Vehicle Engine Stop Control Reducing Starter Wear
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wheeled vehicles with automatic engine stop and start functionality face premature wear of the engine and starter due to frequent stops and starts, which increases maintenance costs and reduces vehicle reliability.
Innovation Solution
A wheeled vehicle equipped with a control unit that stores data on engine start counts and elapsed time, allowing or prohibiting automatic engine stops based on predefined thresholds to minimize frequent starts and stops, thereby reducing wear and tear on the engine and starter.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If automatic engine stop and start functionality is implemented, then fuel consumption is reduced and total cost of ownership is reduced, but premature wear of the engine and starter occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit dynamically adjusts the automatic stop function by changing operational parameters - specifically, it modifies the stopping criteria and duration based on engine start count data stored in memory. When the engine has been started frequently, the control unit prohibits automatic stopping to reduce wear; when start counts are low, automatic stopping is permitted to save fuel. This parameter adaptation resolves the contradiction by making the system flexible rather than fixed.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates feedback through the control unit continuously monitoring engine operation data, particularly the number of starts stored in memory. This feedback loop allows the control unit to make real-time decisions about whether to permit automatic stopping based on accumulated operational history. The feedback mechanism enables the system to adapt its behavior to prevent premature wear while maintaining fuel efficiency where appropriate.
2Loss of energy
If frequent automatic stops and starts are implemented, then fuel consumption during stopped periods is reduced, but premature wear of the starter occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit changes the operational parameters of the automatic stop function based on the number of engine starts stored in memory. When the start count exceeds certain thresholds, the control unit modifies the stopping behavior to prohibit automatic stops, thereby reducing starter wear. This dynamic parameter adjustment allows the system to balance fuel savings against starter protection based on actual wear risk.
3Loss of energy
If automatic engine stopping is allowed without restrictions, then fuel consumption is optimized, but engine and starter lifespan is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions from a static automatic stop function to a dynamic one that adapts its behavior based on stored engine start data. The control unit continuously evaluates the number of engine starts and dynamically adjusts whether automatic stopping is permitted, creating a flexible system that optimizes fuel consumption only when it does not compromise component lifespan. This dynamic adaptation resolves the contradiction by making the system responsive to wear risk conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit changes key operational parameters - specifically the permitting or prohibition of automatic stopping - based on the engine start count stored in memory. This parameter change mechanism allows the system to switch between fuel-saving mode and component-protection mode, optimizing the balance between fuel consumption and component lifespan based on accumulated operational data.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a wheeled vehicle (1) comprising: a chassis (2) carrying an engine (4), a starter (5) of the engine and a device for actuating said starter (5), a control unit, and an activatable/deactivatable device for energising the control unit, said vehicle (1) having an economical operating mode in which, in the activated state of the energising device, the control unit is designed to allow the motor (4) to be stopped without actuation of the energising device, said stoppage being called energised stoppage of the engine (4). The vehicle (1) comprises a memory for storing data relating to the number of starts of the engine (4) and the control unit is designed to allow or prohibit the energised stoppage of the engine (4), in the economical operating mode, according to said stored data.