Vehicle Platooning Torque Control for Gap Management
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current manual vehicle following methods are unsafe and inefficient, as drivers struggle to maintain close following distances and optimal headways, leading to potential accidents and fuel inefficiencies, while existing cruise control systems provide minimal safety and limited control over vehicle acceleration and braking.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a semi-automated platooning system using vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communications, where lead vehicles transmit data to rear vehicles to maintain a desired gap through torque control, including reducing torque production by the lead vehicle when the gap grows beyond a threshold, to ensure safe and efficient following.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If vehicles follow closely together to save fuel, then fuel efficiency is improved, but safety deteriorates when under driver control
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual driver control with automated torque control systems. The lead vehicle's torque is automatically reduced when the gap increases, and the following vehicle's torque is automatically controlled to maintain desired headway. This substitution of mechanical driver intervention with automated control systems enables safe close following that would be impossible under manual control.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors the gap between vehicles and provides feedback control. When the gap grows beyond a threshold, the lead vehicle receives feedback to reduce torque. When the headway deviates from the desired value, the following vehicle receives feedback to adjust torque. This closed-loop feedback mechanism maintains safety while enabling fuel-efficient close following.
2Use of energy by moving object
If drivers manually maintain close following distance, then fuel efficiency is improved, but control precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces imprecise manual driver control with precise automated torque control. The system calculates the exact torque reduction needed for the lead vehicle and the exact torque application needed for the following vehicle to maintain a constant desired headway. This automated precision control achieves headway maintenance accuracy that far exceeds human capability.
3Manufacturing precision
If drivers try to maintain constant headway, then following distance control is improved, but energy efficiency deteriorates due to rapid accelerator changes
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts torque in a smooth, continuous manner rather than through rapid on/off accelerator changes. The lead vehicle's torque is gradually reduced as the gap increases, and the following vehicle's torque is smoothly adjusted to maintain headway. This dynamic, continuous control eliminates the energy-wasting oscillations that occur when drivers manually adjust the accelerator.
4Reliability
If semi-automated platooning is implemented, then safety and efficiency are improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses communication links as intermediaries between vehicles and between vehicles and the server. These communication channels transmit gap information, torque commands, and vehicle status data, enabling coordinated control without requiring complex direct mechanical coupling between vehicles. The communication intermediary simplifies the overall system architecture while enabling sophisticated platooning behavior.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for platooning vehicles are described. In some aspects, vehicles use sensors to determine a gap between each other. In response to the gap increasing beyond a threshold amount, and a threshold amount of torque being commanded by each of the vehicles, reducing the amount of torque being commanded by the front vehicle. The gap may be determined at least in part by sensors such as a radar, a lidar, and/or a camera. These sensors may be mounted on either a rear vehicle in the platoon, or a front vehicle in the platoon.