Engine Stop-Start Control via Hazard Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for controlling internal combustion engines in vehicles do not effectively manage stopping and starting to optimize fuel consumption and emissions, especially when the vehicle is moving, as they fail to anticipate and respond to changing propulsion demands and hazards in the environment.
Innovation Solution
A method that involves receiving environmental inputs to determine hazards and propulsion demands, allowing the engine to switch between on and off states based on these conditions, ensuring it remains on when hazards or increased propulsion demands are anticipated, and switching off when safe and low demand is confirmed.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If the internal combustion engine is stopped to save fuel and reduce emissions, then energy efficiency improves, but the engine may not be ready to respond quickly when propulsion demand increases due to a hazard
Solution Approach 1:
The controller performs preliminary assessment of the external environment using sensor data to identify hazards before the driver needs to respond. When a hazard is detected, the system proactively keeps the engine in the on state or switches it on in advance, ensuring immediate responsiveness while only avoiding shutdown when truly safe, thus resolving the contradiction between fuel savings and rapid response capability.
2Speed
If the engine is kept in the on state to ensure rapid response to hazards, then response time improves, but fuel consumption increases due to unnecessary idling
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously receives feedback from multiple sensors monitoring the external environment, vehicle state, and propulsion demand. The controller dynamically adjusts engine operation based on this real-time feedback, switching between on and off states optimally. This feedback mechanism ensures the engine runs only when hazards are present or propulsion demand is high, eliminating unnecessary idling while maintaining rapid response capability when needed.
3Use of energy by moving object
If the engine is stopped during low propulsion demand, then fuel consumption decreases, but emissions control becomes more challenging due to cold starts
Solution Approach 1:
The feedback system monitors not only hazard conditions but also engine operating parameters including temperature and emissions output. The controller uses this information to make informed decisions about engine shutdown, avoiding stops when cold start emissions would be problematic and maintaining optimal thermal conditions. This selective shutdown strategy reduces overall fuel consumption while managing emissions through intelligent control rather than continuous operation.
Data Source
AI summary
A method (300) of controlling an internal combustion engine (3) of a vehicle (1), comprising: receiving at least one input (301) indicative of a current external environment proximal to the vehicle (1); determining (305) in dependence on the at least one input (301) whether a hazard is present; determining a current propulsion demand (303) of the vehicle (1); if it is determined that the current propulsion demand (303) is low, either commanding switching of the internal combustion engine (3) to an off state (307) if it is determined that a hazard is not present, or not commanding switching of the internal combustion engine (3) to the off state if it is determined that a hazard is present; and if it is determined that the current propulsion demand (303) is high, commanding switching of the internal combustion engine (3) to an on state if the internal combustion engine (3) is in the off state.