Vehicle control device

Abstract

To provide a technology capable of improving driving performance of a vehicle.SOLUTION: A vehicle control device 1 comprises a power supply unit 20 that applies a first voltage to a first vehicle surface member 80 positioned such that airflow along a vehicle surface separates from the vehicle surface during travel of the vehicle, or to a first electrode 10 provided on the vehicle surface member 80.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle control device. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an aerodynamic characteristic control device for a vehicle. This device has a power supply with a positive terminal and a negative terminal, and the positive terminal and the negative terminal are respectively connected to vehicle components, and supplies electrons to the body or interior / exterior surface parts of the vehicle. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-143555 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The present inventors have recognized that it is preferable to apply appropriate voltages to specific locations on a vehicle in order to improve the vehicle's running performance, including maneuverability, handling stability, and vibration characteristics.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a technique that can improve the running performance of a vehicle. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problem, a vehicle control device according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a power supply unit that applies a first voltage to a first vehicle surface member at a position where the airflow along the vehicle surface separates from the vehicle surface while the vehicle is moving, or to a first electrode provided on the first vehicle surface member. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, a technique can be provided that can improve the running performance of a vehicle. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram schematically illustrating a part of a vehicle provided with a vehicle control device according to an embodiment; [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is a diagram schematically illustrating a vehicle equipped with a vehicle control device according to another exemplary configuration of the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a portion of a vehicle equipped with a vehicle control device 1 according to an embodiment. FIG. 1 also illustrates a cross-sectional view of a stepped vehicle component 90 that receives airflow while the vehicle is traveling. The vehicle component 90 includes a first vehicle surface component 80, a second vehicle surface component 82, and a third vehicle surface component 84. The vehicle component 90 is configured by connecting the second vehicle surface component 82, the first vehicle surface component 80, and the third vehicle surface component 84 in this order from the front side to the rear side of the vehicle. The first vehicle surface component 80, the second vehicle surface component 82, and the third vehicle surface component 84 may each be separate components, or at least two of these may be parts of an integrally configured component. Hereinafter, the first vehicle surface component 80, the second vehicle surface component 82, and the third vehicle surface component 84 will be collectively referred to as vehicle surface components, as appropriate.

[0010] The second vehicle surface member 82 may also be referred to as a front portion. The first vehicle surface member 80 may also be referred to as an edge portion or a corner portion. The third vehicle surface member 84 may also be referred to as a side portion. For example, the second vehicle surface member 82 may be a windshield, the first vehicle surface member 80 may be an A-pillar, and the third vehicle surface member 84 may be a side window. Alternatively, the second vehicle surface member 82 may be a windshield, the first vehicle surface member 80 may be an edge portion above the windshield, and the third vehicle surface member 84 may be a roof. Alternatively, the second vehicle surface member 82 may be a front bumper cover, the first vehicle surface member 80 may be an edge portion below the front bumper cover, and the third vehicle surface member 84 may be an undercover.

[0011] In this vehicle component 90, when the vehicle is traveling, airflow from the front of the vehicle is received by the second vehicle surface member 82, which is the front portion. After passing over the first vehicle surface member 80, which is the edge portion, the airflow separates from the step surface and reattaches to the vehicle surface at a reattachment position P2 on the third vehicle surface member 84, which is the side portion. During this process, an airflow vortex 74 is generated near a position P1 in front of the vehicle at the reattachment position P2. The generated vortex 74 is then released toward the rear of the vehicle, a phenomenon that occurs with a substantially constant or random period depending on various conditions. The generated and released vortex 74 applies negative pressure to the vehicle body surface, affecting the up-and-down and lateral movement of the vehicle body. This change in vehicle dynamics is perceived by the driver and passengers, resulting in either a positive or negative sensation. The inventors recognized that when the period of vortex generation and release fluctuates, low-frequency components of the fluctuations are generated in the frequency of the pressure fluctuations, which generally often result in an undesirable sensation for the driver and passengers.

[0012] Thus, the inventors believed that the generated airflow vortex 74 significantly affects the vehicle's driving performance. The inventors confirmed through simulations that by efficiently containing positive air ions 70 within the vortex 74 and applying a negative charge to the vehicle body surface in contact with the vortex 74, the electrical force between the vortex 74 and the vehicle body is strengthened, stabilizing the vortex generation period. The inventors then discovered that favorable effects can be achieved by placing electrodes on the first vehicle surface member 80, which is the edge portion, and in front of and behind it, and applying a voltage to each electrode. In this embodiment, applying a voltage to each portion of the vehicle surface controls the collection and release of air ions 70 into space, and the electrical force acting on the air ions 70 stabilizes airflow fluctuations, thereby improving the vehicle's driving performance. The specific configuration of this embodiment is described below.

[0013] 1, the vehicle control device 1 includes a first electrode 10, a second electrode 12, a third electrode 14, and a power supply unit 20. Hereinafter, the first electrode 10, the second electrode 12, and the third electrode 14 will be collectively referred to as electrodes as appropriate.

[0014] The first electrode 10, which may also be called a positive electrode, is provided on the outer surface of the first vehicle surface member 80 at a position where the airflow along the vehicle surface separates from the vehicle surface while the vehicle is moving. The first vehicle surface member 80 may also be considered an end portion that is curved convexly toward the outside of the vehicle. The curvature of the first vehicle surface member 80 is large enough to allow the airflow to separate from the vehicle surface.

[0015] The second electrode 12, which may also be called a negative electrode, is provided on the vehicle outer surface of the second vehicle surface member 82, which is located upstream of the first vehicle surface member 80 in the airflow, that is, on the front side of the vehicle.

[0016] The third electrode 14, which may also be referred to as a negative electrode, is provided downstream of the airflow from the first vehicle surface member 80, i.e., on the vehicle-outside surface of the third vehicle surface member 84 toward the rear of the vehicle. The third electrode 14 extends upstream and downstream along the surface of the second vehicle surface member 82 from a reattachment position P2 where the airflow that has separated from the vehicle surface reattaches to the vehicle surface. In the example shown, the third electrode 14 is provided over a wide area, extending from slightly forward of the reattachment position P2 to the rear of the vehicle. Note that the upstream end of the third electrode 14 may extend to the vicinity of position P1 where an airflow vortex 74 is generated upstream of the reattachment position P2.

[0017] The electrode may be a conductive foil such as copper foil. The front surface of the electrode is in contact with the air around the vehicle. The back surface of the electrode faces the surface of the vehicle component 90. The thickness of the electrode is thin enough not to disturb the airflow around the vehicle while the vehicle is moving, and can be determined appropriately through experiments or simulations. In FIG. 1, the thickness of the electrode is exaggerated for clarity.

[0018] No current flows through the electrode, and a voltage is applied with reference to the body earth or the like, as described below. If the vehicle surface member is made of an insulating material such as resin or glass, the electrode may be attached to a portion of the vehicle surface member so that the charge supplied to the electrode is diffused over the entire surface of the vehicle surface member, or a thin electrode may be attached to a wider area of ​​the vehicle surface member.

[0019] If the vehicle surface member is made of a conductive material such as metal, a thin electrode may be attached with insulation between the electrode and the vehicle surface member. Alternatively, if the vehicle surface member is made of a conductive material, the conductive vehicle surface member itself may be used as the electrode, and no electrode may be attached to the conductive vehicle surface member.

[0020] The power supply unit 20 is electrically connected to each of the first electrode 10, the second electrode 12, and the third electrode 14 by individual electric wires. The power supply unit 20 applies a first voltage to the first electrode 10, a second voltage to the second electrode 12, and a third voltage to the third electrode 14, with the body earth or the battery earth as the reference. The power supply unit 20 may apply the second voltage and the third voltage with the first electrode 10 as the reference.

[0021] The first voltage is a positive voltage. The second voltage is a negative voltage having the opposite polarity to the first voltage. The third voltage is also a negative voltage having the opposite polarity to the first voltage. The values ​​of the first voltage, second voltage, and third voltage can be determined appropriately through experiments or simulations.

[0022] As described above, when the first electrode 10 is not provided and the conductive first vehicle surface member 80 itself is used as an electrode, the power supply unit 20 may apply the first voltage directly to the first vehicle surface member 80. Similarly, when the conductive second vehicle surface member 82 itself is used as an electrode, the power supply unit 20 may apply the second voltage directly to the second vehicle surface member 82, and when the conductive third vehicle surface member 84 itself is used as an electrode, the power supply unit 20 may apply the third voltage directly to the third vehicle surface member 84.

[0023] Positive and negative air ions are naturally contained in the ambient air. Generally, a vehicle is charged to a negative voltage of several hundred volts to several kilovolts with respect to the ground due to friction between the wheels and the road surface while traveling. As a result, positive air ions 70 are attracted to the vicinity of the vehicle, while negative air ions are repelled. These positive air ions 70 near the vehicle are attracted to the surface of the second electrode 12, which is a negative electrode, by a force generated by the electric field generated by the second electrode 12, and are accumulated on the surface. The accumulated positive air ions 70 are carried rearward by the airflow, where they are repelled by the repulsive force generated by the electric field generated by the first electrode 10, which is a positive electrode, and are re-released into the air. The re-released positive air ions 70 are carried rearward in the separated airflow generated by the first vehicle surface member 80 at the edge portion, and are captured in large numbers by a vortex 74 generated in front of the reattachment position P2. This vortex 74 containing positive air ions 70 receives an electric force from the third electrode 14, which is a negative electrode, and applies an external force to the airflow toward the third vehicle surface member 84, pressing the vortex 74 against the third vehicle surface member 84. As a result, friction with the third vehicle surface member 84 strengthens the rotation of the vortex 74, increasing its vorticity and negative pressure. As a result, disturbances from the surrounding environment that had been affecting vortex generation become relatively smaller, and the cycle of vortex generation and release becomes stable. As a result, the low-frequency components of the fluctuations in pressure pressing against the surface are reduced, improving the vehicle's driving performance and providing a better sensation to the driver and passengers.

[0024] As described above, according to the embodiment, by providing the first electrode 10 on the surface of the first vehicle surface member 80 and applying a positive first voltage to the first electrode 10, the positive air ions 70 are repelled by the first electrode 10, making it easier to release them back into the air. This allows more of the positive air ions 70 re-released into the air to be captured by the airflow vortex 74 generated ahead of the reattachment position P2. As a result, the cycle of generation and release of the vortex 74 can be stabilized. This can improve the vehicle's driving performance.

[0025] Furthermore, by providing the second electrode 12 on the second vehicle surface member 82 and applying a negative second voltage to the second electrode 12, a larger number of positive air ions 70 can be collected near the surface of the second vehicle surface member 82.

[0026] Furthermore, by providing a third electrode 14 on the third vehicle surface member 84 and applying a negative third voltage to the third electrode 14, the positive air ions 70 captured in the vortex 74 can be effectively attracted to the surface of the third vehicle surface member 84 by an electric field oriented from the first electrode 10 to the third electrode 14. The third electrode 14 extends upstream and downstream from the reattachment position P2, thereby increasing the effect on the vortex 74. In a configuration in which the upstream end of the third electrode 14 extends to near position P1, an electric force can be more reliably applied to the vortex 74 in the portion along which the vortex 74 flows from position P1 where the vortex 74 is generated, thereby further increasing the effect on the vortex 74.

[0027] As described above, since the vehicle naturally becomes negatively charged relative to the ground while in motion, if a possible reduction in effectiveness is acceptable, at least one of the second electrode 12 and the third electrode 14 may be omitted. This simplifies the configuration of the vehicle control device 1.

[0028] Next, we will explain the experimental results of the vehicle control device 1. An evaluation vehicle a was prepared in which a copper tape with an insulated underside was attached to the front end of the undercover, and the copper tape was used as the first electrode 10 to allow application of +2 kV or +3 kV, and another copper tape was attached to a resin front bumper cover, and the copper tape was used as the second electrode 12 to allow application of -3 kV.

[0029] In addition, evaluation vehicle b was prepared by adding to the electrode configuration of evaluation vehicle a, copper tape with an insulated underside attached to the left and right A-pillars, and using this copper tape as first electrode 10 to apply +2 kV or +3 kV, and another copper tape attached to the windshield, and using this copper tape as second electrode 12 to apply -3 kV.

[0030] The driving performance of these two evaluation vehicles a and b was then evaluated. Several evaluators drove the evaluation vehicles a and b, and performed a sensory evaluation on a 5-point scale to determine whether the sense of vibration damping when going over a 5-cm-thick step slope and the sense of damping when repeatedly steering left and right changed when the voltage application to the first electrode 10 was on and off. Regarding the sensory evaluation value, "5" indicates "very clear," "1" indicates "not clear," and the smaller the value, the closer it is to "not clear." The results are shown in Table 1 below. As shown in Table 1, many of the evaluators felt a difference between when the voltage application was on and off, indicating that the sense of damping improved with the voltage application.

[0031] [Table 1]

[0032] Next, a description will be given of another example of the configuration of the vehicle control device 1. The following description will focus on the differences from the configuration already described.

[0033] 2 is a schematic diagram of a vehicle 100 equipped with a vehicle control device 1 according to another exemplary embodiment. The vehicle control device 1 includes first electrodes 10a and 10b, second electrodes 12a and 12b, third electrodes 14a and 14b, a power supply unit 20, a control unit 22, and a vibration sensor 24.

[0034] The power supply unit 20 uses the body earth 26 as a reference for voltage application and applies a negative second voltage to the second electrode 12b, which is a negative electrode attached to the resin front bumper cover 120, and the second electrode 12a, which is a negative electrode attached to the windshield 112, thereby negatively charging each of the second electrodes 12a and 12b. The front bumper cover 120 and the windshield 112 correspond to the second vehicle surface member 82.

[0035] The power supply unit 20 applies a positive first voltage to the first electrode 10b, which is a positive electrode insulated from the front end of the undercover 122, and the first electrode 10a, which is a positive electrode insulated from the A-pillar 110, thereby positively charging each of the first electrodes 10a and 10b. The undercover 122 is disposed on the bottom surface of the vehicle near the front wheels. The front end of the undercover 122 and the A-pillar 110 correspond to the first vehicle surface member 80.

[0036] The power supply unit 20 applies a negative third voltage to the third electrode 14b, which is a negative electrode attached to the resin undercover 124, and the third electrode 14a, which is a negative electrode attached to the side window 114, thereby negatively charging each of the third electrodes 14a, 14b. The undercover 124 is disposed on the bottom surface of the vehicle near the passenger compartment. The undercover 124 and the side window 114 correspond to the third vehicle surface member 84.

[0037] This configuration makes it possible to obtain changes in the dynamic performance of the vehicle 100 similar to those in the configuration example of FIG.

[0038] The power supply unit 20 can set each of the first voltage, the second voltage, and the third voltage according to the control of the control unit 22.

[0039] The vibration sensor 24 is installed on the body of the vehicle 100. The vibration sensor 24 detects vibrations of the vehicle 100 and supplies the detection result to the control unit 22.

[0040] The control unit 22 controls each voltage applied by the power supply unit 20 based on the vibration of the vehicle 100 detected by the vibration sensor 24. For example, the control unit 22 compares the power of the high-frequency and low-frequency components of the vibration, and if the ratio of the high-frequency components to the low-frequency components is greater than a predetermined first threshold, the control unit 22 reduces the absolute value of the voltage applied by the power supply unit 20 to each electrode so that this ratio becomes equal to or less than the first threshold. If the ratio of the high-frequency components is greater than the first threshold, there is a possibility that the change in the driving performance of the vehicle 100 is too large.

[0041] On the other hand, if the ratio of low-frequency components to high-frequency components is greater than a predetermined second threshold, control unit 22 increases the absolute value of the voltage applied to each electrode by power supply unit 20 so that this ratio becomes equal to or less than the second threshold. If the ratio of low-frequency components is greater than the second threshold, there is a possibility that the change in the driving performance of vehicle 100 is insufficient. The first threshold and second threshold can be determined as appropriate through experiments or simulations.

[0042] This configuration can eliminate or mitigate the influence of excessive or insufficient voltage application, and can always maintain an appropriate feeling in the driving performance of the vehicle 100. In other words, the driving performance of the vehicle 100 can be maintained appropriately.

[0043] The present invention has been described above based on the embodiments. However, the embodiments are merely examples, and it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications are possible in the combination of each component and each treatment process, and that such modifications are also within the scope of the present invention.

[0044] For example, the second voltage may be a voltage having the same polarity as the first voltage but lower than the first voltage. The third voltage may be a voltage having the same polarity as the first voltage but lower than the first voltage. This modification can improve the degree of freedom in the configuration of the vehicle control device 1. [Explanation of symbols]

[0045] 1...vehicle control device, 10, 10a, 10b...first electrode, 12, 12a, 12b...second electrode, 14, 14a, 14b...third electrode, 20...power supply unit, 22...control unit, 24...vibration sensor, 80...first vehicle surface member, 82...second vehicle surface member, 84...third vehicle surface member, 100...vehicle.

Claims

1. A vehicle control device comprising: a power supply unit that applies a first voltage to a first vehicle surface member at a position where an airflow along a vehicle surface separates from the vehicle surface while the vehicle is traveling, or to a first electrode provided on the first vehicle surface member.

2. the power supply unit applies a second voltage to a second vehicle surface member located upstream of the first vehicle surface member in the airflow direction, or to a second electrode provided on the second vehicle surface member; the second voltage is a voltage having the same polarity as the first voltage but lower than the first voltage, or a voltage having an opposite polarity to the first voltage; 2. The vehicle control device according to claim 1.

3. the power supply unit applies a third voltage to a third vehicle surface member that is downstream of the first vehicle surface member in the airflow direction, or to a third electrode that is provided on the third vehicle surface member; the third voltage is a voltage having the same polarity as the first voltage but lower than the first voltage, or a voltage having an opposite polarity to the first voltage; 2. The vehicle control device according to claim 1.

4. The third electrode is provided, the third electrode extends upstream and downstream from a position where the airflow separated from the vehicle surface reattaches to the vehicle surface; 4. The vehicle control device according to claim 3.

5. a vibration sensor installed in the vehicle and configured to detect vibrations of the vehicle; a control unit that controls a voltage applied by the power supply unit based on vibrations of the vehicle detected by the vibration sensor; The vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising:

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