Hybrid vehicle engine start/stop system

• US 10,272,909 B1
• Filed: 04/18/2018
• Issued: 04/30/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Melatti, Anthony, Golgiri, Hamid, Van Hoecke, Patrick Lawrence Jackson, Rosenblatt, Danielle
• Primary Examiner(s): Gurari, Erez
• Application Number:
  US15/956,123
• Time in Patent Office: 377 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/442 Series-parallel switching type
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/10 for monitoring or controlling batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/12 responding to state of charge [SoC]
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/13 Maintaining the SoC within a determined range
• 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 20/16 for reducing engine exhaust emissions
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/20 Control strategies involving selection of hybrid configuration, e.g. selection between series or parallel configuration
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/40 Controlling the engagement or disengagement of prime movers, e.g. for transition between prime movers power-up or power-down of the driveline B60W30/192
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/244 Charge state
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/10 Accelerator pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2555/20 Ambient conditions, e.g. wind or rain
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/182 Selecting between different operative modes, e.g. comfort and performance modes
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

A vehicle includes an engine, a motor, a high voltage traction battery, and a controller. The engine and the motor are each configured to propel the vehicle. The battery is configured to power the motor. The controller is programmed to selectively start the engine based on a state of charge of the battery and air pollution content such that as the air pollution content increases a state of charge engine startup threshold decreases.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising:

an engine and a motor each configured to propel the vehicle;

a battery configured to power the motor; and

a controller programmed to selectively start the engine based on a state of charge of the battery and air pollution content such that as the air pollution content increases a state of charge engine startup threshold decreases.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the controller is further programmed to selectively shutdown the engine based on a state of charge of the battery and the air pollution content such that as the air pollution content increases a state of charge engine shutdown threshold decreases.

3. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the controller is further programmed to selectively start the engine based on a torque demand and the air pollution content such that as the air pollution content increases a torque demand engine startup threshold increases.

4. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the controller is further programmed to selectively decrease an electrical power flow from the battery to accessory devices based on the air pollution content such that as the air pollution content increases the electrical power flow from the battery to accessory devices decreases.

5. A vehicle comprising:

an engine and a motor each configured to propel the vehicle;

a battery configured to power the motor; and

a controller programmed to,

responsive to a battery state of charge decreasing to less than a startup threshold while the motor is propelling the vehicle alone, start the engine, and

responsive to ambient air conditions exceeding a pollution threshold, decrease the startup threshold from a base value to an adjusted value.

6. The vehicle of claim 5, wherein the controller is further programmed to, responsive to the ambient air conditions exceeding the pollution threshold and the battery state of charge decreasing to less than the adjusted value while the motor is propelling the vehicle alone, start the engine.

7. The vehicle of claim 5, wherein the controller is further programmed to, responsive to both the engine and motor propelling the vehicle and the battery state of charge increasing to greater than a shutdown threshold, shutdown the engine.

8. The vehicle of claim 7, wherein the controller is further programmed to, responsive to the ambient air conditions exceeding the pollution threshold, decrease the shutdown threshold from a second base value to a second adjusted value.

9. The vehicle of claim 8, wherein the controller is further programmed to, responsive to the ambient air conditions exceeding the pollution threshold and the battery state of charge increasing to greater than the second adjusted value while both the engine and motor are propelling the vehicle, shutdown the engine.

10. The vehicle of claim 5, wherein the controller is further programmed to, responsive to a torque demand increasing to greater than an upper threshold while the motor is generating power alone, start the engine.

11. The vehicle of claim 10, wherein the controller is further programmed to, responsive to the ambient air conditions exceeding the pollution threshold, increase the upper threshold from a second base value to a second adjusted value.

12. The vehicle of claim 11, wherein the controller is further programmed to, responsive to the ambient air conditions exceeding the pollution threshold and the torque demand increasing to greater than the second adjusted value while the motor is generating power alone, start the engine.

13. The vehicle of claim 5, wherein the controller is further programmed to, responsive to the ambient air conditions exceeding the pollution threshold decrease an electrical power flow from the battery to accessory devices.

14. A vehicle comprising:

an engine and an electric machine each configured to generate torque; and

a controller programmed to,

responsive to a torque demand exceeding an upper threshold while the electric machine is generating power alone, start the engine, and

responsive to ambient air conditions exceeding a pollution threshold, increase the upper threshold from a base value to an adjusted value.

15. The vehicle of claim 14, wherein the controller is further programmed to, responsive to the ambient air conditions exceeding the pollution threshold and the torque demand increasing to greater than the adjusted value while the electric machine is generating power alone, start the engine.

16. The vehicle of claim 14, wherein the controller is further programmed to, responsive to a battery state of charge decreasing to less than a startup threshold while the electric machine is propelling the vehicle alone, start the engine.

17. The vehicle of claim 16, wherein the controller is further programmed to, responsive to the ambient air conditions exceeding a pollution threshold, decrease the startup threshold from a second base value to a second adjusted value.

18. The vehicle of claim 17, wherein the controller is further programmed to, responsive to the ambient air conditions exceeding the pollution threshold and the battery state of charge decreasing to less than the second adjusted value while the electric machine is propelling the vehicle alone, start the engine.

19. The vehicle of claim 14, wherein the controller is further programmed to, responsive to both the engine and motor propelling the vehicle and a battery state of charge increasing to greater than a shutdown threshold, shutdown the engine.

20. The vehicle of claim 19, wherein the controller is further programmed to, responsive to the ambient air conditions exceeding the pollution threshold, decrease the shutdown threshold from a second base value to a second adjusted value.