Vehicle Control Device for AMT Gear Shift Optimization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Large vehicles equipped with Automated Manual Transmission (AMT) face challenges in selecting an optimal gear position that minimizes fuel consumption due to varying resistance at each gear position, leading to inefficiencies in fuel usage.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle control device that determines forward travel segments with different road slopes and selects appropriate gear positions based on estimated travel resistance, using a combination of GPS, weight, and speed sensors to optimize gear shifts and consider transmission efficiency, allowing for more accurate fuel consumption management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If gear position selection is based on current travel segment only, then responsiveness to current conditions is improved, but accuracy of fuel consumption optimization deteriorates due to inability to anticipate future road conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The control device determines forward travel segments and calculates optimal gear positions in advance before the vehicle actually reaches them. The shift control unit stores these pre-calculated gear positions and executes shifts when the vehicle enters the predicted segments, allowing proactive optimization rather than reactive adjustment.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts gear positions based on real-time vehicle speed, acceleration, and predicted road slope conditions. The control device continuously monitors current travel segments and updates forward gear position selections as the vehicle progresses, making the system adaptive to changing conditions.
2Use of energy by moving object
If frequent gear shifts are performed to optimize fuel consumption, then fuel efficiency is improved, but driver comfort deteriorates due to increased shift frequency
Solution Approach 1:
The control device introduces a threshold parameter for speed difference between current and predicted gear positions. Gear shifts are only executed when the speed difference exceeds this threshold, filtering out minor optimizations that would cause frequent, unnecessary shifts. This parameter-based filtering balances fuel efficiency with driver comfort.
3Productivity
If gear position selection anticipates forward travel segments, then fuel consumption optimization is improved, but responsiveness to current driving conditions may deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The shift control unit continuously monitors actual vehicle speed, acceleration, and current travel segment conditions, comparing them against predicted values. This feedback mechanism allows the system to verify whether predictions are accurate and adjust future predictions accordingly, ensuring both forward-looking optimization and responsiveness to actual conditions.
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle control device controls a vehicle provided with a transmission to travel at a set speed. The transmission has a direct gear and normal gears including an overdrive gear having a lower gear ratio than the direct gear. The device includes a travel segment determination unit which determines a forward travel segment having a different road slope from a current travel segment, a current gear position selection unit that selects a current gear position based on a travel resistance of the vehicle, a forward gear position selection unit that selects a forward gear position based on a travel resistance of the vehicle in the forward travel segment, and a shift control unit that changes a gear position to the forward gear position when the vehicle reaches the forward travel segment on condition that a difference between the set speed and the vehicle speed is within a prescribed range.