Fuel System Leak Check Control for Autonomous Vehicles
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Solution Overview
Problem
Autonomous and ride-share vehicles face challenges in performing small fuel system leak checks due to limited engine-off time, requiring a stable system that is difficult to achieve in these vehicles, as they often lack sufficient time to reach system stability for federally required tests.
Innovation Solution
A control system that utilizes vehicle sensors, communication systems, and navigation to determine optimal conditions for executing small leak tests, including available time segments, level surfaces, and constant vehicular momentum, allowing the vehicle to drive to undisturbed locations or communicate with infrastructure to ensure stable conditions for leak checks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the vehicle operates continuously without sufficient engine-off time (as in autonomous and ride-share vehicles), then vehicle productivity is improved, but the system stability required for small leak checks cannot be achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The control system proactively monitors engine-off time and identifies suitable time segments before they become critical. By predicting available time segments and planning leak checks in advance, the system ensures that stability requirements are met before productivity demands prevent testing.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts leak check scheduling based on real-time engine-off time accumulation. Rather than using fixed intervals, the control system continuously evaluates the current engine-off duration and selects optimal moments to initiate leak checks, adapting to the varying operational patterns of autonomous and ride-share vehicles.
2Productivity
If the leak check is executed during vehicle movement or vibration, then productivity is improved by reducing idle time, but measurement precision deteriorates due to fuel sloshing and vapor generation
Solution Approach 1:
The control system continuously monitors vehicle motion parameters and fuel system conditions during the leak check process. By providing real-time feedback on system stability and vapor generation levels, the control system can detect when conditions become unsuitable for accurate measurement and adjust or terminate the test accordingly, ensuring measurement precision is maintained.
Solution Approach 2:
Before initiating a leak check, the control system evaluates predicted vehicle motion and fuel system conditions. By assessing whether the vehicle will remain sufficiently stable during the test duration, the system proactively determines whether to proceed with the leak check, preventing measurement errors from occurring in the first place.
3Measurement precision
If the vehicle is stopped for extended periods to achieve system stability, then measurement precision is improved, but loss of time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control system performs leak checks using partial engine-off time segments rather than requiring complete vehicle stops. By utilizing any available engine-off period that meets minimum stability thresholds, the system achieves sufficient measurement precision without excessive time loss, accepting that some leak checks may use shorter durations when conditions permit.
Data Source
AI summary
A control system for a vehicle includes a controller. The controller is configured to receive signals from a plurality of vehicle sensors, a vehicle communications system, a ride-share application, a navigation system, or a combination of these. The controller is configured to determine whether at least one of a plurality of conditions is met to execute a small leak test on a fuel system of the vehicle based on the signals, where the plurality of conditions include an available time segment to execute the small leak test, a level surface, a smooth surface, and a constant vehicular momentum. The controller is configured to execute the small leak test when at least one of the plurality of conditions is met.