Fuel Cell Vehicle Efficiency Display Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Fuel cell vehicle drivers face difficulty in understanding instantaneous fuel efficiency and electric power efficiency due to confusing display values across different driving modes, leading to usability issues.
Innovation Solution
A fuel cell vehicle with a controller that selectively displays either instantaneous fuel efficiency or electric power efficiency based on the driving mode, ensuring that only relevant and accurate values are shown to prevent misleadingly high readings, thereby improving usability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If both instantaneous fuel efficiency and instantaneous electric power efficiency are displayed on the instrument panel, then the driver can be aware of the environmental impact through multiple indicators, but it becomes difficult for the driver to correctly understand the displayed values depending on the driving mode
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the display information by driving mode, showing only the relevant efficiency metric for each mode: instantaneous electric power efficiency is displayed only in EV mode (first driving mode), while instantaneous fuel efficiency is displayed only in FC mode (second driving mode). This segmentation prevents confusion by ensuring drivers see only the applicable metric for their current operating condition.
Solution Approach 2:
The display content dynamically changes based on the driving mode. The controller automatically switches between displaying electric power efficiency and fuel efficiency according to whether the vehicle is in EV mode or FC mode. This dynamic adaptation ensures the displayed information is always relevant and easy to understand for the current operating condition.
2Measurement precision
If instantaneous fuel efficiency is displayed in EV mode where fuel cell power generation is stopped, then the displayed value becomes misleadingly high, but displaying accurate relevant efficiency information is needed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the inappropriate efficiency metric from each driving mode. In EV mode, instantaneous fuel efficiency display is removed because fuel cell power generation is stopped and displaying it would be misleading. Only instantaneous electric power efficiency is displayed in EV mode, ensuring accuracy and relevance of the displayed information.
3Measurement precision
If instantaneous electric power efficiency is displayed in FC mode where fuel cell supplies primary power, then the displayed value becomes misleadingly high, but accurate relevant efficiency information should be shown
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the inappropriate efficiency metric from FC mode where the fuel cell supplies primary power. Instantaneous electric power efficiency display is removed in this mode because it would be misleadingly high. Only instantaneous fuel efficiency is displayed in FC mode, ensuring the displayed information accurately reflects the primary power source.
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
The solution enhances driver understanding of fuel and electric power efficiency by avoiding misleadingly high values in each driving mode, thereby improving overall usability and awareness of environmental impact.
Implementation Method 1
a fuel cell that supplies the motor with an electric power that is generated using a hydrogen fuel
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle, which is a fuel cell vehicle, has an EV mode and an FC mode. In the EV mode, power generation by the FC stack is stopped and an electric power is supplied from a battery to a motor generator. In the FC mode, an electric power supplied from the FC stack to the motor generator is greater than an electric power supplied from the battery to the motor generator. In the EV mode, ECU controls an MID so that the MID displays the instantaneous electric power efficiency of the vehicle and does not display the instantaneous fuel efficiency of the vehicle. In the FC mode, ECU controls MID so that the MID displays the instantaneous fuel efficiency of the vehicle and does not display the instantaneous electric power efficiency of the vehicle.