METHOD FOR DRIVING A MICRO-HYBRID SYSTEM FOR VEHICLE AND AN ENERGY STORAGE UNIT, AND HYBRID SYSTEM FOR IMPLEMENTING SAME

• US 20100258369A1
• Filed: 06/03/2008
• Published: 10/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Valeo Equipements Electriques Moteur (Valeo SE)
• Original Assignee: Valeo Equipements Electriques Moteur (Valeo SE)
• Inventors: Matt, Jean-Claude Matt, Ranier, Marc, Sardat, Pierre
• Granted Patent: US 8,400,111 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 180/65.290
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/46 Series type
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/485 Motor-assist type
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/21 having the same nominal voltage
• 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: B60W 2510/244 Charge state
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2400/112 Batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2400/114 Super-capacities
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

A micro-hybrid system (1) including an electric energy storage unit (12) and an electronic control unit (14). The storage unit includes a plurality of elementary cells mounted in series. A method includes the steps of: reading the elementary electric voltages of the elementary cells; deriving information on the state of the storage unit from the read voltages; and taking into account in the control unit the state information for defining an optimal driving of the micro-hybrid system. An electric energy storage unit and a micro-hybrid system with braking recovery is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method for driving a micro-hybrid system with braking recovery for a vehicle, said micro-hybrid system (1) including an electric energy storage unit (12) and an electronic control unit (14), said electric energy storage unit (12) including a plurality of elementary cells (C1 to C10) mounted in series, the method comprising the steps of reading the elementary electric voltages (V) of said elementary cells (C1 to C10), and deriving information on the state of the electric energy storage unit (12) from said read elementary voltages (V), characterized in that said state information includes state of health data comprising the difference in voltage (DeltaV=Vmax−

Vmin) between the elementary cell which is the most charged (C2) and the elementary cell which is the least charged (C9) of said electric energy storage unit (12), said state of health data (DeltaV=Vmax−

Vmin) being representative of the capacity of the electric energy storage unit (12) to fulfil its function in said micro-hybrid system (1), and in that it comprises a step of taking into account, in said electronic control unit (14), said state information including said state of health data (DeltaV=Vmax−

Vmin) for defining an optimal driving of said micro-hybrid system (1).

2. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that said state information includes the maximum elementary voltage (Vmax) stemming from the elementary cell which is the most charged (C2).

3. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that said state information includes the minimum elementary voltage (Vmin) stemming from the elementary cell which is the least charged (C9).

4. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that said state information includes temperature measurement (Temp) in said electric energy storage unit (12).

5. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that said state information includes differential capacitance data (DeltaC) representative of the maximum change in electric capacitance between said elementary cells (C1 to C10).

6. A method according to claim 5, characterized in that it also includes the steps of:

measuring, over a predetermined length of time (T) in said electric energy storage unit (12), a predetermined current (I=20A), and

deriving, at the end of said predetermined length of time (T), said differential capacitance data (DeltaC) based on the difference in maximum voltage (DeltaV) detected between said read elementary voltages (V) and based on said measurement of current over said predetermined length of time (T).

7. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that said state information includes differential parasitic resistance data (DeltaR) representative of the maximum change in parasitic resistance between said elementary cells (C1 to C10).

8. A method according to claim 7, characterized in that it also includes the steps of:

deriving a first difference in maximum voltage (DeltaV₁) between said elementary cells (C1 to C10) based on said read elementary voltages (V) when no significant current circulates in said electric energy storage unit (12),

injecting into said electric energy storage unit (12) a predetermined current (I=200A) over a predetermined short length of time (t),

deriving a second difference in maximum voltage (DeltaV₂) between said elementary cells (C1 to C10) based on said read elementary voltages (V) during said injection of current and

deriving said differential parasitic resistance data (DeltaR) based on the difference (DeltaV₂−

DeltaV₁) between said first and second variations in voltage and based on the intensity level (I=200A) of said current of short duration.

9. A method according to claim 1 for driving a micro-hybrid system with braking recovery, wherein said electric energy storage unit (12) includes a plurality of super condenser elements (C1 to C10) mounted in series as said elementary cells.

10. An electric energy storage unit, characterized in that it includes means for implementing the method according to claim 1.

11. An electric energy storage unit including a plurality of super condenser elements (C1 to C10), forming elementary cells mounted in series, and electronic means (120), characterized in that it comprises additional means (1201) for implementing the method according to claim 1.

12. An electric energy storage unit (12) according to claim 11, characterized in that said additional means comprise electronic circuits (1201) capable of generating at least one signal (V1 to V4;

I1 to I4;

PWM) conveying at least one of said items of state information (DeltaV, Vmax, Vmin, Temp), said at least one signal (V1 to V4;

I1 to I4;

PWM) being intended to be transmitted to said electronic control unit (14).

13. A transmission signal generated by electronic circuits (1201) contained in an electric energy storage unit (12) according to claim 12, characterized in that it comprises a component of useful information conveying at least one said state information item (DeltaV, Vmax, Vmin, Temp) and a component of phase difference (1V, 1 mA) capable of enabling an electric continuity fault in a signal transmission carrier (1214) to be detected and/or the effects of contact corrosion in at least one connector of the system to be counteracted.

14. A transmission signal generated by electronic circuits (1201) contained in an electric energy storage unit (12) according to claim 12, characterized in that it is of the pulse width modulated (PWM) type.

15. A transmission signal according to claim 13, characterized in that its bandwidth is about a few hundred Hertz.

16. A micro-hybrid system with braking recovery for a vehicle, characterized in that it includes means for implementing the method according to claim 1.

17. A micro-hybrid system with braking recovery for a vehicle, characterized in that it includes an electric energy storage unit (12) according to claim 10.

18. A micro-hybrid system with braking recovery for a vehicle according to claim 16, characterized in that it includes at least one electronic control unit (14) capable of processing state information (DeltaV, Vmax, Vmin, Temp, DeltaC, DeltaR) derived by implementing the method according claim 1.

19. A micro-hybrid system with braking recovery for a vehicle according to claim 16, characterized in that it comprises, in addition to said electric energy storage unit (12) and electronic control unit (14), an electrical rotating machine (10), an AC-DC voltage converter (11) and a DC-DC voltage converter (13).

20. A micro-hybrid system with braking recovery for a vehicle according to claim 19, characterized in that said electronic control unit (14) is contained at least partially in said AC-DC converter (11) and/or said DC-DC voltage converter (13).

21. A vehicle characterized in that it is equipped with a micro-hybrid system with braking recovery according to claim 16.