Method for operating a motor vehicle and motor vehicle

• US 10,160,345 B2
• Filed: 06/07/2017
• Issued: 12/25/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Original Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Inventors: Ghebru, Daniel, Strasser, Klaus, Stauber, Alois
• Primary Examiner(s): Glass, Erick
• Application Number:
  US15/616,211
• Publication Number:
  US 20170355273A1
• Time in Patent Office: 566 Days
• Field of Search: 318376
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/61 by batteries charged by engine-driven generators, e.g. series hybrid electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/32 for controlling the temperature of fuel cells, e.g. by controlling the electric load
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/40 for controlling a combination of batteries and fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 7/10 Dynamic electric regenerative braking B60L7/22 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/08 including control of electric propulsion units, e.g. motors or generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/26 for electrical energy, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/30 including control of auxiliary equipment, e.g. air-conditioning compressors or oil pumps
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/244 Charge state
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/246 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18127 Regenerative braking
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/91 Electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• 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 90/40 Application of hydrogen technology to transportation, e.g. using fuel cells

Abstract

A method for operating a motor vehicle, which is driven by an electric motor. The motor vehicle has a high-voltage power system, to which the electric motor is connected, with a high-voltage battery that is operated in an operating temperature range, for which purpose, a temperature control mechanism utilizing a circulating coolant, and having a heating mechanism for the coolant and a cooling mechanism for the coolant is assigned to the high-voltage battery, to satisfy a power deficiency which indicates that a braking power required by recuperation of the electric motor exceeds the on-demand power currently in the high-voltage power system that can be demanded for charging the high-voltage battery.

Claims

1. A method for operating a motor vehicle, which is driven only by an electric motor, wherein the motor vehicle has a high-voltage power system, to which the electric motor is connected, with a high-voltage battery that is to be operated in an operating temperature range, for which purpose, a temperature control means utilizing a circulating coolant and having a heating means for the coolant and a cooling means for the coolant is assigned to the high-voltage battery, comprising:

determining, by an electronic control unit, an on-demand power in the high-voltage power system;

examining, by the electronic control unit, a deficiency criterion for a power requirement based on a difference between the on-demand power and a braking power which is to be generated by recuperation of the electric motor;

satisfying the deficiency criterion for the power requirement,

wherein the deficiency criterion is satisfied by activating the heating means and the cooling means of the temperature control means for the high-voltage battery so that the temperature of the high-voltage battery remains within the operating temperature range.

2. The method according to claim 1,

wherein for satisfying the deficiency criterion for the power requirement, the cooling power of the cooling means and the heating power of the heating means are increased in such a way that the temperature of the coolant remains constant, and in such a way that a change in the temperature of the coolant occurs that lies within the operating temperature range.

3. The method according to claim 2,

wherein an average temperature of the operating temperature range and a predetermined

ideal temperature of the high-voltage battery is regulated by the change in the temperature of the coolant.

4. The method according to claim 1,

wherein the activation of the heating means and the cooling means results when the deficiency criterion for the power requirement is satisfied additionally as a function of a measured external temperature.

5. The method according to claim 1,

wherein a resistance heater or a PTC element is used as the heating means and a heat exchanger coupled to an evaporator of a cooling circuit with a compressor is used as the cooling means.

6. The method according to claim 1,

wherein the cooling means and the heating means are activated via a heat management electronic control unit designed for the operation of the temperature control means.