Refrigerated Trailer Engine Restart Control for Battery Failure Prediction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Mobile environment-controlled units, such as refrigerated trailers, face challenges in operating efficiently in cycle sentry mode due to reliance on battery power, leading to potential engine failures and increased fuel consumption, as existing systems lack a reliable automatic engine start procedure to manage battery health effectively.
Innovation Solution
A controller monitors electrical and non-battery parameters to automatically start and stop the engine, tracks consecutive engine restarts due to low battery voltage, and predicts battery failure by counting restarts and timing intervals, triggering an alarm when the battery is near the end of its life.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If cycle sentry mode is used to reduce fuel consumption, then energy efficiency is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to potential engine restart failures when battery health is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary monitoring of battery health parameters (voltage, current, temperature) and predicts battery failure before it occurs. By detecting degradation trends and predicting remaining useful life, the system takes preventive action to maintain reliable engine starting capability while operating in energy-efficient cycle sentry mode.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors battery electrical parameters and feeds this information back to the controller. Based on this feedback, the system can predict battery failure and adjust operations to ensure reliable engine restarts, thereby maintaining both energy efficiency and reliability.
2Reliability
If continuous mode is used to ensure constant air flow and reliable operation, then reliability is improved, but fuel consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system predicts battery failure in advance by monitoring degradation trends in battery parameters. This preliminary detection allows the system to maintain continuous monitoring and readiness without requiring continuous engine operation, thus achieving reliable operation with reduced fuel consumption compared to traditional continuous mode.
Solution Approach 2:
The battery monitoring system continuously assesses its own health status and predicts its remaining useful life. This self-service capability allows the system to autonomously determine when battery replacement or maintenance is needed, ensuring reliable operation without requiring continuous engine running.
3Reliability
If battery monitoring and prediction systems are implemented, then reliability is improved by predicting battery failure, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The battery monitoring system utilizes the battery's own electrical parameters (voltage, current, temperature) that are already present in the system to assess battery health. The system performs self-diagnosis by analyzing these inherent parameters and predicting failure, avoiding the need for additional complex external monitoring equipment.
Solution Approach 2:
The controller performs multiple functions: it controls engine operation, monitors battery parameters, predicts battery failure, and manages the overall system. By integrating battery monitoring and prediction capabilities into the existing controller, the system achieves enhanced reliability without adding separate complex monitoring hardware.
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 solution reduces the risk of load loss and service calls by predicting battery failure and optimizing engine operation, thereby enhancing the reliability and efficiency of mobile environment-controlled units in cycle sentry mode.
Implementation Method 1
a battery powering the starter
Implementation Method 2
an alternator for charging the battery after a successful engine start
Data Source
AI summary
A mobile environment-controlled unit having a structure, a compartment supported by the structure, and an environmental-control system in environmental communication with the compartment. The environmental-control system is configured to control an environmental parameter of the compartment. The environmental-control system includes an internal combustion engine, having a starter, powering the environmental-control system; a battery powering the starter; and a controller. The controller monitors battery health status, predicts battery failure, and communicates the predicted battery failure. Also, described is a method of operating the mobile environment-controlled unit and a controller for controlling the mobile environment-controlled unit.