Engine Start Control for Noise and Vibration Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Automatically starting an engine to conserve fuel can result in unpleasant noise and vibration for vehicle occupants, as existing systems do not effectively manage engine cranking time and acceleration to minimize disturbance during restarts, especially when the engine is restarted for low battery state or anticipated vehicle acceleration.
Innovation Solution
Adjusting engine cranking time and acceleration rate by delaying fuel injection and adjusting spark timing based on the urgency of the restart event, such as increasing cranking time for low urgency events like low battery state and reducing it for urgent events like accelerator pedal application, to reduce noise and vibration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If the engine is automatically started to conserve fuel, then fuel consumption is reduced, but engine noise and vibration increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts engine cranking time and acceleration rate based on real-time operating conditions. When the engine is automatically restarted, the controller modulates the cranking duration and acceleration profile to balance fuel conservation with noise reduction, making the engine start less noticeable to occupants while still achieving fuel savings.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes key engine starting parameters (cranking time and acceleration rate) to resolve the contradiction. By extending cranking time and controlling acceleration rate, the system reduces the perceptibility of engine noise and vibration during automatic restarts, thereby reducing harmful factors while maintaining fuel conservation benefits.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If engine cranking time is increased to reduce noise, then engine noise decreases, but vehicle acceleration response time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts cranking time and acceleration rate based on the urgency of the restart event. For low-urgency events (e.g., battery state of charge maintenance), longer cranking time is used to reduce noise. For high-urgency events (e.g., accelerator pedal application), shorter cranking time is used to ensure rapid acceleration response.
Solution Approach 2:
The controller changes engine starting parameters (cranking time and acceleration rate) based on operating conditions. This allows the system to optimize between noise reduction and acceleration response by selecting appropriate parameter combinations for different situations.
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 makes engine starts less noticeable to occupants, ensures timely acceleration when needed, and reduces engine noise and vibration, enhancing driver satisfaction.
Implementation Method 1
automatically starting an engine in response to the automatic engine start triggering event via the controller
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for operating a vehicle that includes an engine that may be automatically stopped and started are described. In one example, an amount of time to start an engine and a rate of engine acceleration are adjusted in response to what type of event triggered an automatic engine start.