METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING AN ENGINE TO ACHIEVE A BOOSTED PERFORMANCE FOR A LIMITED TIME

• US 20140214305A1
• Filed: 08/29/2011
• Published: 07/31/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Volvo Lastvagnar AB (Volvo AB)
• Original Assignee: Volvo Lastvagnar AB (Volvo AB)
• Inventors: Eriksson, Johnny
• Granted Patent: US 9,500,146 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/102
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 11/105 characterised by the function converting demand to actuation, e.g. a map indicating relations between an accelerator pedal position and throttle valve opening or target engine torque
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2250/26 by applying a torque limit
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 31/001 Electric control of rotation speed
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/021 Introducing corrections for particular conditions exterior to the engine conjoint control of vehicle sub-units for propelling the vehicle B60W30/18

Abstract

A method is provided for controlling an engine to allow a driver to obtain a working range of the engine in excess a base working range thereof. The method includes establishing a base working range, which limits are defined by a base torque versus engine speed curve, establishing an excess working range, which limits are defined between the base torque versus engine speed curve and an excess torque versus engine speed curve, the excess torque versus engine speed curve displaying a higher maximum torque level and/or a higher end engine speed as compared to the base torque versus engine speed curve, establishing an excess availability limit, defining the maximum duration or maximum distance of access to the excess working range per unit time or unit distance, calculating a cumulative consumed excess value per unit time or unit distance by summating any time periods or distances during which the excess working range is accessed within the unit time or unit distance, and controlling the engine in response to driver input to allow access to the excess working range only when the cumulative consumed excess value is less than the excess availability limit.

Claims

1. A method for controlling an engine, preferably an engine in a vehicle, most preferred in a heavy vehicle, to allow a driver to obtain a working range of the engine in excess of a base working range thereof, the method comprising

establishing a base working range (2), which limits are defined by a base torque versus engine speed curve (1),

establishing an excess working range (4), which limits are defined between said base torque versus engine speed curve (1) and an excess torque versus engine speed curve (3), the excess torque versus engine speed curve (3) displaying a higher maximum torque level and/or a higher end engine speed as compared to the base torque versus engine speed curve (1),

establishing an excess availability limit, defining the maximum duration or maximum distance of access to the excess working range per unit time or unit distance,

calculating a cumulative consumed excess value per unit time or unit distance by summating any time periods or distances during which the excess working range is accessed within the unit time or unit distance;

and

controlling the engine in response to driver input to allow access to the excess working range (4) only when the cumulative consumed excess value is less than the excess availability limit.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said excess availability limit is a constant, preset maximum excess availability limit.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein said excess availability limit is a dynamic value, and preferably wherein a “

leaky bucket”

counter is used to calculate the excess availability limit, so that any time period or distance of driving without using the excess working range adds time or distance to the excess availability limit (fills the bucket), but only to a preset maximum excess availability limit.

4. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein for each unit time or unit distance, the cumulative consumed excess value is set to zero at the start of the unit time or unit distance, and the cumulative consumed excess value per unit time or unit distance is calculated at any time or distance by summating the time periods or distances during which the excess working range is accessed during the unit time or distance.

5. A method for controlling an engine according to any one of the claims 1-3, wherein said cumulative consumed excess value per unit time or unit distance is calculated at any time or distance by summating the time periods or distances during which the excess working range is accessed within the most recent unit time or unit distance.

6. A method according to any one of the preceding claims wherein, when, during time periods or distances when access to the excess working range is allowed, exceeding a preset road speed limit, and/or exceeding a preset acceleration limit is also allowed.

7. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said base torque versus engine speed curve and/or said excess torque versus engine speed curve are static.

8. A method according to any one of the claims 1 to 6, wherein at least one of said base torque versus engine speed curve and/or said excess torque versus engine speed curve are dynamic.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein said dynamic torque versus engine speed curve is determined using the vehicle weight to torque/power ratio, the vehicle gross weight and/or a present road profile as input.

10. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the driver input for requesting access to the excess working range is performed via a dedicated throttle function, preferably of “

kick-down”

type.

11. A method according to any one of claims 1-10, wherein the driver input for requesting access to the excess working range is performed via a control panel, preferably a button on a control panel.

12. A method according to any one of the previous claims, wherein the excess availability limit is temporarily increased following a time period or distance during which a preferred driving pattern was used.

13. A method according to claim 12, wherein the preferred driving pattern is defined by driving in a predefined reward area of the base torque versus engine speed curve, for example a reward area comprising a combination of high torque with low engine speed, corresponding to top gear lagging down when driving.

14. A method according to any one of the previous claims, wherein an available excess value is calculated by subtracting the cumulative consumed excess value from the excess availability limit, and wherein the available excess value is available to the driver.

15. A method according to any one of the previous claims, wherein data regarding the time periods or distances during which the excess working range is used is stored in a memory for use in driving statistics.

17. A computer program comprising program code means for performing all the steps of any one of the claims 1-15 when said program is run on a computer.

18. A computer program product comprising program code means stored on a computer readable medium for performing all steps of anyone of the claims 1-15 when said program product is run on a computer.

19. A vehicle comprising an engine control system which enables control of the engine in accordance with the method of anyone of the claims 1-15.

16. An engine control system for controlling an engine to allow a driver to obtain a working range of the engine in excess of a base working range thereof, the system comprising

a memory for storing

the base working range, which limits are defined by a base torque versus engine speed curve,

the excess working range, which limits are defined between said base torque versus engine speed curve and an excess torque versus engine speed curve, the excess torque versus engine speed curve displaying a higher maximum torque level and/or a higher end engine speed as compared to the base static torque versus engine speed curve,

an excess availability limit, defining the maximum duration of access to the excess working range per unit time or unit distance;

and

a processor unit for

calculating a cumulative consumed excess value per unit time or unit distance by summating any time periods or distances during which the excess working range is accessed within the unit time or unit distance; and

controlling the engine in response to driver input to allow access to the excess working range only when the cumulative consumed excess value is less than the excess availability limit.