Virtual Gearbox Simulation for Fixed Ratio Transmissions
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Solution Overview
Problem
Vehicles with fixed gear ratio transmissions, such as those used in recreational vehicles like go-karts with direct drive electric motors, lack the engaging performance experience provided by internal combustion engines with variable gear ratios, and existing electronically actuated gearbox simulators are cumbersome, costly, and require frequent maintenance.
Innovation Solution
An electronic simulation of a mechanical gearbox with variable gear ratios is implemented using a microprocessor-based virtual gearbox that dynamically manages motor torque and angular velocity, allowing real-time adjustment and simulation of gear changes without additional moving parts, enabling the reproduction of sensations similar to driving an internal combustion engine.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If an electronically actuated gearbox is used to simulate variable gear ratios, then the driving experience is improved, but the device complexity and maintenance requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical gearbox system with an electronic control system that manages motor torque and angular velocity to simulate variable gear ratios. The microprocessor-based controller adjusts motor parameters electronically rather than using physical gear changes, eliminating moving parts while maintaining the driving experience of a mechanical gearbox.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes motor operating parameters (torque and angular velocity) to simulate different gear ratios. By dynamically adjusting these parameters through electronic control, the system achieves variable gear ratio simulation without physical gear mechanisms, resolving the contradiction between adaptability and device complexity.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a mechanical gearbox is installed to provide variable gear ratios, then the driving experience is improved, but the vehicle weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent eliminates the mechanical gearbox and clutch from the vehicle by replacing them with an electronic control system that manages the electric motor's torque and speed output. This substitution removes the weight of mechanical transmission components while maintaining the functional equivalent through electronic parameter adjustment.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts and removes the mechanical gearbox and clutch components from the vehicle system. By taking out these heavy mechanical elements and replacing them with electronic control, the patent achieves weight reduction while preserving the variable gear ratio functionality through software-based simulation.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a mechanical gearbox and clutch are physically present in the vehicle, then the simulation of internal combustion engine performance is improved, but the vehicle costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces expensive mechanical components (gearbox and clutch) with a microprocessor-based electronic control system. This substitution reduces manufacturing costs by eliminating complex mechanical assemblies while maintaining the simulation of internal combustion engine performance through electronic management of motor parameters.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates a virtual copy of mechanical gearbox behavior through software simulation rather than physical replication. By copying the functional characteristics of a mechanical gearbox through electronic control algorithms, the patent achieves the desired performance simulation at lower manufacturing cost without requiring actual mechanical components.
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle having a motor with a transmission, provided with a fixed gear ratio, to a propelling unit includes a virtual gearbox including a microprocessor, operatively interfaced with the motor and programmed to manage and check the generation of motor driving torque, limiting, at the motor output, a maximum angular velocity and a maximum torque which are variable with a predetermined law.