Controlling of an automated starting element

• US 6,929,580 B2
• Filed: 07/11/2002
• Issued: 08/16/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG (Zeppelin - Stiftung der Stadt Friedrichshafen)
• Original Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG (Zeppelin - Stiftung der Stadt Friedrichshafen)
• Inventors: Frotscher, Gerd
• Primary Examiner(s): PANG, ROGER L
• Application Number:
  US10/194,025
• Publication Number:
  US 20030022759A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,132 Days
• Field of Search: 477/72, 477/98, 477/174, 477/176, 477/180, 477/181, 477/76, 477/83, 477/84, 477/97
• US Class Current: 477/76
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/02 including control of driveline clutches
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/04 including control of propulsion units
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/001 Proportional integral [PI] controller
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0011 Proportional Integral Differential [PID] controller
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/0291 Clutch temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2530/16 Driving resistance
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/025 Clutch slip, i.e. difference between input and output speeds
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18 Propelling the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18027 Drive off, accelerating from standstill
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/1819 Propulsion control with control means using analogue circuits, relays or mechanical links
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2500/1045 Friction clutch
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2500/30404 Clutch temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2500/3125 Driving resistance, i.e. external factors having an influence in the traction force, e.g. road friction, air resistance, road slope
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2500/3166 Detection of an elapsed period of time
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2500/3168 Temperature detection of any component of the control system
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2500/5023 Determination of the clutch wear
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2500/50296 Limit clutch wear
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2500/5106 Overheat protection
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2500/70426 Clutch slip
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2500/70615 : PI control
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2500/70626 : PID control
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 48/06 : Control by electric or electronic means, e.g. of fluid pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 48/08 : Regulating clutch take-up on starting
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2059/725 : Sensing or calculating temperature of friction devices, e.g. clutches to prevent overheating of friction linings

Abstract

The method for control of an automated starting element such as a starting clutch or starting brake according to the thermal load of the starting clutch, which method regulates the control parameters according to a determined driving state, a tractional resistance and/or an actual clutch temperature, has one control module (1) which, below a critical control parameter limit starting from which an increased thermal load or an increased wear appears, reduced the friction work of the starting element. The reduction takes place by a reduction of the slipping time by regulating the slip in the starting element and/or by influencing at least one of the parameters (μ, proportional/integral or differential parts, M_Control, p_Gradient or n_Nominal), the number of steps simultaneously used for reducing the friction work increasing with the temperature of the clutch.

Claims

1. A method for controlling an automated start-up clutch of a vehicle transmission according to a thermal load of the start-up clutch, the method comprising the steps of:

determining at least one of a driving state, a tractional resistance and the thermal load of the start-up clutch for the vehicle;

controlling the start-up clutch by providing a control module for regulating at least one of a plurality of clutch control parameters according to at least one of the driving state, the tractional resistance and the thermal load of the start-up clutch for the vehicle;

determining a change in the thermal load for the start-up clutch according to at least one of an increased thermal load value and an increased wear value;

reducing friction work of said start-up clutch to reduce the thermal load of the start-up clutch below a critical control limit value by reducing slip in the start-up clutch;

regulating the slip in the start-up clutch via the control module according to at least one of the following control parameters;

a friction value of the start-up clutch;

a proportional, integral or differential portion of at least one of an engine dependent part rotational speed value (M_Control), a nominal engine rotational speed value (n_Nominal), and an engine torque dependent pressure part value (p_Gradient);

adding the engine torque dependent pressure part value (p_Gradient) to a regulating pressure (p_Regulator) after lapse of a preset slipping time according to at least one of an increasing tractional resistance and an increasing clutch temperature; and

,

utilizing a plurality of the control parameters to simultaneously regulate the slip in the start-up clutch and reduce the friction work in the start-up clutch and correspondingly lower the thermal load of the start-up clutch.

2. The method according to claim 1 further comprising the step of providing no information to a driver of the vehicle regarding the thermal load of the start-up clutch.

3. The method according to claim 1 further comprising the step of calculating a clutch pressure (p_Clutch) and accounting for a drop in the friction value with a long supping time of the start-up clutch.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of increasing a proportional, integral or differential portion of one of an engine rotational speed regulator and a clutch differential speed regulator (3) according to an increasing tractional resistance and an increasing clutch temperature.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of increasing the proportional, integral or differential portion of the engine dependent part rotational speed value (M_Control), according to at least one of an increasing tractional resistance and an increasing clutch temperature.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of reducing the nominal engine rotational speed value (n_Nominal) during a starting operation according to at least one of an increasing tractional resistance and an increasing clutch temperature.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of regulating slip in the start-up clutch by presetting a nominal slip value equal to zero during the regulation of the slip in the start-up clutch with the clutch substantially closed after a starting operation.

8. A method for controlling an automated starting element of a vehicle transmission according to a thermal load of the starting element the method comprising the steps of:

utilizing one of a start-up clutch and a start-up brake as the starting element;

determining at least one of a driving state, a tractional resistance and the thermal load of the starting element for the vehicle;

controlling the starting element by providing a control module for regulating at least one of a plurality of clutch control parameters according to at least one of the driving state, the tractional resistance and the thermal load of the start-up clutch for the vehicle;

determining a change in the thermal load for the starting element according to at least one of an increased thermal load value and an increased wear value;

calculating a clutch pressure (p_Clutch) and accounting for a drop in the friction value with a long slipping time of the starting element;

reducing friction work of said starting element to reduce the thermal load of the start-up clutch below a critical control limit value by reducing slip in the starting element;

regulating the slip in the starting element via the control module according to at least one of the following control parameters;

a friction value of the starting element;

a proportional, integral or differential portion of at least one of an engine dependent part rotational speed value (M_Control), a nominal engine rotational speed value (n_Nominal), and an engine torque dependent pressure part value (p_Gradient);

utilizing a plurality of the control parameters to simultaneously regulate the slip in the starting element and reduce the friction work in the starting element and correspondingly lower the thermal load of the starting element;

including

increasing a proportional, integral or differential portion of one of an engine rotational speed regulator and a clutch differential speed regulator (3) according to an increasing tractional resistance and an increasing clutch temperature, and

increasing the proportional, integral or differential portion of the engine dependent part rotational speed value (M_Control), according to at least one of the increasing tractional resistance and the increasing clutch temperature,

reducing the nominal engine rotational speed value (n_Nominal) during a starting operation according to at least one of the increasing tractional resistance and the increasing clutch temperature, and

adding the engine torque dependent pressure pert value (p_Gradient) to a regulating pressure (p_Regulator) after lapse of a preset slipping time according to at least one of the increasing tractional resistance end the increasing clutch temperature; and

providing no information to a driver of the vehicle regarding the thermal load of the starting element.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising the step of regulating slip in the starting element by presetting a nominal slip value equal to zero during the regulation of the slip in the starting element with the starting element substantially dosed after the starting operation.