Active fairing of commercial vehicle and control method

Abstract

The invention belongs to the technical field of commercial vehicles, and particularly relates to an active fairing of a commercial vehicle and a control method. The commercial vehicle active fairing is arranged above a cab of a commercial vehicle and comprises a longitudinal fairing body, a transverse fairing body, a longitudinal motor, a transverse motor, a controller and a transmission mechanism. The longitudinal motor and the transverse motor are both connected with the transmission mechanism, the longitudinal flow guide cover and the transverse flow guide cover are also connected with the transmission mechanism, the controller is in electric signal connection with the longitudinal motor and the transverse motor, and the controller is connected with the CAN bus. The invention develops a three-piece type commercial vehicle fairing which is divided into a left section, a middle section and a right section and is used for reducing aerodynamic resistance when an automobile runs. The transverse and longitudinal angles of the fairing are adjustable, so that the bicycle can be matched with different containers; during driving, sensitive factors are captured according to aerodynamic resistance changes caused by structure adjustment of the fairing, the optimal state of transverse and longitudinal angle combination of the fairing is adjusted, and energy consumption is further reduced through active optimization.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of commercial vehicle technology, specifically relating to an active fairing for commercial vehicles and its control method. Background Technology

[0002] Fairings are common devices on commercial vehicles. They are important aerodynamic components that can significantly improve fuel efficiency, driving stability, and safety, while also enhancing the vehicle's overall aesthetics. Because commercial vehicles have a wide variety of cargo box types and sizes, a single fairing cannot meet the diverse needs of the market. To address this issue, some commercial vehicles now use mechanical or manual adjustments to the fairing height to match cargo boxes of different heights.

[0003] CN119749723A discloses an automatically adjustable fairing device and control method, which adjusts the fairing up and down based on the detected cargo box height. However, the existing technical solution can only cover the adjustment of the fairing height, and cannot adapt to the adjustment of the cargo box width, nor can it be adjusted in a timely manner according to different vehicle operating conditions. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide an active fairing for commercial vehicles and a control method thereof, which has an active angle adjustment function including an optimal algorithm based on drag torque and AI, in order to solve the problems existing in the background art.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, this application employs the following technical solution:

[0006] An active fairing for commercial vehicles is installed above the cab of a commercial vehicle and includes a longitudinal fairing, transverse fairings located on the left and right sides of the longitudinal fairing, a longitudinal motor, a transverse motor, a controller, and a transmission mechanism.

[0007] Both the longitudinal motor and the transverse motor are connected to the transmission mechanism. The longitudinal and transverse air guides are also connected to the transmission mechanism. The controller is connected to the longitudinal motor and the transverse motor via electrical signals, and the controller is also connected to the CAN bus.

[0008] Furthermore, the transverse fairings located on the left and right sides of the longitudinal fairing are symmetrical about the longitudinal centerline of the vehicle, and after the transverse fairings are installed in the transmission mechanism, the distance between the front ends of the two transverse fairings is less than the distance between the rear ends.

[0009] Furthermore, both lateral fairings are arc-shaped when viewed from above, and the front ends of the two lateral fairings are connected to the transmission mechanism.

[0010] Furthermore, the transmission mechanism includes a longitudinal guide shield connecting part and a transverse guide shield connecting part. The longitudinal guide shield connecting part is connected to the left and right ends of the transverse motor respectively, and the outer end of the longitudinal guide shield connecting part cooperates with the longitudinal guide shield.

[0011] The transverse guide shield connecting part cooperates with the longitudinal motor, and the outer end of the transverse guide shield connecting part is connected to the transverse guide shield.

[0012] Furthermore, the longitudinal fairing achieves longitudinal angle changes, and the transverse fairing achieves transverse angle changes.

[0013] A control method for an active fairing for a commercial vehicle, utilizing any of the above-mentioned active fairings for commercial vehicles, includes the following steps:

[0014] S1. The controller collects the torque of the drive shaft of the commercial vehicle during driving via the CAN bus;

[0015] S2. The controller controls the movement of the transverse motor, adjusts the longitudinal guide vane to the maximum and minimum angles, and simultaneously identifies the maximum and minimum torque changes of the drive shaft, locking the area of ​​influence.

[0016] S3. The controller controls the longitudinal motor to adjust the lateral fairing assembly, and finally locks the assembly with the lowest torque in the influence domain.

[0017] Furthermore, the torque of the drive shaft is the sum of rolling resistance torque, aerodynamic resistance torque, slope resistance torque, chassis resistance torque, and other resistance torques.

[0018] Furthermore, in step S3, the adjustment gradient of the lateral fairing assembly is 1°.

[0019] Furthermore, it also includes storing the data of the aforementioned influence domain in the control system, and recording data on torque, fairing angle, and cargo box size in the commercial vehicle's on-board computer.

[0020] The beneficial effects of this invention are:

[0021] This invention develops a three-piece commercial vehicle fairing, divided into left, middle, and right sections, to reduce aerodynamic drag during vehicle operation. The fairing's lateral and longitudinal angles are adjustable, enabling it to be adapted to different cargo boxes on a single vehicle. During operation, it detects changes in aerodynamic drag caused by adjustments to the fairing structure, identifies sensitive factors, and adjusts the fairing's lateral and longitudinal angles to achieve the optimal combination, further reducing energy consumption through proactive optimization. The streamlined design of the three fairing sections enhances the overall technological and aesthetic appeal of the vehicle. Attached Figure Description

[0022] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the installation of the active fairing for commercial vehicles according to the present invention in a commercial vehicle.

[0023] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the active fairing for commercial vehicles according to the present invention.

[0024] Figure 3 This is a top view of the active fairing for commercial vehicles according to the present invention.

[0025] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram showing the angle change of the longitudinal flow guide shield of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram showing the angle change of the transverse air guide shield of the present invention.

[0027] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0028] 1. Cargo box; 2. Cab; 3. Longitudinal fairing; 4. Lateral fairing; 5. Lateral motor; 6. Longitudinal motor; 7. Controller; 8. Transmission mechanism; 41. Left lateral fairing; 42. Right lateral fairing; 81. Longitudinal fairing connection; 82. Lateral fairing connection. Detailed Implementation

[0029] The technical solution of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The following embodiments are merely exemplary and can only be used to explain and illustrate the technical solution of the present invention, and should not be construed as limiting the technical solution of the present invention.

[0030] Please see Figures 1 to 5 As shown, the present invention provides an active fairing for commercial vehicles, which is installed above the cab 2 of the commercial vehicle and includes a longitudinal fairing 3, transverse fairings 4 located on the left and right sides of the longitudinal fairing 3, a longitudinal motor 6, a transverse motor 5, a controller 7, and several mechanical transmission mechanisms 8.

[0031] The active fairing of this application has a three-piece structure. The material of each fairing piece is not limited in this application and can be selected arbitrarily according to vehicle type, production cost, etc. The longitudinal fairing is the fairing located at the front of the vehicle, and is an arc-shaped plate structure that is directly visible when facing a commercial vehicle. The transverse fairings are located on both sides of the vehicle width, one on the left and one on the right. The transverse fairings located on the left and right sides of the longitudinal fairing are symmetrically arranged with respect to the longitudinal centerline of the vehicle. After the transverse fairings are installed in the transmission mechanism, the distance between the front ends of the two transverse fairings is smaller than the distance between their rear ends.

[0032] In this application, both lateral fairings are arc-shaped when viewed from above, and the front end of the two lateral fairings is connected to the transmission mechanism. Such an arc-shaped structure can better guide the airflow. In other embodiments of this application, in order to improve the directional guidance of the airflow, guide grooves along the front-rear direction of the vehicle can also be provided on the lateral fairings.

[0033] In this application, both the longitudinal motor 6 and the transverse motor 5 are connected to the transmission mechanism 8, and the longitudinal guide shroud 3 and the transverse guide shroud 4 are also connected to the transmission mechanism 8. The controller 7 is connected to the longitudinal motor 6 and the transverse motor 5 respectively, and the controller 7 is connected to the CAN bus.

[0034] The transmission mechanism 8 of this application includes a longitudinal guide shield connecting part 81 and a transverse guide shield connecting part 82. The longitudinal guide shield connecting part includes a left longitudinal guide shield connecting part and a right longitudinal guide shield connecting part. The output shaft of the transverse motor is connected to the input shaft of the first gear commutator. The angular movement of the longitudinal guide shield and the transverse guide shield in this application is achieved by the motor driving the gear commutator. The gear commutator used is a conventional device that can be purchased commercially. Since this application only uses the gear commutator and does not involve any improvement to its structure, this application does not describe the structure of the gear commutator, which does not mean that the applicant's technical description is unclear.

[0035] In the technical solution of this application, the angular movement of the longitudinal guide shield is adjusted by a transverse motor, and the angular movement of the two transverse guide shields is adjusted by a longitudinal motor.

[0036] The output shaft of the first gear commutator is connected to the left longitudinal fairing connection part and the right longitudinal fairing connection part, respectively. By rotating the left and right longitudinal fairing connection parts, the longitudinal (vertical) movement of the rear end of the longitudinal fairing (near the cargo box end) is realized, thereby achieving the longitudinal adjustment of the longitudinal fairing. The left and right longitudinal fairing connection parts of this application can be L-shaped, consisting of a long horizontal side and a short vertical side. By rotating, the longitudinal angle of the longitudinal fairing is adjusted by the support and drop of the short vertical side on the longitudinal fairing.

[0037] The longitudinal motor is fixed to the housing of the first gear commutator. The output shaft of the longitudinal motor is connected to the input shaft of the second gear commutator. The output shaft of the second gear commutator is connected to the lateral fairing connection part, which is used to drive the lateral fairing (especially the front part of the lateral fairing) to move relative to or apart to adjust the angle. The lateral fairing connection part of this vehicle consists of multiple parts. Under the drive of the second gear commutator, both ends of the lateral fairing connection part can move inward or outward (movement in the vehicle width direction), thereby driving the front end of the lateral fairing to move relative to or apart.

[0038] The horizontal and vertical motors provide power for the rotation of the fairing, while the mechanical transmission structure is used to convert the rotation axis and adjust the torque. The controller's main functions are: 1. To set the fairing angle according to user requirements; 2. In active mode, to automatically adjust the angles of the horizontal and vertical fairings, autonomously finding the minimum aerodynamic resistance to achieve energy savings.

[0039] This application also provides a control method for an active fairing for a commercial vehicle, which utilizes any of the above-mentioned active fairings for a commercial vehicle and includes the following steps:

[0040] S1. The controller collects the torque of the drive shaft of the commercial vehicle during driving via the CAN bus; at this time, the torque of the drive shaft is rolling resistance torque + aerodynamic resistance torque + gradient resistance torque + chassis resistance torque + other resistance torques.

[0041] S2. The controller controls the movement of the transverse motor, adjusts the longitudinal guide shield to the maximum and minimum angles in a short time, and identifies the maximum and minimum torque changes of the drive shaft to lock the affected area.

[0042] S3. The controller controls the longitudinal motor to adjust the lateral fairing combination, and finally locks the combination with the lowest torque in the influence domain. The adjustment gradient is 1°. If the fairing adjustment range is 1-15°, there are a total of 15*15 combinations. Finally, the combination with the lowest torque in the influence domain is locked.

[0043] In this application, the data in the influence domain will be continuously stored in the controller. Data on torque, fairing angle, and cargo box dimensions will be recorded in the vehicle's onboard computer, enabling self-learning and experience accumulation to enhance the accuracy of the influence domain. Simultaneously, the data will be recorded in the background via the vehicle cloud (with user consent) and parsed in the background AI database.

[0044] The above are preferred embodiments of the present invention. The basic principles and advantages of the present invention have been shown and described above. Those skilled in the art should understand that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. The embodiments and descriptions in the specification are only illustrative of the principles of the present invention. Various changes and modifications can be made to the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. All such changes and modifications fall within the scope of the present invention as claimed. The scope of protection of the present invention is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. An active fairing for commercial vehicles, characterized in that, Located above the cab of a commercial vehicle, it includes a longitudinal fairing, transverse fairings located on the left and right sides of the longitudinal fairing, a longitudinal motor, a transverse motor, a controller, and a transmission mechanism. Both the longitudinal motor and the transverse motor are connected to the transmission mechanism. The longitudinal and transverse air guides are also connected to the transmission mechanism. The controller is connected to the longitudinal motor and the transverse motor via electrical signals, and the controller is also connected to the CAN bus.

2. The active fairing for commercial vehicles according to claim 1, characterized in that, The transverse fairings located on the left and right sides of the longitudinal fairing are symmetrical about the longitudinal centerline of the vehicle, and after the transverse fairings are installed in the transmission mechanism, the distance between the front ends of the two transverse fairings is smaller than the distance between the rear ends.

3. The active fairing for commercial vehicles according to claim 2, characterized in that, Both lateral fairings are arc-shaped when viewed from above, and the front end of both lateral fairings is connected to the transmission mechanism.

4. The active fairing for commercial vehicles according to claim 1, characterized in that, The transmission mechanism includes a longitudinal guide shield connecting part and a transverse guide shield connecting part. The longitudinal guide shield connecting part is connected to the left and right ends of the transverse motor respectively, and the outer end of the longitudinal guide shield connecting part cooperates with the longitudinal guide shield. The transverse guide shield connecting part cooperates with the longitudinal motor, and the outer end of the transverse guide shield connecting part is connected to the transverse guide shield.

5. The active fairing for commercial vehicles according to claim 1, characterized in that, The longitudinal fairing achieves longitudinal angle changes, while the transverse fairing achieves transverse angle changes.

6. A control method for an active fairing of a commercial vehicle, characterized in that, The active fairing for commercial vehicles according to any one of claims 1 to 5 comprises the following steps: S1. The controller collects the torque of the drive shaft of the commercial vehicle during driving via the CAN bus; S2. The controller controls the movement of the transverse motor, adjusts the longitudinal guide vane to the maximum and minimum angles, and simultaneously identifies the maximum and minimum torque changes of the drive shaft, locking the area of ​​influence. S3. The controller controls the longitudinal motor to adjust the lateral fairing assembly, and finally locks the assembly with the lowest torque in the influence domain.

7. The control method for an active fairing for commercial vehicles according to claim 6, characterized in that, The torque of the drive shaft is the sum of rolling resistance torque, aerodynamic resistance torque, gradient resistance torque, chassis resistance torque, and other resistance torques.

8. The control method for the active fairing of a commercial vehicle according to claim 6, characterized in that, In step S3, the adjustment gradient of the transverse fairing assembly is 1°.

9. The control method for an active fairing for commercial vehicles according to claim 6, characterized in that, It also includes storing the data of the aforementioned influence domain in the control system, and recording data on torque, fairing angle, and cargo box size in the commercial vehicle's on-board computer.

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