System and method for controlling vehicle operation

• US 20070205028A1
• Filed: 03/06/2006
• Published: 09/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Surnilla, Gopichandra, Leone, Thomas, Phillips, Tony
• Granted Patent: US 7,694,760 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 180/65.280
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/445 Differential gearing distribution type
• 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 10/26 for electrical energy, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/00 Control systems specially adapted for hybrid vehicles hybrid vehicle design, B60K6/00; electric vehicles B60L
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 1/12 with compression ignition with fuel-air charge ignited by compression ignition of an additional fuel F02B7/00
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 13/06 Cutting-out cylinders
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/503 Battery correction, i.e. corrections as a function of the state of the battery, its output or its type
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/0275 the exhaust gas treating apparatus being a NOx trap or adsorbent
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/3035 a mode being the premixed charge compression-ignition mode
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/3076 with special conditions for selecting a mode of combustion, e.g. for starting, for diagnosing
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 25/089 Layout of the fuel vapour installation
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 26/46 for determining the characteristics of gases, e.g. composition
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 26/47 the characteristics being temperatures, pressures or flow rates
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/12 Improving ICE efficiencies
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles

Abstract

A hybrid vehicle propulsion system is disclosed comprising an engine having at least one combustion cylinder configured to operate in a first and a second combustion mode, wherein the first combustion mode is a spark ignition mode and the second combustion mode is a compression ignition mode, wherein the engine is configured to supply an engine output; a motor configured to selectively supply or absorb a secondary output; an energy storage device configured to selectively store at least a portion of the engine output and selectively supply energy to the vehicle; and a control system configured to control at least the engine, the motor, and the energy storage device, wherein the control system is configured to selectively operate said at least one combustion cylinder in one of the spark ignition mode and the compression ignition mode based on a condition of the energy storage device.

Claims

1. A hybrid vehicle propulsion system, comprising:

an engine having at least one combustion cylinder configured to operate in a first and a second combustion mode, wherein the first combustion mode is a spark ignition mode and the second combustion mode is a compression ignition mode, wherein the engine is configured to supply an engine output;

a motor configured to selectively supply or absorb a secondary output;

an energy storage device configured to selectively store at least a portion of the engine output and selectively supply energy to the vehicle; and

a control system configured to control at least the engine, the motor, and the energy storage device, wherein the control system is configured to selectively operate said at least one combustion cylinder in one of the spark ignition mode and the compression ignition mode based on a condition of the energy storage device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said condition of the energy storage device includes an amount of energy stored by the energy storage device.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the control system is configured to operate said at least one cylinder in the spark ignition mode when a low amount of energy is stored by the energy storage device and wherein the control system is configured to operate said at least one cylinder in the compression ignition mode when a larger amount of energy is stored by the energy storage device.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the engine further comprises a lean NOx trap configured to store NOx produced by the engine and wherein the control system is further configured to selectively operate said at least one combustion cylinder in one of the spark ignition mode and the compression ignition mode based on a condition of the lean NOx trap.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said condition of the energy storage device is a battery state of charge.

6. A hybrid vehicle propulsion system, comprising:

an engine having at least one combustion cylinder configured to operate in a first and a second combustion mode, wherein the first combustion mode is a spark ignition mode and the second combustion mode is a compression ignition mode, wherein the engine is configured to supply an engine output;

an energy conversion device configured to selectively supply or absorb a secondary output;

an electrical energy storage device configured to selectively store at least a portion of the engine output and selectively supply energy to the vehicle; and

a control system configured to control at least the engine, the conversion device, and the energy storage device, wherein the control system is configured to selectively operate said at least one combustion cylinder in one of the spark ignition mode and the compression ignition mode based on a condition of the energy storage device.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein said condition of the electrical energy storage device includes an amount of electrical energy stored by the energy storage device.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the control system is configured to operate said at least one cylinder in the spark ignition mode when a lower amount of energy is stored by the energy storage device and wherein the control system is configured to operate said at least one cylinder in the compression ignition mode when a larger amount of energy is stored by the energy storage device.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the engine further comprises a lean NOx trap configured to store NOx produced by the engine and wherein the control system is further configured to selectively operate said at least one combustion cylinder in one of the spark ignition mode and the compression ignition mode based on a condition of the lean NOx trap.

10. A method of operating an engine having at least one combustion cylinder configured to produce at least a first portion of a vehicle wheel output, wherein the engine is configured to selectively operate said at least one combustion cylinder in one of a compression ignition mode and a spark ignition mode, the engine coupled in a hybrid propulsion system including a battery, the method comprising:

performing the compression ignition lean mode in said at least one combustion cylinder during a first condition;

performing a transition in said at least one combustion cylinder from the compression ignition mode to the spark ignition mode during a second condition and in response to a battery state of charge; and

performing the spark ignition mode in said at least one combustion cylinder during a third condition.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the third condition includes a higher engine output torque than said first condition.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the first condition is when the vehicle wheel output is less than when in the third condition.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the third condition includes a different gear ration than said first condition.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the hybrid propulsion system further includes at least a traction motor, the method further comprising producing at least a portion of the vehicle wheel output via the motor.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising operating the traction motor to produce at least said portion of the vehicle wheel output during said first condition;

and operating the motor to absorb at least some of the vehicle wheel output produced by the engine during said third condition.