Vehicle Energy Storage Monitoring for Reliable Engine Restart
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current energy storage systems in vehicles, such as batteries, often fail to provide sufficient power for engine cranking, leading to 'dead, won't start' situations due to insufficient capacity, improper shutdown, or overall operational degradation, resulting in mission failures and increased maintenance costs.
Innovation Solution
A system that includes processors to monitor and evaluate the operational status of energy storage systems by measuring resistance, impedance, voltage, and other parameters, allowing for predictive maintenance and preventing engine shutdown when capacity falls below a threshold, thereby ensuring the vehicle can reach a service location for maintenance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If the energy storage system capacity is reduced to conserve fuel and reduce emissions, then fuel efficiency improves, but the system fails to provide sufficient power for engine cranking and auxiliary loads
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary assessment of energy storage capacity by monitoring voltage, current, temperature, and cycle history before engine shutdown is considered. This advance evaluation prevents shutdowns by predicting whether the battery will have sufficient capacity for cranking, allowing the system to plan energy usage in advance rather than reacting to failure conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors multiple parameters (voltage, current, temperature, charge/discharge cycles) and uses this feedback to dynamically adjust shutdown decisions. The feedback loop compares actual performance against predicted performance and modifies operation to prevent capacity depletion below cranking thresholds, resolving the contradiction between fuel conservation and cranking reliability.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If the engine shutdown frequency is increased to reduce emissions, then emission levels decrease, but the energy storage system may not have sufficient capacity for subsequent startup
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary assessment of energy storage capacity by monitoring voltage, current, temperature, and cycle history before engine shutdown is considered. This advance evaluation prevents shutdowns by predicting whether the battery will have sufficient capacity for cranking, allowing the system to plan energy usage in advance rather than reacting to failure conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors multiple parameters (voltage, current, temperature, charge/discharge cycles) and uses this feedback to dynamically adjust shutdown decisions. The feedback loop compares actual performance against predicted performance and modifies operation to prevent capacity depletion below cranking thresholds, resolving the contradiction between fuel conservation and cranking reliability.
3Ease of operation
If lower-power devices such as telematics and lights are operated during engine shutdown, then communication and lighting functions are maintained, but the energy storage system capacity depletes faster
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the operational status of auxiliary devices based on real-time energy storage capacity assessment. When capacity is sufficient, devices like telematics and lights can operate during shutdown. When capacity approaches critical thresholds, the system automatically adjusts or shuts down these auxiliary devices to preserve enough energy for engine cranking, creating a dynamic balance between functionality and reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
A system is provided that may include one or more processors that may receive one or more signals relating to operation of an energy system of a vehicle. The processors may calculate an operational status of the energy storage system based at least in part on comparing the one or more signals with one or more designated criteria related to the energy storage system. The processors may automatically control a shutdown and a startup of an engine of the vehicle responsive to the operational status of the energy storage system being below a threshold.