SYSTEM FOR CHECKING A COMBUSTION ENGINE COUPLED WITH AN ELECTRIC GENERATOR OF A HYBRID TERRESTRIAL VEHICLE HAVING A DRIVE LINE DRIVEN BY AT LEAST ONE ELECTRIC MOTOR

• US 20150144077A1
• Filed: 04/05/2013
• Published: 05/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: FPT Motorenforschung AG (Iveco Group NV)
• Original Assignee: FPT Motorenforschung AG (Iveco Group NV)
• Inventors: Rimkus, Torsten
• Granted Patent: US 9,651,454 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 123/2
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/46 Series 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 20/00 Control systems specially adapted for hybrid vehicles hybrid vehicle design, B60K6/00; electric vehicles B60L
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/50 Control strategies for responding to system failures, e.g. for fault diagnosis, failsafe operation or limp mode
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/041 Built in Test Equipment [BITE]
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/08 Interaction between the driver and the control system
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 63/04 for electric generators
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 29/06 peculiar to engines driving electric generators
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/22 Safety or indicating devices for abnormal conditions in air/fuel ratio feedback systems F02D41/1495, in electric control linkage F02D11/107, in purge control systems F02M25/0809
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 15/044 by monitoring power, e.g. by operating the engine with one of the ignitions interrupted; by using acceleration tests
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles

Abstract

System for checking a combustion engine (1) coupled with an electric generator (2) of a hybrid terrestrial vehicle having at least a drive line (61, 62) driven by at least one electric motor (51, 52); the combustion engine (1) comprising at least one subsystem to be checked; the system further comprising first control means (3) configured to drive the combustion engine (1) at a predefined deterministic operation point, wherein the system comprises second control means able to perform a diagnostic test on the subsystem wherein the first control means (3) are configured to vary the operation conditions of the combustion engine (1) in order to allow the second control means (ECU) to perform the diagnostic test.

Claims

1. System for checking a combustion engine (1) coupled with an electric generator (2) of a hybrid terrestrial vehicle having at least a drive line (61, 62) driven by at least one electric motor (51, 52), said combustion engine (1) comprising at least one subsystem to be checked, said system comprising first control means (3) configured to drive the combustion engine (1) at just one or at a few discrete predefined deterministic operation points according to a normal condition of said combustion engine,

said system being characterized in that it comprises second control means able to perform at least a diagnostic test on said at least one subsystem and in that said first control means (3) are configured to disregard said predefined deterministic operation points according to a diagnostic condition of said combustion engine and to vary the operation conditions of said combustion engine (1) in order to allow said second control means to perform said diagnostic test.

2. System according to claim 1, wherein, in said diagnostic condition of the combustion engine, said first control means (3) are configured to drive the combustion engine (1) at a specific engine speed or within at least one specific range of speeds along a predefined speed profile.

3. System according to claim 1, wherein, in said diagnostic condition of the combustion engine, said first control means (3) are configured to vary the electrical torque load, towards a specific value or along a predefined torque load profile.

4. System according claim 1, wherein said combustion engine (1) comprises several subsystems and said second control means are able to perform diagnostic tests on each of said several subsystems and wherein said first control means (3) are configured to cause said variation of said combustion engine (1) operation conditions in order to allow said second control means to perform:

a subset of said several diagnostic tests per session and/or

all of said several diagnostic tests per session.

5. System according to claim 1, wherein said combustion engine (1) comprises several subsystems and said second control means are able to perform diagnostic tests on each of said several subsystems and wherein said first control means (3) are configured to vary the electrical torque load towards a specific value or along a predefined torque load profile on the second control means demand.

6. System according to claim 5, further comprising means for scheduling the next diagnostic test session.

7. Method for checking a combustion engine (1) coupled with an electric generator (2) of a hybrid terrestrial vehicle having at least a drive line (61, 62) driven by at least one electric motor (51, 52), said combustion engine (1) comprising at least one subsystem to be checked and first control means (3) configured to drive the combustion engine (1) at a predefined deterministic operation point according to a normal condition of the combustion engine, said method being characterized by

varying the operation conditions of said combustion engine (1) from said normal condition to a diagnostic condition wherein said deterministic operation point is not regarded to allow a diagnostic test on said subsystem,

performing said diagnostic test on said at least one subsystem.

8. Method according to claim 7, wherein said variation is so that, in said diagnostic condition, the combustion engine (1) is driven at a specific engine speed or within at least one specific range of speeds along a predefined speed profile.

9. Method according to claim 7, wherein said variation is so that, in said diagnostic condition, the combustion engine torque load is moved towards a specific value or along a predefined torque load profile.

10. Method according claim 7, wherein said combustion engine (1) comprises several subsystems and wherein said variation is controlled so that

a subset of said several subsystems is subjected to diagnostic tests per session and/or

all of said several subsystems is subjected to diagnostic tests per session.

11. Method according to claim 10, wherein said session are scheduled according a predefined time scheme.

12. Method according to claim 7, wherein first control means control said subsystems and perform diagnostic test thereon and second control means (3) control said electric motor (51, 52) and wherein said variation of the operation conditions of the combustion engine are commanded by said first or by said second control means.

13. (canceled)

14. (canceled)