therewith, the first set of output ports 130 may include one or more output ports. Each electronic fuse of the first set of electronic fuses 120 may be connected to each of the first set of output ports 130, respectively, to supply power to a corresponding one or more loads, respectively.
In the context of the present invention, when "a plurality" is used to modify an object, it is intended to mean that there are two or more modified objects.
An electronic fuse is a fuse structure implemented using an electron transfer characteristic. In the application scenario of increasingly loaded low-voltage networks (for example, electric vehicles), the electronic fuses are used to replace the traditional fuses, so that the space can be greatly saved, the electronic fuses are more flexible to control, and the maintenance is relatively simple.
Optionally, the power conversion apparatus 1000 further includes a control section 140. The control part 140 is used to control the DC-DC converter 110 and the first group of electronic fuses 120. For example, when the control component 140 identifies that the power supply capacity of the power conversion device 1000 is insufficient (for example, when the electric vehicle is in a low-capacity state), one or more electronic fuses in the first set of electronic fuses 120 may be controlled to be disconnected according to the remaining capacity, the load demand, and the like, so as to disconnect the load connected thereto and reduce the load demand; or control the power conversion apparatus 1000 to be entirely disconnected, thereby cutting off the load to which the entire power conversion apparatus 1000 is connected.
It should be understood that the control component 140 may further include a memory and a processor. Wherein the memory is a non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions for carrying out the respective controls. The memory may be any suitable memory device such as a random access memory RAM, a read only memory ROM, a rewritable non-volatile memory, etc. The processor may be any suitable special purpose processor, such as a field programmable array FPGA, an application specific integrated circuit ASIC, a digital signal processing circuit DSP, or any suitable general purpose processor. In an application scenario of a vehicle, the control component 140 may be an electronic control unit ECU, a domain control unit DCU, or the like. When the processor executes the computer-executable instructions stored in the memory, the corresponding control functions can be implemented.
Further, the control part 140 may cooperatively control the DC-DC converter 110 and the first group of electronic fuses 120. For example, when the control component 140 identifies that a load connected to one of the electronic fuses 120 in the first set is faulty, but the fault affects the entire system within a certain threshold, the control component 140 may control the electronic fuse to open. In another example, when the control component 140 identifies that a load connected to one or more electronic fuses of the first set of electronic fuses 120 has failed and that the failure may have a greater impact on the system, the control component 140 may control the entire DC-DC converter 110 to open. The cooperative control of the DC-DC converter 110 and the first group of electronic fuses 120 by the control component 140 can avoid the need of providing control components for the DC-DC converter 110 and the first group of electronic fuses 120 respectively to communicate and coordinate the control components, thereby saving the wiring harness resources and reducing the data transmission amount.
Further, the control part 140 may monitor the state data of the DC-DC converter 110, the first group of electronic fuses 120, for example, their voltage, current, temperature, and the like. The control part 140 may identify states of the first group of electronic fuses 120 of the DC-DC converter 110, such as a normal operation condition or a fault operation condition, through the monitored data.
Further, the control component 140 may provide output overvoltage protection, output undervoltage protection, output overcurrent protection, output short-circuit protection, or over-temperature protection, etc. for the DC-DC converter 110. These protections may be based on the state data of the DC-DC converter 110 and the first set of electronic fuses 120 monitored by the control component 140, or may be based on other data transmitted by the system to the power conversion apparatus 1000.
Optionally, the power conversion apparatus 1000 further includes a communication section 150. The communication part 150 may output the state data of the power device 1000 (e.g., the state data of the DC-DC converter 110 or the first group of electronic fuses 120 monitored by the control part 140) to the outside, such as other electronic control units ECU of the vehicle, a domain control unit DCU, and the like. The communication section 150 may also receive data from the outside, for example, other status data of the vehicle or control data from the domain control unit DCU, and the like.
Here, the communication unit 150 may communicate with the outside by using a wired communication method, a wireless communication method, or a combination of both. It should be understood that wireless communication means includes, but is not limited to, bluetooth communication, wireless fidelity communication (e.g., Wi-Fi), cellular communication (e.g., 3G, 4G, 5G, etc.), and the like.
Optionally, the power conversion apparatus 1000 further includes a heat dissipation member 160. The heat dissipation member 160 may provide heat dissipation for the DC-DC converter 110 and the first set of electronic fuses 120. In general, a heat dissipation member needs to be provided for the DC-DC converter. Here, the DC-DC converter 110 and the first group of electronic fuses 120 are integrated in the power conversion apparatus 1000, so that the first group of electronic fuses 120 can share the heat dissipation component of the DC-DC converter without providing a heat dissipation arrangement, thereby fully utilizing the original resources in the power converter and saving space resources.
In a complex application scenario of a low voltage network (e.g., an electric car), a large number of electronic fuses need to be configured, which results in a large wiring harness requirement of the system, high wiring harness losses, and a need for a large number of connection devices (e.g., power connectors). In the prior art, the electronic fuse is often arranged independently of the DC-DC converter, so that a control component, a communication component, a heat dissipation component and the like are required to be additionally configured for the electronic fuse, which requires occupying additional wiring harness resources, space resources and processor resources. By integrating the DC-DC converter 110 with the first set of electronic fuses 120 using the power conversion apparatus 1000, the problem of wiring harness transmitted from the DC-DC converter 110 to the first set of electronic fuses 120 can be alleviated, the line loss can be reduced, the use of power connectors between the two can be reduced, and the development cost can be reduced.
As described above, the DC-DC converter 110 and the first group of electronic fuses 120 may share one communication part 150, transmit status data of both to the outside, or receive status data or control data from the outside. Further, the DC-DC converter 110 and the first group of electronic fuses 120 may share one control part 140, and the control part 140 may cooperatively control both. Such an arrangement reduces the consumed control resources and simplifies the control logic compared to using two or more electronic control unit ECUs to control each. In addition, the DC-DC converter 110 and the first group of electronic fuses 120 may share one heat dissipation member 160, so that there is no need to provide a heat dissipation member for each of them, thereby improving space utilization.
Fig. 2 illustrates a power distribution system 2000 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The power distribution system 2000 includes, among other things, a power conversion device 210, a first set of loads 220A, 220B, a second set of loads 230A, 230B, and a second set of electronic fuses 240A, 240B.
Among them, the power conversion apparatus 210 may be, for example, the aforementioned power conversion apparatus 1000. The power conversion device 210 includes a DC-DC converter 211, a first set of electronic fuses 212A, 212B, a first set of output ports 213A, 213B, and a second set of output ports 214. The first set of output ports 213A, 213B and the second set of output ports 214 may be formed by power connectors.
The DC-DC converter 211 is used to convert the electric energy input to the power conversion apparatus 210, similarly as in the power conversion apparatus 1000. Specifically, the DC-DC converter 211 may convert an input high voltage into a low voltage, for example, an input 48V voltage into a common voltage level of 12V for a low voltage load in the vehicle. In further embodiments, the DC-DC converter 211 may convert the input power into a specific current value.
The electrical energy converted by the DC-DC converter 211 is transmitted to the first set of output ports 213A, 213B via the first set of electronic fuses 212A, 212B, and then to the first set of loads 220A, 220B via the first set of output ports 213A, 213B, thereby supplying the first set of loads 220A, 220B. The first set of electronic fuses 212A, 212B turns on or off a path through which the converted power is transmitted from the DC-DC converter 211 to the first set of output ports 213A, 213B, thereby controlling power supply to the first set of loads 220A, 220B.
The electrical energy converted by the DC-DC converter 211 is also transferred to the second set of electronic fuses 240A, 240B via the second set of output ports 214 and then to the second set of loads 230A, 230B via the second set of electronic fuses 240A, 240B, thereby powering the second set of loads 230A, 230B.
In the embodiment shown in fig. 2, the second set of output ports includes an output port 214, and the converted power is transmitted to the splitting point S by a transmission line. Wherein the splitting point S is located close to the second group of loads 230A, 230B. The converted electrical energy is then transmitted from the splitting point S to the corresponding loads 230A, 230B using a plurality of transmission lines (specifically 2 transmission lines in fig. 2), respectively. Thus, only one transmission line is required between the second set of output ports 214 and the shunting point S, which enables a significant reduction in wiring harness compared to configuring one transmission line for each load (i.e., each electronic fuse). Such an arrangement is particularly suitable for electronic fuses, or for loads in close proximity, where heat dissipation requirements are not high.
In further embodiments, the second set of output ports 214 may also include a plurality of output ports, wherein each output port respectively transmits the converted electrical energy to the load via an electronic fuse disposed outside of the power converter.
In the embodiment shown in fig. 2, the second set of output ports 214 are completely different output ports than the first set of output ports 213A, 213B. However, in further embodiments, the second set of output ports 214 may at least partially coincide with the first set of output ports 213A, 213B. For example, the second set of output ports 214 may be one of the first set of output ports 213A, 213B. Also for example, the second set of output ports 214 may include two output ports 214A, 214B (not shown), wherein output port 214A is the same port as output port 213A, and output port 214B is different from first set of output ports 213A, 213B.
As shown in fig. 2, the second set of electronic fuses 240A, 240B is disposed downstream of the shunt point S and therefore also disposed proximate to the second set of loads 230A, 230B. In one embodiment, electronic fuse 240A may be integrated with load 230A and electronic fuse 240B may be integrated with load 230B. Second set of electronic fuses 240A turns on or off the path of the converted power from second set of output ports 214 to second set of loads 230A, and second set of electronic fuses 240B turns on or off the path of the converted power from second set of output ports 214 to second set of loads 230B.
Similar to in the power conversion apparatus 1000, the power conversion apparatus 210 may further include a control section 215. The control section 215 is used to control the DC-DC converter 211 and the first group of electronic fuses 212. For example, when the control component 215 identifies that the power supply capacity of the power conversion device 210 is insufficient (e.g., the electric vehicle is in a low-capacity state), one or more electronic fuses in the first set of electronic fuses 212 may be controlled to be opened according to the remaining capacity, the load demand, and the like, so as to open the corresponding one or more loads in the first set of loads 220, thereby reducing the load demand; or control the entire power conversion device 210 to be disconnected, thereby cutting off all loads connected to the entire power conversion device 210, including the first group of loads 220 and the second group of loads 230.
It should be understood that the control component 215 may further include a memory and a processor. Wherein the memory is a non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions for carrying out the respective controls. The memory may be any suitable memory device such as a random access memory RAM, a read only memory ROM, a rewritable non-volatile memory, etc. The processor may be any suitable special purpose processor, such as a field programmable array FPGA, an application specific integrated circuit ASIC, a digital signal processing circuit DSP, or any suitable general purpose processor. In an application scenario of a vehicle, the control component 140 may be an electronic control unit ECU, a domain control unit DCU, or the like. When the processor executes the computer-executable instructions stored in the memory, the corresponding control functions can be implemented.
Further, the control section 215 may cooperatively control the DC-DC converter 211 and the first group of electronic fuses 212. For example, when the control component 215 identifies that a load connected to one of the electronic fuses 212 in the first set has failed, but the failure has an effect on the overall system within a certain threshold, the control component 215 may control the electronic fuse to open. In another example, when the control component 215 recognizes that a load connected to one or more electronic fuses of the first set of electronic fuses 212 is faulty and the fault may have a large impact on the system, the control component 215 may control the entire DC-DC converter 211 to open. The cooperative control of the DC-DC converter 211 and the first group of electronic fuses 212 by the control component 215 can avoid the need of providing control components for the DC-DC converter 211 and the first group of electronic fuses 212 respectively to communicate and coordinate the control components of the DC-DC converter and the first group of electronic fuses, thereby saving the wiring harness resources and reducing the data transmission amount.
Further, the control section 215 may monitor the state data of the DC-DC converter 211, the first group of electronic fuses 212, for example, their voltage, current, temperature, and the like. The control part 215 may recognize the states of the first group of electronic fuses 212 of the DC-DC converter 211, such as a normal operation condition or a fault operation condition, etc., through the monitored data.
Further, the control section 215 may provide output overvoltage protection, output undervoltage protection, output overcurrent protection, output short-circuit protection, or over-temperature protection, etc. for the DC-DC converter 211. These protections may be based on the state data of the DC-DC converter 211 and the first set of electronic fuses 212 monitored by the control part 215, or may be based on other data transmitted externally to the power conversion device 210.
Optionally, the power conversion device 210 further comprises a communication component 216. The communication part 216 may output status data of the power device 210 (for example, status data of the DC-DC converter 211 or the first group of electronic fuses 212 monitored by the control part 215) to the outside, such as other electronic control units ECU of the vehicle, a domain control unit DCU, and the like. The communication component 216 may also receive data from the outside, for example other status data of the vehicle or control data from the domain control unit DCU, etc.
The communication unit 216 may communicate with the outside by using a wired communication method, a wireless communication method, or a combination of both methods. It should be understood that wireless communication means includes, but is not limited to, bluetooth communication, wireless fidelity communication (e.g., Wi-Fi), cellular communication (e.g., 3G, 4G, 5G, etc.), and the like.
Optionally, the power conversion apparatus 210 further includes a heat dissipation member 217. The heat dissipation member 217 may provide heat dissipation for the DC-DC converter 211 and the first set of electronic fuses 212. The DC-DC converter 211 and the first set of electronic fuses 212 are integrated in the power conversion device 210, so that the first set of electronic fuses 212 can share the heat dissipation component of the DC-DC converter 211 without additional arrangement of heat dissipation, thereby fully utilizing the original resources in the power converter and saving space resources.
In the power distribution system 2000, a portion of the electronic fuses (i.e., the first set of electronic fuses 212A, 212B) are integrated in the power conversion device 210, and another portion of the electronic fuses (i.e., the second set of electronic fuses 240A, 240B) are disposed proximate to the load side (i.e., the second set of loads 230A, 230B).
On one hand, the electronic fuses with large current values and large heat dissipation requirements can be integrated in the power converter 210, so that the original heat dissipation component 217 of the power converter 210 is used for providing heat dissipation for the electronic fuses with large heat dissipation requirements, and a heat dissipation component does not need to be additionally arranged for the electronic fuses. Thus, hardware in the power distribution system 2000 can be fully utilized, and the space utilization rate is improved. Meanwhile, a power connector between the DC-DC converter 211 and the first group of electronic fuses 212 integrated in the power conversion device 210 may be omitted, reducing development costs.
On the other hand, for a plurality of electronic fuses with low heat dissipation requirements and close load positions, the electric energy converted by the DC-DC converter can be firstly transmitted to a shunting point close to the load by using one transmission line, and then the electric energy is transmitted to the corresponding load through each electronic fuse by using the transmission line. Therefore, the wiring harness requirement from the DC-DC converter to the shunt point can be greatly reduced, and the wiring harness loss is reduced.
The distribution system 2000 flexibly configures the arrangement of the electronic fuses according to the characteristics of the electronic fuses and the characteristics of loads connected with the electronic fuses, thereby effectively reducing wiring harnesses and connectors, reducing wiring harness loss, improving system efficiency and reducing development cost.
Some of the block diagrams shown in the figures are functional entities and do not necessarily correspond to physically or logically separate entities. Some of the modules or components (e.g., control components 140, 215) may be implemented in software, or may be implemented in one or more hardware modules or integrated circuits.
It will be appreciated that the power distribution system according to the foregoing embodiments of the invention may be incorporated into a vehicle. For example, the electrical energy input to the DC-DC converter in the power distribution system is from a DC power source in the vehicle, and the first and second groups of loads may be DC loads within the vehicle. When the voltage level of the direct-current power supply is higher than that of the direct-current load, the voltage level is converted by a DC-DC converter. It should be understood that in some embodiments, a DC-DC converter is also used to perform the conversion of the current level.
In summary, the electronic fuse arrangement scheme provided by the invention enables the electronic fuse with high heat dissipation requirement to utilize the radiator of the DC-DC converter without additionally configuring a heat dissipation device, thereby improving the hardware and space utilization rate. In addition, the electronic fuse arrangement scheme provided by the invention can flexibly arrange each electronic fuse according to the characteristics of the electronic fuses and the characteristics of loads connected with the electronic fuses, thereby reducing wire harnesses and connectors, reducing wire harness loss, improving system efficiency and reducing development cost and processor resources.
Although only a few embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the present invention may be embodied in many other forms without departing from the spirit or scope thereof. While only certain features of the invention have been illustrated and described above, many modifications and changes will occur to those skilled in the art. Also, it should be understood that the components of the various embodiments disclosed above may be combined with or exchanged for each other. It is, therefore, to be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications and changes as fall within the true spirit of the invention.