Fuel System Controller Distance-to-Empty Warning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Operators of alternative fueled vehicles experience anxiety due to sparse infrastructure for refueling or recharging, worrying about running out of energy before reaching a station, as existing engine energy management control systems do not effectively manage fuel or energy supplies in real-time with location and traffic conditions.
Innovation Solution
A fuel system controller that obtains fuel burn data and location information to determine the vehicle's distance to empty, identifies nearby fueling stations based on a threshold distance, and provides a warning indication on a dashboard display depending on the number of stations within that distance, prioritizing preferred stations and accounting for traffic and road conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional fuel level warning systems are used, then the system structure is simple, but the operator experiences anxiety about running out of fuel before reaching a station
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary calculations of distance-to-empty based on current fuel consumption rates and identifies nearby fueling stations in advance. By proactively determining fuel adequacy and station availability before the vehicle reaches a critical fuel level, the system provides reassurance to operators and prevents fuel exhaustion scenarios.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors fuel level, consumption rate, vehicle location, and nearby station data, then provides real-time feedback to the operator about fuel adequacy and recommended actions. This closed-loop feedback mechanism reduces operator anxiety by keeping them informed about their fuel status and available refueling options throughout the journey.
2Reliability
If real-time fuel monitoring and station identification is implemented, then operator anxiety is reduced, but the computational requirements and data processing increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system calculates distance-to-empty using simplified models based on current fuel consumption rates rather than performing exhaustive simulations. It identifies fueling stations within a threshold distance rather than analyzing all possible stations, providing sufficient information for operator decision-making without requiring excessive computational resources.
Solution Approach 2:
The system leverages existing vehicle sensors for fuel level and consumption data, and utilizes available telematics infrastructure for location tracking. By self-servicing with data already collected by the vehicle's existing systems, the patent minimizes additional computational overhead while achieving comprehensive fuel monitoring.
3Measurement precision
If the system considers traffic and road conditions to calculate distance to empty, then the accuracy of fuel range prediction improves, but the data requirements and system complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies different fuel consumption rate assumptions based on local driving conditions such as traffic density, road grade, and weather. Rather than using a single average consumption rate, the system adjusts the calculation locally according to current conditions, improving accuracy without requiring a complete overhaul of the system architecture.
Data Source
AI summary
A fuel system controller obtains fuel burn data from an engine control module (ECM). The fuel system controller also obtains location data from a telematics control module, such as GPS location data identifying the location of a vehicle. The fuel system controller determines the vehicle's base location based on the location data, and determines how far the vehicle can travel based on the fuel burn data. The fuel system controller determines how many fueling stations are with a threshold distance of the determined distance to empty. The fuel system controller can use that data to identify which, and how many, fueling stations are within a threshold distance of the determined distance to empty. The fuel system controller can provide a fueling warning indication based on the number of fueling stations that are within the determined distance to empty.