METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR CONTROLLING A HYBRID VEHICLE

• US 20090204280A1
• Filed: 01/19/2009
• Published: 08/13/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations Incorporated (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: Heap, Anthony H., Whitney, Christopher E., Cawthorne, William R., Worthing, James L., Wozniak, Leonard G., Lahti, John L., Bhattarai, Birendra P., Jin, Ning, Shupe, Todd R., Mehta, Vivek, Simon, Robert C. JR., Williams, Cheryl A., Babcock, Douglas J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,731,751 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/22
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/48 Parallel type
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/423 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/441 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/445 Temperature
• 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 20/00 Control systems specially adapted for hybrid vehicles hybrid vehicle design, B60K6/00; electric vehicles B60L
• 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 2050/0006 Digital architecture hierarchy
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/0638 Engine speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/0671 Engine manifold pressure
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/0676 Engine temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/26 Wheel slip
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/10 Accelerator pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/12 Brake pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2555/20 Ambient conditions, e.g. wind or rain
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/0605 Throttle position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/0666 Engine torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/083 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0097 Predicting future conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2400/435 : Supercharger or turbochargers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 : Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 : Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 : Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles

Abstract

A hybrid controller for controlling a hybrid vehicle is set forth. The hybrid vehicle has an engine, an electric motor and an engine controller determining a crankshaft torque. The hybrid controller includes an optimization module determining an electric motor torque, determining an engine torque and communicating the engine torque from the hybrid controller to the engine controller. The hybrid controller also includes a motor control module controlling the electric motor based on the electric motor torque.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a hybrid vehicle having an engine and an electric motor comprising:

determining a crankshaft torque;

communicating the crankshaft torque to a hybrid controller;

determining an electric motor torque in the hybrid controller using the crankshaft torque;

determining an engine torque in the hybrid controller using the crankshaft torque; and

communicating the engine torque from the hybrid controller to an engine controller.

2. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein determining an engine torque comprises determining a without motor engine torque.

3. A method as recited in claim 2 wherein determining a without motor engine torque comprises determining the without engine torque based on at least one of engine pumping losses, friction, an accessory drive load, and an electric motor capacity.

4. A method as recited in claim 2 wherein determining a torque comprises determining a crankshaft intermediate torque and predicted torque.

5. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein determining an electric motor torque and determining an engine torque comprises optimizing the electric motor torque and engine torque for fuel economy.

6. A method as recited in claim 5 further comprising after optimizing, time adjusting an execution of the motor torque and the engine torque.

7. A method as recited in claim 5 wherein optimizing comprises optimizing the electric motor torque and the engine torque in response to engine capabilities and capacities.

8. A method as recited in claim 5 wherein optimizing comprises optimizing the electric motor torque and the engine torque in response to the predicted and immediate torque.

9. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein determining an electric motor torque and determining an engine torque comprises optimizing the electric motor torque and engine torque for vehicle performance.

10. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein determining a crankshaft torque comprises determining a driver request torque, determining an axle request torque and determining a brake regeneration torque.

11. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising adjusting the engine torque for a reserve load after communicating the engine torque.

12. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising bypassing the hybrid controller during idling of the vehicle or motor fault detection or serial data fault detection between the engine control module and hybrid control module.

13. A method as recited in claim 12 wherein bypassing comprises communicating the crankshaft torque request to propulsion torque arbitration without motor switch and adjusting for the steady state electric motor torque.

14. A hybrid controller for controlling a hybrid vehicle having an engine, an electric motor and an engine controller determining a crankshaft torque, said hybrid controller comprising:

an optimization module determining an electric motor torque and determining an engine torque, communicating the engine torque from the hybrid controller to the engine controller; and

a motor control module controlling the electric motor based on the electric motor torque.

15. A hybrid controller as recited in claim 14 wherein the engine torque comprises a without motor engine torque.

16. A hybrid controller as recited in claim 15 wherein the without motor engine torque is based on engine pumping losses, friction, and an accessory drive load.

17. A hybrid controller as recited in claim 14 wherein the optimization module optimizes the electric motor torque and engine torque for fuel economy.

18. A system comprising:

a hybrid controller as recited in claim 14; and

an engine controller comprising a crankshaft torque determination module determining a crankshaft torque and communicating the crankshaft torque to the hybrid controller.

19. A system as recited in claim 18 wherein the engine controller bypasses the hybrid controller during idling of the vehicle or motor fault detection or serial data fault detection between the engine control module and hybrid control module.

20. A system as recited in claim 19 wherein the engine controller bypasses the hybrid control module by communicating the crankshaft torque request to a propulsion torque arbitration without motor switch module from the crankshaft determination module.