Hybrid Drive Accelerator Control with Variable Resistance Modes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing hybrid drive systems for vehicles are not optimized for typical driving styles, which limits their fuel-saving capabilities as they require smooth acceleration and braking to maximize energy recovery and reuse.
Innovation Solution
A hybrid drive system with a driver-operable accelerator control that provides resistance at selected points to divide travel into multiple parts, allowing the controller to switch between modes of operation, including eco, standard, and max launch modes, enabling the driver to select fuel-saving modes by feeling resistance changes, and automatically reverting to standard operation after initial acceleration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If the hybrid drive system operates in fuel-saving mode with smooth acceleration, then fuel consumption is reduced, but acceleration performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically switches between different operating modes (fuel-saving mode and performance mode) based on driver input. The accelerator pedal resistance mechanism dynamically changes the pedal characteristics to guide driver behavior, and the controller dynamically adjusts powertrain operation to match the selected mode, resolving the contradiction between fuel efficiency and acceleration performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The accelerator pedal travel is divided into multiple segments with different resistance characteristics. The first portion provides normal resistance for fuel-efficient operation, while the second portion provides reduced resistance for performance-driven operation. This segmentation allows the system to offer both fuel-saving and performance modes within a single continuous control interface.
2Ease of operation
If the accelerator pedal provides continuous linear resistance, then ease of operation is maintained, but mode selection capability is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The system provides tactile feedback through variable resistance in the accelerator pedal mechanism. When the pedal reaches a threshold position, the resistance changes to indicate a mode transition point to the driver. This feedback mechanism allows mode selection through natural pedal operation without requiring separate controls or complex interfaces, maintaining ease of operation while enabling mode selection capability.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
A hybrid drive system for a vehicle, such as an automobile (3), includes an internal combustion engine (2) and a drive motor (3) operable to propel the vehicle, an energy storage device (7) for storing energy to power the drive motor, a driver operable accelerator control (10) moveable from a zero to a maximum position to control the drive system and an arrangement (11) for increasing resistance to movement of the accelerator control at at least one selected position in its travel thereby to divide the travel of the control into two or more parts. A controller (8) is arranged to control the internal combustion engine (2) and drive motor 3 in dependence on the position of the driver's control (10). And the controller is arranged to control the internal combustion engine and drive motor according to a respective different mode of operation when the accelerator control is in each part of its travel. The controller may provide different modes of operation for acceleration of the vehicle from rest, including an eco mode where only the drive motor is employed, a max mode where both the internal combustion engine and drive motor are employed to obtain maximum acceleration and an intermediate standard mode where output of the internal combustion engine is limited in order to reduce fuel consumption. A driver can select a desired mode of operation by feeling resistance in movement of the accelerator control.