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ISO 26262-1:2018 defines the fault tolerant time interval (FTTI) as the minimum time span from the occurrence of a fault within an electrical / electronic system to a possible occurrence of a hazardous event. FTTI provides a time limit within which compliant vehicle safety mechanisms must detect and react to faults capable of posing risk of harm to persons. This makes FTTI a vital safety characteristic for system design. Common automotive industry practice accommodates recording fault times of occurrence definitively. However, current practice for defining the time of hazardous event onset relies upon subjective judgements. This paper presents a novel method to define hazardous event onset more objectively. The method introduces the Streetscope Collision Hazard Measure (SHMTM) and a refined approach to hazardous event classification.

A commercial truck electric motor propulsion control system may require hundreds of inputs to optimize the drive torque command. As a safety-related signal, the drive torque command requires protections ensuring its integrity. Similarly, the inputs used by the control system to determine the drive torque command also require protections. To define these protections, the ISO 26262:2018 series of standards prescribe the development of safety requirements and associated Automotive Safety Integrity Levels (ASILs). Safety requirements ensure safe system output, in part, by protecting system inputs. Satisfying these safety requirements to their ASILs adds complexity and cost to commercial truck electric motor propulsion control systems. The greater the safety-related signal count, the greater the complexity and cost added.

This paper documents the electrical infrastructure design of a Hybrid Go Kart competition vehicle which includes a dual Fuel Cell power system, Ultra Capacitors for energy storage, and a dual AC induction motor capable of independent drive. The Kart was built primarily to compete in the 2009 Formula Zero international event. This paper emphasized the vehicle model and control strategy as a result of three (3) graduate student research projects. The vehicle was fabricated and tested but did not participate in the race competition since the race organization folded. The vehicle model was developed in Simulink to determine whether the fuel cell and ultra-capacitor combination will be sufficient for peak transient power requirement of 14 kW. The vehicle’s functional description and performance specifications are documented including the integration of the fuel cell power modules, energy storage system, power converters, and AC motor and motor controllers.