Hybrid Vehicle Downhill Control Gradient Accuracy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing control apparatuses for hybrid vehicles inaccurately identify downhill sections, leading to unnecessary or missed support control, which affects fuel consumption and battery degradation due to incorrect gradient information from navigation databases.
Innovation Solution
A control apparatus that uses actual gradient information from sensors to accurately search for downhill sections within a scheduled travel route, distinguishing between measured and actual gradients to prevent erroneous recognition of road sections, thereby optimizing battery management and fuel efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If measured gradient information from navigation database is used to identify downhill sections, then the system can determine support control routes, but the accuracy of downhill section identification deteriorates due to discrepancies between measured and actual gradients
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by storing actual gradient information in advance during vehicle travel, then uses this pre-stored data to accurately identify downhill sections when planning support control routes, avoiding the need to rely solely on potentially inaccurate real-time measurements
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates a copy of actual gradient information from sensor measurements and stores it in a database, then uses this copied data for downhill section identification instead of relying on the original measured gradient information from navigation databases, thereby improving accuracy
2Extent of automation
If support control is executed based on inaccurate gradient information, then the control system operates, but unnecessary support control is executed or necessary support control is missed, affecting fuel consumption and battery management
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses actual gradient information obtained from sensors during vehicle travel as feedback to verify and correct the identification of downhill sections, ensuring that support control is executed only when truly necessary and improving the reliability of automatic control execution
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary verification by comparing measured gradient information with actual gradient information before executing support control, preventing unnecessary control execution and ensuring necessary control is not missed
3Loss of energy
If the management range of SOC is expanded to accommodate regenerative braking on downhills, then more regenerative energy can be stored, but the complexity of battery management increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary identification of downhill sections using accurate actual gradient information before the vehicle reaches them, allowing the management range to be expanded only when and where truly needed, rather than maintaining a permanently expanded range, thus reducing overall management complexity
Data Source
AI summary
A control apparatus for a hybrid vehicle determines a scheduled travel route. The control apparatus further determines a downhill section included in the scheduled travel route by using gradient information acquired for a road section at a time when the vehicle has traveled on the road section and using gradient information stored in a navigation database for a road section on which the vehicle travels for a first time. The control apparatus determines a section from a downhill control start point to an end point of the target downhill section as a downhill control section. The downhill control start point is a point located a predetermined first distance closer to the vehicle from a start point of the target downhill section. When the vehicle travels on the downhill control section, the control apparatus executes downhill control.