Hybrid Vehicle Control Unit Optimizing Fuel Consumption
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Solution Overview
Problem
Hybrid vehicles with parallel architecture face challenges in reducing carbon dioxide emissions and fuel consumption without compromising performance, particularly in optimizing cumulative fuel consumption with known speed profiles.
Innovation Solution
A method for controlling hybrid vehicles with a parallel architecture that optimizes cumulative fuel consumption by determining optimal torque profiles for the internal combustion engine and reversible electrical machine, using a control unit to minimize fuel consumption based on known speed profiles, and managing energy generation and storage efficiently.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If the internal combustion engine operates continuously to meet drive requests, then the vehicle performance is maintained, but the cumulative fuel consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit pre-calculates optimal torque profiles for both the internal combustion engine and electrical machine based on the known speed profile before the vehicle journey begins. This preliminary optimization allows the engine to operate at efficient points while the electrical machine compensates during low-efficiency periods, reducing cumulative fuel consumption without compromising the ability to meet drive torque requests during actual operation.
2Use of energy by moving object
If the electrical machine is used to reduce engine load, then fuel consumption decreases, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit optimizes torque distribution by dynamically adjusting the torque parameters of both the internal combustion engine and electrical machine based on the known speed profile. By calculating optimal torque profiles that consider engine efficiency maps and electrical machine capabilities, the system achieves fuel consumption reduction through parameter optimization rather than complex mechanical reconfigurations, managing complexity through software-based control.
3Object-generated harmful factors
If the torque distribution is optimized for fuel efficiency, then emissions are reduced, but the response to drive requests may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit uses the known speed profile as feedback to pre-determine optimal torque distribution strategies. By anticipating future drive requests and engine operating conditions, the system can optimize torque allocation to minimize emissions while ensuring that sufficient torque is available from either the engine or electrical machine to meet actual drive requests in real-time, preventing any compromise in response speed.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The method achieves minimized cumulative fuel consumption and reduced emissions by optimizing energy use in hybrid vehicles, ensuring efficient operation of both the internal combustion engine and electrical machine, while maintaining performance and reducing emissions.
Implementation Method 1
The electrical machine usually is a reversible electrical machine, namely it can act both as an engine by absorbing electrical energy and by generating mechanical work and as a generator by absorbing mechanical work and by generating electrical energy
Implementation Method 2
an internal combustion engine, which transmits a torque to the drive wheels
Data Source
AI summary
A method to control a hybrid vehicle with a parallel architecture and with a known speed profile divided into a plurality of reference time intervals with a constant speed or with a constant acceleration. The method includes the steps of determining a driving torque to be transmitted to the drive wheels, which allows the mean specific fuel consumption of the internal combustion engine to be minimized as a function of the power, of the mechanical energy requested in the reference time interval and of the constant speed or acceleration in the reference time interval; then determining the optimal distribution of the mechanical energy so as to globally minimize the cumulative fuel consumption over the entire actuation profile; and controlling the reversible electrical machine to deliver an additional driving torque as a function of the driving torque to be transmitted to the drive wheels.