Axle Disconnect Control Using Motor Speed Feedback
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Solution Overview
Problem
All-wheel drive vehicles face frequent transitions between wheel engagement and disengagement, making it challenging to efficiently manage mechanical load transitions and determine the completion of these transitions, which affects vehicle stability and operation.
Innovation Solution
A controller unit with a processor and memory is used to receive requests for mechanical load transitions, send torque requests to the motor, receive motor speed values, determine the status of the transition, and output the determined status, enabling precise control of engagement and disengagement between the motor and axle through a disconnect assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If frequent transitions between wheel engagement and disengagement are allowed to improve vehicle efficiency, then energy consumption is reduced, but vehicle stability deteriorates due to difficulty in determining transition completion
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback by continuously monitoring motor speed values and comparing them against expected values to determine whether mechanical load transitions have completed. The controller receives motor speed values from the speed sensor and uses this feedback information to assess transition status, allowing the system to confirm engagement or disengagement states reliably even during frequent transitions.
2Productivity
If precise control of mechanical load transitions is implemented to improve vehicle operation, then transition management is optimized, but controller complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs self-service by utilizing the motor speed sensor's existing measurements to determine transition completion status. The controller processes motor speed values that are already being collected for other control functions, eliminating the need for separate detection mechanisms and reducing overall system complexity while maintaining precise transition control.
3Measurement precision
If motor speed monitoring is used to determine transition status, then transition detection accuracy is improved, but measurement requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The motor speed sensor serves multiple functions: it provides speed information for motor control and simultaneously enables determination of mechanical load transition completion status. By making the speed sensor multi-functional, the system achieves accurate transition detection without adding dedicated measurement devices or increasing measurement complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
Various disclosed embodiments include illustrative controller units, vehicles, and methods. In an illustrative embodiment, a controller unit includes a processor and a memory. The memory is configured to store computer-executable instructions configured to cause the processor to receive a request to perform a mechanical load transition between a motor and a mechanical load, send a torque request to the motor responsive to the received request, receive a motor speed value, determine status of the mechanical load transition responsive to the received request and the motor speed value, and output the determined status.