A Novel Method for Idle-Stop-Start Control of Micro Hybrid Construction Equipment—Part A: Fundamental Concepts and Design

Abstract

Although micro hybrid propulsion (MHP) systems are recognized as a feasible solution for off-highway construction machines (OHCMs), there is still a lack of understanding how existing MHP technologies can be transferred effectively from the automotive sector to the construction sector. To fill this gap, this paper is the first of a two-part study which focuses on micro hybrid construction machines paying attention to a novel idle-stop-start control (ISSC) strategy. Part A presents the system concepts and design procedure while Part B studies on a hardware-in-the-loop test platform for a comprehensive analysis on the potential fuel/emission saving of the proposed system in real-time. In this study-Part A-different types of OHCMs are briefly discussed to identify the target machine. The procedure to model the machine powertrain is also concisely introduced. Next, to minimize the fuel consumption and emissions without degrading the machine performance, a prediction-based idle-stop-start control (PISSC) approach is properly designed. The core of the PISSC is to estimate online the future engine working state changes in order to directly shut down the engine or shift it to low power regions during idle periods. Numerical simulations have been carried out to validate the potential of the proposed PISSC method.

A Novel Method for Idle-Stop-Start Control of Micro Hybrid Construction Equipment—Part B: A Real-Time Comparative Study

“…This will therefore maximize the potential energy savings of the machine. These both two issues can be well resolved using the recent work described by the authors in part A of this project [12]-the so-called prediction-based idle-stop-start control (PISSC) which has been introduced for application to a micro hybrid excavator for the first-time.…”

“…Based on the numerical analysis and evaluation from the experts on the ISSC potential of main construction machine classes, a typical heavy excavator from JCB has been selected as the target machine [12]. Its powertrain is simply presented in Figure 1.…”

“…Through the art presented in part A [12], the target machine has been discussed and the powertrain model has been properly constructed. The PISSC scheme has been then built to identify online the cyclic working profiles based on the machine states.…”

“…First, the powertrain architecture, modelling and PISSC strategy presented in [12] are briefly reviewed in Section 2. In the next section, the process to design the HIL test platform using dSPACE and CAN buses is clearly presented.…”

“…The first is how to detect whether or not a machine has a low or zero workload to make decisions to reduce power of the ICE or shut it down to avoid the unnecessary fuel use [10][11][12]. The second is how to design an algorithm capable of recognizing periodically repeated working cycles of the machine, which are normal in many construction tasks, to make the engine control decisions sooner [12]. This will therefore maximize the potential energy savings of the machine.…”