System and method for reducing fuel consumption of a work vehicle based on estimated fan-based and/or alternator-based power losses

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10752188-B2
Application number	US-201715857914-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 29, 2017
Priority date	Dec 29, 2017
Publication date	Aug 25, 2020
Grant date	Aug 25, 2020

Abstract

In one aspect, a system and method allow for various pairs of candidate gear ratios and engine speeds to be identified for achieving a desired ground speed of a work vehicle. The individual operating efficiency of the vehicle's fan and/or alternator may then be analyzed for each pair of transmission/engine settings to estimate the associated parasitic power loss(es) for such component(s). Based on the parasitic power loss(es) determined for each transmission/engine setting, a net engine power or torque requirement can be calculated and used as an input for determining the fuel efficiency of the work vehicle at each candidate setting. The gear ratio and corresponding engine speed of the candidate setting associated with the lowest fuel consumption may then be set as the target or desired transmission/engine setting for maintaining the work vehicle at the desired ground speed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for reducing the fuel consumption of a work vehicle having an engine and a transmission coupled to the engine, the method comprising:
receiving, with one or more computing devices, a speed command signal associated with a desired ground speed for the work vehicle;
identifying, with the one or more computing devices, a plurality of unique candidate transmission/engine settings based on the desired ground speed, each candidate transmission/engine setting including a candidate gear ratio and a corresponding candidate engine speed for achieving the desired ground speed;
estimating, with the one or more computing devices, at least one of an alternator power loss value associated with operation of an alternator of the work vehicle at each candidate transmission/engine setting or a fan power loss value associated with operation of a fan of the work vehicle at each candidate transmission/engine setting, wherein estimating at least one of the alternator power loss value or the fan power loss value comprises estimating the alternator power loss value associated with each candidate transmission/engine setting, the alternator power loss value being estimated by:
determining an electrical power output of the alternator for each candidate transmission/engine setting; and
determining the alternator power loss value as a function of the electrical power output and an alternator operating efficiency associated with each candidate transmission/engine setting;

determining, with the one or more computing devices, a net engine power for each candidate transmission/engine setting that allows the desired ground speed to be achieved based at least in part on the at least one of the alternator power loss value or the fan power loss value associated with each candidate transmission/engine setting;
analyzing, with the one or more computing devices, stored fuel efficiency data for the work vehicle based on the net engine power determined for each candidate transmission/engine setting to identify a target transmission/engine setting of the plurality of candidate transmission/engine settings that will minimize fuel consumption while achieving the desired ground speed; and
controlling, with the one or more computing devices, the operation of the work vehicle such that a transmission ratio of the transmission and an engine speed of the engine correspond to the candidate gear ratio and the candidate engine speed, respectively, of the target transmission/engine setting.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining the alternator operating efficiency as a function of the candidate engine speed associated with each candidate transmission/engine setting.

3. A method for reducing the fuel consumption of a work vehicle having an engine and a transmission coupled to the engine, the method comprising:
receiving, with one or more computing devices, a speed command signal associated with a desired ground speed for the work vehicle;
identifying, with the one or more computing devices, a plurality of unique candidate transmission/engine settings based on the desired ground speed, each candidate transmission/engine setting including a candidate gear ratio and a corresponding candidate engine speed for achieving the desired ground speed;
estimating, with the one or more computing devices, at least one of an alternator power loss value associated with operation of an alternator of the work vehicle at each candidate transmission/engine setting or a fan power loss value associated with operation of a fan of the work vehicle at each candidate transmission/engine setting, wherein estimating at least one of the alternator power loss value or the fan power loss value comprises estimating the fan power loss value associated with each candidate transmission/engine setting, the fan power loss value being estimated by:
determining an estimated fan speed for the fan as a function of the candidate engine speed associated with each candidate transmission/engine setting and a corresponding engine torque requirement for each candidate transmission/engine setting; and
determining the fan power loss value as a function of the estimated fan speed;

determining, with the one or more computing devices, a net engine power for each candidate transmission/engine setting that allows the desired ground speed to be achieved based at least in part on the at least one of the alternator power loss value or the fan power loss value associated with each candidate transmission/engine setting;
analyzing, with the one or more computing devices, stored fuel efficiency data for the work vehicle based on the net engine power determined for each candidate transmission/engine setting to identify a target transmission/engine setting of the plurality of candidate transmission/engine settings that will minimize fuel consumption while achieving the desired ground speed; and
controlling, with the one or more computing devices, the operation of the work vehicle such that a transmission ratio of the transmission and an engine speed of the engine correspond to the candidate gear ratio and the candidate engine speed, respectively, of the target transmission/engine setting.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
estimating the corresponding engine torque requirement for each candidate transmission/engine setting without taking into account the fan power loss value; and
upon determining the fan power loss value based on the estimated fan speed, calculating an updated engine torque requirement for each candidate transmission/engine setting that takes into account the fan power loss value.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the speed command signal comprises receiving the speed command signal in association with a request to execute an operating mode in which a ground speed for the work vehicle is maintained at the desired ground speed.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining a parasitic power loss value for each associated candidate transmission/engine setting as a function of the at least one of the alternator power loss value or the fan power loss value and an individual power loss value of one or more additional power-consuming components of the work vehicle, the net engine power being determined based on the parasitic power loss value for each associated candidate transmission/engine setting.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the one or more additional power-consuming components comprise at least one of the engine, the transmission, a power-take off, a drive axle assembly, or tires of the work vehicle.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
upon receipt of the speed command signal, selecting a closest gear ratio at which the desired ground speed can be achieved via operation of the engine at a corresponding engine speed; and
controlling the operation of the work vehicle such that an initial transmission ratio of the transmission and an initial engine speed of the engine correspond to the closest gear ratio and the corresponding engine speed, respectively.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising receiving an input associated with a requested engine speed range for the engine;
wherein selecting the closest gear ratio comprises selecting the closest gear ratio at which the corresponding engine speed falls within the requested engine speed range.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein controlling the operation of the work vehicle such that the transmission ratio and the engine speed correspond to the candidate gear ratio and the candidate engine speed, respectively, of the target transmission/engine setting comprises adjusting the transmission ratio from the initial transmission ratio to the candidate gear ra

Assignees

• Cnh Ind America Llc
• Cnh Ind America Llc

Inventors

• Hartman Brian A
• Milburn Jr Rowland J
• Adupala Rajeshwar
• Bindingnavle Shreedhra
• Omran Ashraf

Classifications

• B60R16/0236 Primary

  for economical driving · CPC title

• B60Y2200/221

  Tractors · CPC title

• B60W10/06

  including control of combustion engines · CPC title

• B60W30/143

  Speed control (B60W30/16 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60W2510/305

  Power absorbed by auxiliaries · CPC title