Wind-Aware Vehicle Platooning for Drag and Energy Loss
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current transportation systems lack insights into optimizing vehicle platooning decisions regarding which vehicles to include, when to travel, and how to travel to maximize efficiency, leading to less efficient routes and operations.
Innovation Solution
A system utilizing processors to determine wind information and calculate wind drag and parasitic energy losses along routes, allowing for the selection of optimal vehicle groups and travel adjustments to minimize energy consumption and enhance efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If vehicles travel alone without platooning, then each vehicle maintains operational independence and flexibility, but wind drag forces and parasitic energy losses increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple vehicles into platoons that travel together in coordinated groups. By merging vehicles into platoons, the system reduces individual vehicle exposure to wind drag forces and parasitic energy losses, achieving energy efficiency through collective travel while maintaining operational flexibility through intelligent platoon formation and dissolution.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic platoon formation and dissolution based on real-time conditions. Vehicles can join or leave platoons depending on route, weather, traffic, and energy efficiency considerations. This dynamic approach allows the system to adapt to changing conditions, maintaining energy efficiency benefits when platooning is advantageous while preserving operational independence when conditions warrant individual travel.
2Use of energy by moving object
If vehicles form platoons to reduce wind drag, then energy efficiency improves, but the ability to respond to varying wind conditions at different locations decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the route into multiple locations with distinct wind conditions. Instead of treating the entire journey as a single platoon formation, the system divides the route and allows different platoon configurations at different segments. This enables vehicles to form platoons in locations favorable for energy efficiency while breaking up or reconfiguring platoons when wind conditions change, thus adapting to varying conditions along the route.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism that continuously monitors wind conditions, vehicle positions, and energy consumption. This feedback loop allows the system to adjust platoon formation dynamically based on real-time wind information, ensuring that vehicles respond appropriately to varying wind conditions at different locations while maintaining overall energy efficiency goals.
3Productivity
If operators use existing coordination systems, then basic platoon formation is achieved, but insight into optimizing vehicle selection, timing, and routing decisions is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary analysis of wind conditions, route characteristics, and vehicle properties before forming platoons. By anticipating favorable platoon formation opportunities in advance based on predicted wind patterns and route segments, the system can make informed decisions about which vehicles to group, when to form platoons, and what routes to select, thereby avoiding loss of critical optimization information.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary system that collects and analyzes wind condition data, vehicle information, and route characteristics. This intermediary processing layer provides insights that bridge the gap between basic platoon coordination and optimized decision-making, enabling operators to make informed selections about vehicle grouping, timing, and routing based on comprehensive wind condition intelligence.
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 energy efficiency, reduces operational costs, and enhances safety by optimizing vehicle platooning decisions based on wind conditions, leading to more efficient route planning and real-time adjustments.
Implementation Method 1
determine one or more of wind drag or a parasitic energy loss for travel by different potential groups of the plural vehicles based on the wind information
Implementation Method 2
determine one or more of wind drag or a parasitic energy loss for travel by different potential groups of the plural vehicles
Data Source
AI summary
A system determines wind information for achieving a desired outcome for travel of a selected group of one or more vehicles along one or more routes. The system determines wind drag and/or a parasitic energy loss for travel by different potential groups of vehicles based on the wind information. The system determines the wind drag and/or parasitic energy loss for each of plural, different locations along the one or more routes, visually presents the wind drag and/or parasitic energy loss for each of the different groups of vehicles, and/or determines the selected group of the one or more vehicles from the different groups of vehicles for travel along the one or more routes to achieve the desired outcome based on the wind drag and/or parasitic energy loss that is determined.