Power Generating Unit Management for Continuous Operation
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Solution Overview
Problem
When there is an abnormality in the internal combustion engine of a vehicle, the vehicle may not be able to operate until the abnormality is resolved, disrupting the continuity of the driving source.
Innovation Solution
A unit management system comprising electric power generating units with an internal combustion engine, an electric power generator, communication interface, and unit control circuitry, along with management support equipment that receives and processes state information from these units, facilitating continuous operation by managing and optimizing power generation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a single internal combustion engine is used as the driving source, then the structure is simple, but the operation cannot continue when an abnormality occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The driving source is divided into multiple independent electric power generating units, each comprising an internal combustion engine and an electric power generator. This segmentation allows the system to maintain operation by utilizing healthy units when one unit experiences an abnormality, thereby improving reliability while keeping individual unit structures simple.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the operational parameter from a single-engine configuration to a multi-engine configuration. By adjusting the number of operating units and their operational states (normal or degraded), the system can maintain continuous operation even when one unit is abnormal, resolving the contradiction between operational continuity and structural simplicity.
2Reliability
If multiple electric power generating units are used to ensure continuous operation, then the reliability improves, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The management support equipment continuously receives state information from each electric power generating unit, monitors their operational status, and provides feedback control. This feedback mechanism enables automatic identification of abnormal units and coordination of healthy units to maintain power supply, managing system complexity through intelligent monitoring and control.
Solution Approach 2:
Management support equipment acts as an intermediary between multiple electric power generating units and the central control system. It collects state information, determines operational status, and coordinates unit operations, thereby simplifying the management complexity of multiple units while ensuring continuous reliable operation.
3Measurement precision
If state information is collected from all units, then the management precision improves, but the information processing load increases
Solution Approach 1:
The management support equipment extracts and processes only the essential state information from each electric power generating unit that is necessary for determining operational status. By selectively extracting critical parameters rather than processing all possible data, the system maintains high measurement precision while minimizing information processing load and avoiding information loss.
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 system enables the continuous operation of the driving source by effectively managing and optimizing the electric power generating units, ensuring the vehicle can operate even with abnormalities in individual units.
Implementation Method 1
an electric power generator that generates the electric power by rotational power of the internal combustion engine
Data Source
AI summary
A unit management system includes: electric power generating units that generate electric power; and management support equipment that receives information from the electric power generating units. Each of the electric power generating units includes: an internal combustion engine; an electric power generator that generates the electric power by rotational power of the internal combustion engine; a communication interface that is communicable with the management support equipment; and unit control circuitry configured to associate state information with unit identification information and transmit the state information and the unit identification information to the management support equipment through the communication interface, the state information indicating a state of the electric power generating unit, the unit identification information being information for identifying the electric power generating unit.