Hybrid Vehicle Engine Usage Control for Fuel Deterioration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) estimate fuel deterioration based on past traveling history, leading to potential overuse of the engine and insufficient use of electric power due to discrepancies between estimated and actual traveling distances, failing to meet user desires for reduced environmental impact.
Innovation Solution
A hybrid electric vehicle system that adjusts the engine usage ratio based on actual long-distance traveling schedules, incorporating a control device that switches to a charge depleting (CD) mode or charge sustaining (CS) mode to maximize electric power usage while minimizing fuel deterioration, utilizing schedule information and location-based data to optimize engine usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the usage ratio of the engine is increased to prevent fuel deterioration, then fuel deterioration is suppressed, but the traveling ratio by electric power decreases and environmental load increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent dynamically adjusts the engine usage ratio based on actual traveling schedules and fuel deterioration risks. The control device switches between normal control and promotion control modes, continuously optimizing the balance between preventing fuel deterioration and reducing environmental load by increasing electric power usage when appropriate.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the control parameter (engine usage ratio) based on the traveling schedule and fuel status. When a long-distance traveling schedule is detected, the system increases the engine usage ratio to consume fuel before deterioration, otherwise it reduces engine usage to prioritize electric power and lower environmental impact.
2Reliability
If the usage ratio of the engine is increased based on past traveling history, then fuel deterioration is suppressed, but unnecessary engine use occurs due to discrepancy between estimated and actual traveling distance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary analysis of the traveling schedule before controlling the engine usage ratio. By detecting long-distance traveling schedules in advance and calculating the time until fuel deterioration, the system proactively adjusts engine usage to consume fuel appropriately, avoiding both fuel deterioration and unnecessary energy consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses feedback from the traveling schedule information and fuel status to continuously adjust the engine usage ratio. The control device monitors whether the current engine usage is appropriate based on the detected traveling schedule and fuel deterioration timeline, and switches control modes accordingly to optimize fuel consumption.
3Reliability
If the traveling mode is switched to fuel promotion mode based on estimated fuel exhaustion time, then fuel deterioration is suppressed, but the user's desire to reduce environmental load cannot be satisfied
Solution Approach 1:
The patent dynamically switches between normal control and promotion control modes based on the detected traveling schedule. Instead of using a fixed fuel promotion mode, the system adapts the engine usage ratio in real-time according to whether a long-distance traveling schedule is present, allowing it to satisfy user environmental concerns when fuel deterioration risk is low while still preventing deterioration when necessary.
Data Source
AI summary
A communication device acquires schedule information in which a schedule of a user who uses a hybrid electric vehicle is recorded. The schedule information includes a traveling schedule for causing the hybrid electric vehicle to travel in a predetermined period. The predetermined period is a period from when fuel of an engine is refueled to a predetermined deterioration time. When a traveling distance in a long-distance traveling schedule is a first distance, an ECU increases a usage ratio of the engine in the predetermined period than when the traveling distance is a second distance that is longer than the first distance. The long-distance traveling schedule is a schedule included in the traveling schedule and in which the hybrid electric vehicle travels for a predetermined distance or longer.