Hybrid vehicle with low power battery

• US 10,399,556 B2
• Filed: 10/22/2018
• Issued: 09/03/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cummins Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Cummins Incorporated
• Inventors: Books, Martin T., Kumar, Mahesh Madurai
• Primary Examiner(s): Soofi, Yazan A
• Application Number:
  US16/166,643
• Publication Number:
  US 20190054914A1
• Time in Patent Office: 316 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/48 Parallel type
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/00 Supplying electric power to auxiliary equipment of vehicles circuit arrangements for charging batteries H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/40 DC to AC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/642 Slope of road
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/16 with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/24 Using the vehicle's propulsion converter for charging
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/20 having different nominal voltages
• 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 10/18 including control of braking systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/184 with wheel brakes
• 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 20/12 using control strategies taking into account route information estimation or calculation of non-directly measurable driving parameters B60W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/14 in conjunction with braking regeneration
• 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 2050/0091 of control inputs
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/244 Charge state
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/305 Power absorbed by auxiliaries
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/15 Road slope, i.e. the inclination of a road segment in the longitudinal direction
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/45 : External transmission of data to or from the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/0666 : Engine torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/086 : Power
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/244 : Charge state
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/248 : Current for loading or unloading
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2720/10 : Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/143 : Speed control B60W30/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18127 : Regenerative braking
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/076 : Slope angle of the road
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/46 : Accumulators structurally combined with charging apparatus circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/48 : Accumulators combined with arrangements for measuring, testing or indicating the condition of cells, e.g. the level or density of the electrolyte constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals, H01M50/569
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/20 : Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/48 : for electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/1446 : in response to parameters of a vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 27/06 : using dc to ac converters or inverters H02P27/05 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 : Energy storage using batteries
• 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 10/72 : Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/92 : Energy efficient charging or discharging systems for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors specially adapted for vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 : Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 : Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 : Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/93 : Conjoint control of different elements

Abstract

Systems, methods and apparatus for controlling operation a hybrid powertrain are disclosed that use low power storage and motor/generator components in line haul operations. In one embodiment, a line haul drive cycle includes a low power motor/generator executing a power assistance operation of the hybrid powertrain powered by electricity from a low power storage responsive to a monitoring by a line haul controller of ascensions of the hybrid vehicle at or near a constant speed over an uneven terrain. The line haul drive cycle further includes the low power motor/generator executing a regenerative braking operation of the hybrid powertrain supplying captured electric energy to the low power storage responsive to a monitoring by the line haul controller of descensions of the hybrid vehicle at or near the constant speed over the uneven terrain.

Claims

1. A vehicle system comprising:

a motor/generator;

a battery having a C-rate less than 0.9 C;

power electronics operatively coupled with the motor/generator and the battery and structured to selectably convert AC electrical power output by the motor/generator to DC power and convert DC power output by the battery to AC power;

an electronic control system operatively coupled with the motor generator, the battery, and the power electronics, the electronic control system configured to;

enter into a line haul hybrid operating mode in response to a determination of uneven terrain involving repeated uphill and downhill operation of the vehicle system,

during uphill operation of the vehicle system in the line haul hybrid operating mode, control the power electronics to convert power discharged from the battery to operate the motor/generator to output mechanical power,

during downhill operation of the vehicle system in the line haul hybrid operating mode, control the power electronics to charge the battery with power provided by motor/generator, and

control the discharging and charging of the battery in the line haul hybrid operating mode to a rate equal to or less than the C-rate of the battery.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the electronic control system is configured to enter into the line haul hybrid operating mode at least in part in response to information from an inclinometer.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the battery has a C-rate less than 0.5 C.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein during the uphill the operation and the downhill operation the electronic control system is configured to control the vehicle system to a constant target speed.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the electronic control system is configured to enter into the line haul hybrid operating mode based at least in part upon global positioning system information.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the battery has a C-rate less than 0.2 C.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein during the uphill the operation and the downhill operation the electronic control system is configured to control the vehicle system to a constant target speed.

8. A method comprising:

providing a vehicle system including a motor/generator, a battery having a C-rate less than 0.9 C, power electronics operatively coupled with the motor/generator and the battery and structured to selectably convert AC electrical power output by the motor/generator to DC power and convert DC power output by the battery to AC power, and an electronic control system operatively coupled with the motor generator, the battery, and the power electronics;

initiating a line haul hybrid operating mode in response to a determination by the electronic control system of uneven terrain involving repeated uphill and downhill operation of the vehicle system,

operating the power electronics during uphill operation of the vehicle system to drive the motor/generator to output mechanical power using power discharged from the battery,

operating the power electronics during downhill operation of the vehicle system to charge the battery using power provided by motor/generator, and

controlling the discharging and charging of the battery to a rate equal to or less than the C-rate of the battery.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the act of initiating a line haul hybrid operating mode is performed at least in part in response to information from an inclinometer.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the battery has a C-rate less than 0.5 C.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein during the uphill the operation and the downhill operation the vehicle system is controlled to a constant target speed.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein the act of initiating a line haul hybrid operating mode is performed at least in part in response to global positioning system information received from a global positioning system.

13. The method of claim 8 wherein the battery has a C-rate less than 0.2 C.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein during the uphill the operation and the downhill operation of the vehicle system is controlled to a constant target speed.

15. An apparatus comprising:

a non-transitory memory medium configured with instructions executable by an electronic control system to operate a vehicle system including a motor/generator, a battery having a C-rate less than 0.9 C, power electronics operatively coupled with the motor/generator and the battery and structured to selectably convert AC electrical power output by the motor/generator to DC power and convert DC power output by the battery to AC power, wherein the instructions are executable by the electronic control system to;

enter into a line haul hybrid operating mode in response to a determination of uneven terrain involving repeated uphill and downhill operation of the vehicle system,

during uphill operation of the vehicle system in the line haul hybrid operating mode, control the power electronics to convert power discharged from the battery to operate the motor/generator to output mechanical power,

during downhill operation of the vehicle system in the line haul hybrid operating mode, control the power electronics to charge the battery with power provided by motor/generator, and

control the discharging and charging of the battery in the line haul hybrid operating mode to a rate equal to or less than the C-rate of the battery.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the electronic control system is configured to enter into the line haul hybrid operating mode at least in part in response to information from an inclinometer.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the battery has a C-rate less than 0.5 C.

18. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the electronic control system is configured to enter into the line haul hybrid operating mode at least in part in response to information from an global positioning system.

19. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the battery has a C-rate less than 0.2 C.