Vehicle Propulsion Control Using Route Gradient Energy Profiling
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle propulsion control systems fail to account for changes in gradients along a route, leading to inefficiencies in energy consumption and inability to meet energy consumption targets for entire routes, despite their ability to maintain desired speed and adjust torque demand.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus that estimate energy consumption by receiving standardized data from a remotely located computing device, generating a scaling factor, and adjusting vehicle speed, route characteristics, and torque demand to optimize energy efficiency, using a processor and memory to execute instructions for energy consumption profiling and signal generation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If existing vehicle propulsion control systems maintain desired speed by adjusting torque demand, then vehicle speed stability is improved, but energy consumption efficiency deteriorates due to inability to account for route gradients
Solution Approach 1:
The system receives and processes route information in advance, including gradient data and geographic information, to predict future energy consumption requirements. This allows the control system to prepare optimal speed and torque profiles before encountering actual route conditions, resolving the contradiction by maintaining speed stability while preemptively optimizing for energy efficiency based on predicted gradient changes
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts vehicle speed and torque demand based on real-time route characteristics and predicted energy consumption. Rather than maintaining fixed speed stability, the system allows controlled speed variations that optimize energy efficiency across different route segments, particularly adapting to gradient changes ahead, thus resolving the contradiction between speed stability and energy efficiency
2Measurement precision
If existing systems adjust torque demand to maintain desired speed, then speed control accuracy is improved, but ability to meet overall route energy consumption targets deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements a feedback mechanism that continuously monitors actual energy consumption against predicted consumption based on route information. The controller compares estimated energy consumption with target values and adjusts speed and torque profiles accordingly, maintaining speed control accuracy while ensuring overall route energy consumption targets are met through continuous optimization
Solution Approach 2:
The system receives route information in advance and calculates optimal speed and torque profiles before vehicle operation begins. This preliminary planning allows the system to meet energy consumption targets for the entire route while maintaining accurate speed control during execution, as the optimization is performed beforehand based on complete route knowledge
3Device complexity
If standardized energy consumption data is used without vehicle-specific scaling, then data processing simplicity is improved, but energy consumption estimation accuracy deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system receives standardized energy consumption data and applies vehicle-specific scaling factors to transform generic data into accurate vehicle-specific predictions. By changing the parameters of the energy consumption model to match the specific vehicle characteristics, the system achieves high estimation accuracy without requiring complete re-collection of data for each vehicle, balancing simplicity and precision
Data Source
AI summary
A method for estimating energy consumption of a vehicle includes receiving, from a remotely located computing device, standardized energy consumption data corresponding to at least one other vehicle, the standardized energy consumption data corresponding to energy consumption of the at least one other vehicle as a function of speed. The method further includes generating a scaling factor by comparing the energy consumption data corresponding to the energy consumption of the vehicle as a function of speed with the standardized energy consumption data. The method further includes scaling the standardized energy consumption data to generate a profile of the energy consumption efficiency of the vehicle. The method further includes generating a signal to selectively adjust at least one of a speed of the vehicle, at least one route characteristic of a portion of a route being traversed by the vehicle, and a torque demand of the vehicle.