Noise management in electric heavy vehicles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12377723-B2
Application number	US-202318339437-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 22, 2023
Priority date	Jun 29, 2022
Publication date	Aug 5, 2025
Grant date	Aug 5, 2025

Abstract

A method of noise management in an electric heavy vehicle, including determining a noise threshold and corresponding reduced target speed for a cooling fan providing cooling of a propulsion/braking system of the vehicle, obtaining look-ahead data pertinent to an upcoming section of a road, and to determine a speed profile for the vehicle such that a cooling requirement of the propulsion/braking system does not exceed a cooling capacity of the cooling fan running at the reduced target speed. The method further includes, while driving along the section of the road, controlling the cooling fan not to exceed the target speed, and controlling the speed of the vehicle in accordance with the speed profile. A corresponding control system, heavy vehicle, computer program and computer program product are also provided.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of noise management in an electric heavy vehicle, the method performed by a control system of the vehicle, and comprising:
determining a noise threshold for a cooling fan configured to provide cooling of an electric propulsion system of the vehicle, the noise threshold being lower than a rated maximum noise of the cooling fan;
determining, in response to determining the noise threshold, a target speed for the cooling fan at which a noise generated by the cooling fan does not exceed the noise threshold;
obtaining look-ahead road data pertinent to an upcoming section of a road along which the vehicle is to be driven;
determining, in response to determining the target speed and based on the look-ahead road data, a speed profile of the vehicle for the section of the road such that, with the vehicle being driven according to the speed profile, a cooling requirement of the electric propulsion system does not exceed a cooling capacity of the cooling fan running at the target speed; and
while the vehicle is driven along the section of the road:
controlling the cooling fan not to exceed the target speed; and
controlling a speed of the vehicle in accordance with the speed profile.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further includes obtaining an indication that the vehicle is to be operated in a dedicated quiet mode, and determining the noise threshold in response to obtaining the indication.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the electric propulsion system is capable of braking the vehicle, and wherein controlling the speed of the vehicle according to the speed profile includes using the electric propulsion system for such braking of the vehicle.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method includes estimating noise generated by the cooling fan based on a dependence of generated cooling fan noise on cooling fan speed obtained from a calculation and/or lookup table.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further includes, while the vehicle is driven along the section of the road, receiving a signal indicative of a measured noise level of the vehicle, and dynamically updating the speed profile of the vehicle based on at least one of the measured noise level and a change of the measured noise level over time.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the noise threshold is a noise level within a cabin of the vehicle.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the measured noise level is measured within the cabin.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the noise threshold is a noise level on an outside of the vehicle.

9. The method of claim 5 , wherein the measured noise level is measured on the outside of the vehicle.

10. A control system for a heavy electric vehicle, configured to:
determine a noise threshold for a cooling fan configured to provide cooling of an electric propulsion system of the vehicle, wherein the noise threshold is lower than a rated maximum noise of the cooling fan;
determine, in response to determining the noise threshold, a target speed for the cooling fan at which a noise generated by the cooling fan does not exceed the noise threshold;
obtain look-ahead road data pertinent to an upcoming section of a road along which the vehicle is to be driven;
determine, in response to determining the target speed and based on the look-ahead road data, a speed profile of the vehicle for the section of the road such that, with the vehicle being driven according to the speed profile, a cooling requirement of the electric propulsion system does not exceed a cooling capacity of the cooling fan running at the target speed; and
while the vehicle is driven along the section of the road:
control the cooling fan not to exceed the target speed; and
control a speed of the vehicle in accordance with the speed profile.

11. The control system of claim 10 , further configured to obtain an indication that the vehicle is to be operated in a dedicated quiet mode, and determine the noise threshold in response to obtaining the indication.

12. A heavy electric vehicle, comprising:
an electric propulsion system;
a cooling fan configured to provide cooling of the electric propulsion system; and
the control system of claim 10 .

13. A computer program product for noise management in a heavy electric vehicle, the computer program product comprising computer code that, when running on a processor device of a control system of the vehicle, causes the control system to:
determine a noise threshold for a cooling fan configured to provide cooling of an electric propulsion system of the vehicle, wherein the noise threshold is lower than a rated maximum noise of the cooling fan;
determine, in response to determining the noise threshold, a target speed for the cooling fan at which a noise generated by the cooling fan does not exceed the noise threshold;
obtain look-ahead road data pertinent to an upcoming section of a road along which the vehicle is to be driven;
determine, in response to determining the target speed and based on the look-ahead road data, a speed profile of the vehicle for the section of the road such that, with the vehicle being driven according to the speed profile, a cooling requirement of the electric propulsion system does not exceed a cooling capacity of the cooling fan running at the target speed; and
while the vehicle is driven along the section of the road:
control the cooling fan not to exceed the target speed; and
control a speed of the vehicle in accordance with the speed profile.

14. The computer program product of claim 13 , wherein the computer code is further such that it, when running on the processor device of the control system, causes the control system to obtain an indication that the vehicle is to be operated in a dedicated quiet mode, and determine the noise threshold in response to obtaining the indication.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions, which when executed by the processor device, cause the processor device to perform the method of claim 1 .

Assignees

• Volvo Truck Corp

Inventors

• Andersson Arne
• Fagergren Mats

Classifications

• B60W2720/10

  Longitudinal speed · CPC title

• B60W40/06

  Road conditions · CPC title

• B60W10/30

  including control of auxiliary equipment, e.g. air-conditioning compressors or oil pumps · CPC title

• B60W10/18

  including control of braking systems · CPC title

• B60W10/08

  including control of electric propulsion units, e.g. motors or generators · CPC title