Vehicle Speed Management for Drafting Fuel Efficiency
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional cruise control systems do not effectively utilize drafting arrangements between vehicles to optimize fuel efficiency, as they primarily focus on current road loads without considering future road conditions and drafting dynamics.
Innovation Solution
An integrated vehicle speed management system that includes an operator interface module, load determination module, projection module, and vehicle drafting module to adjust the cruise control set speed based on current, future, and drafting road loads, facilitating or maintaining drafting arrangements to reduce aerodynamic loading and enhance fuel efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If conventional cruise control systems maintain a fixed set speed, then the system operation is simple, but fuel efficiency cannot be optimized through drafting arrangements
Solution Approach 1:
The projection module performs preliminary analysis of horizon data to predict future road loads before the vehicle encounters them. This allows the cruise control system to proactively adjust speeds to facilitate drafting arrangements rather than reactively responding to conditions, thereby optimizing fuel efficiency while maintaining manageable system complexity through advance planning
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the cruise control set speed based on real-time drafting data, horizon data, and determined road loads. Instead of maintaining a fixed speed, the system continuously adapts the set speed to maintain optimal drafting arrangements, transforming the static cruise control into a dynamic system that responds to changing conditions to improve fuel efficiency
2Use of energy by moving object
If the system adjusts speed to maintain drafting arrangements, then fuel efficiency improves, but the control complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The integrated system automatically performs multiple functions including determining current and future road loads, analyzing drafting data, projecting horizon conditions, and adjusting cruise control set speed without requiring manual intervention. The system serves itself by integrating these functions into a unified automated control mechanism that reduces fuel consumption while maintaining ease of operation through single-button activation
Solution Approach 2:
The controller integrates multiple functions into a single unified system that can determine road loads, analyze drafting conditions, predict future conditions, and adjust speed all through one integrated mechanism. This multi-functional approach consolidates what would otherwise be separate complex subsystems into a single universal control unit, improving fuel efficiency while keeping the interface simple for the operator
3Use of energy by moving object
If the system considers future road loads and drafting data, then fuel efficiency optimizes, but information processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The projection module processes horizon data in advance to determine future road loads before the vehicle reaches those conditions. By performing this information processing preliminarily and storing the projected data, the system reduces the real-time processing burden while still enabling fuel-efficient speed adjustments based on predicted future conditions
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors drafting data and road load conditions, using this feedback to refine and update the projected horizon data. This feedback mechanism allows the system to process information incrementally and adaptively, optimizing fuel efficiency while managing data processing loads through continuous refinement rather than exhaustive analysis
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system improves fuel efficiency by dynamically adjusting the cruise control set speed to maintain drafting arrangements, reducing fuel consumption by optimizing speed adjustments based on current, future, and drafting road loads, thereby enhancing overall vehicle operation during cruise control mode.
Implementation Method 1
determine a drafting road load for the vehicle based on drafting data regarding operation of a second vehicle
Data Source
AI summary
Systems, apparatuses, and methods herein relate to vehicle speed management. The apparatus includes a projection module structured to determine a future road load for a vehicle based on horizon data regarding an attribute of a route of the vehicle at a future location of the vehicle. The apparatus also includes a vehicle drafting module structured to determine a drafting road load for the vehicle based on drafting data regarding operation of a second vehicle. The apparatus further includes a vehicle speed management module structured to determine and provide a vehicle speed adjustment to an output device of the vehicle to at least one of facilitate and maintain a drafting arrangement between the vehicle and the second vehicle responsive to at least one of the future road load and the drafting road load.