METHOD FOR CONTROLLING A HYBRID AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLE AND HYBRID VEHICLE ADAPTED TO SUCH A METHOD

• US 20130245874A1
• Filed: 12/09/2010
• Published: 09/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Volvo Truck Corporation (Volvo AB)
• Original Assignee: Renault Trucks (Volvo AB)
• Inventors: Millet, Michael, Magnet, Christophe
• Granted Patent: US 9,403,527 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/22
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/48 Parallel type
• 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 20/00 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 2510/244 Charge state
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/246 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2555/20 Ambient conditions, e.g. wind or rain
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/10 Historical data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18027 Drive off, accelerating from standstill
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/192 Mitigating problems related to power-up or power-down of the driveline, e.g. start-up of a cold engine
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/12 related to parameters of the vehicle itself , e.g. tyre models
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0097 Predicting future conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/14 Trucks; Load vehicles, Busses
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/903 having energy storing means, e.g. battery, capacitor

Abstract

A method is provided for controlling a hybrid automotive vehicle equipped with an internal combustion engine, and an electric machine connected to an energy storage system. Each of the internal combustion engine and the electric machine are adapted to deliver torque to a driveline of the vehicle. This method includes a) during a mission of the vehicle, estimation of the temperature of the energy storage system at the beginning of a next mission of the vehicle, and b) if the temperature estimated at step a) is below a threshold value, recharging, before the end of the current mission of the vehicle, the energy storage system on the basis of the temperature estimated at step a). In a step c), if the energy storage system has been recharged at step b), then, at the beginning of the next operating period of the vehicle, the energy storage system is heavily discharged. With this method, the battery rapidly reaches the desired temperature when driving

Claims

1. Method for controlling a hybrid automotive vehicle, equipped with an internal combustion engine, and an electric machine connected to an energy storage system, each of the internal combustion engine and the electric machine being adapted to deliver torque to a driveline of the vehicle, wherein the method comprises at least the following steps:

a) during a mission of the vehicle, estimation of a temperature of the energy storage system at the a beginning of the next mission of the vehicle;

b) if the temperature estimated at step a) is below a threshold value, recharging, before an end of a current mission of the vehicle, the energy storage system on a basis of the temperature estimated at step a);

c) if the energy storage system has been recharged at step b), then, at a beginning of a next operating period of the vehicle, heavily discharging the energy storage system.

2. Method according to claim 1, wherein if the temperature estimated at step a) is below the threshold value then recharging the energy storage system at step b) with a state of charge target higher than a normal operating state of charge used when the temperature estimated at step a) is above the threshold value.

3. Method according to claim 1, wherein at step c), the energy storage system is discharged by reducing a ratio between the torque delivered to the driveline by the internal combustion engine and the torque delivered to the driveline by the electric machine.

4. Method according to claim 1, wherein it comprises after step c), further steps of:

d) measuring or estimating the temperature of the energy storage system, e) if the temperature measured or estimated at step d) is superior to a threshold temperature

value, adjusting a state of charge target of the energy storage system to a normal value.

5. Method according to claim 1, wherein at step b), recharging of the energy storage system is performed by increasing a state of charge target of the energy storage system.

6. Method according to claim 1, wherein at step b), a given amount of the torque delivered by the internal combustion engine converted by the electrical machine into electrical energy and stored in the energy storage system.

7. Method according to claim 1, wherein at step a), the estimation is made on a basis of weather forecast data.

8. Method according to claim 1, wherein at step a), the estimation is made on a basis of weather statistic data.

9. Method according to claim 1, wherein it comprises, prior to step b), a further step of:

f) determination if the mission of the vehicle is about to end.

10. Method according to claim 9, wherein at step f), determination is made by geographically locating the vehicle with respect to a predefined trip.

11. Method according to claim 9, wherein at step f), determination is made by comparing a distance covered by the vehicle during the current mission to an average distance covered during missions of the vehicle.

12. Method according to claim 9, wherein at step f), determination is made through a device triggered by a driver of the vehicle.

13. Hybrid automotive vehicle comprising

an internal combustion engine,

an electric machine connected to an energy storage system,

each of the internal combustion engine and the electric machine being adapted to deliver torque to a driveline of the vehicle, means to estimate, during a mission of the vehicle, a temperature of the energy storage system at a beginning of a next mission of the vehicle,

means to charge the energy storage system on a basis of the temperature estimation before an end of a current mission of the vehicle, if the estimated temperature is below a threshold value, and

means to heavily discharge the energy storage system at a beginning of a next mission of the vehicle.

14. Hybrid automotive vehicle according claim 13, comprising an electronic control unit adapted to control a state of charge, target of the energy storage system.

15. Hybrid automotive vehicle according to claim 14, wherein the electronic control unit is adapted to control a ratio between the torque delivered to the driveline by the internal combustion engine and the torque delivered to the driveline by the electric machine.

16. Hybrid automotive vehicle according to claim 13, comprising a temperature sensor (82) adapted to measure the temperature of the energy storage system.

17. Hybrid automotive vehicle according to claim 13, comprising means to determine if the current mission of the vehicle is about to end.