Powertrain Delta Current Estimation Method

• US 20140095056A1
• Filed: 12/09/2013
• Published: 04/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Rademacher, Eric Michael, Gibson, Alexander O'Connor, Grant, Robert Michael
• Granted Patent: US 9,447,765 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/112
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 17/04 rendering engines inoperative or idling, e.g. caused by abnormal conditions dependent on lubricating conditions F01M1/22; dependent on cooling F01P5/14
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/04 the motors being associated with current generators
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/0825 related to prevention of engine restart failure, e.g. disabling automatic stop at low battery state
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/084 State of vehicle accessories, e.g. air condition or power steering
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2200/062 Battery current
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2200/0809 Electrical loads
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 Engine management systems

Abstract

A vehicle includes an engine, electrical loads, and at least one controller. While the engine is on, the controller calculates the change in current demand of the electrical loads expected from turning the engine off. The decision to command the engine off is then based on the expected change in current demand. Electrical loads that will change state from on to off when the engine is turned off will increase the expected change in current demand. Electrical loads that will change state from off to on when the engine is turned off will decrease the expected change in current demand. Operating conditions associated with the electrical loads, such as operating voltage, temperature, and speed, may affect the expected change in current demand.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising:

an engine;

an electrical bus;

a first set of electrical components configured to demand current from the electrical bus while the engine is on and demand no current while the engine is off;

a second set of electrical components configured to demand current from the electrical bus while the engine is off and demand no current while the engine is on; and

at least one controller programmed to selectively turn the engine off in response to an expected change in current demand on the bus that would (i) result from turning the engine off and (ii) cause total current demand to be less than a predetermined threshold.

2. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the expected change is based on a difference between a sum of a present current demand from each component of the first set and a sum of an expected current demand from each component of the second set when the engine is off.

3. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the current demanded by some of the electrical components is based on a voltage associated with the bus.

4. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the current demanded by some of the electrical components is based on respective operational speed associated with the electrical components.

5. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the current demanded by some of the electrical components is based on a temperature associated with the electrical components.

6. The vehicle of claim 5 wherein the temperature is a coolant temperature.

7. A vehicle comprising;

an engine;

a plurality of electrical loads; and

at least one controller programmed to, while the engine is on, estimate an expected change in current demanded from the electrical loads that would result from turning the engine off based on an operating condition of the electrical loads and selectively turn the engine off based on the expected change.

8. The vehicle of claim 7 wherein the operating condition is a voltage associated with at least one of the electrical loads.

9. The vehicle of claim 7 wherein the operating condition is a speed associated with at least one of the electrical loads.

10. The vehicle of claim 7 wherein the operating condition is a temperature associated with at least one of the electrical loads.

11. The vehicle of claim 7 wherein the operating condition is an operating status of the electrical loads that changes between engine on and engine off.

12. The vehicle of claim 7 wherein the electrical loads include a fan, a fuel injector, an ignition coil, a purge valve, an air conditioning clutch, or an electric pump.

13. A method for controlling an engine comprising:

by at least one controller,

predicting a change in current demand from engine on to engine off based on a difference between current demanded by components that will reduce current demand when the engine is turned off and current demanded by components that will increase current demand when the engine is turned off; and

selectively commanding the engine off based on the predicted change.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the current demanded is based on a voltage associated with at least one of the components.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the current demanded is based on a speed associated with at least one of the components.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein the current demanded is based on a temperature associated with at least one of the components.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein the current demanded is calculated using predetermined data tables indexed by an operating voltage, a speed, or a temperature.