Methods and systems for improving electric energy storage device durability for a stop/start vehicle

• US 10,072,626 B1
• Filed: 03/07/2017
• Issued: 09/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Leone, Thomas G., Miller, Kenneth James, Rademacher, Eric Michael, Gibson, Alexander O'Connor
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo, Hieu T
• Application Number:
  US15/452,398
• Publication Number:
  US 20180258898A1
• Time in Patent Office: 553 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/248 Age of storage means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/188 Controlling power parameters of the driveline, e.g. determining the required power
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/0825 related to prevention of engine restart failure, e.g. disabling automatic stop at low battery state
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/0833 Vehicle conditions F02N11/0822, F02N11/0825 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/084 State of vehicle accessories, e.g. air condition or power steering
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/0862 characterised by the electrical power supply means, e.g. battery
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2011/0885 Capacitors, e.g. for additional power supply
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2011/0888 DC/DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2200/061 Battery state of charge [SOC]
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2200/14 said parameter being related to wear of starter or other components, e.g. based on total number of starts or age
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 Engine management systems

Abstract

Systems and methods for restarting an engine are presented. In one example, an engine may be automatically stopped and started in response to thresholds that may be adjusted as a distance traveled by the vehicle increases. The thresholds may be adjusted responsive to useful life consumed of devices that may participate in automatic engine starting and stopping.

Claims

1. A vehicle operating method, comprising:

estimating an amount of electric energy storage device useful life consumed via a controller;

adjusting automatic engine stop/start thresholds in response to the amount of electric energy storage device useful life consumed; and

starting or stopping the engine in response to the automatic engine start/stop thresholds via the controller.

2. The method of claim 1, where the automatic engine stop/start thresholds include a minimum electric energy storage device state of charge threshold for permitting automatic engine stopping responsive to a percentage of useful electric energy storage device life consumed.

3. The method of claim 1, where the automatic engine stop/start thresholds include a maximum accessory load threshold for permitting automatic engine stopping responsive to a percentage of useful electric energy storage device life consumed.

4. The method of claim 1, where the automatic engine stop/start thresholds include a maximum vehicle speed for permitting automatic engine stopping responsive to a percentage of useful electric energy storage device life consumed.

5. The method of claim 1, where the automatic engine stop/start thresholds include a minimum electric energy storage device state of charge threshold for automatic engine starting responsive to a percentage of useful electric energy storage device life consumed.

6. The method of claim 5, where the automatic engine stop/start thresholds include a maximum accessory load threshold for automatic engine starting responsive to a percentage of useful electric energy storage device life consumed.

7. The method of claim 1, where the automatic engine stop/start thresholds include a maximum vehicle speed for automatic engine stopping responsive to a percentage of useful electric energy storage device life consumed.

8. A vehicle operating method, comprising:

estimating an amount of useful life consumed of a device via a controller, the amount of useful life consumed a summation of individual estimates;

adjusting automatic engine stop/start thresholds in response to the amount of useful life consumed; and

automatically starting or stopping the engine in response to the automatic engine start/stop thresholds via the controller.

9. The method of claim 8, where the summation of individual estimates includes estimates of DC/DC converter life consumed.

10. The method of claim 8, where the summation of individual estimates includes estimates of electrical energy storage device life consumed.

11. The method of claim 8, where the summation of individual estimates includes estimates of power relay life consumed or inverter system life consumed.

12. The method of claim 8, where the automatic engine stop/start thresholds include a minimum electric energy storage device state of charge threshold for permitting automatic engine stopping responsive to a percentage of useful electric energy storage device life consumed.

13. The method of claim 8, where the automatic engine stop/start thresholds include a maximum accessory load threshold for permitting automatic engine stopping responsive to a percentage of useful electric energy storage device life consumed.

14. The method of claim 8, where the automatic engine stop/start thresholds include a maximum vehicle speed for permitting automatic engine stopping responsive to a percentage of useful electric energy storage device life consumed.

15. A vehicle system, comprising:

an engine including a device, the device participating in automatically starting and stopping the engine; and

a controller including non-transitory instructions executable to adjust automatic engine stop/start thresholds in response to an amount of useful life consumed of the device, and to automatically start or stop the engine in response to the automatic engine start/stop thresholds.

16. The vehicle system of claim 15, where the device is a DC/DC converter.

17. The vehicle system of claim 15, where the device is an electric energy storage device.

18. The vehicle system of claim 15, where the device is a power relay.

19. The vehicle system of claim 15, where the automatic engine stop/start thresholds include a minimum electric energy storage device state of charge threshold.

20. The vehicle system of claim 15, where automatic engine stop/start thresholds include a maximum accessory load threshold.