Vehicle and method of controlling a vehicle

• US 10,337,432 B2
• Filed: 03/07/2017
• Issued: 07/02/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Naidu, Ashish Kumar, Brittle, Peter George, De Smet, Frederik, Sweet, Timothy, Fulbrook, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Long T
• Application Number:
  US15/452,134
• Publication Number:
  US 20170254279A1
• Time in Patent Office: 847 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/24 characterised by the combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/26 characterised by the motors or the generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/28 characterised by the electric energy storing means, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/48 Parallel type
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/485 Motor-assist type
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/423 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/54 related to batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/00 Methods of charging batteries, specially adapted for electric vehicles; Charging stations or on-board charging equipment therefor; Exchange of energy storage elements in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/53 Batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/12 responding to state of charge [SoC]
• 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 20/10 Controlling the power contribution of each of the prime movers to meet required power demand
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/06 Combustion engines, Gas turbines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/244 Charge state
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/083 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2300/435 Control of engine cylinder cut-off
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2300/60 Control of electric machines, e.g. problems related to electric motors or generators
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 63/04 for electric generators
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 67/04 of mechanically-driven auxiliary apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 75/04 : Engines with variable distances between pistons at top dead-centre positions and cylinder heads
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 13/06 : Cutting-out cylinders
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 17/02 : Cutting-out cutting-out engines in multiple engine arrangements F02D25/04
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/1002 : Output torque
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/101 : Engine speed
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2250/18 : Control of the engine output torque
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2250/21 : during a transition between engine operation modes or states
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2250/24 : by using an external load, e.g. a generator
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 29/06 : peculiar to engines driving electric generators
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/0087 : Selective cylinder activation, i.e. partial cylinder operation deceleration cut-off F02D41/123
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/0097 : using means for generating speed signals
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/12 : Improving ICE efficiencies
• 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 90/12 : Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 : Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/905 : Combustion engine
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/906 : Motor or generator
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/907 : Electricity storage, e.g. battery, capacitor

Abstract

A vehicle and method for controlling a vehicle having a variable displacement engine with an auxiliary machine connected directly to the engine crankshaft and to an energy storage device includes switching from a cylinder disablement (VDE) mode to a normal mode when the torque demand and engine speed lie outside an outer range defined by a first threshold (T_out), and switching from the normal mode to the VDE mode when the torque demand and engine speed lie within an inner range, which lies within the outer range and defined by a second threshold (T_in). When operating in a band between the two thresholds, the auxiliary machine draws energy from the energy storage device and supplements the output torque from the engine if operating in the VDE mode, and derives torque from the engine crankshaft to recharge the energy storage device if operating in the normal mode.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a vehicle having an engine operable in a variable displacement (VDE) mode and an auxiliary device connected directly to a crankshaft of the engine and coupled to an energy storage device, comprising:

operating the auxiliary device to store energy in the energy storage device responsive to operating the engine in a normal mode when engine speed and torque demand fall within a first VDE speed and torque boundary but outside a second VDE speed and torque boundary, the second VDE speed and torque boundary being contained within the first VDE speed and torque boundary; and

operating the auxiliary device powered by the energy storage device to supply torque to the crankshaft responsive to operating in the VDE mode when engine speed and torque demand exceed the second VDE speed and torque boundary but are within the first VDE speed and torque boundary.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of the first and second VDE speed and torque boundaries varies depending on a state of energy storage of the energy storage device.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

switching engine operation from the normal mode to the VDE mode in response to engine speed and torque demand moving within the second VDE speed and torque boundary.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

switching engine operation from the VDE mode to the normal mode in response to engine speed and torque demand moving outside the first VDE speed and torque boundary.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the auxiliary device comprises an electric machine and the energy storage device comprises a battery, wherein the method comprises operating the electric machine as a generator to store energy in the battery.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the method comprises operating the electric machine as a motor powered by the battery to supply the torque to the crankshaft.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein operating the engine in the VDE mode comprises disabling at least one cylinder of the engine.

8. A method for controlling a vehicle having an engine operable in a variable displacement (VDE) mode, comprising:

when operating in the VDE mode, supplying torque from an auxiliary device responsive to engine speed and torque demand being between first and second speed and torque boundaries, the second boundary containing the first boundary; and

when operating in normal mode, storing energy from the auxiliary device responsive to the demand being between the first and second boundaries.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein supplying torque from the auxiliary device comprises controlling an electric machine to operate as a motor powered by a battery.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein storing energy from the auxiliary device comprises controlling an electric machine to operate as a generator to store energy in a battery.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein the first and second speed and torque boundaries vary in response to a state of energy storage of the auxiliary device.

12. The method of claim 8 further comprising controlling the engine to switch from the VDE mode to the normal mode in response to the engine speed and torque demand moving outside the second speed and torque boundary.

13. The method of claim 8 further comprising controlling the engine to switch from the normal mode to the VDE mode in response to the engine speed and torque demand moving inside the first speed and torque boundary.

14. The method of claim 8 wherein the auxiliary device is directly attached to a crankshaft of the engine.

15. A vehicle comprising:

an engine operable in a variable displacement (VDE) mode;

an auxiliary device directly coupled to a crankshaft of the engine;

a controller configured to operate the auxiliary device to supply torque to the crankshaft when the engine is operating in the VDE mode responsive to engine speed and torque demand being between first and second speed and torque boundaries, wherein the first boundary is contained within the second boundary.

16. The vehicle of claim 15 wherein the controller is further configured to operate the auxiliary device to store energy in an energy storage device when the engine is operating in a normal mode responsive to engine speed and torque demand being between the first and second speed and torque boundaries.

17. The vehicle of claim 16 wherein the auxiliary device comprises an electric machine.

18. The vehicle of claim 17 wherein the energy storage device comprises a battery.

19. The vehicle of claim 16 wherein the auxiliary device comprises an electric machine, the energy storage device comprises a battery, and wherein the first and second boundaries vary in accordance with a state of charge of the battery.

20. The vehicle of claim 16 wherein the controller is further configured to:

switch from the VDE mode to the normal mode in response to the engine speed and torque demand moving outside the second speed and torque boundary; and

switch from the normal mode to the VDE mode in response to the engine speed and torque demand moving inside the first speed and torque boundary.