GAC Aion Aion V Plus Electric Vehicle High Voltage Electronic Control System PDU Integrated and Independent Working Principles

GAC Aion has launched two different solutions: integrated PDU and stand-alone PDU, both of which play a key role in improving the performance, safety and reliability of electric vehicles.

We will analyze in depth the working principles and characteristics of these two types of PDUs.

As an important part of the electric vehicle power control system, PDU is responsible for the distribution and management of high-voltage power supply, ensuring efficient and safe transmission of electric energy between high-voltage components such as the electric vehicle's power battery, drive motor, and electronic control system.

In the design and manufacturing process of electric vehicles, according to different design concepts and vehicle requirements, PDU can be divided into two different configurations: integrated and independent.

Working principle and characteristics of integrated PDU

As the name suggests, the integrated PDU integrates multiple core components of an electric vehicle, such as the battery management system (BMS), integrated power unit (IPU), power switch (IPS), etc., into a compact module.

The advantage of this design approach is that it can reduce the number of electrical connections, reduce system complexity, and improve the overall reliability and safety of the vehicle.

In the integrated PDU, components such as the BMS, IPU, and IPS perform self-inspections through the high-voltage interlock (HVIL) circuit and send them to the vehicle control unit (VCU) in the form of CAN signals, which then comprehensively determine the system status and safety.

In addition, the integrated PDU can effectively reduce manufacturing costs and assembly time, and accelerate the production cycle of electric vehicles.

The integrated PDUs are connected in series through a hard-wired loop to form an HVIL loop, which is a safety protection mechanism that can quickly cut off the power supply when an abnormality occurs in the circuit to ensure the safety of the vehicle and passengers.

Due to its integrated design, it makes more efficient use of space and is particularly suitable for electric vehicles with compact space layout.

Working principle and characteristics of independent PDU

Compared with the integrated PDU, the independent PDU designs the BMS, IPU, IPS and other components into independent modules, each of which performs its own function and is uniformly managed and scheduled through the vehicle control unit (VCU).

This design approach provides greater flexibility and scalability, making it easier to customize and upgrade electric vehicles.

The stand-alone PDU also uses the HVIL loop self-check mechanism to ensure the safe operation of the system.

The difference is that since each component is independent, more space is needed to accommodate these components in the design and layout of the vehicle.

Therefore, standalone PDUs are more suitable for electric vehicle designs that have enough space to flexibly layout these independent modules.