Vehicle Driving Mode Control Apparatus Delaying Engine Start
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Hybrid vehicles face inefficiencies in fuel consumption when transitioning from electrically-operated driving mode to hybrid driving mode due to temporary excesses in target driving force, leading to unnecessary engine starts, especially in scenarios like traffic congestion where accelerator is slowly stepped on.
Innovation Solution
A control apparatus and method that calculates a driving force difference and sets a delay time based on vehicle speed and this difference to determine when to switch from electrically-operated to hybrid driving mode, thereby reducing unnecessary engine starts and improving fuel efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If the vehicle transitions to hybrid driving mode immediately when target driving force exceeds the mode switching threshold, then acceleration responsiveness is improved, but fuel efficiency deteriorates due to unnecessary engine starts
Solution Approach 1:
The control apparatus performs preliminary evaluation by calculating the driving force difference between target driving force and mode switching threshold before actually switching modes. This preliminary action allows the system to anticipate temporary excesses in target driving force and avoid unnecessary engine starts, thereby improving fuel efficiency while maintaining readiness for genuine acceleration needs
Solution Approach 2:
The invention dynamically adjusts the mode switching decision based on real-time calculation of driving force difference and vehicle speed. By making the switching criterion adaptive rather than fixed, the system can respond appropriately to varying driving conditions, ensuring quick response when genuine acceleration is needed while avoiding unnecessary transitions during temporary force spikes
2Loss of energy
If a fixed delay time is used for mode switching, then fuel efficiency is improved by avoiding unnecessary engine starts, but acceleration responsiveness deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the parameter of delay time from a fixed value to a variable that depends on vehicle speed and driving force difference. This parameter change allows the system to optimize the balance between fuel efficiency and acceleration responsiveness for different operating conditions, applying longer delays when fuel savings are critical and shorter delays when rapid acceleration is needed
3Loss of energy
If the mode switching threshold is set low to improve fuel efficiency, then unnecessary engine starts increase, but if set high to reduce unnecessary starts, then acceleration responsiveness suffers
Solution Approach 1:
The control apparatus introduces feedback by continuously monitoring the driving force difference and using it to adjust mode switching decisions. This feedback mechanism allows the system to learn from past switching outcomes and refine its threshold application, ensuring that the effective switching point adapts to maintain both fuel efficiency and acceleration responsiveness without requiring manual threshold adjustment
Data Source
AI summary
A control apparatus for a vehicle capable of switching an electrically-operated driving mode and a hybrid driving mode includes: a driving mode setter; a driving force difference calculator; and a delay controller. The driving mode setter sets the electrically-operated driving mode when a target driving force is lower than or equal to a continuous line of a mode switching threshold set in accordance with a vehicle speed, and sets the hybrid driving mode when the target driving force exceeds the continuous line of the mode switching threshold. The driving force difference calculator calculates a driving force difference that is a difference between the target driving force and the mode switching threshold. The delay controller sets a delay time from the target driving force crossing the continuous line of the mode switching threshold to a driving mode being switched on a basis of the driving force difference and the vehicle speed.