Engine Start-Stop Control for Degraded Road Conditions
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Solution Overview
Problem
The rigid implementation of engine start and stop features in vehicles can lead to sluggish performance and limited power availability to auxiliary systems during degraded road conditions, as high electrical current is required for engine starting and stopping, which can deplete power storage and limit power to components like power steering and brake systems.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle controller maintains the engine's ignition state responsive to indications of degraded road conditions received through designated short-range communications, inhibiting engine starts and stops until the condition subsides, ensuring sufficient energy is available to auxiliary systems like power steering and brakes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If engine start and stop features are rigidly implemented to conserve fuel, then fuel economy is improved, but power availability to auxiliary systems deteriorates during degraded road conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The engine control system dynamically adjusts start/stop operations based on real-time road condition data received via DSRC. When degraded road conditions are detected, the system temporarily disables engine stop functionality to ensure continuous power availability to auxiliary systems, particularly power steering. This dynamic adaptation resolves the contradiction by making the energy conservation feature conditional rather than rigid.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the operational parameters of the engine start/stop feature based on external road condition parameters. When road friction coefficient drops below thresholds (indicating ice, snow, or wet conditions), the control system modifies the engine management parameters to prevent engine shutdown, thereby maintaining electrical power generation for auxiliary systems while still allowing fuel savings during normal conditions.
2Use of energy by moving object
If engine starts and stops are frequently executed, then fuel consumption is reduced, but electrical current demand increases depleting power storage
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary assessment of road conditions before executing engine start/stop operations. By receiving and evaluating DSRC messages about upcoming degraded road sections, the control system proactively prevents engine shutdown before it would occur, ensuring power storage remains charged and ready to support auxiliary systems when needed most.
3Use of energy by moving object
If engine stop is implemented during vehicle braking, then fuel savings are achieved, but power availability to brake and steering systems deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The control system continuously monitors brake system status and road condition feedback. When degraded road conditions are detected, the system receives feedback signals that trigger prevention of engine shutdown during braking events, ensuring continuous power supply to brake systems for enhanced braking performance when road friction is reduced.
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle includes an engine and a brake system. The vehicle includes a controller configured to maintain an ignition state of the engine such that changes in an ignition state between engine start and engine stop are inhibited during a pressurization of the brake system that is prompted by the indication and initiated prior to brake pedal application. The maintained ignition state is responsive to receiving an indication of a degraded road condition from a source in a vicinity of the vehicle.