Engine Power Elevation and Active Battery Charge Energy Management Strategies for Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles

• US 20110172867A1
• Filed: 02/17/2011
• Published: 07/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Yu, Hai, Kuang, Ming Lang, McGee, Ryan Abraham
• Granted Patent: US 8,359,133 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/22
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/445 Differential gearing distribution type
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/2045 for optimising the use of energy
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/486 Operating parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/48 by fuzzy logic
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/56 Temperature prediction, e.g. for pre-cooling
• 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 53/11 DC charging controlled by the charging station, e.g. mode 4
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/12 responding to state of charge [SoC]
• 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 10/26 for electrical energy, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• 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 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 2510/244 Charge state
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/10 Accelerator pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/12 Brake pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/16 Ratio selector position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/00 Input parameters relating to data
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 Engine management systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 : Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 : Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• 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: Y02T 10/72 : Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 : Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 : Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/93 : Conjoint control of different elements

Abstract

A method for a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) having an engine and a battery configured to respectively deliver engine power and battery power to provide a total output power for powering the vehicle includes the following. An elevated engine power which falls within a total output power range where only engine power without battery power may be delivered to power the vehicle in response to a driver demand power and which is greater than the combination of the driver demand power and vehicle powering losses is determined. The engine delivers the elevated engine power in response to the driver demand power. The extra engine power is transferred to the battery for the battery to buffer.

Claims

1. A method for a vehicle having an engine and a battery configured to respectively deliver engine power and battery power to provide a total output power for powering the vehicle, the method comprising:

determining an elevated engine power which falls within a total output power range where only engine power without battery power may be delivered to power the vehicle in response to a driver demand power and which is greater than the sum of the magnitudes of the driver demand power and vehicle powering losses; and

controlling the engine to deliver the elevated engine power in response to the driver demand power.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

transferring from the engine to the battery the extra power between the elevated engine power and the sum of the magnitudes of the driver demand power and the vehicle powering losses for the battery to buffer for future battery power delivery.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein:

the extra power is transferred from the engine to the battery at a rate dependent on the state-of-charge of the battery.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the elevated engine power is determined as a function of the state-of-charge of the battery;

wherein the elevated engine power is higher when the state-of-charge of the battery is less than a reference threshold;

wherein the elevated engine power is lower when the state-of-charge of the battery is greater than the reference threshold.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein:

at least one of the determining and the transferring is based on a selected one of a plurality of battery charge depletion profiles.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the elevated engine power is determined as a function of at least one of a selected one of a plurality of battery charge depletion profiles and distance until charge information.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a driver power command indicative of the driver demand power.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein:

the engine is controlled to deliver the elevated engine power while the driver demand power is less than the elevated engine power in response to receiving the driver power command while the engine is turned on.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the driver demand power is indicative of driver demand power for vehicle propulsion.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the vehicle is a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the elevated engine power has a maximal limit which is optimized based on at least one of the state of charge of the battery, the driver demand power, and vehicle speed.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein:

the elevated engine power is determined as a function of an error between the state of charge of the battery and a reference state of charge profile and the elevated engine power is capped by the maximal limit.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein:

the elevated engine power is determined as a function of a constant elevation ratio when no reference state of charge profile is available and the elevated engine power is capped by the maximal limit.

14. A system for a vehicle having an engine and a battery configured to respectively deliver engine power and battery power to provide a total output power for powering the vehicle, the system comprising:

a controller configured to determine an elevated engine power which falls within a total output power range where only engine power without battery power may be delivered to power the vehicle in response to a driver demand power and which is greater than the sum of the magnitudes of the driver demand power and vehicle powering losses, the controller further configured to control the engine to deliver the elevated engine power in response to the driver demand power.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein:

the controller is further configured to transfer from the engine to the battery the extra power between the elevated engine power and the sum of the magnitudes of the driver demand power and the vehicle powering losses for the battery to buffer for future battery power delivery.

16. The system of claim 14 wherein:

the controller is further configured to determine the elevated engine power based on a selected one of a plurality of battery charge depletion profiles.

17. The system of claim 15 wherein:

the controller is further configured to transfer from the engine to the battery the extra power based on a selected one of a plurality of battery charge depletion profiles.

18. The system of claim 14 wherein:

the controller is further configured to determine the elevated engine power as a function of distance until charge information.

19. The system of claim 14 wherein:

the controller is further configured to receive a driver power command indicative of the driver demand power, wherein the controller is further configured to control the engine deliver the elevated engine power while the driver demand power is less than the elevated engine power in response to receiving the driver power command while the engine is turned on.

20. The system of claim 14 wherein:

the vehicle is a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle.