Powertrain fault management

• US 10,486,704 B2
• Filed: 08/08/2017
• Issued: 11/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Miller, Kenneth James, Leone, Thomas G., Dudar, Aed M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheung, Calvin
• Application Number:
  US15/671,619
• Publication Number:
  US 20190047566A1
• Time in Patent Office: 840 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/10 including control of change-speed gearings
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0073 Driver overrides controller
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/0676 Engine temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/107 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/0677 Engine power
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/1061 Output power
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/1843 Overheating of driveline components B60W30/186 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/188 Controlling power parameters of the driveline, e.g. determining the required power
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/038 Limiting the input power, torque or speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/10 Interpretation of driver requests or demands

Abstract

A computer is programmed to cap power provided by a powertrain to a power limit in response to data indicating a critical condition of the powertrain; and provide power from the powertrain above the power limit in response to a demand for acceleration above an acceleration threshold. The computer may be programmed to cap power provided by the powertrain above the power limit to an energy limit.

Claims

1. A system comprising a computer programmed to:

cap power provided by a powertrain to a power limit in response to data indicating a critical condition of the powertrain; and

provide power from the powertrain above the power limit in response to a demand for acceleration above an acceleration threshold while the data indicate the critical condition of the powertrain.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer is further programmed to cap power provided by the powertrain above the power limit to an energy limit.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the power limit is a fraction less than one of power demanded from the powertrain.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the power limit is a preset power value.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the critical condition is a temperature of the powertrain exceeding a temperature threshold.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the power limit is a fraction less than one of power demanded from the powertrain.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the temperature threshold is a first temperature threshold, and the computer is further programmed to cap power provided by the powertrain to a preset power value in response to data indicating that the temperature of the powertrain exceeds a second temperature threshold.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the second temperature threshold is greater than the first temperature threshold.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the fraction is a first fraction and the temperature threshold is a first temperature threshold, the computer is further programmed to cap power provided by the powertrain to a second fraction of power demanded from the powertrain in response to data indicating that the temperature of the powertrain exceeds the second temperature threshold, the second fraction is less than the first fraction, and the second temperature threshold is greater than the first temperature threshold.

10. The system of claim 5, wherein the computer is further programmed to determine the temperature threshold based on an ambient temperature.

11. A method comprising:

capping power provided by a powertrain to a power limit in response to data indicating a critical condition of the powertrain; and

providing power from the powertrain above the power limit in response to a demand for acceleration above an acceleration threshold while the data indicate the critical condition of the powertrain.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising capping power provided by the powertrain above the power limit to an energy limit.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the power limit is a fraction less than one of power demanded from the powertrain.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the power limit is a preset power value.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the critical condition is a temperature of the powertrain exceeding a temperature threshold.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the power limit is a fraction less than one of power demanded from the powertrain.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the temperature threshold is a first temperature threshold, and the method further comprises capping power provided by the powertrain to a preset power value in response to data indicating that the temperature of the powertrain exceeds a second temperature threshold.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the second temperature threshold is greater than the first temperature threshold.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the fraction is a first fraction and the temperature threshold is a first temperature threshold, and the method further comprises capping power provided by the powertrain to a second fraction of power demanded from the powertrain in response to data indicating that the temperature of the powertrain exceeds the second temperature threshold, wherein the second fraction is less than the first fraction, and the second temperature threshold is greater than the first temperature threshold.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising determining the temperature threshold based on an ambient temperature.