Vehicle aerodynamic component comprising piezoelectric element

Abstract

A vehicle aerodynamic component includes a piezoelectric element. A vehicle control system for a vehicle aerodynamic element includes an aerodynamic element coupled with a vehicle body, the aerodynamic element configured to deform in response to a wind force applied on a surface of the aerodynamic element, at least one piezoelectric element coupled with the aerodynamic element, the piezoelectric element is configured to vary voltage in response to deformation of the aerodynamic element, and a vehicle control module configured to obtain a steady-state voltage value of the piezoelectric element corresponding to a position of the aerodynamic element when a vehicle speed is zero, receive a current voltage value of the piezoelectric element, and transmit the current voltage value to the aerodynamic element. And determining an amount of deformation of the aerodynamic element based on a voltage difference between the steady-state voltage value and the current voltage value.

Description

[0001] introduce

[0002] The information provided in this section is for the purpose of presenting the overall context of this disclosure. The work of the currently named inventors is neither expressly nor implicitly acknowledged as prior art to this disclosure, to the extent that it is described in this section and in any other way that it may not be considered prior art at the time of filing.

[0003] This disclosure generally relates to vehicle control systems for vehicle aerodynamic components, including vehicle aerodynamic components with piezoelectric elements, to determine the deformation of the vehicle aerodynamic components.

[0004] Some vehicles include aerodynamic components, such as a rear wing, which generate downforce for the vehicle. The surfaces of aerodynamic components deform under forces such as wind loads, and this surface deformation can reduce the amount of downforce provided by the aerodynamic components. Summary of the Invention

[0005] A vehicle control system for a vehicle aerodynamic element includes an aerodynamic element coupled to a vehicle body, the aerodynamic element being configured to deform in response to wind force applied to a surface of the aerodynamic element, at least one piezoelectric element coupled to the aerodynamic element being configured to change voltage in response to deformation of the aerodynamic element, and a vehicle control module configured to obtain a steady-state voltage value of the piezoelectric element corresponding to the position of the aerodynamic element when the vehicle speed is zero, receive a current voltage value of the piezoelectric element, and determine the amount of deformation of the aerodynamic element based on the voltage difference between the steady-state voltage value and the current voltage value.

[0006] In some examples, at least one piezoelectric element comprises multiple piezoelectric elements, and each of the multiple piezoelectric elements is coupled to a different part of an aerodynamic element.

[0007] In some examples, the first of a plurality of piezoelectric elements is coupled to an aerodynamic element in a first orientation, the second of a plurality of piezoelectric elements is coupled to an aerodynamic element in a second orientation, and the first orientation is perpendicular to the second orientation.

[0008] In some examples, at least one piezoelectric element is attached to the top surface of the aerodynamic element.

[0009] In some examples, at least one piezoelectric element is housed within an aerodynamic element and attached to the bottom side of the top surface of the aerodynamic element.

[0010] In some examples, the aerodynamic element is the vehicle's rear wing. In some examples, at least one piezoelectric element comprises a piezoelectric polymer.

[0011] In some examples, the piezoelectric polymer comprises a single top electrode layer and a matrix layer, the matrix layer comprising a matrix of bottom electrodes, and the piezoelectric polymer is positioned between the single top electrode layer and the matrix layer.

[0012] In some examples, the vehicle control module is configured to selectively apply voltage to piezoelectric elements to modify the deformation of aerodynamic components.

[0013] In some examples, the vehicle control module is configured to compare the voltage difference with a specified deformation threshold, and in response to the voltage difference being greater than or equal to the specified deformation threshold, to apply a voltage to the piezoelectric element to reduce the deformation of the aerodynamic element to compensate for wind forces on the aerodynamic element.

[0014] In some examples, the vehicle control module is configured to determine whether an additional downforce condition is met based on one or more sensed vehicle parameters, and in response to the additional downforce condition being met, to apply a voltage to the piezoelectric element to reduce the deformation of the aerodynamic element.

[0015] In some examples, the aerodynamic element is a front aerodynamic element located at the front of the vehicle, the vehicle control system further includes a rear aerodynamic element located at the rear of the vehicle, at least one piezoelectric element includes a front piezoelectric element coupled to the front aerodynamic element and a rear piezoelectric element coupled to the rear aerodynamic element, the vehicle control module is configured to selectively apply voltage to the front piezoelectric element to modify the deformation of the front aerodynamic element, and the vehicle control module is configured to selectively apply voltage to the rear piezoelectric element to modify the deformation of the rear aerodynamic element.

[0016] In some examples, the vehicle control module is configured to selectively apply an opposite voltage to the piezoelectric element to increase the deformation of the aerodynamic element.

[0017] A method for sensing deformation of a vehicle aerodynamic element, the method comprising obtaining a steady-state voltage value of at least one piezoelectric element coupled to the aerodynamic element, wherein the aerodynamic element is coupled to the body of the vehicle and configured to deform in response to wind force applied to a surface of the aerodynamic element, the piezoelectric element being configured to change voltage in response to the deformation of the aerodynamic element; and the steady-state voltage value corresponding to the position of the aerodynamic element when the vehicle speed is zero; receiving a current voltage value of the piezoelectric element; and determining the amount of deformation of the aerodynamic element based on the voltage difference between the steady-state voltage value and the current voltage value.

[0018] In some examples, the method involves selectively applying a voltage to the piezoelectric element to modify the deformation of the aerodynamic element.

[0019] In some examples, the method includes comparing the voltage difference with a specified deformation threshold, and applying a voltage to the piezoelectric element to reduce the deformation of the aerodynamic element to compensate for wind forces on the aerodynamic element in response to the voltage difference being greater than or equal to the specified deformation threshold.

[0020] In some examples, the method includes determining whether an additional downforce condition is met based on one or more sensed vehicle parameters, and applying a voltage to a piezoelectric element to reduce deformation of the aerodynamic element in response to the additional downforce condition being met.

[0021] In some examples, the aerodynamic element is a front aerodynamic element located at the front of the vehicle, the vehicle includes a rear aerodynamic element located at the rear of the vehicle, and at least one piezoelectric element includes a front piezoelectric element coupled to the front aerodynamic element and a rear piezoelectric element coupled to the rear aerodynamic element, and the method further includes selectively applying a voltage to the front piezoelectric element to modify the deformation of the front aerodynamic element, and selectively applying a voltage to the rear piezoelectric element to modify the deformation of the rear aerodynamic element.

[0022] In some examples, the method includes selectively applying an opposite voltage to the piezoelectric element to increase the deformation of the aerodynamic element.

[0023] In some examples, the method includes adjusting at least one aero surface of the vehicle based on the voltage difference to increase at least one of the vehicle's mobility efficiency parameter and the vehicle's downforce parameter.

[0024] A vehicle control system for a vehicle aerodynamic element, the vehicle control system comprising: an aerodynamic element coupled to a vehicle body, the aerodynamic element being configured to deform in response to wind force applied to a surface of the aerodynamic element; at least one piezoelectric element coupled to the aerodynamic element, the piezoelectric element being configured to change voltage in response to deformation of the aerodynamic element; and a vehicle control module configured to: obtain a steady-state voltage value of the piezoelectric element corresponding to the position of the aerodynamic element when the vehicle speed is zero; receive a current voltage value of the piezoelectric element; and determine the amount of deformation of the aerodynamic element based on the voltage difference between the steady-state voltage value and the current voltage value.

[0025] Wherein: at least one piezoelectric element includes multiple piezoelectric elements; and each of the multiple piezoelectric elements is coupled to a different part of an aerodynamic element.

[0026] Wherein: the first of the plurality of piezoelectric elements is coupled to an aerodynamic element in a first orientation; the second of the plurality of piezoelectric elements is coupled to an aerodynamic element in a second orientation; and the first orientation is perpendicular to the second orientation.

[0027] At least one piezoelectric element is attached to the top surface of the aerodynamic element.

[0028] At least one piezoelectric element is housed within an aerodynamic element and attached to the bottom side of the top surface of the aerodynamic element.

[0029] Among them, the aerodynamic component is the vehicle's rear wing.

[0030] At least one piezoelectric element comprises a piezoelectric polymer.

[0031] Wherein: the piezoelectric polymer includes a single top electrode layer and a matrix layer, the matrix layer including a matrix of bottom electrodes; and the piezoelectric polymer is positioned between the single top electrode layer and the matrix layer.

[0032] The vehicle control module is configured to selectively apply voltage to the piezoelectric element to modify the deformation of the aerodynamic element.

[0033] The vehicle control module is configured to: compare the voltage difference with a specified deformation threshold; and, in response to the voltage difference being greater than or equal to the specified deformation threshold, apply a voltage to the piezoelectric element to reduce the deformation of the aerodynamic element to compensate for wind force on the aerodynamic element.

[0034] The vehicle control module is configured to: determine whether an additional downforce condition is met based on one or more sensed vehicle parameters; and, in response to the additional downforce condition being met, apply a voltage to the piezoelectric element to reduce the deformation of the aerodynamic element.

[0035] Wherein: the aerodynamic element is a front aerodynamic element located at the front of the vehicle; the vehicle control system further includes a rear aerodynamic element located at the rear of the vehicle; at least one piezoelectric element includes a front piezoelectric element coupled to the front aerodynamic element and a rear piezoelectric element coupled to the rear aerodynamic element; the vehicle control module is configured to selectively apply voltage to the front piezoelectric element to modify the deformation of the front aerodynamic element; and the vehicle control module is configured to selectively apply voltage to the rear piezoelectric element to modify the deformation of the rear aerodynamic element.

[0036] The vehicle control module is configured to selectively apply an opposite voltage to the piezoelectric element, which is opposite to the voltage difference, to increase the deformation of the aerodynamic element.

[0037] A method for sensing deformation of a vehicle aerodynamic element, the method comprising: obtaining a steady-state voltage value of at least one piezoelectric element coupled to the aerodynamic element, wherein the aerodynamic element is coupled to the body of the vehicle and configured to deform in response to wind force applied to a surface of the aerodynamic element, the piezoelectric element being configured to change voltage in response to the deformation of the aerodynamic element; and the steady-state voltage value corresponding to the position of the aerodynamic element when the vehicle speed is zero; receiving a current voltage value of the piezoelectric element; and determining the amount of deformation of the aerodynamic element based on the voltage difference between the steady-state voltage value and the current voltage value.

[0038] Further, it includes selectively applying voltage to the piezoelectric element to modify the deformation of the aerodynamic element.

[0039] Further includes: comparing the voltage difference with a specified deformation threshold; and in response to the voltage difference being greater than or equal to the specified deformation threshold, applying a voltage to the piezoelectric element to reduce the deformation of the aerodynamic element to compensate for wind forces on the aerodynamic element.

[0040] Further includes: determining whether an additional downforce condition is met based on one or more sensed vehicle parameters; and in response to the additional downforce condition being met, applying a voltage to the piezoelectric element to reduce the deformation of the aerodynamic element.

[0041] Wherein, the aerodynamic element is a front aerodynamic element located at the front of the vehicle, the vehicle includes a rear aerodynamic element located at the rear of the vehicle, and at least one piezoelectric element includes a front piezoelectric element coupled to the front aerodynamic element and a rear piezoelectric element coupled to the rear aerodynamic element, and the method further includes: selectively applying a voltage to the front piezoelectric element to modify the deformation of the front aerodynamic element; and selectively applying a voltage to the rear piezoelectric element to modify the deformation of the rear aerodynamic element.

[0042] Further, it includes selectively applying an opposite voltage to the piezoelectric element to increase the deformation of the aerodynamic element.

[0043] It further includes adjusting at least one air surface of the vehicle according to the voltage difference to increase at least one of the vehicle's mobility efficiency parameter and the vehicle's downforce parameter.

[0044] Further applicability of this disclosure will become clear from the detailed description, claims, and drawings. The detailed description and specific examples are intended for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. Attached Figure Description

[0045] This disclosure will be more fully understood in light of the specific embodiments and accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0046] Figure 1 This is a functional block diagram of an example embodiment of a vehicle including a control system for vehicle aerodynamic components, the vehicle aerodynamic components including piezoelectric elements;

[0047] Figure 2 This is a line diagram illustrating example piezoelectric elements located on different parts of a vehicle's aerodynamic components;

[0048] Figure 3 and Figure 4 This is a side view of the piezoelectric element located on the tail fin that is subjected to wind.

[0049] Figure 5 This is an exploded view illustrating an example piezoelectric element including a piezoelectric polymer;

[0050] Figure 6 This is a flowchart depicting an example process for applying voltage to a piezoelectric element used in a vehicle's aerodynamic components; and

[0051] Figure 7 It is a flowchart depicting an example process for selectively applying voltage to the front or rear piezoelectric element to control vehicle downforce.

[0052] In the accompanying drawings, reference numerals may be reused to identify similar and / or identical elements. Detailed Implementation

[0053] In some example embodiments described herein, piezoelectric elements (e.g., piezoelectric materials, plates, polymers, etc.) are applied to vehicle aerodynamic components that deflect under loads such as wind loads or air resistance when the vehicle is moving. This deflection of the vehicle aerodynamic component is measured via a voltage change in the piezoelectric element. For example, the problem of measuring the deflection of a vehicle aerodynamic component via wind force can be solved by applying various piezoelectric structures to the aerodynamic component so that the deflection can be measured via a voltage change in the piezoelectric structure.

[0054] In some examples, piezoelectric materials are applied to the aerodynamic components of a vehicle by using piezoelectric materials at the boundaries of the deflection surfaces of the aerodynamic components to measure the deflection of the aerodynamic components (e.g., how much the surface moves under wind load). Increasing resolution in deflection measurement and detection can be facilitated by dividing the electrodes of the piezoelectric material into smaller electrically isolated segments, or isolated piezoelectric segments. This produces information about the deflection of each segment of the aerodynamic surface.

[0055] Piezoelectric elements can be charged, such as by applying a voltage from a voltage source to the piezoelectric element, which can manipulate the shape of a vehicle's aerodynamic components. For example, the same or different piezoelectric assemblies used to measure surface deflection can be used to apply forces to a vehicle's aerodynamic components. This facilitates the manipulation of the vehicle's aerodynamic components by bending the aerodynamic component at specific locations using the voltage applied across the piezoelectric element.

[0056] Some example embodiments facilitate closed-circuit monitoring of the deflection of aerodynamic components. For instance, if a vehicle aerodynamic component is lost in a collision, the resulting open circuit can indicate that the component has been lost. Using multiple piezoelectric elements facilitates obtaining additional details about which parts of the aerodynamic component have been damaged.

[0057] One of the complexities of utilizing active aerodynamic surfaces is determining the actual forces created. Forces are functions of many constantly changing factors such as wind speed, wind direction, and air density. Measuring the deflection of the surface allows vehicle control systems to better estimate these forces, enabling more precise control of the surface. This provides benefits ranging from better fuel economy and reduced emissions to greater variation in top speed.

[0058] Now for reference Figure 1 The vehicle 10 includes front wheels 12 and rear wheels 13. Figure 1 In this configuration, drive unit 14 selectively outputs torque to the front wheels 12 and / or the rear wheels 13 via drive lines 16 and 18, respectively. Vehicle 10 may include different types of drive units. For example, the vehicle may be an electric vehicle, such as a battery electric vehicle (BEV), a hybrid vehicle, or a fuel cell vehicle, a vehicle including an internal combustion engine (ICE), or other types of vehicles.

[0059] Some examples of drive unit 14 may include any suitable electric motor, power inverter, and motor controller configured to control power switches within the power inverter to adjust motor speed and torque during propulsion and / or regeneration. During propulsion or regeneration, the battery system supplies power to or receives power from the motor of drive unit 14 via the power inverter.

[0060] Although Figure 1 The vehicle 10 includes a drive unit 14, but the vehicle 10 may have other configurations. For example, two separate drive units may drive the front wheels 12 and the rear wheels 13, one or more individual drive units may drive individual wheels, and so on. Other vehicle configurations and / or drive units may be used, as will be understood.

[0061] The vehicle control module 20 can be configured to control the operation of one or more vehicle components, such as drive unit 14 (e.g., by commanding the torque setting of the electric motor of drive unit 14). The vehicle control module 20 can receive inputs for controlling vehicle components, such as signals received from the steering wheel, accelerator pedal, etc. The vehicle control module 20 can monitor vehicle telematics for safety purposes, such as vehicle speed, vehicle position, vehicle braking, and acceleration.

[0062] The vehicle control module 20 can receive signals from any suitable component for monitoring one or more aspects of the vehicle, including one or more vehicle sensors (such as cameras, microphones, pressure sensors, wheel position sensors, position sensors such as GPS antennas, etc.). Some sensors can be configured to monitor the vehicle's current motion, vehicle acceleration, steering torque, etc.

[0063] like Figure 1 As shown, vehicle 10 includes aerodynamic components 22, which may include any suitable aerodynamic elements of the vehicle, such as a rear wing, front wing, side surfaces, etc., which can be used to provide aerodynamic forces on vehicle 10. Aerodynamic components 22 may be fixed or controllable to different positions to adjust downforce in a controlled manner (such as via one or more actuators or motors), etc.

[0064] The aerodynamic component 22 can be located at any suitable position on the vehicle 10. Although Figure 1 The illustration shows an aerodynamic component located at the rear of a vehicle, but other example embodiments may include more aerodynamic components, aerodynamic components with different shapes, aerodynamic components at different locations, etc.

[0065] The piezoelectric element 24 is coupled to an aerodynamic element. The piezoelectric element 24 may include any suitable piezoelectric material, piezoelectric plate, piezoelectric polymer, etc. As further described below, the piezoelectric element 24 may include electrodes, such as a top electrode, a matrix of bottom electrodes including internal and external electrodes, etc.

[0066] although Figure 1 The illustration shows a piezoelectric element on aerodynamic component 22, but other example embodiments may include more piezoelectric elements, piezoelectric elements at different locations, piezoelectric elements on different aerodynamic components, etc. For example, segments of the piezoelectric element may be placed at different locations on the same aerodynamic component, or multiple piezoelectric elements may be placed on the same aerodynamic component to determine how deformation occurs at multiple locations on the same aerodynamic component.

[0067] The vehicle control module 20 can communicate with another device via a wireless communication interface, which may include one or more wireless antennas for transmitting and / or receiving wireless communication signals. For example, the wireless communication interface can communicate via any suitable wireless communication protocol, including but not limited to vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, Wi-Fi communication, wireless local area network (WAN) communication, cellular communication, personal local area network (PAN) communication, short-range wireless communication (e.g., Bluetooth), etc. The wireless communication interface can communicate with remote computing devices via one or more wireless and / or wired networks. Regarding vehicle-to-vehicle (V2X) communication, vehicle 10 may include one or more V2X transceivers (e.g., V2X signal transmitting and / or receiving antennas).

[0068] Figure 2 This is a line diagram illustrating example piezoelectric elements located on different parts of a vehicle aerodynamic component 200. Figure 2 In the example, the outer electrode 202 of the piezoelectric element is placed along the interior of the vehicle aerodynamic element 200.

[0069] The piezoelectric element includes an internal electrode 206 and a piezoelectric plate 204 located between an external electrode 202 and the internal electrode 206. The piezoelectric element can measure the deformation of the surface of the vehicle aerodynamic component 200 based on the voltage change between the external electrode 202 and the internal electrode 206.

[0070] Optionally, one or more piezoelectric elements 208 may be used as crosshatch piezoelectric plates on the crossbar of the vehicle aerodynamic element 200 to measure the deflection of the vehicle aerodynamic element 200 in different directions, such as the vertical direction compared to the piezoelectric plate 204. Segmented piezoelectric plates 210 or segmented electrodes of piezoelectric elements may be used to measure deflection in specific regions of the vehicle aerodynamic element 200.

[0071] exist Figure 2 In the example, wind force 212 causes deflection of the vehicle's aerodynamic components 200, such as air resistance when the vehicle is moving. In some examples, voltage can be selectively applied to the piezoelectric element to supply piezoelectric force 214 to counteract wind force 212. For example, if wind force 212 causes deflection of a portion of the aerodynamic component 200, voltage can be applied to the piezoelectric element to push the surface of the aerodynamic component 200 outward and reduce deflection, thereby counteracting wind force 212.

[0072] Figure 3 and Figure 4 This is a side view of the piezoelectric element located on the tail fin, which is subjected to wind force. (Example) Figure 3As shown, the piezoelectric plate 302 is housed in the wing 304 (e.g., tail wing or front wing) of the vehicle along the lower side of the top surface of the wing 304.

[0073] The deflection of wing 304 can be controlled by piezoelectric plate 302. For example, if wind force 306 deforms the top surface of wing 304, voltage can be applied to piezoelectric plate 302 to generate piezoelectric force 308. The piezoelectric force pushes against the top surface of wing 304 to reduce the deformation of wing 304. This counteracts wind force 306, so that wing 304 continues to provide the desired downforce even in the presence of wind force 306.

[0074] Figure 4 The example of Wing 404 is similar to Figure 3 The wing 304, but the piezoelectric plate 402 is located on the outer side of the top surface 410 of the wing 404. For example, the piezoelectric plate 402 can be bent together with the top surface 410 of the wing 404, so that the piezoelectric plate 402 is subjected to tension. When the top surface 410 of the wing 404 deforms due to wind force 406, Figure 4 The arrangement can generate a positive current.

[0075] Figure 5 This is an exploded view illustrating an example piezoelectric element assembly 500 including a piezoelectric polymer 504. The piezoelectric element assembly 500 includes a top electrode 502 as a top layer, which may include a single elastic electrode.

[0076] The bottom layer of the piezoelectric element assembly 500 is the wing surface 510. A matrix layer 506 is located on the wing surface 510. The matrix layer 506 may include a matrix of bottom electrodes, which includes a plurality of internal electrodes 508. The internal electrodes 508 may provide an array of contact points for measuring the current change per cross-sectional area.

[0077] A piezoelectric polymer 504 is located between the top electrode 502 and the matrix layer 506 of the bottom electrode. The piezoelectric polymer 504 can comprise any suitable piezoelectric polymer material. In some examples, the matrix layer 506 of the top electrode 502 and the bottom electrode can measure the distribution of wind force across an air component. This can be applied to any part of a wind-exposed vehicle (e.g., wing, engine hood, etc.) to measure wind force, for analysis, for calibrating simulation software, etc.

[0078] In some examples, a specific deflection of aerodynamic components can be used to adjust control settings for vehicle components, such as changing the position (e.g., angle or height) of vehicle aerodynamic components, changing traction control settings, changing ride height settings, limiting maximum vehicle speed, changing braking settings, etc.

[0079] In some example embodiments, one or more strips of piezoelectric polymer or piezoelectric plates may be attached to an aerodynamic element or its mounting structure for measuring deflection under wind loads. For example, electrodes may be applied to the bottom and top of the piezoelectric element. If the aerodynamic element is conductive, one of the electrodes may be the vehicle aerodynamic element itself.

[0080] The electrodes can be divided into electrically isolated segments on one or both electrodes. Depending on the quality of the piezoelectric element, the piezoelectric element may or may not be separated along the partition between the electrodes.

[0081] In some examples, the vehicle control module can polarize the piezoelectric material by applying a high voltage across the electrodes. This depends on whether the piezoelectric material used can or cannot be polarized. For example, some piezoelectric polymers may require a high voltage to successfully polarize the polymer. Some piezoelectric plates may not require this polarization process.

[0082] The electric susceptibility of a piezoelectric material can be measured for each segment by applying a known force and measuring the change in piezoelectric voltage. This step can be avoided if the electric susceptibility of the material is uniform and known.

[0083] When a vehicle's aerodynamic components are deflected / bent by wind, they in turn bend the piezoelectric elements attached to them. This creates a voltage change in the piezoelectric elements, which can be measured by measuring the voltage change across the top and bottom electrodes (or optionally across electrode segments). Based on the measured piezoelectric strain, this voltage is converted into wind force.

[0084] Deflection can be measured using physical calculations for piezoelectric strain, such as dV = (ta * dk * D) / (a ​​* Ea * dx * Aa), where dV is the change in piezoelectric voltage used to measure deflection, ta is the thickness of the piezoelectric layer, dk is the change in curvature or deflection of the aerodynamic element, D is the total bending stiffness of the aerodynamic element plus the piezoelectric layer, a is the length of the aerodynamic element, Ea is the elastic modulus of the piezoelectric layer, dx is the piezoelectric strain constant, and Aa is the cross-sectional area of ​​the piezoelectric layer.

[0085] The measured forces can be aggregated across segments and other piezoelectric elements within the same aerodynamic component to create a two-dimensional or three-dimensional map of the wind forces acting on the aerodynamic element. The measured forces can be aggregated using strips of piezoelectric material, creating a web of electrodes, and deflection measurements. This can be used to better map the forces applied to the wing.

[0086] When a piezoelectric element is charged with a voltage change, it compresses or stretches, thereby bending the connected aerodynamic component. This can be used in various settings, such as when the vehicle control module detects the user applying acceleration on a straight, empty road (e.g., on a track), or in another situation where the vehicle does not intend to brake or turn. The vehicle control module can apply voltage to the piezoelectric element as needed to deflect the aerodynamic component. This results in less drag on the vehicle, improving fuel economy and increasing vehicle speed.

[0087] As another example, the vehicle control module can detect braking zones, cornering, impending hazards, or other reasons for braking or cornering, and, if necessary, apply voltage to piezoelectric elements to reverse the deflection of aerodynamic components. In this case, the vehicle experiences greater downforce, which improves its braking and cornering capabilities.

[0088] In various example implementations, piezoelectric materials are applied to the interior or exterior of aerodynamic components to detect and measure the deflection, strain, deformation, and damage of the aerodynamic components. In some examples, the system may use a separate electrically isolated electrode connected to a common piezoelectric element, a separate electrically isolated electrode combined with a single larger electrode and separated from the common piezoelectric element or segmented piezoelectric elements, a separate electrically isolated electrode connected to a separate electrically isolated piezoelectric element, etc., to detect and measure the deflection, strain, deformation, and damage of segments of the aerodynamic component.

[0089] The vehicle control module can be configured to measure wind force by using a piezoelectric change in voltage when wind force is applied to a section of an aerodynamic element that is not deformed, or by isolating wind force from deflection by applying a piezoelectric assembly to both the interior (e.g., isolated from wind force) and the exterior (e.g., wind force plus deflection) of the vehicle aerodynamic element.

[0090] The vehicle control module can convert piezoelectric changes in voltage into measurements of aerodynamic component deflection, such as distance, angle, or applied wind force. While monitoring the piezoelectric voltage of the aerodynamic component assembly, the vehicle control module can perform detection of damaged, bent, or missing aerodynamic components via open-circuit detection.

[0091] In some examples, segmenting piezoelectric elements using the methods described above can create an array of deflections or forces applied to an aerodynamic element. Multiple piezoelectric assemblies can be applied to different parts of the aerodynamic element, optionally in parallel. Measurements of the forces and / or wind deflections obtained create a two-dimensional or three-dimensional (including aerodynamic structure) map of the forces applied to the aerodynamic element. The resolution of this map can depend on the amount of piezoelectric material applied to the aerodynamic element and the number of segments in the electrodes applied to the piezoelectric material. Interpolation can be used to estimate the forces / deflections between data points.

[0092] In some examples, matrices of parallel and perpendicular segments of piezoelectric strips can be created and applied to aerodynamic components. Strain is measured along each strip for each component, isolating the two planes to which the forces applied to the aerodynamic component are located. The aggregation of all strain measurements creates a three-dimensional strain / deflection map of the aerodynamic component.

[0093] A change in voltage can be applied to a piezoelectric element attached to an aerodynamic component to deflect or apply a force to the component. Bending a portion (e.g., electrode segments) or all of an aerodynamic component can allow a vehicle to dynamically alter its aerodynamic components by applying more or less deflection to increase or decrease downforce. This also allows a vehicle to combat deflection by counteracting it via wind, by applying a piezoelectric bending force in the opposite direction, or by intensifying deflection by applying a piezoelectric bending force in the same direction.

[0094] In some examples, vehicle control systems can use piezoelectricity applied to aerodynamic elements to achieve active aerodynamics, such as bending aerodynamic elements in response to vehicle needs (e.g., oversteering, understeering, lack of downforce, too much drag, etc.) to dynamically reduce drag or apply more downforce, or preemptively predict braking, acceleration, and steering events and apply active aerodynamic changes using piezoelectric control.

[0095] Figure 6 This is a flowchart depicting an example process for applying voltage to a piezoelectric element used in vehicle aerodynamic components. This process can be performed by, for example... Figure 1 The vehicle control module 20 performs this operation. At 604, the process begins by obtaining information about the vehicle's aerodynamic components (such as...). Figure 1 aerodynamic element 22) coupled piezoelectric element (e.g. Figure 1 The steady-state voltage of the piezoelectric element 24). For example, the steady-state voltage could be the voltage across the piezoelectric element when the vehicle is stationary or the aerodynamic components are not experiencing any wind.

[0096] At 608, the vehicle control module is configured to obtain the current voltage of the piezoelectric element (e.g., by measuring the voltage using a voltage sensor, etc.). At 612, the vehicle control module is configured to determine whether the vehicle's speed is zero.

[0097] If the vehicle's speed is zero at 612 (e.g., the vehicle is stationary), the control proceeds to 616 to set the steady-state voltage value to the current voltage value. For example, if the vehicle is not currently moving, the control can use the current voltage reading as a baseline value for the piezoelectric element when it is not undergoing any deformation (such as due to wind forces that may occur when the vehicle is moving).

[0098] If the vehicle speed is greater than zero at 612, control proceeds to 620 to determine the voltage difference between the steady-state voltage of the piezoelectric element and its current voltage value. This voltage difference can indicate the amount of force on the piezoelectric element or its movement, which may correspond to the amount of deformation of the vehicle's aerodynamic components.

[0099] For example, a larger change in the piezoelectric element voltage can indicate a larger amount of deformation of the piezoelectric element. The mapping between piezoelectric voltage changes and the deformation of aerodynamic components can be stored in the memory of the vehicle control module (e.g., via one or more equations or lookup tables) and can be determined during manufacturing, vehicle testing, etc. The relationship between piezoelectric element voltage changes and aerodynamic component deformation may be linear, polynomial, exponential or logarithmic, nonlinear, etc.

[0100] At point 624, the vehicle control module is configured to determine whether the voltage difference is higher than a specified threshold. For example, the specified threshold may correspond to the amount of deformation of a vehicle aerodynamic component, which would negatively affect the downforce provided by the vehicle aerodynamic component (e.g., exceeding a threshold amount of downforce reduction, etc.).

[0101] If the voltage difference at 624 is higher than a specified threshold, control proceeds to 628 to apply a voltage opposite to the voltage difference to the piezoelectric element in order to reduce deformation of the aerodynamic component and increase downforce. For example, applying a voltage (such as a voltage equal to and opposite to the current voltage difference) to the piezoelectric element can cause it to return to a steady-state position and push the surface of the aerodynamic component outward to increase downforce.

[0102] In some examples, the applied voltage can be an amount sufficient to return the voltage across the piezoelectric element to its steady-state voltage value. Voltage can be selectively applied, such as to compensate for deformation caused by wind (where deformation reduces downforce provided by aerodynamic components), to add additional downforce as desired (e.g., based on vehicle settings or sensed vehicle parameters), and so on.

[0103] Figure 7This is a flowchart depicting an example process for selectively applying voltage to a front or rear piezoelectric element to control downforce in a vehicle. This process can be, for example... Figure 1 The vehicle control module 20 executes this process. At 704, the process begins by acquiring vehicle sensor inputs, such as steering position, brake position, throttle position, etc. Vehicle sensor inputs can provide information about the current state of the vehicle's motion and can be obtained via any suitable vehicle sensor (which can communicate with the vehicle control module).

[0104] At point 708, the vehicle control module is configured to determine the vehicle's downforce requirement. For example, the vehicle control system may request a specified amount of downforce based on the vehicle's current motion (e.g., speed and steering angle), vehicle settings such as track mode, etc. In some examples, the vehicle's downforce requirement may be determined based on acquired vehicle sensor inputs, downforce calls or requests from the vehicle system control module, etc.

[0105] At 712, the vehicle control module is configured to determine whether aerodynamic adjustments are needed (e.g., by comparing the current amount of downforce with a specified amount of downforce requested by the vehicle control system).

[0106] If aerodynamic adjustments are required at 712, control proceeds to 716 to determine whether adjustments to the front aerodynamic components should be performed. For example, some vehicles may include aerodynamic components located at the front and rear of the vehicle, which may have attached individual piezoelectric elements.

[0107] If front aerodynamic component adjustment is required at 716, control proceeds to 720 to determine whether more or less downforce is needed. If more downforce is required, at 724, the vehicle control module is configured to apply a voltage to the front piezoelectric element that is opposite to the voltage difference between the current voltage and the steady-state voltage of the front piezoelectric element. Applying the opposite voltage to the front piezoelectric element reduces the deflection of the front aerodynamic component's surface, thereby increasing the downforce provided by the front aerodynamic component.

[0108] If less downforce is needed from the front aerodynamic component at 720, control proceeds to 728 to apply a larger voltage difference to the front piezoelectric element, such as by increasing the difference between the steady-state voltage of the front piezoelectric element and the applied voltage value. This can further increase the deflection of the front aerodynamic element, resulting in a reduction in downforce provided by the front aerodynamic element.

[0109] If rear aerodynamic component adjustment is required at 716, control proceeds to 732 to determine whether more or less downforce is needed. If more downforce is required, at 736, the vehicle control module is configured to apply a voltage to the rear piezoelectric element that is opposite to the voltage difference between the current voltage and the steady-state voltage of the rear piezoelectric element. Applying the opposite voltage to the rear piezoelectric element reduces the deflection of the surface of the rear aerodynamic component, thereby increasing the downforce provided by the rear aerodynamic component.

[0110] If less downforce is needed from the rear aerodynamic component at 732, control proceeds to 740 to apply a larger voltage difference to the rear piezoelectric element, such as by increasing the difference between the steady-state voltage of the rear piezoelectric element and the applied voltage value. This can further increase the deflection of the rear aerodynamic element, resulting in a reduction in downforce provided by the rear aerodynamic element.

[0111] Some example embodiments described herein allow vehicle control systems to measure the deflection of aerodynamic components in response to external forces. By applying a piezoelectric element along a section of a wing, polymer, or plate, the deflection generates a voltage change in the piezoelectric element. Since piezoelectric materials do not retain their electrical properties due to strain exceeding their elastic modulus, this sensing method can be used continuously. Measuring the deflection of aerodynamic surfaces can be important for designing damping, understanding aerodynamics under load, and understanding the material properties of aerodynamic components.

[0112] Piezoelectric elements applied to aerodynamic components can use top and bottom electrodes to measure the voltage change of the piezoelectric element when it receives strain (e.g., deflection) from the attached aerodynamic component. By splitting one of these electrodes into electrically isolated segments, the voltage change due to strain can be measured with greater resolution. This takes into account measuring deflection in a specific part of the aerodynamic component (e.g., the wing top). For the same effect, the piezoelectric element can also be segmented.

[0113] Similarly, by using multiple piezoelectric elements along the aerodynamic element, the deflection of the aerodynamic component can be measured across different parts of the aerodynamic element. By combining this with segmented electrodes, this creates a two-dimensional map of the deflection encountered by the aerodynamic element.

[0114] In some examples, piezoelectric elements facilitate health monitoring of aerodynamic components. By having multiple closed circuits on the piezoelectric element, detected open circuits indicate damage to the aerodynamic component. This can be particularly helpful for components located under the floor where a user is unlikely to notice a damaged aerodynamic component.

[0115] Piezoelectric elements also allow vehicle control modules to apply force to aerodynamic components using voltage changes to the piezoelectric element. This allows the vehicle to bend / deflect its aerodynamic components in response to external conditions. This can be used by the vehicle control system to control downforce / drag depending on whether the vehicle is turning, etc. Piezoelectric strips are used to account for the deformation / deflection of aerodynamic components in specific areas that affect handling characteristics.

[0116] The foregoing description is merely illustrative in nature and is by no means intended to limit this disclosure, its application, or use. The broad teachings of this disclosure can be implemented in many forms. Therefore, while this disclosure includes specific examples, its true scope should not be so limited, as other modifications will become clear upon examination of the drawings, description, and appended claims. It should be understood that one or more steps within the method may be performed in a different order (or simultaneously) without altering the principles of this disclosure. Furthermore, although each embodiment is described above as having certain features, any one or more of those features described with respect to any embodiment of this disclosure may be implemented in features of any other embodiment and / or in combination with features of any other embodiment, even if such combination is not explicitly described. In other words, the described embodiments are not mutually exclusive, and substitutions of one or more embodiments for each other remain within the scope of this disclosure.

[0117] Spatial and functional relationships between components (e.g., between modules, circuit elements, semiconductor layers, etc.) are described using a variety of terms including “connection,” “joint,” “coupled,” “adjacent,” “near,” “on top,” “above,” “below,” and “set.” Unless explicitly described as “direct,” when describing the relationship between first and second components in the above disclosure, the relationship can be a direct relationship in the absence of any other intervening components between the first and second components, but it can also be an indirect relationship in the presence of one or more intervening components (spatially or functionally) between the first and second components. As used herein, the phrases A, B, and C at least one should be interpreted as meaning logical (A or B or C), using non-exclusive logical OR, and should not be interpreted as meaning “at least one of A, at least one of B, and at least one of C.”

[0118] In a diagram, the direction of the arrows, as indicated by the arrows, typically indicates the flow of information (such as data or instructions) of interest to the diagram. For example, when elements A and B exchange various types of information, but the information transmitted from element A to element B is relevant to the diagram, the arrow can point from element A to element B. This unidirectional arrow does not mean that no other information is transmitted from element B to element A. Furthermore, for information sent from element A to element B, element B can send a request for or confirmation of receipt of that information to element A.

[0119] In this application, including the following definitions, the term "module" or "controller" may be replaced by the term "circuit". The term "module" may refer to, be part of, or include the following: application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC); digital, analog, or mixed-signal analog / digital discrete circuit; digital, analog, or mixed-signal analog / digital integrated circuit; combinational logic circuit; field-programmable gate array (FPGA); processor circuitry (shared, dedicated, or grouped) that executes code; memory circuitry (shared, dedicated, or grouped) that stores code executed by the processor circuitry; other suitable hardware components that provide the described functionality; or some or all of the foregoing, such as in a system-on-a-chip.

[0120] A module may include one or more interface circuits. In some examples, the interface circuits may include wired or wireless interfaces connected to a local area network (LAN), the Internet, a wide area network (WAN), or a combination thereof. The functionality of any given module in this disclosure may be distributed across multiple modules connected via the interface circuits. For example, multiple modules may allow for load balancing. In another example, a server (also known as a remote or cloud) module may perform some functionality on behalf of a client module.

[0121] The term "code" as used above can include software, firmware, and / or microcode, and can refer to programs, routines, functions, classes, data structures, and / or objects. The term "shared processor circuit" includes a single processor circuit that executes some or all of the code from multiple modules. The term "grouped processor circuit" includes processor circuits that, in combination with additional processor circuits, execute some or all of the code from one or more modules. References to multiple processor circuits include multiple processor circuits on a discrete die, multiple processor circuits on a single die, multiple cores of a single processor circuit, multiple threads of a single processor circuit, or a combination of the foregoing. The term "shared memory circuit" includes a single memory circuit that stores some or all of the code from multiple modules. The term "grouped memory circuit" includes memory circuits that, in combination with additional memory, store some or all of the code from one or more modules.

[0122] The term memory circuit is a subset of the term computer-readable medium. As used herein, the term computer-readable medium does not include transient electrical or electromagnetic signals propagated through a medium (such as on a carrier wave); therefore, the term computer-readable medium can be considered tangible and non-transient. Non-limiting examples of non-transient tangible computer-readable media are non-volatile memory circuits (such as flash memory circuits, erasable programmable read-only memory circuits, or mask read-only memory circuits), volatile memory circuits (such as static random access memory circuits or dynamic random access memory circuits), magnetic storage media (such as analog or digital magnetic tape or hard disk drives), and optical storage media (such as CDs, DVDs, or Blu-ray discs).

[0123] The apparatus and methods described in this application can be implemented, in part or in whole, by a special-purpose computer created by configuring a general-purpose computer to perform one or more specific functions embodied in a computer program. The function blocks, flowchart components, and other elements described above serve as software specifications that can be routinely translated into computer programs by skilled technicians or programmers.

[0124] A computer program includes processor-executable instructions stored on at least one non-transitory tangible computer-readable medium. A computer program may also include or depend on stored data. A computer program may contain a basic input / output system (BIOS) for interacting with the hardware of a special-purpose computer, device drivers for interacting with specific devices of the special-purpose computer, one or more operating systems, user applications, background services, background applications, etc.

[0125] Computer programs may include: (i) descriptive text to be parsed, such as HTML (Hypertext Markup Language), XML (Extensible Markup Language), or JSON (JavaScript Object Notation); (ii) assembly code; (iii) object code generated from source code by a compiler; (iv) source code executed by an interpreter; and (v) source code compiled and executed by a just-in-time (JIT) compiler, etc. As an example only, source code may be written using syntax from languages ​​including: C, C++, C#, Objective-C, Swift, Haskell, Go, SQL, R, Lisp, etc. Fortran, Perl, Pascal, Curl, OCaml, HTML5 (Hypertext Markup Language, 5th Revision), Ada, ASP (Active Server Pages), PHP (PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor), Scala, Eiffel, Smalltalk, Erlang, Ruby, Visual Lua, MATLAB, SIMULINK and

Claims

1. A vehicle control system for vehicle aerodynamic components, the vehicle control system comprising: Aerodynamic elements, coupled to the vehicle body, are configured to deform in response to wind forces applied to their surfaces; At least one piezoelectric element is coupled to an aerodynamic element, the piezoelectric element being configured to change voltage in response to deformation of the aerodynamic element; and The vehicle control module is configured as follows: Obtain the steady-state voltage value of the piezoelectric element corresponding to the position of the aerodynamic element when the vehicle speed is zero; Receive the current voltage value of the piezoelectric element; and The deformation of aerodynamic components is determined based on the voltage difference between the steady-state voltage value and the current voltage value.

2. The vehicle control system according to claim 1, wherein: At least one piezoelectric element includes multiple piezoelectric elements; and Each of the multiple piezoelectric elements is coupled to a different part of the aerodynamic element.

3. The vehicle control system according to claim 2, wherein: The first of a plurality of piezoelectric elements is coupled to an aerodynamic element in a first orientation; The second of a plurality of piezoelectric elements is coupled to an aerodynamic element in a second orientation; and The first orientation is perpendicular to the second orientation.

4. The vehicle control system according to claim 1, wherein, At least one piezoelectric element is attached to the top surface of the aerodynamic element.

5. The vehicle control system according to claim 1, wherein, At least one piezoelectric element is housed within an aerodynamic element and attached to the bottom side of the top surface of the aerodynamic element.

6. The vehicle control system according to claim 1, wherein, The aerodynamic component is the vehicle's rear wing.

7. The vehicle control system according to claim 1, wherein, At least one piezoelectric element comprises a piezoelectric polymer.

8. The vehicle control system according to claim 7, wherein: The piezoelectric polymer comprises a single top electrode layer and a matrix layer, the matrix layer comprising a matrix of bottom electrodes; and The piezoelectric polymer is positioned between a single top electrode layer and a matrix layer.

9. The vehicle control system according to claim 1, wherein, The vehicle control module is configured to selectively apply voltage to piezoelectric elements to modify the deformation of aerodynamic components.

10. The vehicle control system according to claim 9, wherein, The vehicle control module is configured as follows: Compare the voltage difference with a specified deformation threshold; and In response to a voltage difference greater than or equal to a specified deformation threshold, a voltage is applied to the piezoelectric element to reduce the deformation of the aerodynamic element to compensate for wind forces on the aerodynamic element.

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