Redundant power system
A power system has: an electrical load; first and second lines respectively including first and second power sources; and inter-line switch. The first power source outputs a power supply voltage. The second power source includes a storage battery. The power system includes: an anomaly determination unit determining an anomaly in the first line; a state control unit opening the inter-line switch if the occurrence of an anomaly is determined; first and second paths in parallel to each other between a connection point to the connection path and the second power source in the second line; a charging unit on the first path to charge the storage battery to a higher voltage than the power supply voltage of the first power source; and a discharge regulation unit on the second path to regulate discharge of the storage battery in the second line.
1. A power system comprising:
an electrical load;
a first line that includes a first power source connected to the electrical load;
a second line that includes a second power source connected to the electrical load;
an inter-line switch that is provided on a connection path connecting the first line and the second line, wherein
the first power source outputs a power supply voltage that enables driving of the electrical load, and
the second power source includes a storage battery that is chargeable by the power supply voltage of the first power source;
an anomaly determination unit that determines occurrence of an anomaly in the first line;
a state control unit that opens the inter-line switch if the anomaly determination unit determines the occurrence of an anomaly;
a first path and a second path that are provided in parallel to each other between a connection point to the connection path and the second power source in the second line;
a charging unit that is provided on the first path to charge the storage battery to a higher voltage than the power supply voltage of the first power source by power supply from the first power source; and
a discharge regulation unit that is provided on the second path to regulate discharge of the storage battery in the second line, wherein
the discharge regulation unit includes a rectifier element that regulates the flow of current from the connection point to the storage battery on the second path and generates a predetermined voltage difference between the voltage of the storage battery and the power supply voltage, and
the discharge regulation unit has a plurality of diodes connected in series as the rectifier element.
2. The power system according to claim 1 , wherein
the voltage difference generated by the rectifier element is variable in the discharge regulation unit,
the power system includes a voltage difference switch unit that switches the voltage difference based on the difference between the voltage of the connection point and the voltage of the storage battery, and
the voltage difference switch unit sets the voltage difference to a larger value as the difference between the voltage of the connection point and the voltage of the storage battery is larger.
3. The power system according to claim 2 , wherein
the voltage difference switch unit switches the voltage difference by changing the number of diodes that are to be conductive among the plurality of diodes between the connection point and the storage battery.
4. The power system according to claim 2 , wherein
the discharge regulation unit has a plurality of diodes that is connected in parallel to one another and is different in forward voltage as the rectifier element, and
the voltage difference switch unit switches the voltage difference by changing the number of diodes that become conductive among the plurality of diodes connected in parallel.
5. The power system according to claim 1 , wherein
a semiconductor switching element having a parasitic diode is provided on the second path,
the parasitic diode is the rectifier element, and
in response to the anomaly determination unit determining that there has occurred an anomaly, the state control unit brings the semiconductor switching element into the conductive state.
6. The power system according to claim 1 , A power system comprising:
an electrical load;
a first line that includes a first power source connected to the electrical load;
a second line that includes a second power source connected to the electrical load;
an inter-line switch that is provided on a connection path connecting the first line and the second line, wherein
the first power source outputs a power supply voltage that enables driving of the electrical load, and
the second power source includes a storage battery that is chargeable by the power supply voltage of the first power source;
an anomaly determination unit that determines occurrence of an anomaly in the first line;
a state control unit that opens the inter-line switch if the anomaly determination unit determines the occurrence of an anomaly;
a first path and a second path that are provided in parallel to each other between a connection point to the connection path and the second power source in the second line;
a charging unit that is provided on the first path to charge the storage battery to a higher voltage than the power supply voltage of the first power source by power supply from the first power source; and
a discharge regulation unit that is provided on the second path to regulate discharge of the storage battery in the second line, wherein
the discharge regulation unit includes a rectifier element that regulates the flow of current from the connection point to the storage battery on the second path and generates a predetermined voltage difference between the voltage of the storage battery and the power supply voltage,
the second path includes a first regulation path and a second regulation path that are provided in parallel to each other,
the first regulation path is provided with the rectifier element,
the second regulation path is provided with a regulation switch that opens or closes the second regulation path,
in response to the anomaly determination unit determining that there has not occurred an anomaly, the state control unit closes the inter-line switch and opens the regulation switch, and
in response to the anomaly determination unit determining that there has occurred an anomaly, the state control unit first opens the inter-line switch and then closes the regulation switch.
7. The power system according to claim 6 , wherein
the second regulation path is provided with a charge permission unit that is connected in parallel to the regulation switch, regulates the flow of current from the storage battery to the connection point on the second regulation path, and permits the flow of current from the connection point to the storage battery.
8. The power system according to claim 7 , wherein
the charging permission unit permits the flow of current from the connection point to the storage battery at an overvoltage time at which the voltage of the electrical load exceeds an upper limit value of the power supply voltage.
9. The power system according to claim 8 , wherein
the power system is installed in a vehicle,
the electrical load includes a steering load that controls steering of the vehicle, and
the overvoltage time includes a driving time of the steering load.
10. The power system according to claim 8 , wherein
the storage battery is a second-line storage battery,
the first power source includes:
a voltage generation unit that generates the power supply voltage; and
a first-line storage battery that is chargeable by the power supply voltage of the voltage generation unit, and
the overvoltage time includes a switching time of the first-line storage battery from a state of being connected to the first line to a state of being disconnected from the first line.
11. The power system according to claim 7 , wherein
the regulation switch has a first changeover switch and a second changeover switch connected in series,
the charging permission unit is connected in parallel to only the first changeover switch,
in response to the anomaly determination unit determining that there has not occurred an anomaly and the storage battery is not being charged by the power supply voltage of the first power source, the state control unit opens the regulation switch by opening the first changeover switch and closing the second changeover switch, and
in response to the anomaly determination unit determining that there has not occurred an anomaly and the storage battery is being charged by the power supply voltage of the first power source, the state control unit opens the regulation switch by opening the first changeover switch and the second changeover switch.
12. The power system according to claim 6 , wherein
the regulation switch is a first regulation switch,
the first regulation path is provided with a second regulation switch that is connected in series to the rectifier element to open or close the first regulation path,
in response to the anomaly determination unit determining that there has not occurred an anomaly and the storage battery is not being charged by the power supply voltage of the first power source, the state control unit closes the second regulation switch, and
in response to the anomaly determination unit determining that there has not occurred an anomaly and the storage battery is being charged by the power supply voltage of the first power source, the state control unit opens the second regulation switch.
13. A power system comprising:
an electrical load;
a first line that includes a first power source connected to the electrical load;
a second line that includes a second power source connected to the electrical load;
an inter-line switch that is provided on a connection path connecting the first line and the second line, wherein
the first power source outputs a power supply voltage that enables driving of the electrical load, and
the second power source includes a storage battery that is chargeable by the power supply voltage of the first power source;
an anomaly determination unit that determines occurrence of an anomaly in the first line;
a state control unit that opens the inter-line switch if the anomaly determination unit determines the occurrence of an anomaly;
a first path and a second path that are provided in parallel to each other between a connection point to the connection path and the second power source in the second line;
a charging unit that is provided on the first path to charge the storage battery to a higher voltage than the power supply voltage of the first power source by power supply from the first power source; and
a discharge regulation unit that is provided on the second path to regulate discharge of the storage battery in the second line, wherein
the discharge regulation unit includes a rectifier element that regulates the flow of current from the connection point to the storage battery on the second path and generates a predetermined voltage difference between the voltage of the storage battery and the power supply voltage,
the charging unit is a booster circuit that boosts the power supply voltage, the power system includes a boost control unit that causes the booster circuit to boost the voltage if a boost condition indicating the necessity of bringing the storage battery into a high voltage is satisfied, and
the boost control unit changes degree of boosting the voltage by the booster circuit in accordance with a surrounding temperature of the power system.
14. The power system according to claim 10 , wherein
the power system is installed in a vehicle,
the electrical load is a load that performs at least one function necessary for driving the vehicle and is a load that performs a driving assistance function of the vehicle,
the vehicle is capable of driving in a first mode using the driving assistance function and driving in a second mode not using the driving assistance function, and
if driving mode of the vehicle is the first mode, the boost control unit determines that the boost condition is satisfied and causes the booster circuit to boost the voltage.
15. The power system according to claim 1 , wherein
the power system is installed in a vehicle,
the electrical load is a load that performs at least one function necessary for driving the vehicle and is a load that performs a driving assistance function of the vehicle,
the vehicle is capable of driving in a first mode using the driving assistance function and driving in a second mode not using the driving assistance function, and
the power system includes a mode control unit that, on a condition that voltage of the storage battery is higher than the power supply voltage of the first power source by a predetermined value or more, permits a driving mode of the vehicle to be switched from the second mode to the first mode.