Vehicle Load Determination Using Brake Demand and Deceleration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for determining the actual mass of a vehicle or vehicle combination are costly due to the need for additional sensors or rely on unavailable engine and transmission control parameters, especially in scenarios like standard data communication between trucks and trailers.
Innovation Solution
A method that determines the actual mass by establishing a reference relationship between deceleration and brake demand using existing sensors like velocity or acceleration sensors, and correlating this with a predetermined brake demand to calculate the mass without additional sensors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If additional sensors (pressure transducer or position sensor) are applied to measure actual load, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity and system costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The vehicle's existing brake system and velocity sensor serve the dual purpose of their original function (braking and speed monitoring) plus mass determination. The brake demand signal already present in the system is reused to correlate with deceleration measurements, eliminating the need for dedicated mass measurement sensors.
Solution Approach 2:
The velocity sensor and brake system are made multi-functional by using them not only for their primary purposes (speed monitoring and braking control) but also for determining the vehicle's actual mass through correlation of deceleration and brake demand data.
2Device complexity
If engine and transmission control parameters are used to estimate actual mass, then device complexity is reduced, but reliability deteriorates due to unavailable parameters in standard truck-trailer communication
Solution Approach 1:
The method uses data (brake demand signal and deceleration) that is already self-generated and self-measured by the vehicle's own brake system and velocity sensor, ensuring availability and reliability without depending on external communication protocols or additional sensors.
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
Enables the determination of actual mass in an economic manner without additional sensors, allowing for precise calculation of vehicle load by utilizing existing vehicle systems and sensors, such as acceleration or velocity sensors, and ensuring no wheel blocking occurs during the process.
Implementation Method 1
The actual deceleration can be detected by a velocity sensor which is usually provided in cars at the present stage
Implementation Method 2
or, if provided, directly by an acceleration sensor
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
A method for determining an actual mass of a vehicle (1) comprises the steps: determining a reference relationship of a deceleration (Ax) of the vehicle (1) having a known mass with respect to a brake demand (bd); executing braking with a predetermined brake demand (bd); detecting an actual deceleration (Ax) of the vehicle (1) when using the predetermined brake demand (Ax); determining an actual relationship of the actual deceleration of the vehicle (1) with respect to the predetermined brake demand (bd); and determining the actual mass (ma) of the vehicle (1) by correlating the actual relationship and the reference relationship.