Design and Implementation of a Novel Dual Input Single Output Converter for Automotive Applications and Autonomous Driving

The development of autonomous driving poses several new challenges for future automotive power nets. In addition to the rising power requirements of the electrical components necessary for autonomous driving, it is essential to provide a reliable supply of electrical energy at all times. In addition to the conventional supply at a voltage level of 12 V, an increasing number of consumers are migrating to a 48 V level. Nevertheless, safety-critical consumers at both voltage levels must be reliably supplied even in the event of a fault. The presented Dual Input Single Output Converter enables the power supply to be maintained and a secured output voltage to be provided even in the event of a supply line failure. For this purpose, the DISOC is connected to two arbitrary feed points. In the example shown here, it is integrated in a ring-structured power net and feeds safety-relevant 12 V consumers by two redundant 48 V supply lines. In addition, the DISOC features an Active Variable Load Distribution, distributing the power it receives from the two feeding points in a variable ratio, thus enabling advanced multi-domain management strategies e.g. stabilizing the power net. In the following, the topology and its working principle are presented and substantiated by simulations and measurements.