VEHICLE ENERGY AND POWER MANAGEMENT METHOD AND SYSTEM

• US 20130184901A1
• Filed: 01/07/2013
• Published: 07/18/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Rolls-Royce PLC (Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc)
• Original Assignee: Rolls-Royce PLC (Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc)
• Inventors: Self, Kristian Alexander, Wall, Derek Sean, Adgar, Stephen
• Application Number:
  US13/735,319
• Publication Number:
  US 20130184901A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/3
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/08 including control of electric propulsion units, e.g. motors or generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/24 including control of energy storage means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/30 including control of auxiliary equipment, e.g. air-conditioning compressors or oil pumps
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/12 using control strategies taking into account route information estimation or calculation of non-directly measurable driving parameters B60W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0006 Digital architecture hierarchy
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0075 Automatic parameter input, automatic initialising or calibrating means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2555/20 Ambient conditions, e.g. wind or rain
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2555/40 Altitude
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2720/103 Speed profile
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/143 Speed control B60W30/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0097 Predicting future conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/51 Aeroplanes
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 19/00 Aircraft control not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3469 Fuel consumption; Energy use; Emission aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/047 Optimisation of routes or paths, e.g. travelling salesman problem
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles

Abstract

A method of managing energy and/or power in a vehicle, including: one or more vehicle power systems adapted to control one or more power consuming components of the vehicle and one or more power producing components of the vehicle; and one or more propulsive power systems adapted to control a propulsive power unit of the vehicle. The method includes: proposing a vehicle route for a predetermined mission and/or destination; determining a time-based operational plan for each of the vehicle power consuming components; determining the power required by the vehicle power consuming components and the propulsive power required by the vehicle; determining the power required from the vehicle power producing components and the propulsive power required by the propulsive power unit as a function of time during the operational plan; and varying the proposed vehicle route and/or the operational plan to optimize a predetermined performance criterion for the vehicle.

Claims

1. A method of managing energy and/or power in a vehicle, the vehicle comprising:

one or more vehicle power systems adapted to control one or more power consuming components of the vehicle and one or more power producing components of the vehicle; and

one or more propulsive power systems adapted to control one or more propulsive power units of the vehicle,

wherein the method comprises;

(i) proposing a vehicle route for a predetermined mission and/or destination;

(ii) determining a time-based operational plan;

(iii) determining the power required by the vehicle power consuming components and the propulsive power required by the vehicle as a function of time during the operational plan;

(iv) determining the power required from the vehicle power producing components and the propulsive power required by the propulsive power units as a function of time during the operational plan; and

(v) varying the proposed vehicle route and/or the operational plan and repeating at least steps (iii) to (iv) to optimise a predetermined performance criterion for the vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises dividing the operational plan into one or more time phases, each phase representing a particular mode of operation for the vehicle and varying the duration of one or more of the time phases to optimise the predetermined performance criterion.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

one or more of the vehicle power systems and/or propulsive power systems suggesting one or more variations to the operational plan in order to further optimise the predetermined performance criterion;

determining whether to adopt one or more of the suggested variations to the operational plan; and

varying the operational plan according to one or more of the suggestions from the systems to further optimise the predetermined criterion.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises varying the vehicle route independently of varying a scheduled use of the one or more of the propulsive power systems to optimise the predetermined performance criterion for the vehicle.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises varying the scheduled use of one or more of the vehicle power systems within the operational plan independently of varying a scheduled use of the one or more of the propulsive power systems to optimise the predetermined performance criterion for the vehicle.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises varying the scheduled use of one or more of the propulsive power systems within the operational plan independently of varying a scheduled use of the one or more of the vehicle power systems to optimise the predetermined performance criterion for the vehicle.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises querying one or more power sensors to determine the vehicle power system and/or propulsive power system power levels;

and accounting for the power levels when determining the power required from the vehicle power producing components and/or the propulsive power required from the propulsive power unit as a function of time during the operational plan.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises querying one or more health sensors to determine the vehicle health, vehicle power system health, power consuming component health, power producing component health, propulsive power system health and/or propulsive power unit health;

and accounting for the health when determining the power required from the vehicle power producing components and/or the propulsive power required from the propulsive power unit as a function of time during the operational plan.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises carrying out any of the method steps in the preceding claims during the vehicle route and refining the vehicle route and/or operational plan to optimise the predetermined performance criterion for the vehicle.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises predetermining an optimal vehicle route and operational plan prior to commencing the vehicle route.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the method further comprises using the predetermined optimal route and operational plan as a starting point in steps (i) and (ii) of claim 1 respectively.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined performance criterion is one of energy efficiency, emissions output, vehicle route completion time, persistence or the operational life of the vehicle and/or one or more of the vehicle components.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the power consuming components consume one or more of electrical power, mechanical power, hydraulic power, pneumatic power or propulsive power.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the power producing component comprises one or more of an electrical generator, a gas turbine engine, a diesel engine, a solar cell, a fuel cell, a thermo-electric generator, a wind turbine, a nuclear reactor or any other power producing, or energy transforming component.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the propulsive power unit comprises one or more of a gas turbine engine, a diesel engine, motor, or any other source of propulsion.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle further comprises energy storage means and the method comprises accounting for the energy storage means when determining the power required from the vehicle power producing components and the propulsive power required by the propulsive power unit as a function of time during the operational plan.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle is autonomous.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle is an aircraft.

19. A controller adapted to carry out the method of claim 1.

20. A vehicle comprising the controller of claim 19.