Vehicle weight estimation system and related methods

• US 10,500,975 B1
• Filed: 09/29/2017
• Issued: 12/10/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyliion Inc. (Hyliion Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Hyliion Inc. (Hyliion Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Healy, Thomas Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Shriver, II, James A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Triggs, James J
• Application Number:
  US15/721,410
• Time in Patent Office: 802 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/48 Parallel type
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/52 Driving a plurality of drive axles, e.g. four-wheel drive
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/2009 for braking
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/2027 whilst maintaining constant speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/2045 for optimising the use of energy
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/16 Single-axle vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/28 Trailers
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/14 Acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/16 longitudinal
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/26 Vehicle weight
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/423 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/12 Recording operating variables ; Monitoring of operating variables
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/30 using propulsion power stored mechanically, e.g. in fly-wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/40 using propulsion power supplied by capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/50 using propulsion power supplied by batteries or fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/10 for monitoring or controlling batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/13 Maintaining the SoC within a determined range
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 7/10 Dynamic electric regenerative braking B60L7/22 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 7/18 Controlling the braking effect B60L7/12, B60L7/14, B60L7/16 take precedence
• 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 20/15 : Control strategies specially adapted for achieving a particular effect
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2300/14 : Tractor-trailers, i.e. combinations of a towing vehicle and one or more towed vehicles, e.g. caravans; Road trains
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2530/10 : Weight
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18127 : Regenerative braking
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/13 : Load or weight
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/147 : Trailers, e.g. full trailers or caravans
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 53/06 : Semi-trailers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 : Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 : Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 : Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 : Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/906 : Motor or generator

Abstract

A through the road (TTR) hybridization strategy is proposed to facilitate introduction of hybrid electric vehicle technology in a significant portion of current and expected trucking fleets. In some cases, the technologies can be retrofitted onto an existing vehicle (e.g., a truck, a tractor unit, a trailer, a tractor-trailer configuration, at a tandem, etc.). In some cases, the technologies can be built into new vehicles. In some cases, one vehicle may be built or retrofitted to operate in tandem with another and provide the hybridization benefits contemplated herein. By supplementing motive forces delivered through a primary drivetrain and fuel-fed engine with supplemental torque delivered at one or more electrically-powered drive axles, improvements in overall fuel efficiency and performance may be delivered, typically without significant redesign of existing components and systems that have been proven in the trucking industry.

Claims

1. A towed vehicle for use in combination with a towing vehicle, the towed vehicle comprising:

an electrically powered drive axle of the towed vehicle configured to supply supplemental torque to one or more wheels of the towed vehicle and to thereby supplement, while the towed vehicle travels over a roadway and in at least some modes of operation, primary motive forces applied through a separate drivetrain of the towing vehicle;

a generally autonomous control system for the electrically powered drive axle of the towed vehicle, wherein the generally autonomous control system is provided on-board the towed vehicle and operates independently from throttle and drive train controls of the towing vehicle but, based on vehicle dynamics that are sensed or computationally estimated at the towed vehicle itself; and

a vehicle weight estimation system provided on the towed vehicle to sense or computationally estimate mass of at least the towed vehicle while in motion.

2. The towed vehicle of claim 1,

wherein the vehicle weight estimation system includes one or more air bag-type pressure sensors provided in a suspension assembly of the towed vehicle.

3. The towed vehicle of claim 1,

wherein the vehicle weight estimation system includes the generally autonomous control system and computationally estimates mass of at least the towed vehicle based on sensed acceleration or deceleration of the towed vehicle in response to a supplemental torque applied under control of the generally autonomous control system.

4. The towed vehicle of claim 3,

wherein the supplemental torque opposes travel of the towed vehicle and is applied using the electrically powered drive axle in a regenerative braking mode of operation.

5. The towed vehicle of claim 3,

wherein the supplemental torque accelerates the towed vehicle in a direction of travel.

6. The towed vehicle of claim 1,

wherein the electrically powered drive axle is further configured to oppose, in a regenerative braking mode of operation, travel of the towed vehicle.

7. The towed vehicle of claim 1,

wherein the vehicle weight estimation system further includes either or both of an accelerometer and an inclinometer.

8. The towed vehicle of claim 1, in combination with the towing vehicle.

9. The towed vehicle of claim 1, further comprising:

an energy store configured to supply the electrically powered drive axle and further configured to receive energy recovered in a regenerative braking mode of operation.

10. The towed vehicle of claim 1,

wherein the energy store includes a battery or ultracapacitor.

11. The towed vehicle of claim 1,

wherein the energy store includes a flywheel or compressed fluid storage tank.

12. The towed vehicle of claim 1, further comprising:

a wireless data communications facility coupled to the vehicle weight estimation system to communicate the sensed or computationally estimated mass off of the towed vehicle.

13. The towed vehicle of claim 1,

wherein the wireless data communications facility includes one or more of cellular data network transceiver, radio frequency transmitter, a satellite uplink and an RFID tag, chip or reader.

14. A vehicle weight estimation method, comprising:

supplying supplemental torque to one or more wheels of a towed vehicle using an electrically powered drive axle of the towed vehicle to supplement, while the towed vehicle travels over a roadway and in at least some modes of operation, primary motive forces applied through a separate drivetrain of a towing vehicle;

while in motion, estimating mass of at least the towed vehicle; and

based at least in part on the estimated mass, controlling the supplemental torque applied using the electrically powered drive axle of the towed vehicle.

15. The method of claim 14,

wherein the control is performed autonomously and operates independently from throttle and drive train controls of the towing vehicle, based on vehicle dynamics that are sensed or computationally estimated at the towed vehicle itself.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

estimating mass of the towed vehicle using one or more air bag-type pressure sensors provided in a suspension assembly of the towed vehicle.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

computationally estimating mass of at least the towed vehicle based on sensed acceleration or deceleration of the towed vehicle in response to supplemental torque applied using the electrically powered drive axle.

18. The method of claim 14,

wherein the supplemental torque opposes travel of the towed vehicle and is applied using the electrically powered drive axle in a regenerative braking mode of operation.

19. The method of claim 14,

wherein the supplemental torque accelerates the towed vehicle in a direction of travel.

20. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

wirelessly communicating the sensed or computationally estimated mass off of the towed vehicle.