EP4695107A1 - Commande de puissance pour véhicules - Google Patents

Commande de puissance pour véhicules

Info

Publication number
EP4695107A1
EP4695107A1 EP23719369.3A EP23719369A EP4695107A1 EP 4695107 A1 EP4695107 A1 EP 4695107A1 EP 23719369 A EP23719369 A EP 23719369A EP 4695107 A1 EP4695107 A1 EP 4695107A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
unit
vehicle combination
force
computer
implemented method
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Pending
Application number
EP23719369.3A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Inventor
Mats Jonasson
Umur Erdinc
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Volvo Truck Corp
Original Assignee
Volvo Truck Corp
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Volvo Truck Corp filed Critical Volvo Truck Corp
Publication of EP4695107A1 publication Critical patent/EP4695107A1/fr
Pending legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60L—PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL; MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES
    • B60L1/00—Supplying electric power to auxiliary equipment of vehicles
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60L—PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL; MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES
    • B60L15/00—Methods, circuits, or devices for controlling the traction-motor speed of electrically-propelled vehicles
    • B60L15/20—Methods, circuits, or devices for controlling the traction-motor speed of electrically-propelled vehicles for control of the vehicle or its driving motor to achieve a desired performance, e.g. speed, torque, programmed variation of speed
    • B60L15/2045—Methods, circuits, or devices for controlling the traction-motor speed of electrically-propelled vehicles for control of the vehicle or its driving motor to achieve a desired performance, e.g. speed, torque, programmed variation of speed for optimising the use of energy
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60L—PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL; MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES
    • B60L15/00—Methods, circuits, or devices for controlling the traction-motor speed of electrically-propelled vehicles
    • B60L15/32—Control or regulation of multiple-unit electrically-propelled vehicles
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60L—PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL; MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES
    • B60L2200/00—Type of vehicles
    • B60L2200/26—Rail vehicles
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60L—PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL; MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES
    • B60L2200/00—Type of vehicles
    • B60L2200/28—Trailers
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60L—PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL; MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES
    • B60L2220/00—Electrical machine types; Structures or applications thereof
    • B60L2220/40—Electrical machine applications
    • B60L2220/42—Electrical machine applications with use of more than one motor
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60L—PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL; MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES
    • B60L2260/00—Operating Modes
    • B60L2260/40—Control modes
    • B60L2260/46—Control modes by self learning

Definitions

  • the disclosure relates generally to vehicle control.
  • the disclosure relates to power control for vehicles, in particular determining a force control input for a vehicle combination based on power losses and force differences associated with units of the vehicle combination.
  • the disclosure can be applied in heavy-duty vehicles, such as trucks, buses, and construction equipment.
  • the disclosure can be applied in multi-unit vehicle combinations with distributed propulsion and energy storage.
  • a control system of a vehicle combination may determine control signals for actuators of the vehicle combination in order to satisfy the requested global forces of the vehicle combination.
  • the control system may receive an input related to a manoeuvre for the vehicle combination and determine control signals in the form of propulsion and braking instructions that meet the requested global forces of the vehicle combination subject to certain constraints, for example energy and safety constraints.
  • a tractor unit may provide propulsion for the entire combination, while trailing units are towed behind.
  • Traditional vehicle combinations may employ internal combustion engines in a tractor unit to provide propulsion.
  • batteries may be installed in the tractor unit to power electric motors and provide propulsion. If batteries are also installed in the trailer of a vehicle combination, electrical motors may also be installed so that the trailer can be used as a propulsive complement to the combination. This allows the use of an electric trailer with both tractors having internal combustion engines and battery electric vehicle tractors.
  • conventional heavy vehicle trailers are normally installed with pneumatic brakes to make the vehicle stop safely and in time.
  • An electric trailer could also be used to recharge the batteries through regenerative braking, thus preventing wasting energy through the mechanical braking system.
  • This disclosure attempts to address the problems noted above by providing methods for determining a force control input for a vehicle combination based on power losses and force differences associated with units of the vehicle combination.
  • a force control input for the vehicle combination is determined that meets a reference force input whilst ensuring that cumulative power losses of the vehicle combination and a difference between requested forces and allocated forces across the vehicle combination are below a threshold.
  • This provides a force control input for vehicle motion management that enable higher efficiency of operation of the vehicle combination as well as ensuring that the vehicle combination accurately follows the requested motion input, which provides additional stability control.
  • a computer-implemented method for determining a force control input for a vehicle combination comprising a tractor unit and at least one trailing unit, the method comprising, by processing circuitry of a computer system, receiving a reference input representing a requested movement of the vehicle combination, determining a requested force input for one or more units of the vehicle combination from the reference input, determining a force allocated to one or more units of the vehicle combination, determining respective power losses associated with one or more units of the vehicle combination, wherein the power losses are a function of a force provided by the unit and determining the force control input such that a sum for the vehicle combination of a cumulative power loss and a cumulative difference between the requested force input and the allocated force is below a threshold, wherein the determined force control input meets the reference input for the vehicle combination.
  • This method enables a reference force input to be met whilst ensuring efficient and accurate operation of the vehicle combination.
  • power losses and a force difference of the vehicle combination can be minimised to the extent allowed when the reference input is met. This can be done by considering each unit of the vehicle combination, such that an optimal force control input for the whole combination is determined.
  • the power losses associated with a unit comprise power losses for the propulsion system of the unit and/or power losses for the braking system of the unit. This enables the different losses that occur during different motions of the vehicle combination to be taken into account, rather than focusing solely on one of these motions.
  • the power losses associated with a unit comprise at least one of a power loss associated with a battery of the unit, a power loss associated with an electrical machine of the unit, a power loss associated with the drivetrain of the unit, and a power loss associated with service brakes of the unit. This ensures that all losses from different components of a unit are taken into account when assessing the losses of the unit as a whole.
  • the difference between the requested force input and the allocated force for a unit comprises a difference for the propulsion system of the unit and a difference for the braking system of the unit. This ensures the resulting force adheres accurately to the requested force during different motions of the vehicle combination, rather than focusing solely on one of these motions.
  • the force control input comprises a force control input for each unit of the vehicle combination. This enables the force control input to be specified for each unit, rather than simply providing a force control input for the vehicle combination as a whole, which enables different configurations to be achieved to reduce the overall power losses.
  • the force control input comprises a force control input for the propulsion system of at least one unit of the vehicle combination and a force control input for the braking system of at least one unit of the vehicle combination. This enables the force control input to be specified for different motions of the vehicle combination, rather than focusing solely on one of these motions.
  • the computer-implemented method comprises determining the force control input using an optimisation function to minimise a sum of the total power losses and the force difference of the vehicle combination. This enables different solutions to be found in an efficient manner that minimises a sum of the total power losses and the force difference.
  • the optimisation function is constrained by the force capabilities of the units of the vehicle combination. This ensures that the resulting force control input is capable of being implemented by the vehicle combination, for example by the actuators of the units of the vehicle combination.
  • the optimisation function is constrained by a safe operating envelope of the vehicle combination. This ensures that the resulting force control input maintains the motion of the vehicle combination within safe limits, this avoiding issues such as yaw instabilities.
  • the optimisation function comprises weighting factors associated with each unit of the vehicle combination. This enables the resulting force control input to be tuned for different operating conditions and outcomes.
  • the weighting factors comprise weighting factors for the unit’s propulsion system and weighting factors for the unit’s braking system. This enables the resulting force control input to be tuned for different motions and for different operating conditions and outcomes.
  • the weighting factors are determined based on current or future operating conditions of the vehicle combination. This enables the resulting force control input to be tuned based on different phases of motion of the vehicle combination.
  • the optimisation function comprises a term for the difference between a requested state of energy rate and the allocated state of energy rate across the vehicle combination. This ensures that the resulting state of energy rate adheres accurately to the requested state of energy rate.
  • the reference input comprises at least one of a longitudinal acceleration of the vehicle combination, a longitudinal acceleration of at least one a unit, a longitudinal velocity of the tractor unit a lateral velocity of the tractor unit, a yaw rate of at least one unit of the vehicle combination, and a steering angle of the tractor unit.
  • a computer program product comprising program code for performing, when executed by processing circuitry, the computer-implemented method.
  • control system comprising one or more control units configured to perform the computer-implemented method.
  • a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions, which when executed by processing circuitry, cause the processing circuitry to perform the computer-implemented method.
  • a computer system comprising processing circuitry configured to perform the computer-implemented method.
  • FIG. 1 schematically shows a side view of an example vehicle combination.
  • FIG. 2 schematically shows a top-view of an example vehicle combination.
  • FIG. 3 schematically shows, in terms of functional blocks, an example control system for a vehicle combination.
  • FIG. 4 schematically shows an example power flow model for a vehicle combination.
  • FIG. 5 is a flowchart of an example method for controlling a vehicle combination.
  • FIG. 6 is a flowchart of another example method for controlling a vehicle combination.
  • FIG. 7 is a flowchart of another example method for controlling a vehicle combination.
  • FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary computer system for implementing examples disclosed herein, according to one example.
  • FIG. 9 is a schematic drawing of a computer readable medium according to one example.
  • FIG. 10 is a schematic block diagram of a control unit according to one example.
  • Like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout the description.
  • power losses are present at various levels of the system. Power losses may be present in both propulsion systems and braking systems of a vehicle combination. For example, power losses may be present at actuators of the vehicle combination, such as internal combustion engines, electrical machines and service brakes associated with the different units of the vehicle combination. Power losses may also be present at other parts of the vehicle combination, such as the batteries and the drivetrain of the vehicle combination. Many vehicle motion management approaches do not adequately take these losses into account, and simply changing force distribution across the vehicle combination to reduce power losses does not take into account other important factors such as vehicle stability or accurate reproduction of the requested inputs.
  • FIG. 1 schematically shows a side view of an example vehicle combination 100 of the type considered in this disclosure.
  • the vehicle combination 100 comprises a number of units 110, including a tractor unit and at least one trailing unit.
  • Each unit 110 may be given an index z, and the total number of units 110 in a vehicle combination 100 is designated n. Whilst two trailing units are shown, it will be appreciated that the vehicle combination 100 may comprise more or fewer trailing units connected to each other. This gives rise to different types and designations of vehicle combinations.
  • a tractor unit such as the tractor unit 110-1, is generally the foremost unit in a vehicle combination 100, and may comprise the cabin for the driver, including steering controls, dashboard displays and the like. Generally, the tractor unit 110-1 is used to provide propulsion power for the vehicle combination 100. In the example of FIG. 1, the tractor unit 110-1 may also be used to store goods that are being transported by the vehicle combination 100
  • a trailing unit such as the trailing units 110-i, 110-n, is generally used to store goods that are being transported by the vehicle combination 100.
  • a trailing unit may be a truck, trailer, dolly and the like.
  • a trailing unit may also provide propulsion to the vehicle combination 100.
  • a trailing unit without a front axle, such as the trailing units 110-i, 110-n, is known as a semi-trailer.
  • vehicle motion management is available on a unit level to receive requests from a manual or virtual driver to coordinate the propulsion, braking and steering. All units 110 may provide propulsion to the vehicle combination 100.
  • tractor axles and two axles per trailer are shown, it will be appreciated that any suitable number of axles may be provide on the respective units 110. It will also be appreciated that any number of the tractor axles and/or trailer axles may be driven axles, including zero (i.e. one of the units may include at least one driven axle while the other does not).
  • the vehicle combination 100 may comprise one or more sources or propulsion.
  • the units 110 may comprise one or more electrical machines 130 (not shown) such as electric motors.
  • Each unit 110 may comprise one or more batteries 120 configured to provide power to the electrical machines 130.
  • a unit 110 most often a tractor unit 110-1, may also include another source of propulsion, for example an internal combustion engine (ICE).
  • the vehicle combination 100 also comprises a drivetrain (not shown) to deliver mechanical power from the propulsion source (the electrical machines 130 or the ICE) to the wheels 140.
  • the electrical machines 130 are configured to drive, e.g. provide torque and/or steering to, one or more axles or individual wheels 140 of the unit 110.
  • the electrical machines 130 of a unit 110 can supply either a positive (propulsion) or negative (braking) force.
  • electric motors may also be operated as generators, in order for the electric motors to generate braking force when required.
  • the use of electrical machines 130 to supply a negative force is known as regenerative braking.
  • the energy recovered from regenerative braking can be stored in the batteries 120, and so regenerative braking is generally preferred over using service brakes 150.
  • each unit 110 may comprise one or more sets of service brakes 150.
  • the service brakes 150 of a unit 110 can supply a negative (braking) force.
  • the service brakes 150 may be, for example, frictional brakes such as pneumatic brakes.
  • Pneumatic brakes use a compressor to fill the brake with air, which may be powered by the batteries 120.
  • the brakes may be electro-mechanical brakes.
  • the ICE, electrical machines 130 and service brakes 150 are considered as actuators of the vehicle combination 100. Other actuators may also be present, such as steering servo arrangements. Each actuator in a given unit 110 may be given an index F and the total number of actuators in a given unit 110 is designated m.
  • the vehicle combination 100 can be considered to comprise two systems: a propulsion system comprising the components that are involved in propulsion of the vehicle combination 100, and a braking system comprising the components that are involved in braking of the vehicle combination 100.
  • the propulsion system can be considered to comprise one or more of the ICE, electrical machines 130, the drivetrain, and batteries 120 of the vehicle combination 100
  • the braking system can be considered to comprise the electrical machines 130, the drivetrain, the batteries 120, and the service brakes 150.
  • FIG. 2 schematically shows a top-view of an example vehicle combination 100 of the type considered in this disclosure.
  • the vehicle combination 100 comprises a number of units 110, including a tractor unit and a plurality of trailing units.
  • FIG. 2 also shows the requested global forces of the vehicle combination 100 as a whole. Examples of requested global forces of the vehicle combination 100 as a whole may e.g. include a total longitudinal/axial force FXM a total lateral/radial force F y ,tot, and/or one or more yaw moments Mz.t for the respective vehicle units 110.
  • the requested global forces of the vehicle combination 100 must be determined and resolved. This may be achieved by a control system 200 (shown in FIG. 3) of the vehicle combination 100 that determines control signals based on a requested reference input and certain operating conditions of the vehicle combination 100.
  • the vehicle combination 100 includes a combination control allocator 210 and a plurality of unit control allocators 212.
  • the combination control allocator 210 and the various unit specific control allocators 212 together form a distributed control allocation system for the vehicle combination 100.
  • the control allocation may be performed on multiple levels, i.e. first on a level of the vehicle combination 100 as a whole, and then on a level of each vehicle unit 110 individually.
  • the combination control allocator 210 may be provided (as shown) as part of the tractor unit 110-1, while the unit control allocators 212 are provided as part of each individual unit 110. It will be appreciated that the combination control allocator 210 may be provided as part of any unit 110 of the vehicle combination 100.
  • FIG. 3 schematically shows, in terms of functional blocks, an example control system 200 for a vehicle combination 100.
  • the control system 200 serves to perform various functions of the vehicle combination 100, such as power management and motion coordination.
  • the control system 200 comprises a target generator 202, a tactical layer 204, a state estimator 206, an energy manager 208, a combination control allocator 210 and a plurality of unit control allocators 212.
  • the various modules may e.g. be implemented as code running on a processing circuitry, or similar.
  • the various modules may be communicatively connected or connectable to each other, for example as known in the art.
  • the purpose of the target generator 202 is to determine a requested reference input r req and a virtual control input Vcomb.req for the vehicle combination 100.
  • the requested reference input r req is determined based on an input related to a manoeuvre for the vehicle combination 100 and represents a requested movement of the vehicle combination 100.
  • the virtual combination control input Vcomb.req is determined based on the requested reference input r req and a motion capability Vcomb.cap for the vehicle combination 100.
  • the target generator 202 comprises a path planner/controller 214 and a force generator 216.
  • the target generator 202 may receive an input related to a manoeuvre for the vehicle combination 100.
  • the manoeuvre may be, for example, straight-line driving, cornering, braking and the like.
  • the target generator 202 may receive a signal from, for example, a steering wheel and/or gas/brake pedal of the combination 100, indicating that the driver (or some other system of the vehicle combination 100) wants to change the direction and/or the speed of the vehicle combination 100 in a certain way.
  • the signal may originate from elsewhere, for example any other system that may provide some indication of how the overall forces of the vehicle combination 100 are to be influenced (e.g. steered, propelled or braked).
  • the signal may originate from a lane assist system, a lane following system, an emergency steering system, an emergency braking system, an automated or semi-automated drive system.
  • the target generator 202 Based on this input, the target generator 202 outputs a requested reference input r re q.
  • the path planner/controller 214 determines the requested reference input r re q.
  • the requested reference input r req may comprise at least one of a longitudinal acceleration a x of the vehicle combination 100 as a whole or of a unit 110 of the vehicle combination 100 (for example the unit 110 comprising the combination control allocator 210), a longitudinal velocity v xi of the tractor unit 110-1, a lateral velocity v yi of the tractor unit 110-1, a yaw rate cozt of at least one unit 110 of the vehicle combination 100, and a steering angle 3/, req of the tractor unit 110-1.
  • the virtual combination control input Vcomb.req is determined based on the requested reference input r re q.
  • the force generator 216 determines the virtual combination control input Vcomb.req.
  • the virtual combination control input Vcomb.req may include requested motion parameters for the vehicle combination 100.
  • the forces Ftot.req and/or moments M z , tot, req that need to be applied to the vehicle combination 100 as a whole in order to follow the requested reference input r req are determined.
  • the requested motion parameters included in the combination virtual control input Vcomb.req of the vehicle combination 100 may comprise at least one of a longitudinal force F x , tot, req of the vehicle combination 100, a lateral force F y , tot, req of the vehicle combination 100, a longitudinal coupling force F cx t,req between consecutive units 110, a lateral coupling force Fcyt.req between consecutive units 110. These make up the total force to be applied Ftot.req for the vehicle combination 100.
  • the requested motion parameters included in the combination virtual control input Vcomb.req of the vehicle combination 100 may comprise a yaw moment Mz.t.req for one or more units 110.
  • the virtual combination control input Vcomb.req may also be determined based on state information yi from the different units 110 of the vehicle combination 100 and a motion capability v C omb,ca P for the vehicle combination 100.
  • the state information yi may include information from sensors of the vehicle combination 100 such as wheel speed sensors, inertial measurement units, articulation angle sensors and the like.
  • the motion capability v C omb,ca P of the vehicle combination 100 may describe the limits of motion parameters for safe operation of the vehicle combination 100.
  • the motion capability v C omb,ca P may comprise at least one of a longitudinal force F x .tot,ca P of the vehicle combination 100, a lateral force F y , tot, cap of the vehicle combination 100, and a yaw moment Mz,t,cap for one or more units 110.
  • the virtual combination control input v C omb,req may be determined based on a vehicle model.
  • the vehicle model can be any suitable model, for example a model known in the art.
  • the model can be based on real tests, computer model simulations, a machine-learning model, or other suitable means known in the art.
  • the vehicle model may provide motion prediction of the vehicle combination 100 by looking at previous steering input and acceleration input.
  • the prediction may include instabilities such as understeer or rollover risk, for example within a one second horizon.
  • the model may be, for example, a single-track model, i.e., left and right wheels on a given axle are considered together.
  • the real units can have axle groups with several axles, but in the model they are considered together.
  • a tyre model can be used in combination with the vehicle model. The tyre model may take into account the cornering stiffness of the tyres of the vehicle combination 100.
  • the tactical layer 204 is responsible for ensuring that the trajectory for the whole combination 100 is obstacle free and collision free.
  • the tactical layer 204 may also provide a requested reference input in an autonomous driving case.
  • the tactical layer 204 may also include predictive energy management, including battery targets, capabilities and statuses that determine how the energy sources of the vehicle combination 100 should be used for a whole mission.
  • the tactical layer 204 can decide on state of charge (SoC) targets for the batteries 120 of the vehicle combination 100 as a function of distance, in some cases considering slope changes, etc. For example, the tactical layer 204 can request the battery 120 of a unit 110 having a higher SoC be drained for an uphill slope, as it can foresee that batteries 120 of all units 110 can be charged fully with regenerative braking at a following downhill slope.
  • an SoC controller (not shown) can calculate weighting factors for SoC targets.
  • the tactical layer 204 can send targets for the state of energy rate (SoE) directly to the combination control allocator 210.
  • SoE state of energy rate
  • the tactical layer 204 can request the transfer of energy from one unit 110 to another by means of propulsion in one unit 110 and regenerative braking in the other (as explained in WO 2021/180300 Al in the name of Volvo Truck Corporation).
  • the tactical layer 204 request the battery 120 of a unit 110 be drained faster than another based on the number of available chargers in a following charge station or due to equalizing the charging time of all units 110 or minimizing the total charging time at the charging station.
  • the state estimator 206 is responsible for processing state information y2 from the different units 110 of the vehicle combination 100.
  • the state estimator 206 may receive information from sensors of the vehicle combination 100 such as wheel speed sensors, inertial measurement units, articulation angle sensors and the like and use this information to determine states for the vehicle combination 100 and the various units. The state estimator 206 may then output unit-specific state information x P to the energy manager 208 and unit-specific state information x c to the combination control allocator 210.
  • the energy manager 208 determines a power split between the different units 110 of the vehicle combination 100.
  • the energy manager 208 may also determine a power split within each unit 110, meaning how the power demand is divided between the actuators (for example, the ICE, the electrical machines 130, service brakes 150, and/or steering servo arrangements) of the unit 110.
  • Inputs to the energy manager 208 include the requested reference input r req from the target generator 202 and the statuses SoX of the batteries 120 of the vehicle combination 100.
  • the energy manager 208 determines a power allocation and an associated power allocation input Ucomh,des.
  • the power split may be determined based on the state of energy rate (SoE) for each unit 110 and/or the longitudinal part of the requested force for the unit’s propulsion system Fxpi.req.
  • SoE state of energy rate
  • the energy manager 208 may consider factors that affect long-term energy consumption, such as road slopes, SoC states, charger locations, and the like, and determine power behavior as a function of the energy over time.
  • control allocators 210, 212 may determine control signals that meet the requested global forces of the vehicle combination 100 to meet certain constraints, such as power management (optimising battery usage) and safety constraints (ensuring that the trajectory for the whole combination 100 is obstacle free and collision free).
  • the control allocators 210, 212 determine how various actuators (for example, the ICE, the electrical machines 130, service brakes 150, and/or steering servo arrangements) of the vehicle combination 100 are to be controlled in order to generate requested global forces of the vehicle combination 100 as a whole.
  • the combination control allocator 210 and the various unit specific control allocators 212 together form a distributed control allocation system for the vehicle combination 100. In this system, the control allocation is performed on multiple levels, i.e. first on a level of the vehicle combination 100 as a whole, and then on a level of each vehicle unit 110 individually.
  • the combination control allocator 210 transforms the virtual combination control input Vcomb.req from the target generator 202 into a true control input u CO mb for the vehicle combination 100, describing appropriate motion parameters for each unit 110.
  • the combination control allocator 210 also transforms the true combination control input Ucomb into unit-specific virtual control inputs Ui describing the forces that each respective unit 110 is to produce in order to provide the true control input Ucomb of the vehicle combination 100.
  • the true control input Ucomb of the vehicle combination 100 comprises the force F to be applied for the vehicle combination 100.
  • the unit-specific virtual control inputs Ui may comprise a virtual force control input for the unit’s propulsion system F P i, req and a virtual force control input for the unit’s braking system Fbi.req.
  • the unit control allocators 212 comprise a specific control allocator 212 for each unit 110 of the vehicle combination 100.
  • the unit-specific virtual control inputs m that are output from the combination control allocator 210 are transformed into unit-specific true control inputs Uk, describing actual actuator commands by the unit-specific control allocators 212.
  • the unit-specific control allocators 212 map the forces and moments of each unit 110 into the steering and drive/brake torques to be applied at the wheels 140 of each unit 110.
  • the unit control allocators 212 determine virtual force control inputs for the individual actuators of the unit’s different systems: F P k,req for the actuators of the propulsion system, and Fb req for the actuators of the braking system.
  • the unit control allocators 212 then determine the unit-specific true control inputs Uk accordingly, which comprise a true force control input for the unit’s propulsion system F Pi and a true force control input for the unit’s braking system Fbt. These may respectively include true force control inputs for the individual actuators of a unit: F P k for the unit’s propulsion actuators and Fbk for the unit’s braking actuators.
  • each unit 110 may be capable of estimating its own capabilities Ui, cap , e.g. how much and/or how fast the unit can move at a current time instant.
  • the unit capabilities comprise a force capability for its propulsion system F P i, cap and a force capability for its braking system Fbi,ca P . This may be based on an actuator capability uk,ca P for each actuator, e.g. how much and/or how fast the unit can move at a current time instant.
  • the actuator capabilities comprise a force capability for the actuators F P k,ca P during propulsion and a force capability for the actuators Fbk,ca P during braking.
  • the actuators of each unit 110 may provide an actuator capability Uk,ca P to the respective unit control allocator 212-i, which provides a unit capability Ui, cap to the combination control allocator 210.
  • the unit capabilities Ui, cap may also comprise capabilities of the power input/output of the batteries 120.
  • Each unit 110 may also be capable of estimating its own power losses Pi, loss.
  • the unit power losses Pi, loss comprise a power loss for its propulsion system P P i,ioss and a power loss for its braking system Phi, loss. This may be based on an actuator power losses Pk,ioss,i for each actuator in the unit as well as other power losses in the unit 110, such as power losses in the batteries and the drivetrain.
  • the actuator power losses Pk,ioss,i comprise a power loss for propulsion actuators P p k,ioss,i (e.g. electrical machines 130, ICE, and/or other propulsion sources) and a power loss for braking actuators Pbk,ioss,i (e.g.
  • each unit 110 may provide the actuator power losses P ioss.i to the respective unit control allocator 212-i, which provides unit power losses Pi, loss to the combination control allocator 210.
  • FIG. 4 shows an example power flow model 400 for a vehicle combination 100 that includes the power losses present across the combination.
  • the power flow model 400 divides the total power demand Pveh required for the vehicle combination 100 to perform a certain manoeuvre across the various units 110.
  • the power demand Pveh may be determined by multiplying the overall requested force F tot, req by the current velocity of the vehicle combination 100
  • the power demand Pi for a unit 110-i is split into the power P w ,i to be delivered at the wheels 140-i of the unit 110-i and the power losses Prestst due to resistive forces such as air resistance, friction, and the like.
  • the power losses Prestst due to resistive force are not considered as part of the power losses of the unit 110.
  • the model considers only power delivered by the electrical machines 130, though it will be appreciated that power may delivered by an ICE, which would have associated losses.
  • the power P w ,i to be delivered at the wheels 140-i of each unit 110-i is split into the mechanical power P m ,em,i delivered by the electrical machines 130-i and the power Psh.i delivered by the service brakes 150-i during braking.
  • the power P m ,em,i delivered by the electrical machines 130-i of each unit 110-i is split into the electrical power P e ,em t delivered from the batteries 120-i, power losses Pioss,em,i from the electrical machines 130-i, including losses from inverters coupled to the electrical machines 130-i, and power losses from the drivetrain Pioss,dt,i.
  • the electrical power Pe, em ,i delivered from the batteries 120-i of each unit 110-i is split into the actual power Pbatt.i delivered from the batteries 120-i and power losses Pioss,batt,i from the batteries 120-i including any converter.
  • the actual power Pbatt.t may be comprised of two components: a power Pbatt.i, p>o delivered from the batteries 120-i during propulsion, and a power Pbatt.i, p ⁇ o recovered by the batteries 120-i during regenerative braking.
  • the power Psb.i delivered by the service brakes 150-i of each unit 110-i is split into the thermal recovery power P re c,sb,i from the service brakes 150-i, and power losses Pioss,sb,i from the service brakes 150-i.
  • the power losses Pioss,sh,i from the service brakes 150-i are principally heat losses. With pneumatic brakes, there may also be losses from the compressor.
  • the thermal recovery power Prec.sb.i from the service brakes 150-i is a result of regenerative braking, where the kinetic energy of a braking vehicle that would otherwise be lost as heat is converted into a useful form. In current systems, the thermal recovery power Prec.sb.i from the service brakes 150-i is often zero.
  • the unit power losses Pi, loss comprise a power loss for the unit’s propulsion system Ppi, loss and a power loss for the unit’s braking system Pbi.ioss. Therefore, expression (1) can be reformulated as follows: where P p , loss, batt, t is the power loss from the batteries 120-i during propulsion, Pb, loss, batt, t is the power loss from the batteries 120-i during braking, P p ,loss,dt,i is the power loss from the drivetrain during propulsion, Pb.ioss.dt.t is the power loss from the from the drivetrain during braking. It should be noted that there are no battery losses in braking when only the service brakes 150 are used.
  • actuator power losses Pk,ioss,i comprise a power loss for propulsion actuators P p k,ioss,i and a power loss for braking actuators Pb ioss.i. Therefore, expression (2) can be reformulated as follows: m
  • Pbk.loss.i ⁇ ⁇ b, loss, sb, i + Pb.loss.em.i (6) k l where P p ,ioss,em,i is the power loss from the electrical machines 130-i during propulsion, Pb,loss,em,i is the power loss from the electrical machines 130-i during braking, and Ph , loss, sb, i is the power loss from the service brakes 150-i during braking. Note that there is no power loss from the service brakes 150-i during propulsion.
  • the power losses for a unit 110 Pi,i oss are a function of the force Ft applied at the unit 110.
  • the force Fi applied at the unit 110 comprises a force applied by the unit’s propulsion system F p; , which is based on the force control input for the propulsion system F P i,req.
  • the force Fi applied at the unit 110 also comprises a force applied by the unit’ s braking system Fw, which is based on the force control input for the braking system Fbi.req.
  • the total power losses Pioss.comb in the vehicle combination 100 can be expressed as:
  • This formulation can be used as a basis for determining a force control input for the vehicle combination 100 where the total power losses Pioss.comb of the vehicle combination 100 are below a threshold, for example minimised.
  • a threshold for example minimised.
  • an acceptable value for the total power losses Pioss.comb of the vehicle combination 100 can be determined and implemented as an upper limit for the power losses.
  • the force control input can then be determined such that the total power losses of the vehicle combination 100 are below that value, i.e. the force control input corresponds to the cumulative power losses being below the threshold. That is to say, the force control input can be determined such that the total power losses from the batteries 120, the electrical machines 130, the drivetrain, and the service brakes 150 are below a threshold, for example minimised. This may be achieved using an optimisation function to model different force control inputs and minimise the cumulative power losses from the vehicle combination 100.
  • FIG. 5 is a flowchart of an example method 500 for determining a force control input for a vehicle combination 100.
  • the method 500 is a computer-implemented method, performed for example by the control system 200 of a vehicle combination 100.
  • a requested reference input r req for the vehicle combination 100 may be determined.
  • the requested reference input may be determined in the target generator 202 of the control system based on an input from a driver or any other system that may provide some indication of how the overall forces of the vehicle combination 100 are to be influenced.
  • the requested reference input r req may comprise at least one of a longitudinal acceleration a x of the vehicle combination 100 as a whole or of a unit 110 of the vehicle combination 100 (for example the unit 110 comprising the combination control allocator 210), a longitudinal velocity v xi of the tractor unit 110-1, a lateral velocity v yi of the tractor unit 110- 1, a yaw rate co Zi of at least one unit 110 of the vehicle combination 100, and a steering angle 3f, req of the tractor unit 110-1.
  • the requested reference input r req may be a vector formulated in one of the following ways:
  • respective power losses Pi,i oss associated with one or more units 110 of the vehicle combination 100 are determined.
  • the power losses Pi,i oss are a function of the force provided by the unit.
  • the power losses Pi,i oss may comprise a power loss for the unit’s propulsion system Ppi,i oss and a power loss for the unit’s braking system Pbi.ioss.
  • the selection of units 110 to be considered in 504 can be made by a user. In some examples, it may be desired to consider most or all of the units 110 in a vehicle combination 100. In other examples, for example where the vehicle combination 100 comprises a tractor unit 110-1 having an internal combustion engine (e.g. diesel) and an electric trailing unit 110-2, only the losses of the tractor unit 110-1 may be considered, for example as diesel refuelling is more expensive than electric refuelling.
  • an internal combustion engine e.g. diesel
  • a force control input is determined such that a cumulative power loss of the vehicle combination 100 is below a threshold. For example, an acceptable value for the total power losses Pi oss ,comb of the vehicle combination 100 can be determined and implemented as an upper limit for the power losses.
  • the force control input can then be determined such that the cumulative power losses of the vehicle combination 100 are below that value, i.e. the force control input corresponds to the cumulative power losses being below the threshold.
  • This can be achieved using an optimisation function to minimise the cumulative power losses of the vehicle combination 100. Alternatively, this can be achieved, for example, using rule-based methods of machine learning methods.
  • the force control input A comprises the propulsion and braking components of the force for each unit.
  • the force control input A can be formulated as: where F xp t is the longitudinal part of the force control input for the unit’s propulsion system, and F x bi is the longitudinal part of the force control input for the unit’s braking system.
  • the optimisation function in equation (12) serves to minimise the cumulative power losses from the batteries 120-i, the electrical machines 130-i, the drivetrain, and the service brakes 150-i.
  • the optimisation function operates by modelling different force control inputs and determining values for F xp t and Fxbt that minimise the function. It has been found that the optimization function is typically can be approximated as second order (quadratic) and there are efficient numerical methods to solve this problem.
  • the optimisation function may be subject to certain constraints. For example, it is ensured that the determined force control input F x meets the reference force input F x , tot, req for the vehicle combination 100, i.e. the force control input fulfills the requested movement of the vehicle combination 100. This can be expressed as follows:
  • the unit control allocators 212 may also transmit the road friction coefficient to the combination control allocator 210.
  • the longitudinal force can be limited by the product of the normal load and the coefficient of friction. This can be implemented in the capability definition or in the constraints of the optimisation function. When implemented in the constraints, the inputs to different units can be related to each other, allowing sophisticated safe operating envelopes. For example, it may be ensured that the tractor unit 110-1 does not brake alone with high forces, but that high tractor braking is allowed when a trailer unit 110-i is also sufficiently braked.
  • the optimisation function in equation (12) may also include weighting factors associated with each unit of the vehicle combination 100.
  • the optimisation function may be formulated as follows: where, for each unit i, y Pi is a weighting factor for its propulsion system and ybi is a weighing factor for its braking system.
  • the weighting factors y P i, ybi can be set as 1 for the base case, but can be set appropriately in order to tune the optimisation function for different outcomes.
  • the weighting factors could be calculated based on current operating conditions, and/or based on future operating conditions by receiving look-ahead information, for example from the tactical layer 204
  • the use of the actuators for a particular unit 110 may be prioritised by setting a weighting factor for that unit with respect to the weighting factor of the other units (with a lower weighting factor underrepresenting the losses from that unit).
  • a weighting factor for that unit is set relatively high, whereas the weighting factor for the propulsion system of the trailing unit 110-2 can be set relatively low or at zero. This will prioritise minimisation of the power loss of the internal combustion engine.
  • FIG. 6 is a flowchart of an example method 600 for determining a force control input for a vehicle combination 100.
  • a difference between requested forces and allocated forces across the vehicle combination 100 is taken into account as well as the power losses.
  • the method 600 is a computer-implemented method, performed for example by the control system 200 of a vehicle combination 100.
  • F x the longitudinal part of the force
  • a requested reference input r rei? for the vehicle combination 100 may be determined.
  • the requested reference input r req can be determined as discussed above in relation to 502 in the method 500.
  • the requested force input for one or more units of the vehicle combination 100 from the reference input can be given by the unit-specific virtual control inputs m.
  • the requested force input may comprise a force input for the unit’s propulsion system F xp i, req and a force input for the unit’s braking system F x bi,req.
  • the actual force allocated to one or more units of the vehicle combination 100 is determined. This may include the longitudinal part of the force allocated to the unit’s propulsion system F xp t, and the longitudinal part of the force allocated to the unit’s braking system FM.
  • respective power losses Pi,i oss associated with one or more units 110 of the vehicle combination 100 are determined.
  • the power losses Pi,i oss are a function of the force provided by the unit.
  • the power losses Pi,i oss may comprise a power loss for the unit’s propulsion system P P i,i 0SS and a power loss for the unit’s braking system Pbi.ioss.
  • a force control input is determined such that a cumulative power loss of the vehicle combination 100 and the difference between the requested force and the allocated force of the vehicle combination 100 are below a threshold.
  • an acceptable value for the total power losses Pi oss ,comb of the vehicle combination 100 and an acceptable value for the total force difference of the vehicle combination 100 can be determined and implemented as an upper limit.
  • the force control input can then be determined such that the cumulative power losses and force difference of the vehicle combination 100 are below the sum of the thresholds, i.e. the force control input corresponds to the cumulative power losses and force difference being below the sum of the thresholds.
  • the force difference can be determined for both the propulsion system (Fxpi, req - F xp i) and the braking system (Fxbi,req - Fxbi). This can be achieved using an optimisation function to minimise the cumulative power losses and force difference of the vehicle combination 100. Alternatively, this can be achieved, for example, using rulebased methods or machine learning methods.
  • the optimisation function operates by modelling different force control inputs and determining values for F xpi and FM that minimise the function.
  • the optimisation function may be subject to the constraints described in equations (13), (14) and (15). It is noted that the difference terms in equation (18) are squared. This is typical in such error calculations, although not essential, and the different terms may be first order terms or a square-root of summations of squared errors. By using second order terms, the negative and positive errors are penalised equally, and larger errors are penalised more than smaller errors.
  • the optimisation function in equation (18) serves to minimise the cumulative power losses from the batteries 120-i, the electrical machines 130-i, the drivetrain, and the service brakes 150-i as well as minimising the difference between requested forces and allocated forces. By minimising the force difference, it can be ensured that the vehicle combination 100 is accurately following the requested motion input. For example, for a jackknifing vehicle combination 100 due to too much tractor braking, the requested forces can be set as zero or small, and the minimisation of the function would be achieved by braking a trailer unit 110-i more and tractor unit 110-1 less.
  • the optimisation function in equation (18) may also consider components of the force other than the longitudinal component.
  • the optimisation function in equation (18) can be written as follows:
  • the optimisation function in equation (18) may also include weighting factors associated with each unit of the vehicle combination 100.
  • the optimisation function may be formulated as follows: where y Pi is a weighting factor for the unit’s propulsion system and ybi is a weighing factor for the unit’ s braking system. It will be appreciated that weighting factors for the power loss terms may also be used, as explained in relation to equation (17).
  • the weighting factors y P i, ybi can be set as 1 for the base case, but can be set appropriately in order to tune the optimisation function for different outcomes. Setting them as zero will result in power loss minimisation. Setting them as a large number will strictly follow the requested input. Setting them as an intermediate value will provide a trade-off between the two.
  • the weighting factors could be calculated based on current operating conditions, and/or based on future operating conditions by receiving look-ahead information, for example from the tactical layer 204.
  • the use of the actuators for a particular unit 110 may be prioritised by setting a weighting factor for that unit with respect to the weighting factor of the other units (with a lower weighting factor underrepresenting the losses from that unit).
  • a weighting factor for that unit may be prioritised by setting a weighting factor for that unit with respect to the weighting factor of the other units (with a lower weighting factor underrepresenting the losses from that unit).
  • a yaw instability such as jack-knifing or trailer swing.
  • those coefficients corresponding to the tractor unit 110-1 can be increased, so that tractor actuator usage is penalized more, and trailer actuator usage is preferred for braking.
  • a yaw instability can be an ongoing or an upcoming yaw instability.
  • An upcoming yaw instability may be predicted for a given prediction horizon, for example, 1 second.
  • the weighting factors y P i, ybi can be set either by directly reading sensor data such as a yaw rate m z; of at least one unit 110, a side slip angle f> of at least one unit 110, a lateral accelerations a y of at least one unit 110, etc., or by using a model-based detection algorithm as explained in PCT patent application PCT/EP2022/069950 filed on 15 July 2022 in the name of Volvo Truck Corporation.
  • FIG. 7 is a flowchart of an example method 700 for determining a force control input for a vehicle combination 100.
  • a difference between the requested state of energy rate SoE i req and the allocated state of energy rate SoE L across the vehicle combination 100 is taken into account as well as the power losses.
  • the method 700 is a computer-implemented method, performed for example by the control system 200 of a vehicle combination 100.
  • F x the longitudinal part of the force
  • a requested reference input r rei? for the vehicle combination 100 may be determined.
  • the requested reference input r req can be determined as discussed above in relation to 502 in the method 500 or 602 in the method 600.
  • the requested state of energy rate SoE i req for one or more units of the vehicle combination 100 is determined.
  • the requested state of energy rate SoE i req can be given by Fxpi,req ' Vxi ,req (or indeed Fxpt.req ⁇ Vxi)
  • the state of energy rate SoEi allocated to one or more units of the vehicle combination 100 is determined.
  • the state of energy rate SoEi can be expressed as Fxpi ⁇ Vxi, and so it is also a function of Fxpi.
  • respective power losses Pi,i oss associated with one or more units 110 of the vehicle combination 100 are determined.
  • the power losses Pi,i oss are a function of the force provided by the unit.
  • the power losses Pi,i oss may comprise a power loss for the unit’s propulsion system Ppi,i oss and a power loss for the unit’s braking system Pbi.ioss.
  • a force control input is determined such that a cumulative power loss of the vehicle combination 100 and the difference between the state of energy rate SoE i req and allocated state of energy rate SoEi of the vehicle combination 100 are below a threshold.
  • a threshold For example, an acceptable value for the total power losses Pi oss ,comb of the vehicle combination 100 and an acceptable value for the total state of energy rate difference of the vehicle combination 100 can be determined and implemented as an upper limit.
  • the force control input can then be determined such that the cumulative power losses and state of energy rate difference of the vehicle combination 100 are below the sum of the thresholds i.e. the force control input corresponds to the cumulative power losses and state of energy rate difference being below the sum of the thresholds.
  • This can be achieved using an optimisation function to minimise the cumulative power losses and state of energy rate difference of the vehicle combination 100. Alternatively, this can be achieved, for example, using rule-based methods or machine learning methods.
  • the optimisation function operates by modelling different force control inputs and determining values for F xp i, F x bt, and SoEi that minimise the function.
  • the state of energy rate is indirectly determined, as it is a product of the force and the current speed of the vehicle combination 100. It has been found that the optimization function is typically can be approximated as second order (quadratic) and there are efficient numerical methods to solve this problem.
  • the optimisation function may be subject to the constraints described in equations (13), (14) and (15).
  • the optimisation function in equation (21) serves to minimise the cumulative power losses from the batteries 120-i, the electrical machines 130-i, the drivetrain, and the service brakes 150-i as well as minimising the difference between requested state of energy rate SoE i req and the allocated state of energy rate SoEi across the vehicle combination 100.
  • energy management such as SoC of the various batteries 120
  • the battery 120 of a unit 110 with higher SoC can be drained for an uphill slope, as batteries 120 of all units 110 can be charged fully with regenerative braking at a following downhill slope.
  • the optimisation function in equation (21) may also consider components of the force other than the longitudinal component.
  • the optimisation function in equation (21) can be written as follows:
  • the optimisation function in equation (21) may also include weighting factors associated with each unit of the vehicle combination 100.
  • the optimisation function may be formulated as follows:
  • weighting factors for the power loss terms may also be used, as explained in relation to equation (17).
  • the weighting factor yi can be set as 1 for the base case, but can be set appropriately in order to tune the optimisation function for different outcomes. Setting yi as zero will result in power loss minimisation. Setting yi as a large number will strictly follow the requested state of energy rate. Setting yi as an intermediate value will provide a trade-off between the two.
  • the weighting factor yi could be calculated based on current operating conditions, but also based on future operating conditions by receiving look-ahead information, for example from the tactical layer 204.
  • the performance enabled by the methods 600 and 700 may alternatively be achieved by changing the capabilities F x cap min and F x cap max in equation (14), or by imposing new inequality constraints in matrix A in equation (15).
  • SoE targets can be fulfilled via the requested forces instead of requested rate of SoE.
  • the state of energy difference term in the optimisation function of the method 700 could be replaced by a force difference term in the optimisation function of the method 600.
  • the requested forces coming from both energy management and stability control can then be arbitrated.
  • the methods 500, 600 and 700 can be combined to determine a force control input for a vehicle combination 100 based on the power losses, for force difference, and the state of energy rate difference of the vehicle combination 100.
  • an optimisation function may be formulated as follows:
  • weighting factors for the power loss terms may also be used, as explained in relation to equation (17).
  • the weighting factors can be set as 1 for the base case, but can be set appropriately in order to tune the optimisation function for different outcomes. Setting them as zero will result in power loss minimisation. Setting them as intermediate values will provide a trade-off to steer the solution to different points. It may be desirable to prioritise stability control over state of energy, as safety is more important than energy efficiency.
  • FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of a computer system 800 for implementing examples disclosed herein.
  • the computer system 800 is adapted to execute instructions from a computer-readable medium to perform these and/or any of the functions or processing described herein.
  • the computer system 800 may be connected (e.g., networked) to other machines in a LAN, an intranet, an extranet, or the Internet. While only a single device is illustrated, the computer system 800 may include any collection of devices that individually or jointly execute a set (or multiple sets) of instructions to perform any one or more of the methodologies discussed herein.
  • any reference in the disclosure and/or claims to a computer system, computing system, computer device, computing device, control system, control unit, electronic control unit (ECU), processor device, processing circuitry, etc. includes reference to one or more such devices to individually or jointly execute a set (or multiple sets) of instructions to perform any one or more of the methodologies discussed herein.
  • control system may include a single control unit or a plurality of control units connected or otherwise communicatively coupled to each other, such that any performed function may be distributed between the control units as desired.
  • such devices may communicate with each other or other devices by various system architectures, such as directly or via a Controller Area Network (CAN) bus, etc.
  • CAN Controller Area Network
  • the computer system 800 may comprise at least one computing device or electronic device capable of including firmware, hardware, and/or executing software instructions to implement the functionality described herein.
  • the computer system 800 may include processing circuitry 802 (e.g., processing circuitry including one or more processor devices or control units), a memory 804, and a system bus 806.
  • the computer system 800 may include at least one computing device having the processing circuitry 802.
  • the system bus 806 provides an interface for system components including, but not limited to, the memory 804 and the processing circuitry 802.
  • the processing circuitry 802 may include any number of hardware components for conducting data or signal processing or for executing computer code stored in memory 804.
  • the processing circuitry 802 may, for example, include a general-purpose processor, an application specific processor, a Digital Signal Processor (DSP), an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), a circuit containing processing components, a group of distributed processing components, a group of distributed computers configured for processing, or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein.
  • the processing circuitry 802 may further include computer executable code that controls operation of the programmable device.
  • the system bus 806 may be any of several types of bus structures that may further interconnect to a memory bus (with or without a memory controller), a peripheral bus, and/or a local bus using any of a variety of bus architectures.
  • the memory 804 may be one or more devices for storing data and/or computer code for completing or facilitating methods described herein.
  • the memory 804 may include database components, object code components, script components, or other types of information structure for supporting the various activities herein. Any distributed or local memory device may be utilized with the systems and methods of this description.
  • the memory 804 may be communicably connected to the processing circuitry 802 (e.g., via a circuit or any other wired, wireless, or network connection) and may include computer code for executing one or more processes described herein.
  • the memory 804 may include non-volatile memory 808 (e.g., read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), etc.), and volatile memory 810 (e.g., random-access memory (RAM)), or any other medium which can be used to carry or store desired program code in the form of machineexecutable instructions or data structures and which can be accessed by a computer or other machine with processing circuitry 802.
  • a basic input/output system (BIOS) 812 may be stored in the non-volatile memory 808 and can include the basic routines that help to transfer information between elements within the computer system 800.
  • BIOS basic input/output system
  • the computer system 800 may further include or be coupled to a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium such as the storage device 814, which may comprise, for example, an internal or external hard disk drive (HDD) (e.g., enhanced integrated drive electronics (EIDE) or serial advanced technology attachment (SATA)), HDD (e.g., EIDE or SATA) for storage, flash memory, or the like.
  • HDD enhanced integrated drive electronics
  • SATA serial advanced technology attachment
  • the storage device 814 and other drives associated with computer-readable media and computer-usable media may provide nonvolatile storage of data, data structures, computer-executable instructions, and the like.
  • Computer-code which is hard or soft coded may be provided in the form of one or more modules.
  • the module(s) can be implemented as software and/or hard-coded in circuitry to implement the functionality described herein in whole or in part.
  • the modules may be stored in the storage device 814 and/or in the volatile memory 810, which may include an operating system 816 and/or one or more program modules 818.
  • All or a portion of the examples disclosed herein may be implemented as a computer program 820 stored on a transitory or non- transitory computer-usable or computer-readable storage medium (e.g., single medium or multiple media), such as the storage device 814, which includes complex programming instructions (e.g., complex computer-readable program code) to cause the processing circuitry 802 to carry out actions described herein.
  • the computer-readable program code of the computer program 820 can comprise software instructions for implementing the functionality of the examples described herein when executed by the processing circuitry 802.
  • the storage device 814 may be a computer program product (e.g., readable storage medium) storing the computer program 820 thereon, where at least a portion of a computer program 820 may be loadable (e.g., into a processor) for implementing the functionality of the examples described herein when executed by the processing circuitry 802.
  • the processing circuitry 802 may serve as a controller or control system for the computer system 800 that is to implement the functionality described herein.
  • the computer system 800 may include an input device interface 822 configured to receive input and selections to be communicated to the computer system 800 when executing instructions, such as from a keyboard, mouse, touch-sensitive surface, etc. Such input devices may be connected to the processing circuitry 802 through the input device interface 822 coupled to the system bus 806 but can be connected through other interfaces, such as a parallel port, an Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) 1394 serial port, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) port, an IR interface, and the like.
  • the computer system 800 may include an output device interface 824 configured to forward output, such as to a display, a video display unit (e.g., a liquid crystal display (LCD) or a cathode ray tube (CRT)).
  • the computer system 800 may include a communications interface 826 suitable for communicating with a network as appropriate or desired.
  • the described examples and their equivalents may be realized in software or hardware or a combination thereof.
  • the examples may be performed by general purpose circuitry.
  • general purpose circuitry include digital signal processors (DSP), central processing units (CPU), co-processor units, field programmable gate arrays (FPGA) and other programmable hardware.
  • DSP digital signal processors
  • CPU central processing units
  • FPGA field programmable gate arrays
  • the examples may be performed by specialized circuitry, such as application specific integrated circuits (ASIC).
  • ASIC application specific integrated circuits
  • the general purpose circuitry and/or the specialized circuitry may, for example, be associated with or comprised in an electronic apparatus such as a vehicle control unit.
  • the electronic apparatus may comprise arrangements, circuitry, and/or logic according to any of the examples described herein. Alternatively or additionally, the electronic apparatus may be configured to perform method steps according to any of the examples described herein.
  • a computer program product comprises a non- transitory computer readable medium such as, for example, a universal serial bus (USB) memory, a plug-in card, an embedded drive, or a read only memory (ROM).
  • FIG. 9 illustrates an example computer readable medium in the form of a compact disc (CD) ROM 900.
  • the computer readable medium has stored thereon a computer program 940 comprising program instructions.
  • the computer program is loadable into a data processor (e.g., a data processing unit) 920, which may, for example, be comprised in a vehicle control unit 910.
  • the computer program may be stored in a memory 930 associated with, or comprised in, the data processor.
  • the computer program may, when loaded into, and run by, the data processor, cause execution of method steps according to, for example, any of the methods described herein.
  • FIG. 10 schematically illustrates, in terms of a number of functional units, the components of a control unit 1000 according to some examples.
  • the control unit may be comprised in a vehicle, e.g., in the form of a vehicle motion management (VMM) unit.
  • VMM vehicle motion management
  • a processor device in the form of processing circuitry 1010 is provided using any combination of one or more of a suitable central processing unit (CPU), multiprocessor, microcontroller, digital signal processor (DSP), or similar; capable of executing software instructions stored in a computer program product, e.g. in the form of a storage medium 1030.
  • the processing circuitry 1010 may further be provided as at least one application specific integrated circuit ASIC, or field programmable gate array FPGA.
  • the processing circuitry 1010 is configured to cause the control unit 1000 to perform a set of operations, or steps; for example, the methods discussed in connection with FIGs. 5 to 7.
  • the storage medium 1030 may store a set of operations
  • the processing circuitry 1010 may be configured to retrieve the set of operations from the storage medium 1030 to cause the control unit 1000 to perform the set of operations.
  • the set of operations may be provided as a set of executable instructions.
  • the processing circuitry 1010 is thereby arranged to execute methods as herein disclosed.
  • the storage medium 1030 may comprise persistent storage, which, for example, can be any single one or combination of magnetic memory, optical memory, solid state memory or even remotely mounted memory.
  • the control unit 1000 may further comprise an interface 1020 for communication with at least one external device.
  • the interface 1020 may comprise one or more transmitters and receivers, comprising analogue and digital components and a suitable number of ports for wireline or wireless communication.
  • the processing circuitry 1010 controls the general operation of the control unit 1000, e.g., by sending data and control signals to the interface 1020 and the storage medium 1030, by receiving data and reports from the interface 1020, and by retrieving data and instructions from the storage medium 1030.
  • Other components, as well as the related functionality, of the control node are omitted in order not to obscure the concepts presented herein.
  • control unit 1000 may be seen as a control system, or may be comprised in a control system.
  • the control system may be configured for vehicle motion management (VMM).
  • VMM vehicle motion management
  • Example 1 A computer-implemented method (600) for determining a force control input for a vehicle combination (100) comprising a tractor unit and at least one trailing unit, the method comprising, by processing circuitry of a computer system: receiving (602) a reference input representing a requested movement of the vehicle combination (100); determining (604) a requested force input for one or more units (110) of the vehicle combination (100) from the reference input; determining (606) a force allocated to one or more units (110) of the vehicle combination (100); determining (608) respective power losses associated with one or more units (110) of the vehicle combination (100), wherein the power losses are a function of a force provided by the unit (110); and determining (610) the force control input such that a sum for the vehicle combination (100) of a cumulative power loss and a cumulative difference between the requested force input and the allocated force is below a threshold; wherein the determined force control input meets the reference input for the vehicle combination (110).
  • Example 2 The computer-implemented method (600) of example 1, wherein the power losses associated with a unit (110) comprise power losses for the propulsion system of the unit (110) and/or power losses for the braking system of the unit (110).
  • Example 3 The computer-implemented method (600) of example 1 or 2, wherein the power losses associated with a unit (110) comprise at least one of a power loss associated with a battery (120) of the unit, a power loss associated with an electrical machine (130) of the unit, a power loss associated with the drivetrain of the unit, and a power loss associated with service brakes (150) of the unit.
  • Example 4 The computer-implemented method (600) of any preceding example, wherein the difference between the requested force input and the allocated force for a unit (110) comprises a difference for the propulsion system of the unit (110) and a difference for the braking system of the unit (110).
  • Example 5 The computer-implemented method (600) of any preceding example, wherein the force control input comprises a force control input for each unit (110) of the vehicle combination (100).
  • Example 6 The computer-implemented method (600) of any preceding example, wherein the force control input comprises a force control input for the propulsion system of at least one unit (110) of the vehicle combination (100) and a force control input for the braking system of at least one unit (110) of the vehicle combination (100).
  • Example 7 The computer-implemented method (600) of any preceding example, comprising determining (610) the force control input using an optimisation function to minimise a sum of the total power losses and the force difference of the vehicle combination (100).
  • Example 9 The computer-implemented method (600) of example 7 or 8, wherein the optimisation function is constrained by the force capabilities of the units of the vehicle combination (100).
  • Example 10 The computer-implemented method (600) of any of examples 7 to 9, wherein the optimisation function is constrained by a safe operating envelope of the vehicle combination (100).
  • Example 11 The computer-implemented method (600) of any of examples 7 to 10, wherein the optimisation function comprises weighting factors associated with one or more units of the vehicle combination (100).
  • Example 12 The computer-implemented method (600) of example 11, wherein the weighting factors comprise weighting factors for the unit’s propulsion system and weighting factors for the unit’s braking system.
  • Example 13 The computer-implemented method (600) of example 11 or 12, wherein the weighting factors are determined based on current or future operating conditions of the vehicle combination (100).
  • Example 14 The computer-implemented method (600) of any of examples 7 to 13, wherein the optimisation function comprises a term for the difference between a requested state of energy rate and the allocated state of energy rate across the vehicle combination (100).
  • Example 15 The computer-implemented method (600) of any preceding example, wherein the reference input comprises at least one of a longitudinal acceleration of the vehicle combination (100), a longitudinal acceleration of at least one a unit (110), a longitudinal velocity of the tractor unit (110-1), a lateral velocity of the tractor unit (110-1), a yaw rate of at least one unit (110) of the vehicle combination (100), and a steering angle of the tractor unit (110-1).
  • Example 16 A vehicle combination (100) comprising a tractor unit and at least one trailing unit, the vehicle combination comprising processing circuitry to perform the computer-implemented method (600) of any of examples 1 to 15.
  • Example 17 A computer program product comprising program code for performing, when executed by processing circuitry, the computer-implemented method (600) of any of examples 1 to 15.
  • Example 18 A control system comprising one or more control units configured to perform the computer-implemented method (600) of any of examples 1 to 15.
  • Example 19 A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions, which when executed by processing circuitry, cause the processing circuitry to perform the computer-implemented method (600) of any of examples 1 to 15.
  • Example 20 A computer system comprising processing circuitry configured to perform the computer-implemented method (600) of any of examples 1 to 15.
  • the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular aspects only and is not intended to be limiting of the disclosure.
  • the singular forms "a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.
  • the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.
  • Relative terms such as “below” or “above” or “upper” or “lower” or “horizontal” or “vertical” may be used herein to describe a relationship of one element to another element as illustrated in the Figures. It will be understood that these terms and those discussed above are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in addition to the orientation depicted in the Figures. It will be understood that when an element is referred to as being “connected” or “coupled” to another element, it can be directly connected or coupled to the other element, or intervening elements may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly connected” or “directly coupled” to another element, there are no intervening elements present.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Power Engineering (AREA)
  • Transportation (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Regulating Braking Force (AREA)

Abstract

Procédé mis en œuvre par ordinateur afin de déterminer une entrée de commande de force pour une combinaison de véhicules comprenant une unité de tracteur et au moins une unité de remorque, le procédé comprenant, par des circuits de traitement d'un système informatique, la réception d'une entrée de référence représentant un mouvement requis de la combinaison de véhicules, la détermination d'une entrée de force requise pour une ou plusieurs unités de la combinaison de véhicules à partir de l'entrée de référence, la détermination d'une force attribuée à une ou plusieurs unités de la combinaison de véhicules, la détermination de pertes de puissance respectives associées à une ou plusieurs unités de la combinaison de véhicules, les pertes de puissance étant une fonction d'une force fournie par l'unité et la détermination de l'entrée de commande de force de sorte qu'une somme pour la combinaison de véhicules d'une perte de puissance cumulative et d'une différence cumulative entre l'entrée de force requise et la force attribuée soit inférieure à un seuil, l'entrée de commande de force déterminée correspondant à l'entrée de référence pour la combinaison de véhicules.
EP23719369.3A 2023-04-13 2023-04-13 Commande de puissance pour véhicules Pending EP4695107A1 (fr)

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Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE102016223303A1 (de) * 2016-11-24 2018-05-24 Audi Ag Motorsteuerung von Fahrzeugen mit mehreren E-Maschinen
CN115243925A (zh) 2020-03-09 2022-10-25 沃尔沃卡车集团 用于控制车辆单元的能量源中的功率水平的方法

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