Electric Vehicle Speed Control Modulating Energy Consumption
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional cruise control systems for electric vehicles are inefficient in managing energy consumption, leading to significant energy losses and difficulty in navigating heavy traffic, which can result in reduced vehicle autonomy and increased energy consumption.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that estimate the route length, measure the vehicle's energy capacity, and modulate the instantaneous travel speed to match calculated maximum energy consumption, using a data processing device and user interface to adjust the accelerator pedal pressure, incorporating features like energy regeneration and altimetric compensation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If conventional cruise control systems are used to maintain preset speed, then speed maintenance is achieved, but energy consumption increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the vehicle speed based on real-time energy consumption calculations and route characteristics. Instead of maintaining a fixed preset speed, the cruise control adapts the speed profile to optimize energy usage while considering factors like elevation changes, traffic conditions, and battery state of charge, thereby resolving the contradiction between speed maintenance and energy consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the speed parameter dynamically based on calculated maximum energy consumption thresholds. By continuously monitoring energy consumption rates and adjusting the speed parameter accordingly, the system ensures that speed maintenance does not lead to excessive energy consumption, directly addressing the technical contradiction.
2Ease of operation
If conventional cruise control is used in heavy traffic with continual accelerations and decelerations, then traffic flow is followed, but driver awareness of speed is lost and energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system provides continuous feedback to the driver about energy consumption and speed status through the user interface. This feedback mechanism maintains driver awareness of speed and energy usage even during automatic traffic flow adaptation, resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and energy consumption by keeping the driver informed while managing energy efficiently.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts speed in response to traffic flow while simultaneously optimizing for energy consumption. By adaptively changing speed parameters based on both traffic conditions and energy thresholds, the system achieves ease of operation in heavy traffic without excessive energy consumption.
3Speed
If accelerator pedal pressure is constantly adjusted to maintain speed in traffic, then speed control is achieved, but driver awareness is lost and speeding fines may occur
Solution Approach 1:
The system provides feedback to the driver through the user interface, informing them of current speed, energy consumption status, and any speed limit concerns. This feedback loop maintains driver awareness and information about vehicle status while the system handles the complex task of speed control in traffic, resolving the contradiction between speed control and driver awareness.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs the complex speed control adjustments automatically based on energy consumption calculations and traffic conditions, freeing the driver from constant manual intervention. The driver receives essential information through feedback mechanisms, allowing the system to serve itself in managing speed control while keeping the driver informed.
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 optimizes vehicle autonomy by minimizing energy consumption and maintaining controlled speed, reducing energy losses and ensuring the vehicle operates within set energy and speed limits, thereby extending its operating time.
Implementation Method 1
vehicle powered completely by electricity... electric motor... controller modulating the power output
Implementation Method 2
apply the brakes with regeneration of electricity... convert some of the kinetic energy that the vehicle lost in braking to electric power
Data Source
AI summary
A system for and a method of managing and controlling the speed of a vehicle, comprising the following steps of: - estimating a length of a route to follow, - measuring an energy capacity of a vehicle, - calculating a maximum energy consumption per unit of length on the basis of the estimated length and of the measured energy capacity and - modulating the instantaneous travel speed of the vehicle so that the instantaneous energy consumption of the vehicle in motion is substantially equal to or less than the calculated maximum energy consumption for each section of the route.