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Patent Number: |
8050849 |
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Case ID: |
0 |
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Patent Title:
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Mixed-mode fuel minimization
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Status: |
ACTIVE |
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Status Date: |
11/9/2011 9:24:58 AM |
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Issue Date:
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11/1/2011 |
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Filed Date:
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2/10/2009 |
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Serial #:
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2/368,823 |
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Assignee Name:
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The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
(Washington,
DC)
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Inventor(s):
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Brown, Gerald Gerard , Kline, Jeffrey Eugene , Rosenthal, Richard Edwin , Menconi, legal representative, Pascale , Washburn, Alan R. |
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A mixed-mode method for operating a vehicle''s propulsion plant to travel
at a selected average speed using the minimum amount of fuel. The method
involves travelling in one mode at high speed part of the time, and in a
different mode at low speed part of the time, in such a way that the
average speed is the selected value. |
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What is claimed is:
1. A method for improving the fuel economy of a vehicle having multiple propulsion modes where the vehicle travels a selected distance at a selected average speed V,
comprising: (a) obtaining fuel consumption data as a function of ship speed for each mode of the vehicle''s propulsion plant; and (b) determining optimum propulsion modes by identifying a low-speed propulsion mode and a high-speed propulsion mode that
have an average speed that equals the selected average speed V and that have fuel consumption rates that minimize total fuel consumption when part of the selected distance is traveled in the first propulsion mode and the rest of the selected distance is
traveled in the second propulsion mode.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein said optimum propulsion modes are determined by collecting fuel consumption data as a function of speed for each propulsion mode.
3. The method of claim 1 further comprising: (a) forming a modal fuel consu . . . . More |
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