Active Spoiler Control for Drag and Visibility
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing active rear spoilers for vehicles do not fully exploit their potential in minimizing drag and contaminant buildup on rear windshields, particularly for fastback-type vehicles, as they often increase drag at low speeds and fail to effectively manage airflow and contaminants at high speeds.
Innovation Solution
An active spoiler control system that includes vehicle sensors, an actuatable spoiler, and a controller to selectively cycle the spoiler between deployed and stowed positions based on vehicle speed and wiper arm cycle speed, optimizing spoiler deployment to reduce drag and contaminant accumulation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If the spoiler is deployed to reduce aerodynamic drag at high speeds, then fuel economy improves, but drag increases at low speeds
Solution Approach 1:
The spoiler is made dynamically adjustable, transitioning from a fixed structure to an active component that changes its position based on vehicle speed. The control system continuously monitors speed and actuates the spoiler accordingly, allowing it to be deployed at high speeds for drag reduction and retracted at low speeds to avoid increased drag, thus resolving the contradiction between aerodynamic performance and fuel economy across different operating conditions
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the physical state and position parameters of the spoiler based on vehicle speed thresholds. By monitoring speed parameters and adjusting the spoiler's deployment state accordingly, the system optimizes aerodynamic characteristics for each operating regime, reducing drag at high speeds while maintaining efficiency at low speeds, thereby addressing the energy loss versus fuel economy contradiction
2Loss of energy
If the spoiler is deployed to streamline airflow and reduce drag, then aerodynamic performance improves, but contaminant buildup on rear windshield increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control system implements periodic cycling of the spoiler between deployed and retracted positions based on vehicle speed and wiper activity detection. This periodic action creates alternating airflow patterns that prevent contaminant accumulation on the rear windshield while maintaining aerodynamic benefits during deployed phases, thus resolving the contradiction between drag reduction and contaminant buildup
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback from speed sensors and wiper arm sensors to continuously adjust spoiler position. The wiper arm cycle speed detection provides feedback about contaminant presence and wiper activity, allowing the control system to modulate spoiler deployment to maintain airflow patterns that prevent contaminant buildup while preserving aerodynamic performance
3Loss of energy
If the spoiler is continuously deployed to maintain airflow streamlining, then drag reduction is achieved, but visibility through rear windshield deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The spoiler transitions from a static to a dynamic configuration, actively adjusting its position based on real-time detection of vehicle speed and wiper arm cycle speed. This dynamic adjustment allows the spoiler to be deployed when aerodynamic benefits are needed and retracted when visibility is compromised, resolving the contradiction between drag reduction and rear windshield visibility
Solution Approach 2:
The control system incorporates feedback from wiper arm sensors that detect cycle speed and operational state. This feedback mechanism allows the system to correlate wiper activity with contaminant levels and adjust spoiler position accordingly, maintaining visibility by retracting the spoiler when wiper activity indicates contaminant presence while preserving aerodynamic performance when visibility is not compromised
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system reduces aerodynamic drag and minimizes contaminant buildup on the rear windshield by dynamically adjusting the spoiler's position in response to vehicle speed and wiper arm activity, maintaining visibility and improving fuel efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
A spoiler is an aerodynamic device whose intended design function is to interrupt or spoil unfavorable airflow over a vehicle body while the vehicle is motion to enhance the performance of the vehicle
Implementation Method 2
the airflow passing over the deck-lid separates into turbulent eddies resulting in a low-pressure zone immediately behind the vehicle resulting in increased drag
Implementation Method 3
A spoiler at the rear of the vehicle have the effect of providing downforce as well as delaying airflow separation from the vehicle
Implementation Method 4
the airflow passing over the deck-lid separates into turbulent eddies resulting in a low-pressure zone immediately behind the vehicle
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle having a vehicle sensor configured to detect a vehicle state; an actuatable spoiler moveable into a deployed position and a stowed position; an actuator operable to move the actuatable spoiler into the deployed position and the stowed position; and a controller configured to selectively instruct the actuator to actively cycle the actuatable spoiler between the deployed position and the stowed position based on the detected vehicle state. The actuatable spoiler is retained in the deployed position for a longer length of time than in the stowed position. The vehicle also includes a human machine interface selectively actuated by an operator of the vehicle to retain the actuatable spoiler in the stowed position for a predetermined length of time.