HYBRID ELECTRIC VEHICLE CONTROLLER AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING A HYBRID ELECTRIC VEHICLE

• US 20140114518A1
• Filed: 01/31/2012
• Published: 04/24/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jaguar Land Rover Limited (TATA Motors Limited)
• Original Assignee: Jaguar Land Rover Limited (TATA Motors Limited)
• Inventors: Hancock, Matthew
• Granted Patent: US 9,744,961 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/22
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/48 Parallel type
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/2054 by controlling transmissions or clutches
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/423 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/507 Operating parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/16 with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/02 including control of driveline clutches
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• 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 20/40 Controlling the engagement or disengagement of prime movers, e.g. for transition between prime movers power-up or power-down of the driveline B60W30/192
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0008 Feedback, closed loop systems or details of feedback error signal
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0011 Proportional Integral Differential [PID] controller
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/0216 Clutch engagement rate
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/0225 Clutch actuator position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/0275 Clutch torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/0638 Engine speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/0676 Engine temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/0644 Engine speed
• 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: Y10S 903/946 : Characterized by control of driveline clutch

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide a controller for a hybrid electric vehicle having a first actuator and a second actuator operable to drive a driveline of the vehicle, the vehicle having releasable torque transmitting means operable releasably to couple the first actuator to the driveline, the releasable torque transmitting means being operable between a first condition in which the first actuator is substantially disconnected from the driveline and a second condition in which the first actuator is substantially connected to the driveline, the controller being operable to control the vehicle to transition between a first mode in which the releasable torque transmitting means is in the first condition and a second mode in which the releasable torque transmitting means is in the second condition, when a transition from the first mode to the second mode is required the controller being arranged to provide a control signal to the first actuator to control the speed thereof, the control signal being responsive to the speed of the first actuator and the amount of torque transfer provided by the releasable torque transmitting means.

Claims

1. A system for controlling a hybrid electric vehicle, the system comprising:

a controller;

a first actuator and a second actuator operable to drive a driveline of the vehicle; and

a releasable torque transmitter operable to releasably couple the first actuator to the driveline, the releasable torque transmitter being operable between a first condition, in which the first actuator is substantially disconnected from the driveline, and a second condition, in which the first actuator is substantially connected to the driveline;

the controller being operable to control the vehicle to transition between a first mode, in which the releasable torque transmitter is in the first condition, and a second mode, in which the releasable torque transmitter is in the second condition;

the controller being arranged to provide, when a transition from the first mode to the second mode is required, a control signal to the first actuator to control a speed thereof, the control signal being responsive to the speed of the first actuator and an amount of torque transfer provided by the releasable torque transmitter.

2. A system as claimed in claim 1, the controller being operable to control the releasable torque transmitter gradually to change the amount of torque transfer provided thereby.

3. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control signal is further responsive to a temperature of the first actuator.

4. A system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the control signal is responsive to the temperature of the first actuator as the temperature increases over a prescribed temperature range.

5. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control signal is further responsive to a value of driver demanded torque being the value of the torque demanded of the vehicle by the driver.

6. A system as claimed in claim 1, the controller being configured to determine the control signal according to a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) control methodology.

7. A system as claimed in claim 6, the controller being further configured to determine at least one of a proportional feedback parameter, an integral feedback parameter and a derivative feedback parameter of the PID control methodology in dependence on the amount of torque transfer provided by the releasable torque transmitter.

8. A system as claimed in claim 6, the controller being further configured to determine at least one of a proportional feedback parameter, an integral feedback parameter and a derivative feedback parameter of the PID control methodology in dependence on at least one of a temperature of the first actuator and a value of driver demanded torque.

9. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control signal is 10 further responsive to a feedforward signal.

10. A system as claimed in claim 9, the controller being configured to determine a feedforward parameter of the feedforward signal in dependence on at least one of the amount of torque transfer provided by the releasable torque transmitter, the speed of the first actuator, a temperature of the first actuator and the value of driver demanded torque.

11. A system as claimed in claim 1, the controller being configured to determine the control signal according to a H-infinity control methodology.

12. A system as claimed in claim 11, the controller being further configured to determine the control signal according to a H-infinity control methodology using different H-infinity control coefficients responsive to the amount of torque transfer provided by the releasable torque transmitter.

13. A system as claimed in claim 12, further comprising a plurality of H-infinity controllers each H-infinity controller having a different set of H-infinity control coefficients, the controller being arranged to select a H-infinity controller responsive to the amount of torque transfer provided by the releasable torque transmitter.

14. A system as claimed in claim 13, the controller being operable to blend an output of two or more of the H-infinity controllers as the H-infinity controller selected is changed responsive to the amount of torque transfer.

15. A system as claimed in claim 11, the controller being configured to determine the control signal according to a H-infinity control methodology using different H-infinity control coefficients responsive to at least one of the speed of the first actuator, a temperature of the first actuator and the value of driver demanded torque.

16. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the releasable torque transmitter comprises a clutch operable between a first, open condition and a second, closed condition responsive to a clutch pressure value being a value of pressure applied to clutch, thereby to enable torque to be transmitted therebetween, wherein the amount of torque transfer provided by the clutch is determined by the controller to correspond to the clutch pressure value.

17. A system as claimed in claim 16, wherein the clutch is hydraulically actuated and the clutch pressure value is determined by the controller so as to correspond to a pressure of hydraulic fluid applied to the clutch.

18. A system as claimed in claim 16, wherein the clutch is electrically actuated, and the clutch pressure is determined by the controller to correspond to a pressure applied to the clutch by an electrical actuator.

19. A system as claimed in claim 18, wherein the pressure applied by the electrical actuator is determined in dependence on a value of electrical drive current provided to the actuator.

20. A hybrid electric vehicle comprising:

a controller;

a first actuator and a second actuator operable to drive a driveline of the vehicle, the second actuator comprising an electric machine; and

a releasable torque transmitter operable releasably to couple the first actuator to the driveline, the releasable torque transmitter being operable between a first condition, in which the first actuator is substantially disconnected from the driveline, and a second condition in which the first actuator is substantially connected to the driveline such that substantially all of the torque generated by the first actuator is transmitted to the driveline;

the controller being operable to control the vehicle to transition between the first mode, in which the releasable torque transmitter is in the first condition, and the second mode, in which the releasable torque transmitter is in the second condition.

21. A vehicle as claimed in claim 20, wherein the releasable torque transmitter comprises an input portion and an output portion, the input portion being coupled to the first actuator and the output portion being coupled to the driveline.

22. A vehicle as claimed in claim 21, wherein the output portion is coupled to the driveline via a transmission.

23. A vehicle as claimed in claim 22, wherein the output portion is coupled to the driveline via the second actuator.

24. A vehicle as claimed in claim 23, wherein the output portion is coupled to the transmission via the second actuator.

25. A vehicle as claimed in claim 20, wherein the controller is operable to control the vehicle to transition from the first mode to the second mode by controlling the speed of rotation of the first actuator to achieve a target speed and controlling the releasable torque transmitter to transition from the first condition to the second condition.

26. A vehicle as claimed in claim 25, wherein the target speed of rotation is substantially equal to that of the output portion of the releasable torque transmitter.

27. A vehicle as claimed in claim 25, wherein the target speed of rotation is greater than that of the output portion of the releasable torque transmitter.

28. A vehicle as claimed in claim 27, wherein the target speed of rotation is greater than that of the output portion of the releasable torque transmitter by an amount responsive to at least one selected from amongst a value of driver demanded torque, a speed of rotation of the output portion of the releasable torque transmitter and a selected gear ratio between the first actuator and one or more wheels of the vehicle.

29. A vehicle as claimed in claim 27, wherein the target speed of rotation is greater than that of the output portion of the releasable torque transmitter by an amount in the range of one selected from amongst from 0 to 1000 revolutions per minute (rpm), from 10 to 1000 rpm, from 0 to 500 rpm and from 10 to 500 rpm.

30. A vehicle as claimed in claim 20, wherein the releasable torque transmitter comprises a clutch.

31. A vehicle as claimed in claim 20, wherein the first actuator comprises an internal combustion engine.

32. A vehicle as claimed in claim 20, wherein the electric machine is operable as a motor/generator.

33. A vehicle as claimed in claim 20, wherein the control signal is responsive to the speed of the first actuator and the amount of torque transfer provided by the releasable torque transmitter, the amount of torque transfer being the proportion of the torque applied by the first actuator to the releasable torque transmitter that is transmitted to the driveline.

34. A vehicle as claimed in claim 20, wherein the control signal is responsive to the speed of the first actuator and the amount of torque transfer provided by the releasable torque transmitter, the amount of torque transfer being the magnitude of the torque transmitted by the releasable torque transmitter to the driveline.

35. A method of controlling a hybrid vehicle during a transition from a first mode, in which the second actuator is coupled to the driveline and the first actuator is decoupled from the driveline by a releasable torque transmitter, to a second mode, in which the first actuator is coupled to the driveline by the torque transmitter,

the method comprising providing a control signal to the first actuator to control the speed thereof, the control signal being responsive to the speed of the first actuator and the amount of torque transfer provided by the releasable torque transmitter.

36. A method as claimed in claim 35, wherein the step of providing the control signal responsive to the speed of the first actuator and the amount of torque transfer provided by the releasable torque transmitter is performed when it is required to connect the first actuator to the driveline by the releasable torque transmitter.

37. (canceled)

38. (canceled)

39. (canceled)