AWD Disconnect Control Using V2V Hazard Data
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current all-wheel drive (AWD) disconnect systems in vehicles fail to predictively connect the AWD driveline assembly efficiently, leading to suboptimal fuel efficiency and traction in varying road conditions, as they react only to undesirable events like wheel slip rather than proactively responding to potential hazards.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle controller that utilizes vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) and vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communications to receive messages about road conditions and hazards, determining the AWD state by calculating distance and time to a hazard, and adjusting the AWD connection state accordingly to prepare for potential slippery conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the AWD system is kept connected to ensure traction in hazardous conditions, then vehicle safety and handling are improved, but fuel efficiency deteriorates due to parasitic losses from rotating driveline components
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by proactively connecting the AWD driveline assembly before the vehicle actually encounters hazardous road conditions. Using V2V and V2I communications, the system receives hazard information and predicts potential slippery conditions ahead of time, allowing the AWD system to be connected in advance. This eliminates the need to wait for wheel slip to occur, ensuring traction is ready when needed while avoiding unnecessary continuous connection.
2Use of energy by moving object
If the AWD system is disconnected to improve fuel efficiency, then energy consumption is reduced, but vehicle traction and handling deteriorate when hazardous conditions are encountered
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses feedback from V2V and V2I communication networks to continuously monitor road conditions and hazard locations. This external feedback is combined with internal vehicle sensors to make informed decisions about AWD connection timing. The feedback mechanism allows the system to respond to actual road conditions rather than relying solely on predefined thresholds or reactive wheel slip detection.
3Device complexity
If the AWD system reacts only to wheel slip events to connect, then system complexity is minimized, but response time to hazardous conditions is delayed until undesirable events occur
Solution Approach 1:
The system introduces an intermediary layer of hazard information from V2V and V2I communication networks that mediates between the vehicle and the road conditions. This intermediary provides advance warning of hazardous conditions before the vehicle encounters them, allowing proactive AWD connection without requiring complex predictive algorithms or additional onboard sensors. The communication network acts as the intermediary that bridges the gap between current vehicle state and future road conditions.
Data Source
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AI summary
Methods, devices and systems are provided for determining a connection state of an all wheel drive (AWD) assembly in a vehicle. The method includes receiving, by a vehicle, a message indicative of a hazard and a hazard location on the road and determining a distance to the hazard location from the vehicle. In response to the distance to the hazard location being below a first threshold distance, a state for an AWD assembly in the vehicle is set to a connect state. In response to the distance to the hazard location being above the first threshold, the time for the vehicle to reach the hazard location is determined. If the time to the hazard location is below a threshold AWD connection time, the state for the AWD assembly is set to the connect state.