Vehicle Engine Restart Control via Clutch and Fuel Injection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing engine restart systems in heavy-duty vehicles face challenges in ensuring stability and success of engine restarts while the vehicle is moving, particularly after a cancelled first restart attempt.
Innovation Solution
A computer system that receives data indicative of a cancelled first engine restart attempt, postpones a second restart attempt by a predefined time, decreases the engine speed threshold for fuel injection, and performs the second restart attempt using a controllable clutch while controlling a fuel injector to inject fuel at the decreased threshold.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the engine restart is attempted immediately after a cancelled first attempt, then the restart frequency and responsiveness are improved, but the vehicle stability and success rate deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions before the second engine restart attempt by postponing it for a predefined time period after a cancelled first attempt. This delay allows the vehicle to stabilize and conditions to improve, increasing the likelihood of a successful restart while maintaining system responsiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the engine restart strategy based on real-time conditions. After a cancelled attempt, the system modifies the timing and parameters of the second attempt, making the restart process adaptive rather than fixed, thereby balancing responsiveness with stability.
2Reliability
If the engine speed threshold for fuel injection is maintained at standard levels, then the engine protection and control simplicity are improved, but the fuel efficiency and restart success rate deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes the engine speed threshold parameter for fuel injection during restart operations. By lowering this threshold, the system enables fuel injection at lower engine speeds, improving fuel efficiency and restart success rate while maintaining appropriate engine protection through controlled parameter adjustment.
3Use of energy by moving object
If the controllable clutch is prioritized for engine restart over other alternatives, then the fuel efficiency is improved, but the system complexity and control difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The controllable clutch acts as an intermediary mechanism to transfer rotational energy from the wheels to the engine during restart. By prioritizing this intermediate solution, the system achieves better fuel efficiency compared to direct starter motor cranking, while the clutch's inherent control capabilities manage the complexity.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present disclosure relates to a computer system (100) for restarting an internal combustion engine (12) of a vehicle (10), while the vehicle is moving, the computer system comprising processing circuitry (102) configured to receive data indicative of an abortion of a first restart engine attempt; on the basis of the received data, determine to postpone a second restart engine attempt a predefined time period; determine to decrease an engine speed threshold for when fuel is allowed to be injected into the engine; after expiration of the predefined time period, perform the second restart engine attempt by controlling a controllable clutch to restart the engine, while further allowing a fuel injector to inject a first fuel portion into the engine at the decreased engine speed threshold.