VIRTUAL TENSIONER TRAVEL SENSOR FOR A SERPENTINE BELT TENSIONER ASSEMBLY

• US 20090195203A1
• Filed: 08/21/2008
• Published: 08/06/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations Incorporated (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Yurgil, James R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,112,193 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 318/452
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/485 Motor-assist type
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/423 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/08 including control of electric propulsion units, e.g. motors or generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/30 including control of auxiliary equipment, e.g. air-conditioning compressors or oil pumps
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/00 Control systems specially adapted for hybrid vehicles hybrid vehicle design, B60K6/00; electric vehicles B60L
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/15 Control strategies specially adapted for achieving a particular effect
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/083 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/184 Preventing damage resulting from overload or excessive wear of the driveline
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/1846 Preventing of breakage of drive line components, e.g. parts of the gearing
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2007/0812 Fluid pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2007/0861 comprising means for sensing tensioner position
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2007/0874 Two or more finally actuated members
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2007/0885 the tension being a function of engine running condition
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2059/465 Detecting slip, e.g. clutch slip ratio
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 35/10 Arrangements or devices for absorbing overload or preventing damage by overload for screw mechanisms F16H25/2021
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 7/1281 where the axis of the pulley moves along a substantially circular path
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 Electric machine technologies in electromobility

Abstract

A control module of a vehicle comprises a drive diagnostic module and a hybrid control module. The drive diagnostic module determines a load energy of an accessory drive system of the vehicle and determines a slip percentage of a belt of the accessory drive system based on an engine speed and a motor speed. The hybrid control module determines a requested motor torque based on at least one of the load energy and the slip percentage. The control module controls a motor of the vehicle based on the requested motor torque.

Claims

1. A control module of a vehicle comprising:

a drive diagnostic module that determines a load energy of an accessory drive system of the vehicle and that determines a slip percentage of a belt of the accessory drive system based on an engine speed and a motor speed; and

a hybrid control module that determines a requested motor torque based on at least one of the load energy and the slip percentage,

wherein the control module controls a motor of the vehicle based on the requested motor torque.

2. The control module of claim 1 wherein the drive diagnostic module further comprises a load energy module that determines the load energy based on a slip power of the belt.

3. The control module of claim 2 wherein the drive diagnostic module further comprises a slip power module that determines the slip power based on a motor torque and a slip speed of the belt.

4. The control module of claim 3 wherein the drive diagnostic module further comprises a slip speed module that determines the slip speed based on the engine speed and the motor speed.

5. The control module of claim 1 wherein the drive diagnostic module further comprises a slip percentage module that determines the slip percentage based on a slip speed of the belt and the motor speed.

6. The control module of claim 1 wherein the hybrid control module further comprises a torque limit module that applies a torque upper limit to the requested motor torque when a tensioner travel signal is an upper limit signal and that applies a torque lower limit to the requested motor torque when the tensioner travel signal is a lower limit signal.

7. The control module of claim 6 wherein the hybrid control module further comprises a tensioner travel module that sets the tensioner travel signal to the upper limit signal when the load energy is greater than or equal to an energy upper limit.

8. The control module of claim 7 wherein the tensioner travel module sets the tensioner travel signal to the upper limit signal when the load energy is less than the energy upper limit and the slip percentage is greater than or equal to a slip percentage upper limit.

9. The control module of claim 7 wherein the tensioner travel module sets the tensioner travel signal to the lower limit signal when the load energy is less than or equal to an energy lower limit.

10. The control module of claim 9 wherein the tensioner travel module sets the tensioner travel signal to the lower limit signal when the load energy is greater than the energy lower limit and the slip percentage is less than or equal to a slip percentage lower limit.

11. The control module of claim 7 wherein the tensioner travel module sets the tensioner travel signal to a predetermined signal.

12. A method of operating a control module of a vehicle comprising:

determining a load energy of an accessory drive system of the vehicle;

determining a slip percentage of a belt of the accessory drive system based on an engine speed and a motor speed;

determining a requested motor torque based on at least one of the load energy and the slip percentage; and

controlling a motor of the vehicle based on the requested motor torque.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising determining the load energy based on a slip power of the belt.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising determining the slip power based on a motor torque and a slip speed of the belt.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising determining the slip speed based on the engine speed and the motor speed.

16. The method of claim 12 further comprising determining the slip percentage based on a slip speed of the belt and the motor speed.

17. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

applying a torque upper limit to the requested motor torque when a tensioner travel signal is an upper limit signal; and

applying a torque lower limit to the requested motor torque when the tensioner travel signal is a lower limit signal.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising setting the tensioner travel signal to the upper limit signal when the load energy is greater than or equal to an energy upper limit.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising setting the tensioner travel signal to the upper limit signal when the load energy is less than the energy upper limit and the slip percentage is greater than or equal to a slip percentage upper limit.

20. The method of claim 17 further comprising setting the tensioner travel signal to the lower limit signal when the load energy is less than or equal to an energy lower limit.

21. The method of claim 20 further comprising setting the tensioner travel signal to the lower limit signal when the load energy is greater than the energy lower limit and the slip percentage is less than or equal to a slip percentage lower limit.

22. The method of claim 17 further comprising setting the tensioner travel signal to a predetermined signal.