PHEV Controller Distance to Empty Calculation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) lack accurate Distance to Empty (DTE) and Trip Fuel Economy (FE) readouts due to their dual energy sources and complex operation modes, which complicate energy conversion calculations and require dynamic updates based on driving conditions, energy management strategies, and battery State of Charge (SOC).
Innovation Solution
A method for calculating DTE and equivalent Trip Fuel Economy (FE) that involves a controller determining the battery equivalent fuel amount using an equivalence factor based on SOC and driving conditions, and converting electricity consumption into fuel consumption for a unified efficiency index in miles per gallon (MPG), leveraging existing driving pattern identification and high-fidelity PHEV models to provide accurate and adaptive readouts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If PHEVs use dual energy sources (fuel and battery) with complex operation modes, then vehicle flexibility and energy efficiency are improved, but accurate DTE and Trip FE readouts become difficult to provide
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an equivalence factor as an intermediary parameter that converts battery energy to fuel equivalent. This mediator enables the complex dual-energy system to be represented in a unified fuel consumption framework, allowing accurate DTE and Trip FE calculations despite the complexity of multiple energy sources and operation modes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent dynamically adjusts the equivalence factor parameter based on battery state of charge (SOC) and driving conditions. By changing this parameter adaptively, the system accurately reflects the varying energy conversion relationships between battery and fuel across different operating scenarios, resolving the measurement accuracy problem while maintaining system flexibility.
2Measurement precision
If PHEVs dynamically update energy conversion calculations based on driving conditions and battery SOC, then readout accuracy is improved, but calculation complexity and processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses parameter changes by dynamically adjusting the equivalence factor based on battery SOC and driving conditions. This approach maintains high readout accuracy while managing calculation complexity through a focused set of variable parameters that capture the essential dynamics of the dual-energy system.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements dynamic updates of the equivalence factor in response to changing driving conditions and battery state. This dynamic approach allows the calculations to adapt to real-time operational changes, improving accuracy without requiring complete recalculation of the entire energy model, thus balancing precision with computational efficiency.
3Ease of operation
If PHEVs convert electricity consumption to fuel consumption using equivalence factors, then unified efficiency indexing (MPG) is achieved, but hardware and software modification requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The equivalence factor serves as an intermediary that bridges electricity and fuel consumption metrics. This mediator enables the creation of a unified MPG efficiency index without requiring fundamental changes to the vehicle's hardware or control systems, as the conversion can be implemented through software-based parameter adjustment and calculation.
Data Source
AI summary
A powertrain for a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) such as a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) includes an engine, a fuel tank, a battery, and a controller. The controller is configured to determine a distance to empty value as a sum of fuel in the fuel tank and a battery equivalent amount of fuel, the sum multiplied by an average fuel economy of the PHEV based on a driving condition of the vehicle.