Vehicle Cooling Control System for Safe Movement During Failure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Cooling systems in powered vehicles can fail, leading to abrupt stops that block traffic and damage components due to insufficient coolant levels or incorrect temperature readings, and blowers operate inefficiently due to incorrect air density assumptions.
Innovation Solution
A cooling control system using processors and sensors to monitor coolant levels and ambient conditions, predicting safe travel distances and times, adjusting blower speeds, and modifying operational settings to prevent damage and ensure safe operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the vehicle stops movement when cooling system failure is detected, then component damage is prevented, but traffic blockage and operational disruption occur
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling control system dynamically adjusts vehicle operation based on real-time cooling system status. Instead of a static stop-or-go decision, the system continuously monitors coolant levels, temperature, and flow rate, then dynamically determines appropriate speed restrictions or operational modifications that prevent component damage while minimizing traffic disruption.
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies partial action by implementing speed restrictions rather than complete stops. When cooling system parameters indicate potential failure, the system restricts vehicle speed to reduce thermal load on components, allowing the vehicle to continue moving slowly rather than stopping entirely, thus preventing both component damage and traffic blockage.
2Temperature
If blower speed is increased to ensure sufficient cooling, then component temperatures are controlled, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling control system uses feedback from temperature sensors, coolant flow rate sensors, and pressure sensors to continuously monitor cooling system performance. This feedback allows the system to adjust blower speed dynamically, increasing power only when and where needed to maintain safe component temperatures, rather than operating at constant high speed.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes operational parameters based on ambient conditions and component thermal states. Blower speed, coolant flow rate, and vehicle speed are adjusted as variable parameters to optimize the balance between cooling effectiveness and power consumption, rather than maintaining fixed high values.
3Temperature
If coolant flow rate is increased to improve cooling capacity, then component temperatures are reduced, but system complexity and pump power requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling control system integrates multiple functions into a single control architecture. The processor-based controller simultaneously manages blower operation, coolant flow rate, temperature monitoring, pressure sensing, and vehicle speed restriction decisions, eliminating the need for separate dedicated systems for each function and reducing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling system performs self-diagnosis and self-regulation through integrated sensors and processors that continuously monitor coolant level, temperature, and flow rate. The system automatically adjusts its own operation without external intervention, detecting potential failures and implementing corrective speed restrictions or flow adjustments autonomously.
4Reliability
If coolant level monitoring is implemented to prevent insufficient cooling, then component protection is improved, but false alarms from cavitation and measurement errors increase
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling control system merges multiple sensing functions into an integrated monitoring approach. Instead of relying on a single coolant level sensor that may be affected by cavitation, the system combines level sensing with temperature monitoring, pressure sensing, and flow rate measurement to cross-validate readings and distinguish between actual low coolant conditions and measurement artifacts from cavitation or air ingestion.
Data Source
AI summary
Cooling control systems described herein detect decreased operation of a cooling system of a vehicle, restrict movement of the vehicle without stopping movement responsive to decreased operation of the cooling system, and restrict movement of the vehicle by preventing the vehicle from traveling at a speed and/or power output for a non-zero designated period of time. This can allow for the vehicle to continue moving for a temporary period of time to avoid blocking traffic. Other control systems determine predicted distances and/or times that the vehicle can continue moving before coolant in the cooling system decreases below a designated threshold. Movement of the vehicle can be changed responsive to an upcoming distance and/or time that the vehicle is to travel exceeding the predicted distance and/or time. Other control systems modify a coolant flow rate based on differences between designated and ambient conditions.