Convoy Formation via Slipstream and Server Coordination
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Solution Overview
Problem
Electric vehicles face challenges in coordinating to form convoys effectively due to unknown plans, making it difficult to reduce wind resistance and improve efficiency, which affects power consumption and range.
Innovation Solution
A method and system for communicating requests to form a convoy between vehicles traveling the same route, with determinations based on battery state-of-health and route conditions, allowing vehicles to travel within each other's slipstream to reduce wind resistance and optimize charging.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If vehicles form a convoy to reduce wind resistance and improve efficiency, then power consumption decreases and range increases, but coordination difficulty and safety risks increase due to unknown vehicle plans
Solution Approach 1:
A server acts as an intermediary between vehicles to manage convoy formation. The server receives route information from vehicles, determines convoy eligibility, and coordinates convoy formation, thereby reducing direct coordination complexity between vehicles while enabling energy-efficient convoy travel
Solution Approach 2:
Vehicles submit their route plans in advance to the server before forming a convoy. This preliminary action allows the server to evaluate route compatibility and coordinate convoy formation proactively, reducing real-time coordination complexity while enabling energy savings from reduced wind resistance
2Loss of energy
If vehicles form a convoy to reduce wind resistance, then drag decreases and efficiency improves, but safety risks increase due to coordination difficulties
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously monitors vehicle routes and convoy formation status, providing feedback to the server. This enables real-time safety verification and coordination adjustments, ensuring that vehicles can safely reduce wind resistance through convoy formation while maintaining reliability through ongoing monitoring and control
3Productivity
If vehicles coordinate to form convoys with known plans, then efficiency improves and power consumption decreases, but system complexity and communication requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The server serves as a centralized intermediary that handles all coordination logic and communication management. This consolidates system complexity into a single entity rather than requiring complex peer-to-peer coordination between vehicles, enabling efficiency improvements through convoy formation while keeping individual vehicle systems relatively simple
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
This approach enables vehicles to safely and efficiently form convoys, reducing power consumption and increasing range by minimizing wind resistance and optimizing charging strategies based on real-time data and vehicle conditions.
Implementation Method 1
the convoy comprises the first vehicle traveling within a slipstream of a second vehicle, the second vehicle being a leading vehicle of the convoy, or the second vehicle traveling within a slipstream of the first vehicle
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for forming a convoy of vehicles are disclosed. In some embodiments, the method comprises communicating a request to form the convoy. In accordance with a determination that the first and second vehicles are traveling a same route for at least a threshold distance, the convoy is confirmed to form. The convoy may comprise a first vehicle traveling within a slipstream of a second vehicle, which is a leading vehicle of the convoy, or the second vehicle traveling within a slipstream of the first vehicle, which is the leading vehicle of the convoy.