Air Bellows Compressed Air Estimation via Height and Pressure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for calculating compressed air consumption in heavy motor vehicles are cost-effective but lack accuracy due to not accounting for variations in the cross-sectional area of the air bellows, hindering efforts to minimize fuel consumption and environmental impact.
Innovation Solution
A method that calculates the amount of compressed air supplied to an air bellows using a computing model based on measured bellows height and pressure, leveraging existing data from modern vehicles, without the need for expensive flowmeters, by utilizing the relationship between bellows height and air mass at prevailing pressure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If flowmeters are used to measure compressed air consumption, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses bellows height and pressure measurements as intermediary variables to indirectly calculate compressed air consumption, avoiding the need for direct flow measurement. The control unit computes air mass using the relationship between measured height, pressure, and pre-stored bellows characteristics, achieving accurate measurement without complex flowmeters.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical flowmeter system with a computational approach using existing sensors (height and pressure sensors) and mathematical calculations. The control unit processes measurements through a computing model to determine air consumption, substituting direct mechanical flow measurement with indirect computational derivation.
2Device complexity
If mathematical methods are used to calculate air mass, then device complexity is reduced, but measurement precision deteriorates due to not accounting for cross-sectional area variation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary characterization of the bellows by storing the relationship between height, pressure, and cross-sectional area in the control unit's memory before actual measurements. This pre-stored information allows the system to accurately calculate air mass using simple height and pressure measurements during operation, combining mathematical simplicity with geometric accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from using fixed geometric parameters to using variable parameters (height and pressure) that change with bellows expansion. By measuring how these parameters change and using the pre-stored relationship, the system dynamically adapts to varying cross-sectional areas, maintaining calculation accuracy throughout the bellows' range of motion.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a method for estimating an amount of compressed air supplied to an air bellows (10) which forms part of an air supply system of a vehicle. The magnitude of an amount of compressed air supplied to the air bellows (10) is calculated by means of a computing model on the basis of the measured value representing the bellows height of the air bellows and the measured value representing the bellows pressure of the air bellows. The invention also relates to a computer programme product comprising computer programme codes for implementing a method according to the invention, and to an electronic control unit.