TRS ECU Wake-Up Scheduling for Start/Stop Diagnostics
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing transport refrigeration systems face inefficiencies in fuel usage, maintenance costs, and battery depletion due to unnecessary engine operation and data acquisition complexities during Start/Stop modes, particularly in Cycle Sentry Null conditions.
Innovation Solution
A TRS controller periodically activates the engine control unit to acquire engine sensor data, determining efficient power consumption stages and optimizing engine operating modes based on sensor data, configuration settings, and scheduled diagnostic times, thereby reducing fuel consumption and maintenance costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the engine control unit is continuously activated to acquire engine sensor data, then the system can accurately determine engine operating modes, but fuel consumption increases and battery power depletes excessively
Solution Approach 1:
The ECU is activated periodically rather than continuously. The controller determines a next action based on current engine operating mode and activates the ECU only when needed - either when the engine is running and needs monitoring, or when shutdown conditions are met and the ECU needs to be activated to acquire sensor data for determining whether shutdown is appropriate. This periodic activation reduces fuel consumption and battery power depletion while maintaining accurate engine operating mode determination.
2Ease of operation
If duplicate engine data acquisition sensors are implemented on the TRS controller, then engine data can be acquired during Start/Stop modes, but device complexity and initial product cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The ECU serves multiple functions: it controls the engine during normal operation and also acts as a data acquisition device during Start/Stop modes. By leveraging the existing ECU's sensor capabilities rather than implementing duplicate sensors on the TRS controller, the system achieves engine data acquisition during Start/Stop modes without increasing device complexity or initial product cost.
3Speed
If the engine is kept running to ensure continuous operation, then the TRS can respond immediately to temperature control needs, but fuel usage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The engine operating mode is dynamically adjusted based on real-time conditions. The controller monitors engine parameters and determines whether the engine should be running or shut down. When shutdown conditions are met, the ECU is activated to acquire sensor data and determine if shutdown is appropriate. This dynamic adjustment allows the system to reduce fuel usage by shutting down the engine when not needed while maintaining the ability to respond quickly to temperature control needs when the engine is running.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and systems for periodic system diagnostic of a TRS are provided. In particular, a TRS controller is configured to periodically activate an engine control unit (ECU) of a genset to acquire engine sensor information while the engine is not running. The TRS controller is configured to determine an efficient time to bring the ECU out of a minimum electrical power consumption stage into a medium power consumption stage in order to determine a next action of the TRS.