Distance to Empty Energy Compensation for Transient Vehicle Conditions
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current distance to empty (DTE) estimation methods in vehicles are inaccurate due to short-term transient changes in energy consumption, such as vehicle warm-up and climate control transients, which are not effectively filtered out by existing approaches that focus on long-term energy consumption learning.
Innovation Solution
A DTE estimation system that identifies and compensates for noise factors like transient temperatures and pressures using a feed-forward transient energy consumption rate estimator, energy consumption rate learning algorithm, and energy available compensator, to provide a more accurate DTE calculation by accounting for the impact of these factors on energy consumption rates.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If long-term energy consumption learning is used for DTE estimation, then the system can adapt to changing driving conditions over time, but it fails to effectively filter out short-term transient changes causing inaccurate DTE estimates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the energy consumption learning process into two distinct components: long-term energy consumption learning (adaptability) and transient energy consumption filtering (precision). By separating these functions, the system can maintain adaptability to changing conditions while simultaneously filtering out short-term transients that degrade DTE accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism (transient filter or dual-learning architecture) that mediates between the long-term learning process and the immediate DTE calculation. This intermediary captures and processes transient effects separately, preventing them from corrupting the main DTE estimate while preserving the adaptability benefits of long-term learning.
2Reliability
If transient energy consumption changes are included in DTE calculation, then the DTE reflects current vehicle conditions, but the DTE fluctuates significantly during warm-up and climate control transients
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by identifying and filtering transient energy consumption changes before they affect the DTE calculation. The transient filter proactively removes these short-term fluctuations, ensuring that the DTE remains stable during warm-up and climate control transients while still reflecting true long-term energy consumption trends.
3Device complexity
If simple energy consumption rate multiplication is used for DTE estimation, then the calculation is computationally simple, but it produces inaccurate results during transient operating conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces dynamics into the DTE estimation by implementing adaptive learning mechanisms that adjust energy consumption rates based on operating conditions. Rather than using a static multiplication approach, the system dynamically learns and updates consumption patterns, improving accuracy during transient conditions while maintaining computational efficiency through iterative learning algorithms.
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
The system improves the accuracy of DTE estimates by robustly rejecting transient noise factors, reducing fluctuations and providing a more reliable vehicle range prediction by accounting for energy consumption changes during transient conditions.
Implementation Method 1
an energy loss factor that accounts for conversion of some of the drive energy to heat to raise the current temperature to the steady state temperature
Implementation Method 2
an energy loss factor that accounts for conversion of some of the drive energy to heat as the current pressure of the at least one tire increases to the steady state pressure
Data Source
AI summary
A method of estimating distance to empty (DTE) for a vehicle includes, in response to detecting an energy loss condition expected to be present during an initial portion of a drive cycle for a period of time needed for a current temperature or pressure associated with the vehicle to achieve a steady state, outputting a DTE. The DTE is based on an amount of drive energy available and an energy loss factor associated with the energy loss condition that accounts for conversion of some of the drive energy to heat as the current temperature or pressure increases to the steady state.