Fuel Cell Vehicle Energy Monitoring for Route Completion Alerts
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Solution Overview
Problem
Fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) lack real-time monitoring of battery charge levels, leading to drivers unknowingly depleting battery energy reserves while hydrogen tanks remain full, potentially interfering with travel missions due to unawareness of combined fuel cell and battery power requirements.
Innovation Solution
A control system monitors energy capacity and requirements, estimating energy needs based on driving conditions and vehicle parameters, and alerts drivers if insufficient energy is projected to complete a route, offering adjustments like altering speed or route to ensure sufficient energy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If FCEVs only indicate hydrogen fuel levels without showing battery charge status, then the system remains simple, but drivers cannot assess total energy availability and may deplete the battery before refueling
Solution Approach 1:
The monitoring system segments total energy capacity into two distinct components: hydrogen fuel energy and battery charge energy. Each component is monitored and displayed separately, allowing drivers to understand the specific status of each energy source while maintaining overall energy awareness. This segmentation resolves the contradiction by providing comprehensive energy information without creating a monolithic complex system.
Solution Approach 2:
The control system performs multiple functions: it monitors hydrogen levels, monitors battery charge status, calculates total energy capacity, estimates energy required for the route, and provides guidance to the driver. By integrating these multiple functions into a single control system, the patent achieves comprehensive energy monitoring without proportionally increasing system complexity.
2Reliability
If drivers are not provided with real-time energy monitoring, then the system remains simple, but drivers unknowingly deplete the battery and cannot complete their travel mission
Solution Approach 1:
The control system performs preliminary calculations of total energy capacity and estimates the energy required to complete the planned route before the driver begins travel. By providing this advance assessment, the system ensures reliable travel mission completion without requiring complex real-time adjustments during operation, thus balancing reliability with acceptable system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides feedback to the driver about total energy capacity and whether it is sufficient to complete the planned route. This feedback mechanism enables drivers to make informed decisions about their travel plans and energy management, significantly improving the reliability of travel mission completion while using a straightforward feedback approach rather than complex control algorithms.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the system monitors only hydrogen levels, then the monitoring is simple, but it does not account for environmental conditions and driving habits that affect battery power consumption
Solution Approach 1:
The control system obtains route information in advance and uses it to estimate the energy required to complete the planned trip, taking into account environmental conditions and driving patterns associated with that route. This preliminary assessment provides adaptable energy evaluation without requiring complex real-time measurement of all influencing factors during vehicle operation.
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
Enables safe and reliable completion of travel missions by notifying drivers of energy shortages and suggesting adjustments, optimizing energy use between fuel cell and battery to prevent battery depletion.
Implementation Method 1
Fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) are primarily powered by hydrogen fuel cells, which convert pressurized hydrogen gas into electrical energy used to power an electric motor(s)
Implementation Method 2
The FCEV also contains a high voltage battery system (hereinafter 'battery'), which acts as an electrical energy buffer for these FCEVs
Implementation Method 3
electrical energy used to power an electric motor(s) which provides mechanical power to rotate the vehicle wheels
Implementation Method 4
The battery may also provide storage for electrical energy that results from braking and deceleration of the FCEV while the drive motors are functioning as generators to absorb the kinetic energy of the FCEV
Data Source
AI summary
A method is provided for monitoring the operation of a vehicle powered by a fuel cell and a battery. The method comprises the steps of determining an energy capacity of the vehicle, estimating an energy required for the vehicle to travel on a route to a destination, determining whether the energy required is greater than the energy capacity, and if it is determined that the energy required is greater than the energy capacity, sending a notification to alert a driver of the vehicle.