METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR DETERMINING THE ABILITY OF A DRIVER OF A HYBRID VEHICLE AND VEHICLE EQUIPPED WITH SUCH A SYSTEM

• US 20110208381A1
• Filed: 10/21/2008
• Published: 08/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Volvo Truck Corporation (AB Volvo)
• Original Assignee: Renault Trucks (AB Volvo)
• Inventors: Valayer, Richard, Le Brusq, Phillippe
• Application Number:
  US13/124,667
• Publication Number:
  US 20110208381A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/22
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/215 characterised by the combination of multiple visual outputs, e.g. combined instruments with analogue meters and additional displays
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 1/10 by utilising wheel movement for accumulating energy, e.g. driving air compressors
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2270/604 Merging friction therewith; Adjusting their repartition
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/08 including control of electric propulsion units, e.g. motors or generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/18 including control of braking systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/184 with wheel brakes
• 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 20/13 in order to stay within battery power input or output limits; in order to prevent overcharging or battery depletion
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0031 Mathematical model of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18127 Regenerative braking
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/09 Driving style or behaviour
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/90 Vehicles comprising electric prime movers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 Engine management systems

Abstract

A method is provided for determining the ability of a driver of a hybrid vehicle to recover, via at least one recovery device, a part of the kinetic energy of the vehicle during its deceleration. This method includes: a) determination of a braking power generated by the recovery device at a given point of time, during deceleration of the vehicle, or of the braking energy generated by the recovery device for a deceleration of the vehicle; b) determination of the braking power or of the braking energy dissipated by each braking or retarding device of the vehicle, apart from the recovery device, at said point of time, or during said deceleration; c) computation of the sum of the braking powers or of the braking energies determined in steps a) and b); and d) computation of the ratio of the braking power or energy determined in step a) on the braking powers or braking energies sum determined in step c). The vehicle is equipped with an arrangement to perform such a method.

Claims

1. A method for determining the ability of a driver of a hybrid vehicle to recover, via at least one recovery device, a part of the kinetic energy of the vehicle during a deceleration, this method comprising at least the following steps:

a) determining a braking power generated by the recovery device at a given point of time, during deceleration of the vehicle, or of the braking energy generated by the recovery device, for a deceleration of the vehicle;

b) determining the braking power or the braking energy dissipated by each braking or retarding device of the vehicle, apart from the recovery device, at the point of time, or during the deceleration;

c) computing the sum of the braking powers or the sum of the braking energies determined in steps a) and b);

d) computing the ratio of the braking power determined in step a) on the braking powers sum determined in step c) or of the ratio of the braking energy determined in step a) on the braking energies sum determined in step c).

2. Method according to claim 1, comprising:

e) displaying an information representative of the value of the ratio within the driver'"'"'s compartment of the vehicle.

3. Method according to claim 2, wherein display of the value of the ratio is made in a graphical way.

4. Method according to claim 1, wherein the recovery device comprises an electric generator and wherein, in step a), the braking power or the braking energy is determined on the basis of the product (EP₃) of the intensity by the voltage of an electric current generated by the electric generator, at the point of time, or during the deceleration.

5. Method according to claim 1, wherein, in step b), one determines the braking power of a service brake sub-assembly of the vehicle, and/or the braking power of an exhaust brake of the vehicle, and/or the braking power of a compression brake of the vehicle, and/or the braking power of a driveline retarder of the vehicle.

6. Method according to claim 1, wherein, in step b), one determines the braking energy of a service brake sub-assembly of the vehicle, and/or the braking energy of an exhaust brake of the vehicle, and/or the braking energy of a compression brake of the vehicle, and/or the braking energy of a driveline retarder of the vehicle.

7. Method according to claim 1, wherein at least steps a) to d) are repeated at different points of time, during a deceleration of the vehicle, two consecutive points of time being separated by a given interval.

8. Method according to claim 7, comprising computing an average value of the ratio for different points of time during a deceleration phase.

9. Method according to claim 7, wherein steps a) to d) are repeated during a complete deceleration phase of the vehicle.

10. Method according to claim 1, comprising computing an average value of the ratio on a given journey of the vehicle.

11. Method according to claim 1, comprising computing an average value of the ratio on a given period of time.

12. Method according to claim 8, wherein the information displayed in step c) is representative of the average value of the ratio.

17. Method according to claim 2, wherein steps a) to e) are repeated at different points of time during a deceleration of the vehicle, two consecutive points of time being separated by a given interval.

18. Method according to claim 17 wherein steps a) to e) are repeated during a complete deceleration phase of the vehicle.

13. A system for determining the ability of a driver of a hybrid vehicle to recover, via at least one recovery device, a part of the kinetic energy of the vehicle during a deceleration, wherein the system comprises at least:

first means for determining the braking power generated by the recovery device, at a given point of time during deceleration or the braking energy generated by the recovery device during the deceleration,

second means for determining the braking power, at the point of time, or the braking, energy, during the deceleration, of each braking or retarding device of the vehicle, apart from the recovery device,

first means for computing the sum of the braking powers or the sum of the braking energies determined by the first and second determination means, and

second means for computing the ratio (R) of the braking power determined by the first determining means on the braking powers sum (P_B) computed by the first computing means or the ratio of the braking energy determined by the first determining means on the braking energy sum computed by the first computing means.

14. System according to claim 13, comprising display means for displaying an information representative of the ratio within the driver'"'"'s compartment of the vehicle.

15. System according to claim 13, wherein the recovery device comprises an electric generator, and/or a flywheel, and/or a fluid pressure accumulator.

16. A hybrid automotive vehicle equipped with an internal combustion engine at least an electric machine working as a generator or as a motor and a system according to claim 13.