A low-speed container trailer for a terminal and a control method for energy recovery and utilization thereof

Abstract

The present invention discloses a low-speed container trailer for a terminal, comprising a tractor, a trailer and a controller, wherein the tractor comprises an engine and a tractor control system, the controller is communicatively connected to the tractor control system, and the trailer comprises a battery, a drive shaft, a reduction gearbox, a clutch, a motor, a charger and a driver; the motor is electrically connected to the charger and the driver respectively; the controller is electrically connected to the charger, the driver and the clutch respectively; the battery is electrically connected to the charger and the driver respectively; the drive shaft is mechanically connected to the low-speed transmission part of the reduction gearbox, and the high-speed transmission part of the reduction gearbox is clutch-connected to the motor via a clutch. The present invention further proposes a control method for energy recovery and utilization of a low-speed container trailer for a terminal, comprising S1-S7. The present invention realizes the energy recovery and utilization function of the low-speed container trailer for a terminal, and also significantly improves the load capacity and load starting capability of the low-speed container trailer for a terminal.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of terminal transportation equipment, and in particular to a terminal low-speed container trailer and a control method for energy recovery and utilization thereof. Background Art

[0002] Low-speed trailers at the docks are diesel-powered and require frequent acceleration and deceleration when operating within the docks. During deceleration, energy is primarily consumed by the brake system. Existing energy conversion solutions require modifications to the engine and transmission, installing a generator (motor) between the engine and transmission output shafts or using a range-extended generator set. Furthermore, energy recovery solutions often use lithium batteries as the energy storage material (lithium batteries have limited cycle life and difficult-to-solve degradation issues). Existing technical solutions lack advantages in terms of conversion efficiency, control complexity, or power levels. The engine and transmission must be upgraded or completely replaced. Furthermore, the available space for modifications to the trailer's front end is limited, and the existing engine and transmission must be completely dismantled, resulting in a waste of resources and high investment costs.

[0003] Although trailers in the RV sector use batteries to supply household electricity and also power the towed wheel hub motors, providing assistance when moving the trailer independently, trailer wheel hub motors lack speed reducers, meaning the motor torque output cannot be amplified. This in-wheel motor design cannot provide sufficient torque for low-speed dock tractors. Furthermore, high-power wheel hub motors are not suitable for low-speed dock tractors in terms of heat dissipation and unsprung mass. Therefore, even after referring to existing automobiles with energy recovery functions and RV trailers equipped with batteries and wheel hub motors, those skilled in the art have difficulty conceiving of a modification plan for low-speed dock trailers that achieves energy conservation and adapts to dock operations. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of this, in order to solve the problems in the prior art, the present invention proposes a control method for a low-speed container trailer at a terminal and its energy recovery and utilization, thereby realizing the energy recovery and utilization function of the low-speed container trailer at the terminal, and also improving the load capacity and load starting capability of the low-speed container trailer at the terminal, solving the technical problems in the prior art solutions such as complex control, weak power level, high modification cost and the need for overall modification of the engine and gearbox.

[0005] The present invention solves the above problems through the following technical means:

[0006] The present invention provides a low-speed container trailer for a terminal, comprising a tractor, a trailer, and a controller. The tractor comprises an engine and a tractor control system, the controller being communicatively connected to the tractor control system, the trailer comprising a battery mounted on the trailer, a drive shaft with trailer wheels mounted at both ends, a reduction gearbox, a clutch, a motor, a charger, and a driver. The motor is electrically connected to the charger and the driver, respectively; the controller is electrically connected to the charger, the driver, and the clutch, respectively; the battery is electrically connected to the charger and the driver, respectively; the drive shaft is mechanically connected to the low-speed transmission portion of the reduction gearbox, and the high-speed transmission portion of the reduction gearbox is clutch-connected to the motor via a clutch.

[0007] The motor is used to convert the mechanical energy of the drive shaft into electrical energy recovered by the battery during braking, and is also used to drive the drive shaft; the battery is used to store energy after energy recovery; the charger is used to process the electrical energy after energy conversion to meet charging requirements, and is used to perform charging; the driver is used to use the battery's electrical energy to control the motor to do work.

[0008] Furthermore, the clutch is a wet clutch.

[0009] Furthermore, the battery is a supercapacitor.

[0010] The present invention further proposes a control method for energy recovery and utilization of a low-speed container trailer at a terminal, which is applied to the low-speed container trailer at a terminal as described above. The control method comprises the following steps:

[0011] S1, when the engine is started and the engine is not in a non-neutral state, the motor mode is started, the clutch is controlled to engage, and then S2 is executed;

[0012] S2, detect and determine whether the throttle signal is obtained, if yes, execute S3, otherwise standby;

[0013] S3, controlling the battery discharge and controlling the motor rotation speed according to the throttle force value and the vehicle speed, and then executing S4;

[0014] S4, detecting and determining whether the vehicle speed reaches a preset threshold, if yes, executing S5, otherwise executing S41;

[0015] S41, detect and determine whether the brake is applied and the brake does not stop, if yes, execute S42, otherwise continue to execute S4;

[0016] S42, open the clutch, and then execute S43;

[0017] S43, the motor is controlled to maintain the motor mode and the single accelerator pedal pressing time is determined to have reached the specified time value. If yes, the clutch is engaged and S3 is executed. Otherwise, S43 is executed. In S43, if the brake stop signal is detected, S1 is immediately executed.

[0018] S5, open the clutch, then control the motor to switch from motor mode to generator mode and determine whether there is a continuous braking signal reaching a specified time value. If yes, execute S6, otherwise continue to execute S5;

[0019] S6, the clutch is engaged and the generator is charging the battery, and it is determined whether an accelerator pedal signal is detected. If so, S7 is executed, otherwise S6 is continued;

[0020] S7, open the clutch and determine whether the continuous braking signal reaches a specified time value. If so, execute S6, otherwise continue to execute S7; in S7, if the braking signal is detected, immediately execute S1.

[0021] The present invention further proposes a computer-readable storage medium on which is stored a stable program for controlling the energy recovery and utilization of low-speed container trailers at the terminal. When the stable program is executed by a processor, the control method for energy recovery and utilization of low-speed container trailers at the terminal as described above is implemented.

[0022] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0023] The present invention has the advantages of high energy conversion efficiency, low control complexity, high power level, low investment cost, etc., and does not require upgrading or overall replacement of the engine and gearbox. Since the main modification part of the present invention is the trailer frame, there is ample operating space. When the motor of the present invention is an electric motor, it only provides power during the vehicle's starting and acceleration phase. The single acceleration time is short, the single power consumption is not high, and the power can be replenished quickly after use. In addition, the energy storage device has a high-power discharge capability. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative work.

[0025] Figure 1 is a front view of the low-speed container trailer for the terminal according to the present invention;

[0026] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the low-speed container trailer for docks of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 3 This is a flowchart of the control method for energy recovery and utilization of low-speed container trailers at a terminal according to the present invention;

[0028] Description of reference numerals:

[0029] Tractor 100; trailer 200; motor 1; reduction gearbox 2; clutch 3; drive shaft 4; wheel 5; battery 6; drive 7; charger 8; controller 9. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] To make the above-mentioned objectives, features, and advantages of the present invention more clearly understood, the technical solutions of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. It should be noted that the embodiments described are only some of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of them. All other embodiments obtained by persons of ordinary skill in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without creative effort are also within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0031] It should be understood that the orientation or positional relationship indicated by terms such as "top" and "bottom" is based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and is only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and does not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, it should not be understood as a limitation on the present invention.

[0032] The terms "first," "second," and "third" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood to indicate or imply relative importance or to implicitly specify the quantity of the technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature specified as "first," "second," or "third" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of such features.

[0033] Example

[0034] like Figure 1 、 Figure 2As shown, this embodiment proposes a low-speed container trailer for a terminal, including a tractor 100, a trailer 200 and a controller 9. The tractor 100 includes an engine and a tractor control system. The controller 9 is communicatively connected to the tractor control system. The trailer 200 includes a battery 6 installed on the trailer 200, a drive shaft 4 with wheels 5 of the trailer 200 installed at both ends, a reduction gear 2, a clutch 3, a motor 1, a charger 8 and a driver 7; the motor 1 is electrically connected to the charger 8 and the driver 7 respectively; the controller 9 is electrically connected to the charger 8, the driver 7 and the clutch 3 respectively; the battery 6 is electrically connected to the charger 8 and the driver 7 respectively; the drive shaft 4 is electrically connected to the reduction gear 2, the clutch 3 and the charger 8 ... controller 9 is electrically connected to the charger 8 and the driver 7 respectively; the controller 9 is electrically connected to the controller 9 and the controller 9 respectively; the controller 9 is electrically connected to the controller 9 and the controller 9 respectively; the controller 9 is electrically connected to the controller 9 The low-speed transmission part of the speed reducer 2 is mechanically connected, and the high-speed transmission part of the reduction gear 2 is connected to the motor 1 through the clutch 3. Specifically, the controller 9 communicates with the low-speed container trailer at the terminal through the CAN protocol to read the throttle force, brake, speed and other data of the tractor 100. The controller 9 is powered by the vehicle's 24V battery. The controller 9, battery 6, drive shaft 4, clutch 3, motor 1, charger 8 and driver 7 are all arranged on the trailer. The advantage is that the tractor head structure of the original tractor does not need to be changed when the original low-speed container trailer at the terminal is modified. Preferably, the middle part of the drive shaft 4 is mechanically connected to the low-speed transmission part of the speed reducer 2.

[0035] The motor 1 is used to convert the mechanical energy of the drive shaft 4 into electrical energy that is recovered by the battery 6 during braking, and is also used to drive the drive shaft 4; the battery 6 is used to store energy after energy recovery; the charger 8 is used to process the electrical energy after energy conversion to meet charging requirements, and is used to perform charging; the driver 7 is used to use the electrical energy of the battery 6 to control the motor 1 to do work.

[0036] Specifically, the existing trailer 200 has two to three sets of axles, and one of the axles can be converted into a drive axle.

[0037] In the optimized embodiment, the clutch 3 is a wet clutch; specifically, the reduction gearbox 2 and the generator (an electric motor when power is output) are connected to and installed on the drive shaft 4 of the trailer 200 through a wet clutch, which is used for energy recovery and driving the trailer, and has no mechanical connection with the engine-transmission power system of the original vehicle.

[0038] In the optimization of this embodiment, the battery 6 is a supercapacitor; the present invention uses supercapacitors as energy storage media, which have the advantages of extremely high cycle life, high electric energy conversion rate (no chemical change), large charge and discharge current, and high energy storage stability compared to lithium batteries. Supercapacitors have the disadvantage of low energy density (large required volume) and need to be installed under the trailer 200 with a larger space; supercapacitor energy storage is a physical change, which has the characteristics of easy management, high safety, long cycle life, small attenuation, little impact by ambient temperature, large charge and discharge current, etc., and has great advantages in terms of use cost; according to the current mainstream supercapacitor energy density of 5-8Wh / kg, calculated based on the storage of 3kWh of electricity, the required weight is 375-600kg; the cycle life of ordinary lithium batteries is 800-2000 times, and the cycle life will be reached faster under frequent charging and discharging conditions. Lithium batteries have disadvantages in life, consistency, safety, charge and discharge rate, and ease of implementation of BMS systems compared to supercapacitors.

[0039] like Figure 1-Figure 3 As shown, this embodiment proposes a control method for energy recovery and utilization of a low-speed container trailer at a terminal, which is applied to the low-speed container trailer at a terminal as described above. The control method includes the following steps:

[0040] S1, when the engine is started and the engine is not in a non-neutral state, the motor mode is started, the clutch 3 is controlled to engage, and then S2 is executed; specifically, when the vehicle is stopped, the energy recovery system of the controller 9 is in standby mode, and the clutch is engaged after the gear is engaged; the engine start in S1 means that after the engine is started when the vehicle is not moving (the speed is 0), the system is in the motor mode, and the operating logic of a stopped vehicle must be in the motor mode; the clutch engagement in S1 means that the clutch is engaged after the gear is not in neutral; in addition, because the motor needs to switch between motor and generator, the motor state needs to be clearly defined in the motor mode;

[0041] S2, detect and determine whether the throttle signal is obtained, if yes, execute S3, otherwise standby;

[0042] S3: Controlling the discharge of battery 6 and controlling the rotation speed of motor 1 according to the throttle force and vehicle speed, and then executing S4; specifically, the motor is in a constant torque output range at low speed and in a constant power range at high speed. Controlling the rotation speed of motor 1 can also be understood as controlling the electric motor to provide corresponding power to the vehicle;

[0043] S4, detecting and determining whether the vehicle speed reaches a preset threshold, if yes, executing S5, otherwise executing S41;

[0044] S41, detect and determine whether the brake is applied and the brake does not stop, if yes, execute S42, otherwise continue to execute S4;

[0045] S42, open clutch 3, and then execute S43;

[0046] S43, controlling the motor 1 to maintain the motor mode and determining whether the single accelerator pedal pressing time reaches the specified time value. If so, the clutch 3 is engaged and S3 is executed; otherwise, S43 is executed. In S43, if a brake stop signal is detected, S1 is immediately executed.

[0047] S5, open the clutch 3, then control the motor 1 to switch from the motor mode to the generator mode and determine whether the continuous braking signal reaches the specified time value. If so, execute S6, otherwise continue to execute S5; specifically, because the motor needs to switch between the motor and the generator, it is necessary to clarify the state of the motor in the generator mode;

[0048] S6, the clutch 3 is engaged and the generator charges the battery 6, and it is determined whether an accelerator pedal signal is detected. If so, S7 is executed, otherwise S6 is continued;

[0049] S7, open the clutch 3 and determine whether the continuous braking signal reaches the specified time value. If so, execute S6, otherwise continue to execute S7; in S7, if the braking signal is detected, immediately execute S1.

[0050] Specifically, when the energy recovery system of the controller 9 is low on power, it only operates in generator mode and does not enter motor mode. When in reverse gear, it only operates in motor mode or the system does not intervene due to low power and does not enter generator mode.

[0051] The present invention further proposes a computer-readable storage medium on which is stored a stable program for controlling the energy recovery and utilization of low-speed container trailers at the terminal. When the stable program is executed by a processor, the control method for energy recovery and utilization of low-speed container trailers at the terminal as described above is implemented.

[0052] The working process of the present invention is as follows:

[0053] When the low-speed container trailer for the terminal of the present invention starts and accelerates, the battery 6 discharges and drives the electric motor through the driver 7, which provides kinetic energy for the vehicle together with the engine. After the vehicle reaches a certain speed, the clutch 3 is separated, and the power is completely provided by the engine, and the motor state is converted to a generator; when braking, the clutch 3 is engaged, and the generator charges the battery through the charger 8. After the brakes stop, the motor state is converted to a generator again; if the braking action is canceled during the braking process and the accelerator is stepped on, the clutch 3 is separated. When the brakes are applied next time, the clutch 3 is engaged, and the generator generates electricity to charge the battery through the charger 8 until the generator state is converted to the motor state after the trailer stops; by transforming the trailer axle into a drive shaft 4, the trailer's drive shaft 4 drives the generator to charge energy through the reduction gear box 2, or the motor drives the reduction gear box 2 to provide power to the trailer's drive shaft 4.

[0054] The above-described embodiments merely illustrate several implementations of the present invention, and while their descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present invention. It should be noted that a person skilled in the art would be able to make numerous variations and improvements without departing from the spirit of the present invention, all of which fall within the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention shall be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A control method for energy recovery and utilization of low-speed container trailers at a terminal, characterized in that: Applied to a low-speed container trailer at a terminal, the control method includes the following steps: S1, when the engine is started and the engine is not in a non-neutral state, the motor mode is started, the clutch (3) is controlled to engage, and then S2 is executed; when the energy recovery system of the controller (9) is low in power, only the generator mode is used and the motor mode is not entered; S2, detect and determine whether the throttle signal is obtained, if yes, execute S3, otherwise standby; S3, controlling the discharge of the battery (6) and controlling the rotation speed of the motor (1) according to the throttle force value and the vehicle speed, and then executing S4; S4, detecting and determining whether the vehicle speed reaches a preset threshold, if yes, executing S5, otherwise executing S41; S41, detect and determine whether the brake is applied and the brake does not stop, if yes, execute S42, otherwise continue to execute S4; S42, open the clutch (3), and then execute S43; S43, controlling the motor (1) to continue to maintain the motor mode and determining whether the single accelerator pedal pressing time reaches the specified time value, if yes, the clutch (3) is engaged and then S3 is executed, otherwise S43 is continued to be executed; in S43, if a brake stop signal is detected, S1 is immediately executed; S5, open the clutch (3), then control the motor (1) to switch from the motor mode to the generator mode and determine whether the continuous braking signal reaches the specified time value. If yes, execute S6, otherwise continue to execute S5; S6, the clutch (3) is engaged and the generator charges the battery (6), and it is determined whether an accelerator pedal signal is detected, if so, S7 is executed, otherwise S6 is continued; S7, open the clutch (3) and determine whether the brake signal has been continuously pressed for a specified time value. If so, execute S6; otherwise, continue to execute S7. In S7, if a brake signal is detected, immediately execute S1; The terminal low-speed container trailer comprises a tractor (100), a trailer (200) and a controller (9); the tractor (100) comprises an engine and a tractor control system; the controller (9) is communicatively connected to the tractor control system; the trailer (200) comprises a battery (6) mounted on the trailer (200), a drive shaft (4) with trailer wheels (5) mounted at both ends, a reduction gearbox (2), a clutch (3), a motor (1), a charger (8) and a driver (7); the motor (1) is electrically connected to the charger (8) and the driver (7); the controller (9) is electrically connected to the charger (8), the driver (5) and the driver (7); The controller (9) reads data of the tractor (100) including throttle force, brake, and speed through the CAN protocol; the battery (6) is electrically connected to the charger (8) and the driver (7); the middle portion of the drive shaft (4) is mechanically connected to the low-speed transmission portion of the reduction box (2), and the high-speed transmission portion of the reduction box (2) is connected to the motor (1) through the clutch (3); the controller (9), the battery (6), the drive shaft (4), the clutch (3), the motor (1), the charger (8), and the driver (7) are all arranged on the trailer (200); The motor (1) is used to convert the mechanical energy of the drive shaft (4) into electrical energy that is recovered by the battery (6) during braking, and is also used to drive the drive shaft (4); the battery (6) is used to store energy after energy recovery; the charger (8) is used to process the electrical energy after energy conversion to meet charging requirements and to perform charging; the driver (7) is used to control the motor (1) to perform work using the electrical energy of the battery (6); The clutch (3) is a wet clutch; The battery (6) is a supercapacitor.

2. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that A stable program for controlling the low-speed container trailer at the terminal to recover energy is stored thereon. When the stable program is executed by the processor, the control method for energy recovery of the low-speed container trailer at the terminal as claimed in claim 1 is implemented.

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