Electric Car Wheel Radius Asymmetry With Differential Torque Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional automotive wheel designs do not prioritize fuel efficiency, leading to increased energy loss due to axial friction, which is exacerbated by smaller wheel diameters, limiting the travel distance of electric vehicles.
Innovation Solution
Designing electric passenger cars with larger diameter wheels, differential speed control, and asymmetric wheel sizes to optimize energy efficiency, where rear wheels have a greater radius and carry more weight, and using electronic traction control to manage friction and stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If smaller wheel diameters are used in conventional automotive designs, then the device complexity is reduced, but the energy loss increases due to higher axial friction
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies asymmetry by configuring wheels of different diameters at different positions on the vehicle. Specifically, the vehicle has a first wheel and a second wheel with different diameters, where the first wheel has a larger diameter than the second wheel. This asymmetric configuration optimizes energy efficiency by reducing axial friction while maintaining manageable device complexity through selective application of different wheel sizes where most beneficial.
2Productivity
If larger wheel diameters are used to reduce axial friction, then the travel distance for the same energy loss increases, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by assigning different wheel diameters to different locations on the vehicle based on specific performance requirements. The first wheel (with larger diameter) is positioned where reduced axial friction and increased travel distance are most beneficial, while the second wheel (with smaller diameter) is positioned where compactness or other factors are prioritized. This localized optimization achieves improved productivity without uniformly increasing device complexity throughout the entire vehicle.
3Loss of energy
If asymmetric wheel sizes are implemented with differential speed control, then the energy efficiency is improved, but the control system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics through differential speed control, where the rotational speeds of the first wheel and second wheel are independently controlled based on real-time vehicle conditions. The control system adjusts the speed of each wheel dynamically to optimize energy efficiency and reduce friction losses, while maintaining overall vehicle stability. This dynamic control approach achieves reduced energy loss without requiring overly complex static control mechanisms.
Data Source
AI summary
An electrical passenger car, the electrical passenger car including: at least two electrically driven motors; motor control electronics; sensors; and wheels, where the wheels include a first wheel and a second wheel, where the second wheel has a radius at least 7% greater than a radius of the first wheel, and where the motor control electronics control the at least two electrically driven motors to provide a greater torque to the second wheel than to the first wheel.