Front end motor-generator system and hybrid electric vehicle operating method

• US 10,112,603 B2
• Filed: 12/14/2016
• Issued: 10/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC (Estate of Heinz Hermann Thiele)
• Original Assignee: Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC (Estate of Heinz Hermann Thiele)
• Inventors: Colavincenzo, David, Venegas Diaz, Fernando
• Primary Examiner(s): Dager, Jonathan M
• Application Number:
  US15/378,118
• Publication Number:
  US 20180162369A1
• Time in Patent Office: 685 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/387 Actuated clutches, i.e. clutches engaged or disengaged by electric, hydraulic or mechanical actuating means
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/485 Motor-assist type
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/2054 by controlling transmissions or clutches
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/36 Temperature of vehicle components or parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/423 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/443 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/445 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/507 Operating parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/54 related to batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/12 Recording operating variables ; Monitoring of operating variables
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/15 with additional electric power supply with capacitors charged by engine-driven generators B60L50/40; with batteries charged by engine-driven generators B60L50/61
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/16 with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/15 Preventing overcharging
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/02 including control of driveline clutches
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/08 including control of electric propulsion units, e.g. motors or generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/30 including control of auxiliary equipment, e.g. air-conditioning compressors or oil pumps
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/10 Controlling the power contribution of each of the prime movers to meet required power demand
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 67/06 driven by means of chains, belts, or like endless members
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/003 : said electric motor being also used as a drive for auxiliaries, e.g. for driving transmission pumps or fuel pumps during engine stop
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/04 : the motors being associated with current generators
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/0866 : comprising several power sources, e.g. battery and capacitor or two batteries
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 15/022 : the starter comprising an intermediate clutch
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 15/025 : of the friction type
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 15/08 : the gearing being of friction type
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2011/0888 : DC/DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2011/0896 : Inverters for electric machines, e.g. starter-generators
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2500/3064 : Temperature of the engine
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2500/3161 : Signal providing information about the state of engine accessories
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2500/70424 : Outputting a clutch engaged-disengaged signal
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 48/06 : Control by electric or electronic means, e.g. of fluid pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 7/00 : Gearings for conveying rotary motion by endless flexible members specific for conveying rotary motion with variable gear ratio or for reversing rotary motion F16H9/00 ; chainwheels F16H55/30
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 9/48 : Arrangements for obtaining a constant output value at varying speed of the generator, e.g. on vehicle H02P9/04 - H02P9/46 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 : Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 : Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 : Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 : Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 : Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 : Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/93 : Conjoint control of different elements
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/951 : Assembly or relative location of components

Abstract

A system and method are provided for hybrid electric internal combustion engine applications. A motor-generator, a narrow switchable coupling and a torque transfer unit are arranged in the constrained environment at the front of an engine. The motor-generator is preferably laterally offset from the switchable coupling, which is co-axially-arranged with the engine crankshaft. The switchable coupling is an integrated unit in which a crankshaft vibration damper, an engine accessory drive pulley and a disengageable clutch overlap such that the axial depth of the clutch-pulley-damper unit is nearly the same as a conventional belt drive pulley and engine damper. The front end motor-generator system includes an electrical energy store that receives electrical energy generated when the coupling is engaged. When the coupling is disengaged, the motor-generator may drive the pulley portion of the clutch-pulley-damper to drive the engine accessories using energy from the energy store, independent of the engine crankshaft.

Claims

1. A front end motor-generator controller for control of a hybrid electric arrangement for an internal combustion engine of a vehicle having an integrated switchable coupling at a front of the engine arranged to selectively engage a front end of an engine crankshaft on an engine-side of the coupling to an engine accessory drive on a drive-side of the integrated switchable coupling, comprising:

a front end motor-generator control module programmed to

determine an operating state of the vehicle based on operating state information received from at least one of a vehicle sensor and another controller of the vehicle;

determine from the determined operating state a current operating priority, wherein the current operating priority is one of;

meeting a safety requirement, the safety requirement including at least a requirement to maintain a first amount of stored compressed air for safe operation of a pneumatic brake system of the vehicle,

meeting an energy store requirement, the energy store requirement including at least a requirement to maintain a state of charge of an energy store above first state of charge level,

meeting an engine operating requirement, the engine operating requirement including at least a requirement to maintain an engine operating parameter within an operating limit, the engine operating parameter including at least an engine coolant temperature, and

meeting a driver comfort requirement, the driver comfort requirement including at least a requirement to maintain a climate condition of a passenger compartment of the vehicle in a desired temperature range;

select an operating mode of the hybrid electric arrangement based on the determined current operating priority, wherein the determined operating mode is one of a plurality of motor-generator operating modes, the plurality of motor-generator operating modes including at least one of an electrical energy generating mode, an engine accessory drive torque generating mode, a supplemental engine torque generating mode, and an idle mode; and

control operation of the motor-generator and the integrated switchable coupling to implement the selected operating mode, including commanding the integrated switchable coupling into one of an engaged state in which torque is transferable between the motor-generator and the crankshaft, and a disengaged state in which the motor-generator is disengaged from the crankshaft and torque from the motor-generator is transferable to the drive-side of the integrated switchable coupling to drive the engine accessory drive to drive at least one engine accessory.

2. The front end motor-generator controller of claim 1, wherein

the at least one engine accessory is a plurality of engine accessories, and

the front end motor-generator controller is further programmed to

determine an operating speed of one of the plurality of engine accessories having operating priority, and

control operation of the motor-generator and the integrated switchable coupling to disengage the coupling, supply electrical energy from the energy store to the motor-generator, and operate the motor-generator at a speed corresponding to the operating speed of the engine accessory having operating priority.

3. The front end motor-generator controller of claim 2, wherein

the front end motor-generator controller is further programmed to

determine operating speeds of the remaining engine accessories of the plurality of engine accessories when the engine accessory drive is operated at a speed corresponding to the operating speed of the engine accessory having operating priority;

determine which of the remaining engine accessories is equipped with an individual clutch between the engine accessory drive and the accessory;

compare the determined remaining engine accessory speeds to determine which of the individual accessory clutch-equipped remaining engine accessories is operable at a lower individual operating speed while still meeting vehicle demands on the individual engine accessory; and

control the clutches of the individual accessory clutch-equipped remaining engine accessories to reduce torque demand on the engine accessory drive by reducing the speed of the accessory clutch-equipped remaining engine accessories that are operable at individual speeds lower than the determined operating speeds corresponding to the operating speed of the engine accessory with the operating priority.

4. The front end motor-generator controller of claim 1, wherein

the front end motor-generator controller is further programmed to

engage the integrated switchable coupling in the electrical energy generating mode and control the motor-generator to generate electrical energy for storage in an energy store,

disengaged the integrated switchable coupling in the engine accessory drive torque generating mode and command supply of electrical energy from the energy store to the motor-generator to generate torque for transfer to the drive-side portion of the integrated switchable coupling, and

engage integrated switchable coupling in the supplemental engine torque generating mode and command supply of electrical energy from the energy store to the motor-generator to generate torque to be transferred to the crankshaft via the drive-side portion of the integrated switchable coupling.

5. The front end motor-generator controller of claim 4, wherein

the front end motor-generator controller is further programmed to

operate the motor-generator in the electrical energy generating mode when

charging the energy store has operating priority,

a charge state of the energy store is below a first charge state, and

a charge state of the energy store is above the first charge state and below a second charge state and the vehicle operating state is at least one of a braking state, a deceleration state and a negative torque event state.

6. The front end motor-generator controller of claim 2, wherein

the front end motor-generator controller is further programmed to

operate the motor-generator in the engine accessory drive torque generating mode when

the charge state of the energy store is above a third charge state between the first and second charge states, and the vehicle operating state is not the braking state, the deceleration state and the negative torque event state, and

the integrated switchable coupling is not to be engaged to permit torque transfer between the motor-generator and the crankshaft.

7. The front end motor-generator controller of claim 5, wherein

the front end motor-generator controller is further programmed to

operate the motor-generator in the idle mode when a charge state of the energy store is above the third charge state, the vehicle operating state is not the braking state, the deceleration state and the negative torque event state, there is no torque demand on the motor-generator from the engine or the at least one engine accessory.