Predictive Auxiliary Load Management for Vehicle Cooling
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional vehicle cooling systems, reliant on mechanically driven components, fail to optimize engine cooling across varying operating conditions, leading to inefficiencies such as under-cooling or over-cooling, which increases fuel consumption and adds unnecessary engine loads.
Innovation Solution
Implementing electrically controlled components like variable flow coolant pumps and fans, along with predictive control systems that utilize terrain and environmental data to adjust cooling strategies, allowing for optimized engine temperature management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If mechanically driven cooling components are used to ensure adequate cooling in worst-case scenarios, then engine cooling reliability is improved, but fuel consumption increases and engine efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by replacing fixed mechanically driven cooling components with variable flow electric coolant pumps and electronically controlled cooling fans. These components can dynamically adjust their operation based on real-time engine temperature, vehicle speed, and thermal conditions, allowing the system to provide adequate cooling reliability while consuming less energy by operating at variable speeds rather than fixed high-speed mechanical coupling.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements parameter changes by using electric motors with variable speed control for the coolant pump and cooling fan. The system can change operational parameters (speed, flow rate) based on actual cooling requirements rather than maintaining constant high-speed operation. This allows the system to maintain cooling reliability across different operating conditions while optimizing energy consumption by adjusting parameters to match actual thermal demands.
2Device complexity
If mechanically driven cooling components operate at fixed speeds based on engine RPM, then system simplicity is maintained, but adaptability to varying cooling requirements deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies mechanics substitution by replacing the mechanical drive system (belt-driven or gear-driven) with electric motor-driven components. This substitution allows the cooling system to be controlled independently of engine RPM through electronic control systems, enabling adaptability to varying cooling requirements while maintaining reasonable system complexity through integrated sensor and controller architectures.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms by using temperature sensors, vehicle speed sensors, and engine control unit data to continuously monitor thermal conditions. The electronic control system processes this feedback information and adjusts the operation of electric coolant pumps and cooling fans in real-time, enabling the system to adapt to varying cooling requirements based on actual engine and environmental conditions.
3Temperature
If cooling components are operated to prevent overheating in all conditions, then engine temperature stability is improved, but energy consumption increases during low-load operations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial action by using variable flow electric coolant pumps that can operate at reduced speeds during low-load conditions when full cooling capacity is not required. The system provides just enough cooling to maintain temperature stability rather than continuously operating at full capacity, thereby reducing energy consumption during partial-load operations while still preventing overheating when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamics by using electronically controlled cooling fans and variable speed coolant pumps that can dynamically adjust their operation based on actual thermal demands. During low-load operations, the system reduces cooling component speeds to match lower heat generation, maintaining temperature stability while minimizing energy consumption. During high-load operations, the system increases cooling capacity to prevent overheating.
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
This approach enhances fuel efficiency, reduces engine load, and maintains optimal engine temperatures by anticipating cooling needs based on upcoming terrain and environmental conditions, minimizing energy consumption and preventing overheating or under-cooling.
Implementation Method 1
a radiator, a coolant pump, an engine fan
Implementation Method 2
a radiator
Implementation Method 3
a coolant pump
Implementation Method 4
an engine fan
Data Source
AI summary
An improved vehicle cooling system is disclosed having the capability of controlling various thermal components of the system to effectively control the heating and cooling of an engine of the vehicle based on instantaneous vehicle and ambient conditions and also based upon predictive conditions. These predictive conditions can include information about the upcoming terrain of the route along which the vehicle will travel.