Redundant low-voltage battery system operation in electric vehicles

A vehicle power system comprising:

• a high-voltage power system comprising a high-voltage battery pack configured to supply electricity to one or more motors configured to propel the vehicle;
• and
• a low-voltage power system, different from the high-voltage power system, comprising:
• a power bus;
• a plurality of battery modules configured to supply electricity to one or more autonomous control systems;
• a first battery module of the plurality of battery modules coupled to the power bus and comprising:
• a first battery configured to store energy,
• a first electrical circuit safety device configured to:
• detect safe power conditions in the first battery module, and
• break an electrical circuit within the first battery module based on a detection of unsafe power conditions in the first battery module, and
• a first switch configured to selectively couple the first battery to the power bus;
• a second battery module of the plurality of battery modules coupled to the power bus and comprising:
• a second battery configured to store energy,
• a second electrical circuit safety device configured to:
• detect safe power conditions in the second battery module, and
• break an electrical circuit within the second battery module based on a detection of unsafe power conditions in the second battery module, and
• a second switch configured to selectively couple the second battery to the power bus;
• and
• a controller configured to:
• monitor a state of each of the first and second battery modules, and
• control a state of the power system based on the state of each of the first and second battery modules.

A method of controlling a state of a power system comprising a power bus, a plurality of energy-storage modules, each energy-storage module coupled to the power bus, and a controller, the method comprising:

• detecting safe power conditions in each of the plurality of energy-storage modules;
• breaking an electrical circuit within each of the energy-storage modules based on a detection of unsafe power conditions in the respective energy-storage module;
• monitoring a state of each of the plurality of energy-storage modules, wherein:
• a respective energy-storage module is in a “faulted” state when the unsafe power conditions are detected in the energy-storage module,
• a respective energy-storage module is in a “normal operation” state when the energy-storage module is not in the faulted state and a state of charge of the corresponding energy-storage device is greater than or equal to a threshold value, and
• a respective energy-storage module is in a “fully discharged” state when the energy storage module is not in the faulted state and the state of charge of the corresponding energy-storage device is less than the threshold value;
• and
• controlling the state of the power system based on the state of each of the plurality of energy-storage modules by selectively coupling each of the energy-storage devices to the power bus based on the state of each of the plurality of energy-storage modules, wherein:
• the state of the power system is “normal operation” if each of the plurality of energy-storage modules is in the normal operation state,
• the state of the power system is “faulted” if any of the plurality of the energy-storage modules is in the faulted state, and
• the state of the power system is “sleep” if any of the plurality of the energy-storage modules is in the fully discharged state and each of the plurality of the energy-storage modules is not in a faulted state;
• wherein, if the power system is in the normal operation state, the charge circuit of each energy-storage module provides voltage to the respective energy-storage device at the normal energy transfer rate;
• and
• if the power system is in the sleep operation state, the charge circuit of one or more of the plurality of energy-storage modules provides voltage to the respective energy-storage device at the trickle energy transfer rate.