Utility Vehicle Axle Recuperation With Matched Wheel-End Deceleration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing axles for utility vehicles with recuperation devices on both wheel ends are costly, space-consuming, and heavy, while those with recuperation on one side only offer low energy recovery due to potential driving dynamics issues.
Innovation Solution
An axle design with a recuperation device connected to one wheel end and a control unit to manage decelerations independently at both ends, ensuring balanced deceleration through a braking device, allowing efficient energy recovery with reduced weight and space requirements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If a recuperation device is connected to both wheel ends via differential and generator, then stable driving dynamics are ensured, but the system becomes costly, space-intensive, and heavy
Solution Approach 1:
The recuperation system is segmented to operate independently on one wheel end only, rather than requiring symmetric connection to both wheel ends. This segmentation allows the generator and differential to be eliminated, reducing system complexity while maintaining stability through asymmetric energy recovery on the active wheel end
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies asymmetry by connecting the recuperation device to only one wheel end instead of both, creating an asymmetric configuration. This asymmetric setup eliminates the need for a differential mechanism while still ensuring stable driving dynamics through controlled deceleration matching between the two wheel ends
2Device complexity
If a recuperation device is connected to just one wheel end, then structural space and weight are reduced, but energy recovery is limited and driving dynamics become unstable
Solution Approach 1:
A control unit continuously monitors the deceleration of both wheel ends and adjusts the braking force on the non-recuperating wheel end to match the deceleration of the recuperating wheel end. This feedback control ensures stable driving dynamics while allowing asymmetric connection of the recuperation device to only one wheel end, thereby reducing structural space and weight
3Stability of the object's composition
If deceleration is applied to both wheel ends with same magnitude, then driving dynamics remain stable, but the recuperation device requires complex differential connection
Solution Approach 1:
The mechanical differential system is replaced with an electronic control system that independently manages deceleration of each wheel end. The control unit calculates and applies appropriate braking forces to match decelerations, substituting complex mechanical linkages with electronic control to achieve the same stability effect while enabling efficient one-sided energy recovery
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
Facilitates stable driving dynamics and efficient energy recovery by balancing decelerations at both wheel ends, optimizing production costs and structural space, enhancing vehicle efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a recuperation device which is or can be connected to the first wheel end and is designed to recuperate rotational energy of the first wheel end
Implementation Method 2
a braking device which is designed to decelerate the second wheel end
Data Source
AI summary
An axle for utility vehicles includes a first wheel end and a second wheel end arranged opposite each other and rotatably on the axle, a recovery device connected to the first wheel end configured to recover rotational energy of the first wheel end, a braking device configured to decelerate the second wheel end, and a control unit configured to determine information on a deceleration of the first wheel end which results from the recovery and/or a deceleration of the second wheel end, and to control the braking device and/or the recovery device such that the deceleration of the first wheel end and the deceleration of the second wheel end are matched to each other, wherein the control unit is configured to determine the information on the deceleration of the first wheel end based on the recovered rotational energy.