POWER MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FOR A VEHICLE, METHOD FOR MANAGING VEHICLE POWER AND METHOD FOR INSTALLING A VEHICLE POWER MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

• US 20090314563A1
• Filed: 08/02/2006
• Published: 12/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MACK Trucks Incorporated (Volvo AB)
• Original Assignee: MACK Trucks Incorporated (Volvo AB)
• Inventors: Burkholder, Nelson
• Granted Patent: US 8,662,220 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 180/65.265
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 1/02 comprising more than one electric motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/445 Differential gearing distribution type
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/003 to auxiliary motors, e.g. for pumps, compressors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/12 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/34 Cabin temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/36 Temperature of vehicle components or parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/16 with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/61 by batteries charged by engine-driven generators, e.g. series hybrid electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/12 responding to state of charge [SoC]
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 7/12 for vehicles propelled by dc motors
• 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 10/30 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 20/11 using model predictive control [MPC] strategies, i.e. control methods based on models predicting performance utilising navigation and traffic information in the control strategy B60W20/12
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18127 Regenerative braking
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

A power management system is provided for a vehicle having an internal combustion engine adapted to deliver power to vehicle drive wheels for propelling the vehicle and an engine powered component powered by the engine. The system includes a battery, a battery powered component powered by the battery, the battery powered component and the engine powered component being adapted to perform substantially the same functions, and a controller arranged to stop operation of the engine powered component so that additional engine power is available to the drive wheels, and to initiate operation of the battery powered component, when power sought to be delivered to the vehicle drive wheels from the engine reaches a predetermined percentage of maximum engine load.

Claims

1. A vehicle with a power management system, comprising:

a battery;

an internal combustion engine adapted to deliver power to a vehicle load;

a battery powered component powered by the battery;

an engine powered component powered by the engine, the battery powered component and the engine powered component being adapted to perform substantially the same functions; and

a controller arranged to stop operation of the engine powered component so that additional engine power is available to the vehicle load, and to initiate operation of the battery powered component, when power sought to be delivered to the vehicle load from the engine reaches a predetermined percentage of maximum engine load.

2. The vehicle with a power management system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the controller is arranged to stop operation of the engine powered component, and to initiate operation of the battery powered component, when the power sought to be delivered to the vehicle load from the engine is at least as great as about 90% of maximum engine load.

3. The vehicle with a power management system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the controller is arranged to stop operation of the engine powered component, and to initiate operation of the battery powered component, when the power sought to be delivered to the vehicle load from the engine reaches 100% of maximum engine load.

4. The vehicle with a power management system as set forth in claim 1, comprising a load sensor arranged to send a signal to the controller corresponding to the power sought to be delivered to the vehicle load from the engine.

5. The vehicle with a power management system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the battery powered component and the engine powered component each comprise at least one fan.

6. The vehicle with a power management system as set forth in claim 5, wherein the at least one fan of each of the battery powered component and the engine powered component is used to cool at least one of engine coolant, air conditioning coolant, and coolant for a charge air cooler.

7. The vehicle with a power management system as set forth in claim 6, wherein the at least one fan of each of the battery powered component and the engine powered component is used to cool each of engine coolant, air conditioning coolant, and coolant for a charge air cooler.

8. The vehicle with a power management system as set forth in claim 7, comprising at least one radiator for cooling engine coolant, at least one radiator for cooling air conditioning coolant, and at least one radiator for cooling charge air cooler coolant.

9. The vehicle with a power management system as set forth in claim 7, comprising at least one fan for cooling engine coolant, at least one fan for cooling air conditioning coolant, and at least one fan for cooling charge air cooler coolant.

10. The vehicle with a power management system as set forth in claim 1, comprising a regenerative braking arrangement associated with at least one of the engine and a vehicle braking arrangement for converting mechanical energy into electrical energy and charging the battery.

11. The vehicle with a power management system as set forth in claim 10, wherein the controller is arranged to initiate operation of the regenerative braking arrangement to charge the battery when the power sought to be delivered to the vehicle load from the engine is below a second predetermined percentage of maximum engine load.

12. The vehicle with a power management system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the second predetermined percentage is less than 100% of maximum engine load.

13. The vehicle with a power management system as set forth in claim 10, wherein the controller is arranged to initiate and stop operation of the engine powered component, to initiate and stop operation of the battery powered component, and to initiate and stop operation of the regenerative braking arrangement for charging the battery.

14. The vehicle with a power management system as set forth in claim 10, wherein the controller is arranged to alternate between initiating and stopping operation of the engine powered component, and between initiating and stopping operation of the battery powered component, when the power sought to be delivered to the vehicle load from the engine is below the first predetermined percentage of maximum engine load.

15. The vehicle with a power management system as set forth in claim 14, wherein the controller is arranged to alternate between initiating and stopping operation of the regenerative braking arrangement for charging the battery when the power sought to be delivered to the vehicle load from the engine is below the first predetermined percentage of maximum engine load.

16. The vehicle with a power management system as set forth in claim 15, wherein the controller is arranged to initiate and stop operation of the engine powered component, initiate and stop operation of the battery powered component, and initiate and stop operation of the regenerative braking arrangement for charging the battery as a function of factors including optimal fuel economy and the amount of power sought to be delivered to the vehicle load from the engine.

17. The vehicle with a power management system as set forth in claim 10, wherein the controller is arranged to initiate and stop operation of the engine powered component, to stop operation of the battery powered component, and to initiate operation of the regenerative braking arrangement for charging the battery when the power sought to be delivered to the vehicle load from the engine is below a second predetermined percentage of maximum engine load.

18. The vehicle with a power management system as set forth in claim 1, comprising an additional engine powered component powered by the engine, the controller being arranged to stop operation of the additional engine powered component so that additional engine power is available to the vehicle load when power sought to be delivered to the vehicle load from the engine reaches a second predetermined percentage of maximum engine load.

19. The vehicle with a power management system as set forth in claim 18, wherein the predetermined percentage of maximum engine load is different than the second predetermined percentage of maximum engine load.

20. The vehicle with a power management system as set forth in claim 1, comprising a second engine powered component powered by the engine, the controller being arranged permit initiation of operation of the second engine powered component when the amount of power sought to be delivered from the vehicle'"'"'s engine to the second engine powered component is no greater than a second predetermined percentage of maximum engine load.

21. The vehicle with a power management system as set forth in claim 20, wherein the second predetermined percentage of maximum engine load is different than the first predetermined percentage of maximum engine load.

22. The vehicle with a power management system as set forth in claim 20, wherein the controller is arranged to initiate operation of the second engine powered component only when no power is delivered from the vehicle'"'"'s engine to the vehicle load.

23. The vehicle with a power management system as set forth in claim 20, wherein the second engine powered component comprises a power take off.

24. The vehicle with a power management system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the vehicle load comprises vehicle drive wheels for propelling the vehicle.

25. A method for managing power in a vehicle, comprising:

monitoring an amount of power sought to be delivered from the vehicle'"'"'s engine to a vehicle load;

operating an engine powered component powered by the engine when the amount of power sought to be delivered from the vehicle'"'"'s engine to the vehicle load is no greater than a predetermined percentage of maximum engine load; and

stopping operation of the engine powered component so that additional engine power is available to the vehicle load and operating a battery powered component powered by a battery and adapted to perform substantially the same function as the engine powered component when the amount of power sought to be delivered from the vehicle'"'"'s engine to the vehicle load exceeds the predetermined percentage of maximum engine load.

26. The method for managing vehicle power as set forth in claim 25, comprising operating a regenerative braking arrangement to charge the battery when the amount of power sought to be delivered from the vehicle'"'"'s engine to the vehicle load is no greater than the predetermined percentage of maximum engine load.

27. The method for managing vehicle power as set forth in claim 26, comprising operating the regenerative braking arrangement to charge the battery when the amount of power sought to be delivered from the vehicle'"'"'s engine to the vehicle load is no greater than a second predetermined percentage of maximum engine load lower than the first predetermined percentage of maximum engine load.

28. The method for managing vehicle power as set forth in claim 25, comprising alternating between operating the engine powered component and operating the battery powered component when the amount of power sought to be delivered from the vehicle'"'"'s engine to the vehicle load is no greater than the predetermined percentage of maximum engine load as a function of factors including optimal fuel economy and the amount of power sought to be delivered to the vehicle load from the engine.

29. The method for managing vehicle power as set forth in claim 25, comprising operating an additional engine powered component powered by the engine when the amount of power sought to be delivered from the vehicle'"'"'s engine to the vehicle load is no greater than a predetermined percentage of maximum engine load and stopping operation of the additional engine powered component so that additional engine power is available to the vehicle load when the amount of power sought to be delivered from the vehicle'"'"'s engine to the vehicle load exceeds a second predetermined percentage of maximum engine load.

30. The method for managing vehicle power as set forth in claim 29, wherein the second predetermined percentage of maximum engine load is different than the first predetermined percentage of maximum engine load.

31. The method for managing vehicle power as set forth in claim 25, comprising monitoring an amount of power sought to be delivered from the vehicle'"'"'s engine to a second engine powered component powered by the engine, and operating the second engine powered component when the amount of power sought to be delivered from the vehicle'"'"'s engine to the second engine powered component is no greater than a second predetermined percentage of maximum engine load.

32. The method for managing vehicle power as set forth in claim 31, comprising stopping operation of the engine powered component so that additional engine power is available to the second engine powered component and operating the battery powered component when the amount of power sought to be delivered from the vehicle'"'"'s engine to the second engine driven component exceeds the second predetermined percentage of maximum engine load.

33. The method for managing vehicle power as set forth in claim 31, wherein the second predetermined percentage of maximum engine load is different than the first predetermined percentage of maximum engine load.

34. The method for managing vehicle power as set forth in claim 31, comprising operating the second engine powered component when no power is delivered from the vehicle'"'"'s engine to the vehicle load.

35. The method for managing vehicle power as set forth in claim 25, wherein the vehicle load comprises vehicle drive wheels for propelling the vehicle.

36. A method for making a vehicle with a power management system, comprising:

installing in a vehicle

a battery,

an internal combustion engine adapted to deliver power to a vehicle load,

a battery powered component powered by the battery, and

an engine powered component powered by the engine, the battery powered component and the engine powered component being adapted to perform substantially the same functions; and

programming a controller to stop operation of the engine powered component so that additional engine power is available to the vehicle load, and to initiate operation of the battery powered component, when power sought to be delivered to the vehicle load from the engine reaches a predetermined percentage of maximum engine load.

37. The method for making a vehicle with a power management system as set forth in claim 36, wherein the battery and the battery powered component are installed subsequent to installing the engine and the engine powered component.

38. The method for making a vehicle with a power management system as set forth in claim 36, wherein the battery powered component is installed subsequent to installing the engine and the engine powered component.

39. The method for making a vehicle with a power management system as set forth in claim 36, wherein the controller is programmed subsequent to installing the engine and the engine powered component.

40. A power management system for a vehicle having an internal combustion engine adapted to deliver power to a vehicle load and an engine powered component powered by the engine, the system comprising:

a battery;

a battery powered component powered by the battery, the battery powered component and the engine powered component being adapted to perform substantially the same functions; and

a controller arranged to stop operation of the engine powered component so that additional engine power is available to the vehicle load, and to initiate operation of the battery powered component, when power sought to be delivered to the vehicle load from the engine reaches a predetermined percentage of maximum engine load.

41. The power management system as set forth in claim 40, comprising a regenerative braking arrangement associated with at least one of the engine and a vehicle braking arrangement for converting mechanical energy into electrical energy and charging the battery.

42. The power management system as set forth in claim 41, wherein the controller is arranged to initiate operation of the regenerative braking arrangement to charge the battery when the power sought to be delivered to the vehicle load from the engine is below a second predetermined percentage of maximum engine load.

43. The power management system as set forth in claim 40, wherein the vehicle load comprises vehicle drive wheels for propelling the vehicle.