Hybrid Vehicle Battery Charge Threshold Coordination
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Solution Overview
Problem
Hybrid electric vehicles face challenges in efficiently managing battery charge levels to maintain operation in electric-only mode across multiple preferred electric driving zones, as existing systems lack a strategic approach to reserve and utilize battery charge effectively.
Innovation Solution
A controller in hybrid vehicles is configured to charge the battery based on specific state of charge thresholds in response to anticipated vehicle routes with multiple electric drive zones, adjusting thresholds to ensure sufficient charge for electric-only operation, using a vehicle navigation system to optimize battery management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the battery state of charge threshold is set high to ensure sufficient charge for electric-only mode operation, then the vehicle can maintain electric-only operation in preferred zones, but the engine will start more frequently increasing fuel consumption
Solution Approach 1:
The controller performs preliminary actions by anticipating upcoming EV zones using navigation system data and pre-charging the battery before entering these zones. The controller calculates required charge levels based on predicted route and pre-activates the engine to charge the battery in advance, avoiding the need to maintain a continuously high charge threshold that would cause frequent engine starts.
2Use of energy by moving object
If the battery state of charge threshold is set low to reduce engine start frequency, then fuel consumption decreases, but the vehicle may deplete battery charge before reaching preferred electric drive zones
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses navigation system data to anticipate upcoming EV zones and performs preliminary charging calculations. The controller determines the exact charge level needed to reach and operate in upcoming zones, then pre-charges the battery to this calculated level, ensuring sufficient charge availability without maintaining an excessively high threshold throughout the entire drive cycle.
Solution Approach 2:
The charge threshold is made dynamic rather than static. The controller adjusts the effective threshold based on real-time conditions including current charge level, predicted route, distance to upcoming EV zones, and current operating mode. This dynamic adjustment allows the threshold to be low during non-EV zones (reducing engine starts) while ensuring sufficient charge is maintained for upcoming EV zones.
3Device complexity
If the controller uses a single charge threshold for all zones, then the control system is simple, but it cannot optimize battery management for multiple preferred electric drive zones along the route
Solution Approach 1:
The controller performs preliminary route analysis using navigation system data to identify upcoming EV zones before the vehicle reaches them. This advance planning allows the system to optimize charge management for multiple zones without requiring complex real-time calculations during zone transitions, maintaining relatively simple control logic while achieving high battery management efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements dynamic threshold adjustment based on the vehicle's location relative to anticipated EV zones. The controller modifies charge thresholds dynamically according to whether the vehicle is approaching, entering, or has exited EV zones, enabling optimized battery management for multiple zones while keeping the control system architecture relatively simple through rule-based dynamic adjustment.
Data Source
AI summary
A hybrid vehicle includes a controller configured to, in response to an anticipated vehicle route for a current drive cycle including at least two preferred electric drive (“EV”) zones, control an engine to charge a battery in response to a battery SOC falling below various thresholds at various portions of the vehicle route. The controller controls the engine to charge the battery in response to the battery SOC falling below a first threshold and the vehicle not having entered the first EV zone, in response to the battery SOC falling below a second threshold and the vehicle having entered the first EV zone but not the second EV zone, and in response to the battery SOC falling below a third threshold and the vehicle having entered the second EV zone. The first threshold is greater than the second threshold, and the second threshold is greater than the third threshold.