An apparatus and method for determining a predicted energy usage of a vehicle

• Main Authors: Krzysztof Kobylinski, Ionut Valentin Gheorghe, Thomas James Osgood, Navneesh Phillip
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 19.06.2019
• Subjects: CONJOINT CONTROL OF VEHICLE SUB-UNITS OF DIFFERENT TYPE ORDIFFERENT FUNCTION; CONTROL SYSTEMS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR HYBRID VEHICLES; ELECTRIC EQUIPMENT OR PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLEDVEHICLES; ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES, IN GENERAL; MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; ROAD VEHICLE DRIVE CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR PURPOSES NOT RELATED TOTHE CONTROL OF A PARTICULAR SUB-UNIT; TRANSPORTING; VEHICLES IN GENERAL

An apparatus configured to receive sensor data associated with a plurality of locations of a first vehicle, and determine a predicted energy usage of a second, other vehicle in dependence on the received sensor data, a force balance model and a parameter of the second vehicle. Sensor data may include the altitude of the vehicle. The processing means may compute a distance travelled, a speed, an acceleration or a slope of a route segment. The force balance model may comprise an estimate of the driving force or the braking force acting on the second vehicle, and may comprise summing predicted forces acting on the vehicle, which may include a force due to acceleration, a drag force, a rolling force, and an inertial force. The second vehicle parameter may include mass, cross-sectional area, drag coefficient, or an efficiency of a prime mover or energy recovery system. The processor may determine a predicted auxiliary energy usage for maintaining or establishing an energy storage means at a predetermined temperature.