Turbocharging Device and Control Method for Controlling the Turbocharging Device

• US 20080053091A1
• Filed: 02/16/2005
• Published: 03/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Barthelet, Pierre
• Application Number:
  US11/884,250
• Publication Number:
  US 20080053091A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 60/608
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 37/10 at least one pump being alternatively or simultaneously driven by exhaust and other drive, e.g. by pressurised fluid from a reservoir or an engine-driven pump
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 37/14 Control of the alternation between or the operation of exhaust drive and other drive of a pump, e.g. dependent on speed
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 37/16 by bypassing charging air
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 37/18 by bypassing exhaust from the inlet to the outlet of turbine or to the atmosphere
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 37/24 by using pumps or turbines with adjustable guide vanes
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 39/10 electric
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/0007 for control of turbo-charged or super-charged engines control of the pumps per se F02B37/12
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/12 Improving ICE efficiencies

Abstract

A method for controlling an electrically assisted turbocharger (1,20,30,40,50) is provided. The turbocharger comprises a compressor assembly (3) having a compressor wheel for compressing a fluid to an engine (7), a turbine assembly (2) having a turbine wheel driven by an exhaust gas of the engine (7) and driving the compressor wheel (2), and an electric motor (4) for electrically driving the compressor wheel. Furthermore, at least the turbine assembly (2) comprises a variation means (10,21) for varying an operational condition of the turbine assembly (2). The method comprises the steps of judging that the actual operational condition of the engine (7) requires electrical driving of the compressor wheel, controlling said variation means (10,21) in accordance with a rotational speed of the engine (7) or in accordance with an engine load, and operating the electric motor (4) to drive the compressor wheel in accordance with a target operational condition of the engine 7.

Claims

1. A method for controlling an electrically assisted turbocharger (1;

20;

30;

40;

50) comprising

a compressor assembly (3) having a compressor wheel for compressing a fluid to an engine (7);

a turbine assembly (2) having a turbine wheel driven by an exhaust gas of the engine and driving the compressor wheel; and

an electric motor (4) for electrically driving the compressor wheel,

wherein

at least the turbine assembly (2) comprises a variation means (10;

21) for varying an operational condition of the turbine assembly (2);

the method comprising the steps of

judging that the actual operational condition of the engine (7) requires electrical driving of the compressor wheel;

controlling said variation means (10;

21) in accordance with a rotational speed of the engine (7), and

operating the electric motor (4) to drive the compressor wheel in accordance with a target operational condition of the engine (7).

4. The method according to any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the judgement of the actual operational condition the engine (7) is determined based on the rotational speed of the engine.

5. The method according to any of claims 1 to 4, wherein the judgement of the actual operational condition of the engine (7) is determined based on a fuel quantity.

6. The method according to any of claims 1 to 5, wherein the judgement of the actual operational condition of the engine (7) is determined based on a boost error.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the electrical driving of the compressor wheel is judged to be necessary if

the rotational speed of the engine (7) is within a certain range,

the fuel quantity has reached a certain fuel quantity threshold value, and

the boost error has reached a certain boost error threshold value.

8. The method according to any of claims 1 to 7, wherein

the compressor assembly (3) is a fixed geometry compressor assembly,

the turbine assembly (2) is a waste gate turbine, and

the variation means is a waste gate (10) varying the amount of exhaust gas supplied to the turbine wheel,

the method comprising the step of

controlling a waste gate position so as to adjust the operational condition of the turbine wheel.

9. The method according to any of claims 1 to 7, wherein

the compressor assembly (3) is a fixed geometry compressor assembly,

the turbine assembly (2) is a variable nozzle turbine, and

the variation means is a variable nozzle device (21) varying the flow of exhaust gas supplied to the turbine wheel,

the method comprising the step of

controlling a variable nozzle position so as to adjust the operational condition of the turbine wheel.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein

the compressor assembly comprises a recirculation valve (31) as a variation means,

the method further comprising the step of

controlling the recirculation valve (31) so as to adjust the operational condition of the compressor wheel.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein

the compressor assembly is a variable geometry compressor (41) comprising at least one vane as a variation means, the method further comprising the step of

controlling the position of the at least one vane so as to adjust the operational condition of the compressor wheel.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the electrically driven turbocharger (50) is supplied with electric power from a vehicle electrical network (VEN) including an alternator (53), a controllable switch (52) and a battery (51), wherein the switch (52) is switchable to connect/disconnect the electric motor (4) from the alternator (53), the method further comprising the step of

operating said switch (52) in the beginning of the electrical driving of the compressor wheel such that the electric motor (4) is supplied with electric power from the battery (51), only.

2. A method for controlling an electrically assisted turbocharger (1;

20;

30;

40;

50) comprising

a compressor assembly (3) having a compressor wheel for compressing a fluid to an engine (7);

a turbine assembly (2;

21) having a turbine wheel driven by an exhaust gas of the engine and driving the compressor wheel; and

an electric motor (4) for electrically driving the compressor wheel,

wherein

at least the turbine assembly (2) comprises a variation means (10;

21) for varying an operational condition of the turbine assembly;

the method comprising the steps of

judging that the actual operational condition of the engine (7) requires electrical driving of the compressor wheel;

controlling said variation means (10;

21) in accordance with an engine load, and

operating the electric motor (4) to drive the compressor wheel (7) in accordance with a target operational condition of the engine (7).

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the engine load is represented by an amount of fuel injected into a cylinder of the engine (7).

13. A turbocharging device having an electrically assisted turbocharger (1;

20;

30;

40;

50) and a control means (ECU) for controlling said turbocharger (1;

20;

30;

40;

50), the turbocharger further comprising;

a compressor assembly (3) having a compressor wheel for compressing a fluid to an engine (7);

a turbine assembly (2) having a turbine wheel driven by an exhaust gas of the engine (7) and driving the compressor wheel; and

an electric motor (4) for electrically driving the compressor wheel, wherein

at least the turbine assembly (2) comprises a variation means (10;

21) for varying an operational condition of the turbine assembly (2);

wherein

the control means (ECU)

judges that the actual operational condition of the engine (7) requires electrical driving of the compressor wheel;

controls said variation means in accordance with a rotational speed of the engine (7), and

operates the electric motor (4) to drive the compressor wheel in accordance with a target operational condition of the engine.

16. The turbocharging device according to any of claims 13 to 15, wherein the judgement of the actual operational condition the engine (7) is determined based on the rotational speed of the engine.

17. The turbocharging device according to any of claims 13 or 16, wherein the judgement of the actual operational condition of the engine (7) is determined based on a fuel quantity.

18. The turbocharging device according to any of claims 13 to 17, wherein the judgement of the actual operational condition of the engine (7) is determined based on a boost error.

19. The turbocharging device according to any of claims 13 to 15, wherein the electrical driving of the compressor wheel is judged to be necessary if

the rotational speed of the engine (7) is within a certain range,

the fuel quantity has reached a certain fuel quantity threshold value, and

the boost error has reached a certain boost error threshold value.

20. The turbocharger according to any of claims 13 to 19, wherein

the compressor assembly (3) is a fixed geometry compressor assembly,

the turbine assembly (2) is a waste gate turbine, and

the variation means is a waste gate (10) varying the amount of exhaust gas supplied to the turbine wheel,

wherein the control means (ECU) controls a waste gate position so as to adjust the operational condition of the turbine wheel.

21. The turbocharger according to any of claims 13 to 15, wherein

the compressor assembly (3) is a fixed geometry compressor assembly,

the turbine assembly (2) is a variable nozzle turbine, and

the variation means (ECU) is a variable nozzle device (21) varying the flow of exhaust gas supplied to the turbine wheel,

wherein the control means (ECU) controls a variable nozzle position so as to adjust the operational condition of the turbine wheel.

22. The turbocharging device according to claim 21, wherein

the compressor assembly (3) comprises a recirculation valve (31) as a variation means,

wherein the control means controls the recirculation valve (31) so as to adjust the operational condition of the compressor wheel.

23. The turbocharging device according to claim 21, wherein

the compressor assembly is a variable geometry compressor (41) comprising at least one vane as a variation means, and

the controlling device controls the position of the at least one vane so as to adjust the operational condition of the compressor wheel.

24. The turbocharging device according to claim 23, wherein the electrically driven turbocharger (50) is supplied with electric power from a vehicle electrical network (VEN) including an alternator (53), a controllable switch (52) and a battery (51), wherein the switch (52) is switchable to connect/disconnect the electric motor (4) from the alternator (53), wherein

the controlling device operates said switch (52) in the beginning of the electrical driving of the compressor wheel such that the electric motor (4) is supplied with electric power from the battery, only.

14. A turbocharging device having an electrically assisted turbocharger (1, 20;

30;

40;

50) and a control means (ECU) for controlling said turbocharger, the turbocharger further comprising;

a compressor assembly (3) having a compressor wheel for compressing a fluid to an engine;

a turbine assembly (2) having a turbine wheel driven by an exhaust gas of the engine and driving the compressor wheel; and

an electric motor (4) for electrically driving the compressor wheel, wherein

at least the turbine assembly (2) comprises a variation means (10;

21) for varying an operational condition of the turbine assembly (2);

wherein

the control means (ECU)

judges that the actual operational condition of the engine (7) requires electrical driving of the compressor wheel;

controls said variation means (10;

21) in accordance with an engine load, and

operates the electric motor (4) to drive the compressor wheel in accordance with a target operational condition of the engine (7).

15. A turbocharging device according to claim 14, wherein the engine load is represented by an amount injected in to a cylinder of the engine (7).