METHOD FOR OPERATING A VEHICLE AND A VEHICLE WHICH INCORPORATES THE METHOD

• US 20030236149A1
• Filed: 06/19/2002
• Published: 12/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Motor Company
• Inventors: Gabriel, David Crist, McCarthy, James Paul
• Granted Patent: US 6,682,458 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 477/98
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 59/72 dependent on oil characteristics, e.g. temperature, viscosity
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2250/20 Fuel cells in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04007 related to heat exchange
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/0432 Temperature; Ambient temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04701 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/40 Application of hydrogen technology to transportation, e.g. using fuel cells

Abstract

A method and an apparatus 12 which uses or calculates a temperature gradient of a portion 16 of a vehicle 10 to determine a value equal to or representative of a time before a maximum allowable operating temperature is reached by the portion 16. If the value is less than a certain threshold, the apparatus 12 reduces the operating speed of the portion 16 and, in one embodiment, provides a warning signal to an operator of the vehicle 10.

Claims

1. A thermal control assembly comprising at least one sensor which is coupled to a certain portion of a vehicle and which provides a first temperature of said certain portion of said vehicle at a first time and a second temperature of said certain portion of said vehicle at a second time;

and a controller which is coupled to said at least one sensor, which receives said first and second temperatures, which uses said first and second temperatures to calculate a time period, and which decreases said certain speed of said portion of said vehicle when said calculated time period is less then a certain period of time.

2. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said certain portion of said vehicle comprises a transmission assembly.

3. The assembly of claim 2 wherein said controller stores a temperature gradient function and uses said stored temperature gradient in combination with said first and second temperature values to calculate said time period.

4. The assembly of claim 3 wherein said controller dynamically creates said thermal gradient function by use of said first and second temperature values.

5. The assembly of claim 4 wherein said controller dynamically creates said thermal gradient function by curve fitting said first and second temperature values.

6. The assembly of claim 2 wherein said assembly further comprises a selectively energizable light which is coupled to said controller and which is energized by said controller when said calculated time period is less than said certain period of time.

7. The assembly of claim 2 wherein said assembly further comprises a selectively energizable audio generator which is energized by said controller when said calculated time period is less than said certain period of time.

8. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said controller calculates said time period only when the temperature of said certain portion of said vehicle exceeds a certain threshold value.

9. The assembly of claim 2 wherein said controller calculates said time period only when said certain portion of said vehicle has been continually operating for a certain predetermined period of time.

10. A vehicle comprising a transmission assembly having a certain maximum allowable operating temperature and being operable at a certain speed;

at least one sensor which is coupled to said transmission assembly, which measures a first, a second, and a third temperature of said transmission assembly; and

a controller which is coupled to said at least one sensor and to said transmission assembly, which receives said first, second, and third temperatures, which storably contains a thermal gradient function, which uses said second and third temperatures and said thermal gradient function to ascertain a time in which said transmission assembly will exceed said certain maximum allowable operating temperature only when said first temperature exceeds a certain value, which storably contains a time value, which compares said calculated time to said time value and, based upon this comparison, selectively reduces the speed of said transmission assembly, effective to reduce the likelihood of said transmission assembly from having a temperature which exceeds said maximum allowable operating temperature.

11. The vehicle of claim 10 wherein said controller ascertains said time in which said transmission assembly will exceed said certain maximum allowable operating temperature only after said transmission has been continually operated for a certain period of time.

12. The assembly of claim 10 wherein said vehicle further includes a selectively energizable warning assembly which is coupled to said controller and which is energized when said speed of said transmission assembly is reduced by said controller.

13. The assembly of claim 12 wherein said selectively energizable warning assembly comprises a selectively energizable light.

14. The assembly of claim 12 wherein said selectively energizable warning assembly comprises a selectively energizable audio generator.

15. The vehicle of claim 11 wherein said controller dynamically calculates said temperature gradient function.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein said torque producing assembly comprises an internal combustion engine.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein said torque producing assembly comprises a fuel cell in combination with an output shaft.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein said step of ascertaining said amount of time in which the maximum temperature will be reached comprises the step of creating a temperature gradient function by use of said monitored temperature changes;

and using said created temperature gradient function to determine said time.

20. The method of claim 15 wherein said step of ascertaining said amount of time in which the maximum temperature will be reached comprises the step of creating several temperature gradient functions;

storing said several temperature gradient functions;

selecting one of said several stored temperature gradient functions; and

using said selected temperature gradient function to determine said amount of time.

16. A method for operating a vehicle having a torque producing assembly, said method comprising the steps of defining a maximum temperature value of said torque producing assembly;

operating said torque producing assembly at a certain speed;

monitoring a change in temperature of said torque producing assembly;

using said monitored change in temperature to ascertain the amount of time in which the maximum temperature value will be achieved; and

reducing said certain speed of said torque producing assembly when said ascertained amount of time is less than a certain value.