Autonomous Vehicle Powertrain Control for Pulse-and-Glide Coasting
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Solution Overview
Problem
In autonomous vehicles, achieving fuel-efficient driving conditions is challenging due to acceleration response delays and inefficient fuel consumption, especially when using pulse and glide (P&G) driving methods, as existing systems struggle to seamlessly integrate engine and clutch control during autonomous driving.
Innovation Solution
An autonomous vehicle powertrain control apparatus and method that cooperatively controls the engine and clutch by determining P&G driving conditions using navigation and radar data, engaging and disengaging the clutch to perform pulse driving and neutral coasting, thereby optimizing fuel economy and reducing acceleration delays.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If the transmission is shifted to neutral state during coasting deceleration, then the coasting distance is increased and fuel consumption is reduced, but an acceleration response delay of about 0.3 seconds to about 0.4 seconds occurs when the vehicle is accelerated again
Solution Approach 1:
The clutch is engaged in advance before the vehicle needs to accelerate again, so that when acceleration is required, the clutch is already in the engaged state and ready to transmit torque immediately, eliminating the acceleration response delay that would otherwise occur after neutral coasting
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the clutch engagement state based on real-time driving conditions, transitioning between engaged and disengaged states to optimize both fuel economy during coasting and acceleration response when needed, making the powertrain control adaptive rather than static
2Loss of energy
If pulse and glide driving method is used to maintain optimum efficiency point, then fuel consumption is reduced, but the acceleration response delay occurs due to clutch engagement
Solution Approach 1:
The clutch engagement is performed in advance during the glide phase before acceleration is needed, ensuring that when the pulse phase begins, the clutch is already engaged and can immediately transmit engine torque, eliminating the delay between acceleration request and actual acceleration
Solution Approach 2:
The system maintains continuous acceleration capability by keeping the clutch engaged during the glide phase, allowing the engine to remain in a ready state and continue providing torque without interruption, thus maintaining continuous useful action rather than stopping and restarting the acceleration process
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus and method are provided for controlling a powertrain of an autonomous vehicle. The apparatus includes an autonomous driving controller that controls autonomous driving of the vehicle and a transmission controller that determines whether the vehicle satisfies a pulse and glide (P&G) driving condition during the autonomous driving. The transmission controller alternately performs pulse driving and coasting in conjunction with the autonomous driving controller when the vehicle satisfies the P&G driving condition. The transmission controller causes a transmission to remain in a neutral state during the coasting.