Flow Model Inversion for Engine Coolant Zone Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing coolant control systems for vehicles often fail to meet the demands of multiple coolant flow requests simultaneously, leading to underflow in certain zones due to the constraint of the coolant pump's speed, which can result in inadequate cooling and increased engine and transmission fluid viscosity, affecting torque output.
Innovation Solution
A coolant control system utilizing a flow inversion module that generates zone flow requests based on temperature sensors, determines key points for actuator commands, calculates costs using absolute normalized error, and selects a winning key point to optimize coolant flow distribution across the system, ensuring priority fulfillment of coolant requests.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the coolant pump speed is constrained, then the system can maintain simple hardware design, but multiple coolant flow requests cannot be satisfied simultaneously leading to underflow in certain zones
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the traditional control approach by using flow model inversion. Instead of directly controlling coolant flow based on pump speed, the system inverts the flow model to calculate the required actuator commands from desired flow rates, enabling multiple flow requests to be satisfied simultaneously while maintaining simple hardware constraints.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts actuator positions based on real-time coolant flow requirements. By making the actuator positions dynamic and adaptive rather than fixed, the system can redistribute coolant flow to satisfy multiple zone requests even with a constrained pump speed, preventing underflow in critical zones.
2Productivity
If coolant flow is insufficient in certain zones, then the system can operate with limited pump capacity, but engine and transmission fluid temperatures increase and viscosity increases affecting torque output
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by distributing coolant flow differently to different zones based on their specific thermal requirements. Each zone receives the appropriate coolant flow rate needed to maintain optimal temperature, preventing localized overheating that would increase fluid viscosity and affect torque output, while the overall pump capacity remains constrained.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the parameter of coolant flow rate distribution across different zones. By dynamically adjusting the flow rate parameters to each zone based on thermal demands, the system maintains optimal temperatures in critical areas even with limited pump capacity, preventing viscosity increases that would degrade torque output.
3Device complexity
If traditional coolant control methods are used, then the system can maintain simple control logic, but multiple coolant flow requests lead to arbitrary priority determination and underflow in lower priority zones
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback by continuously monitoring coolant flow rates in different zones and using this information to adjust actuator positions. The flow model inversion process incorporates feedback from actual flow measurements to refine actuator commands, ensuring that multiple flow requests are satisfied appropriately without arbitrary priority determination, while maintaining relatively simple control logic.
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 coolant flow distribution, ensuring that all coolant requests are satisfied according to their importance, maintaining optimal engine and transmission fluid temperatures and reducing viscosity, thereby enhancing vehicle performance and efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
generates one of a plurality of zone flow requests for engine coolant based on a plurality of coolant temperature sensors
Implementation Method 2
determines a flowrate associated with each command for each key point of the plurality of key points
Implementation Method 3
Engine coolant absorbs and transfers heat from the various parts of a vehicle's cooling system to air or transfers heat from the engine coolant to various parts of a vehicle's cooling system
Implementation Method 4
maintaining optimal engine and transmission fluid temperatures and reducing viscosity
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for controlling engine coolant including generating one of a plurality of zone flow requests for engine coolant, generating a first search zone, determining a plurality of key points for the first search zone, determining a unique combination of commands for each key point of the plurality of key points in the first search zone, determining a flowrate associated with each command for each key point of the plurality of key points, calculating a total cost for each key point using an absolute normalized error for each flowrate of each command for each key point, determining a first winning key point associated with a lowest total cost, and controlling a plurality of actuators based on the commands associated with the first winning key point.