Hybrid Vehicle Control System for Energy Management
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Hybrid vehicles face inefficiencies due to the weight and cost added by multiple batteries, which increase fuel consumption and reduce engine efficiency, as more batteries are required to compensate for the engine's limitations.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle control system that uses processors to analyze upcoming trip characteristics, identify locations where the engine alone cannot provide sufficient power, and calculate operational settings to charge energy storage devices sufficiently, allowing them to supplement or replace engine power, thereby reducing fuel consumption and enabling smaller, lighter engine and battery sizes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If more batteries are added to reduce fuel consumption, then fuel efficiency is improved, but vehicle weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control system performs preliminary analysis of upcoming trip characteristics (route topography, traffic conditions, weather) to predict energy requirements before the trip occurs. This allows the system to pre-plan optimal energy management strategies, charging the energy storage device in advance during periods of low energy demand, thereby reducing the need for excessive battery capacity to handle peak demands.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts operational settings based on real-time conditions and predicted future states. The control system continuously monitors actual trip conditions against predicted conditions and adapts energy management strategies accordingly, optimizing the balance between engine and battery usage throughout the trip rather than relying on fixed battery sizing.
2Loss of energy
If more batteries are added to replace engine power, then fuel consumption is reduced, but vehicle cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control system performs preliminary analysis of upcoming trip characteristics (route topography, traffic conditions, weather) to predict energy requirements before the trip occurs. This allows the system to pre-plan optimal energy management strategies, charging the energy storage device in advance during periods of low energy demand, thereby reducing the need for excessive battery capacity to handle peak demands.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes operational parameters dynamically based on predicted trip conditions. By adjusting throttle settings, transmission ratios, and energy source selection based on pre-analyzed route characteristics, the system optimizes fuel efficiency without requiring additional battery capacity, thereby reducing vehicle cost.
3Power
If the engine is made larger to provide sufficient power, then power availability is improved, but fuel consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control system performs preliminary analysis of upcoming trip characteristics (route topography, traffic conditions, weather) to predict energy requirements before the trip occurs. This allows the system to pre-plan optimal energy management strategies, charging the energy storage device in advance during periods of low energy demand, thereby reducing the need for excessive battery capacity to handle peak demands.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts operational settings based on real-time conditions and predicted future states. The control system continuously monitors actual trip conditions against predicted conditions and adapts energy management strategies accordingly, optimizing the balance between engine and battery usage throughout the trip rather than relying on fixed battery sizing.
4Weight of moving object
If the vehicle operates with limited energy storage, then weight is reduced, but the engine cannot provide sufficient power at certain locations
Solution Approach 1:
The control system performs preliminary analysis of upcoming trip characteristics (route topography, traffic conditions, weather) to predict energy requirements before the trip occurs. This allows the system to pre-plan optimal energy management strategies, charging the energy storage device in advance during periods of low energy demand, thereby reducing the need for excessive battery capacity to handle peak demands.
Solution Approach 2:
The control system acts as an intermediary that coordinates between the engine and energy storage device. By intelligently managing power distribution and charging strategies based on pre-analyzed trip conditions, the system ensures sufficient power availability at critical locations while maintaining lightweight energy storage configuration.
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle control system examines characteristics of an upcoming segment of a trip of a hybrid vehicle. One or more locations in the upcoming segment of the trip are identified based on the characteristics as places where an engine of the vehicle is incapable of generating enough energy to power the vehicle through the locations. Operational settings of the vehicle are calculated based on the locations to operate the vehicle in a way that charges an energy storage device with energy that can be used to replace or supplement the energy provided by the engine to propel the hybrid vehicle over or through the locations. The one or more processors are configured to one or more of automatically control or generate a control signal for automated operation of the hybrid vehicle according to the one or more operational settings that are calculated.