Vehicle Powertrain Freewheeling Control for Fuel-Saving Restarts
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional internal combustion engine vehicles consume unnecessary fuel and emit excess emissions during idling and stationary periods, necessitating improved powertrain systems for heavy-duty vehicles that can adapt to various driving conditions.
Innovation Solution
A computer system that predicts and controls a powertrain system to engage and disengage a freewheeling mode based on dynamic factors, disconnecting the engine from drive wheels when not needed, and optimizes engine restarts to minimize fuel consumption and mechanical wear.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the engine is continuously operated to maintain vehicle readiness, then the vehicle responsiveness and operational reliability are improved, but fuel consumption increases and emissions are generated during idle periods
Solution Approach 1:
The control system predicts upcoming driving conditions and proactively manages engine shutdown and restart timing. By anticipating when the vehicle will need propulsion, the system shuts off the engine during idle periods and restarts it just before propulsion is needed, maintaining vehicle readiness while minimizing fuel consumption during idle operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements periodic engine operation rather than continuous operation. The engine is cyclically shut off during idle periods and restarted when propulsion is predicted to be needed, creating a rhythm of operation that balances fuel savings with vehicle responsiveness requirements.
2Use of energy by moving object
If the engine is shut off during idle periods to save fuel, then fuel consumption is reduced, but vehicle responsiveness and operational reliability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The control system uses predictive algorithms to anticipate upcoming driving conditions and determines optimal timing for engine shutdown and restart. By predicting when propulsion will be needed, the system ensures the engine is restarted in advance of actual demand, maintaining vehicle responsiveness while achieving fuel savings during idle periods.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors vehicle operating conditions, driver behavior patterns, and environmental factors to dynamically adjust engine shutdown and restart decisions. This feedback mechanism ensures the engine remains available when needed while maximizing fuel savings during appropriate idle periods.
3Use of energy by moving object
If frequent engine restarts are implemented to maximize fuel savings, then fuel efficiency is improved, but kinetic energy loss and mechanical wear increase
Solution Approach 1:
The control system predicts upcoming driving conditions and determines the minimum duration required for engine shutdown to be beneficial. By calculating the energy loss from restart and comparing it against predicted fuel savings, the system only implements shutdown when the duration is sufficient to offset the kinetic energy loss and mechanical wear from restart operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the decision parameters for engine shutdown based on multiple factors including predicted drive cycle duration, vehicle speed, load conditions, and environmental temperature. By changing these parameters adaptively, the system optimizes the balance between fuel savings and the costs of kinetic energy loss and mechanical wear.
Data Source
AI summary
A computer system controls a powertrain system of a vehicle. The computer system has processing circuitry configured to selectively operate the powertrain system in a number of operational modes, comprising at least a freewheeling mode, in which an output shaft of the engine is non-rotating, and the engine is disconnected from the one or more drive wheels, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to: predict fuel saving in response to a potential up-coming freewheeling mode period, the fuel saving being determined from engine-idle fuel consumption data; predict a loss of kinetic energy for restarting the engine in the freewheeling mode using a controllable clutch; predict fuel consumption needed to regain the predicted loss of kinetic energy; compare the predicted fuel saving with the predicted fuel consumption; determine to control the powertrain system into the freewheeling mode based on the comparison; and control the powertrain system into the freewheeling mode.