ARRANGEMENT AND METHOD FOR OPTIMIZING THE POSITION OF AT LEAST ONE AIR DEFLECTOR

• US 20130173121A1
• Filed: 12/15/2009
• Published: 07/04/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Volvo Lastvagnar AB (Volvo AB)
• Original Assignee: Volvo Lastvagnar AB (Volvo AB)
• Inventors: Tenstam, Anders
• Application Number:
  US13/516,243
• Publication Number:
  US 20130173121A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/49
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 11/085 with adjustable shutters or blinds
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/14 Adaptive cruise control
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/143 Speed control B60W30/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 35/001 For commercial vehicles or tractor-trailer combinations, e.g. caravans
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/88 Optimized components or subsystems, e.g. lighting, actively controlled glasses

Abstract

An arrangement and method are provided for optimizing a position of at least one air deflector guiding an airflow around the vehicle such as a truck or truck-trailer combination during driving. A position of the at least one air deflector is determined by an actuator which is controlled in response to a sensed control signal indicating the air resistance of the vehicle, the speed of the vehicle is controlled by a vehicle driving control system for providing a constant speed of the vehicle during the optimization, and the position of the at least one air deflector is varied until the control signal indicates a minimized air resistance of the vehicle.

Claims

1. Arrangement for optimizing a position of at least one air deflector guiding an airflow around a vehicle during driving, comprising:

at least one air deflector for guiding an airflow around the vehicle

at least one actuator for moving the at least one air deflector between at least two positions; and

at least one controller for controlling each actuator and thereby the position of the air deflector in dependence on a control signal indicating an air resistance of the vehicle;

wherein the arrangement further comprises a vehicle driving control system for controlling at least a driving speed of the vehicle, wherein the arrangement is adapted to enable an optimization of the at least one air deflector, if the vehicle driving control system controls the speed of the vehicle.

2. Arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the control signal is a response signal of the vehicle driving control system sensing the driving characteristics of the vehicle, wherein the response signal comprises information on variations in at least one of the group of:

fuel rate, vehicle speed, engine speed, engine power, engine throttle position, engine torque.

3. Arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle driving control system is a driver assistance system.

4. Arrangement according to claim 2, wherein the vehicle driving control system is a driver assistance system, and the vehicle driving control system further comprises an air deflector adjustment mode, during which short-term variations in the response signal are ignored.

5. Arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the arrangement further comprises at least one detecting unit for detecting ambient conditions beside the air resistance, which influence the response signal, wherein the arrangement is adapted to clean the response signal from variations originating from the ambient conditions detected by the at least one.

6. Arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the arrangement further comprises a device for detecting road conditions, and wherein the control signal further comprises information on the road conditions obtained from the detecting device.

7. Arrangement according to claim 6, wherein detecting device is a GPS system and/or a navigation system, which is integrated into the vehicle driving control system.

8. Arrangement according to claim 6, wherein the arrangement is adapted to enable an optimization of the position of the at least one air deflector upon detection of a straight and flat road or road section.

9. Arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the arrangement is further adapted to repeat the optimization procedure upon elapse of a predetermined time period and/or detection of a significant change in driving direction, wherein the position of the at least one air deflector is varied around a current position.

10. Arrangement according to claim 6, wherein the arrangement is further adapted to move the at least one air deflector to a position of high air resistance upon detecting road conditions requiring a long-term engagement of brakes, particularly a downhill drive.

11. Arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the at least one air deflector comprises a roof top deflector, and two side deflectors, wherein each deflector comprises an actuator and/or controller so that each deflector is controlled individually.

12. Arrangement according to claim 1, further comprising a human machine interface for informing the driver of suitable conditions for initializing an optimization of the at least one air deflector and/or for inviting the driver to launch the vehicle driving control system for enabling an automatic optimization of the at least one air deflector.

13. Method for optimizing a position of at least one air deflector guiding an airflow around a vehicle during driving, wherein the position of the at least one air deflector is determined by an actuator which is controlled in response to a control signal, the method comprising the steps of:

controlling a speed of the vehicle by a vehicle driving control system for providing a constant speed of the vehicle during the optimization;

sensing the control signal, the control signal indicating the air resistance of the vehicle, and

varying the position of the at least one air deflector until the control signal indicates a minimized air resistance of the vehicle.

14. Method according to claim 13, further comprising the step of detecting road conditions suitable for optimizing the position of the at least one air deflector.

15. Method according to claim 14, further comprising the step of initializing optimization upon detection of suitable road conditions on detection of a straight and/or flat road or road section.

16. Method according to claim 13, further comprising the step of repeating the optimization procedure upon one or more of elapse of a predetermined time period and detection of a change in driving direction, wherein the position of the at least one air deflector is varied around a current position.

17. Method according to claim 14, further comprising moving the at least one air deflector to a position of high air resistance upon detecting road conditions requiring a long-term engagement of brakes.

18. Method according to claim 13, wherein the control signal is a response signal of the vehicle driving control system comprising information on variations in at least one of the group of:

fuel consumption, vehicle speed, engine speed, engine power, engine throttle position.

19. Method according to claim 18, wherein the response signal is cleaned from variations originating from other ambient conditions than air resistance by one or more of ignoring short-term variations in the response signal and providing additional information on ambient conditions by sensor units.

20. Method according to claim 13, further comprising informing the driver of suitable road conditions for optimizing the position of the at least one air deflector upon the detection of suitable road conditions.

21. Method according to claim 20, further comprising inviting the driver to one or more of manually initialize the optimizationand to launch a vehicle driving control system so that an optimization can be automatically initialized.

22. Method according to claim 13 performed by an arrangement for optimizing a position of at least one air deflector guiding an airflow around a vehicle during driving, the arrangement comprising:

at least one air deflector for guiding an airflow around the vehicle

at least one actuator for moving the at least one air deflector between at least two positions; and

at least one controller for controlling each actuator and thereby the position of the air deflector in dependence on a control signal indicating an air resistance of the vehicle;

wherein the arrangement further comprises a vehicle driving control system for controlling at least a driving speed of the vehicle, wherein the arrangement is adapted to enable an optimization of the at least one air deflector, if the vehicle driving control system controls the speed of the vehicle.