Vehicle and method for controlling power to wheels in a vehicle

• US 7,084,589 B1
• Filed: 03/11/2005
• Issued: 08/01/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Motor Company
• Original Assignee: Ford Motor Company
• Inventors: Kuang, Ming, Syed, Fazal, McGee, Ryan, Tseng, Eric, Supina, Joseph G., Czubay, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Ro, Bentsu
• Application Number:
  US10/906,902
• Time in Patent Office: 508 Days
• Field of Search: 318/139, 318430-434, 320149-153, 180/65.1, 180/65.3, 180/65.4, 180/65.8
• US Class Current: 318/139
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/12 responding to state of charge [SoC]
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/40 for controlling a combination of batteries and fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/08 including control of electric propulsion units, e.g. motors or generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/26 for electrical energy, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• 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 2510/244 Charge state
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/40 Application of hydrogen technology to transportation, e.g. using fuel cells

Abstract

A method for controlling power to wheels in a vehicle, the vehicle having an electric storage device for providing power to an electric machine. The method includes determining a first power demand for the vehicle based at least in part on a driver input, determining a second power demand based at least in part on the magnitude of the first power demand, determining a power adjustment based on at least one condition of the battery, and applying the power adjustment to the second power demand, thereby generating a wheel power request.

Claims

1. A method for controlling power to wheels in a vehicle, the vehicle having an electric storage device for providing power to an electric machine, the method comprising:

determining a driver power demand for the vehicle;

determining an electrical power loss for the vehicle;

adding the electrical power loss to the driver power demand, thereby generating a first power demand;

determining a second power demand by setting the second power demand equal to the first power demand minus the electrical power loss when the magnitude of the first power demand is not greater than a predetermined value, and setting the second power demand equal to the predetermined value minus the electrical power loss when the magnitude of the first power demand is greater than the predetermined value;

determining a power adjustment based on at least one condition of the electric storage device; and

applying the power adjustment to the second power demand, thereby generating a wheel power request.

2. The method of claim 1, the electric storage device including a battery, wherein the power adjustment is based on a reference discharge voltage for the battery, a measured discharge voltage for the battery, and a battery current.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the reference discharge voltage is based on at least one of a state of charge of the battery and a temperature of the battery.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein determining the power adjustment comprises:

determining a voltage error defined as a difference between the reference discharge voltage and the measured discharge voltage;

determining a voltage adjustment based at least in part on the sign of the voltage error; and

determining a power demand modifier defined as a product of the voltage adjustment and the battery current.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein determining the power adjustment further comprises:

setting the power adjustment equal to the power demand modifier when the power demand modifier is not greater than the second power demand; and

setting the power adjustment equal to the second power demand when the power demand modifier is greater than the second power demand.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the voltage adjustment includes a term proportional to the voltage error and the proportional term is set equal to zero when the voltage error is negative.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the battery current is a measured current draw for the battery when the measured current draw is not negative;

and

wherein the battery current is zero when the measured current draw is negative.

8. A method for controlling power to wheels in a vehicle, the vehicle having an electric storage device for providing power to an electric machine, the method comprising:

determining a driver power demand for the vehicle;

increasing the driver power demand by an electrical loss for the vehicle, thereby generating a first power demand;

applying a limiting function to the first power demand such that the first power demand is not allowed to exceed a predetermined value, thereby generating an intermediate power demand;

decreasing the intermediate power demand by the electrical loss, thereby generating a second power demand;

determining a power adjustment based on at least one condition of the electric storage device; and

applying the power adjustment to the second power demand, thereby generating a wheel power request.

9. The method of claim 8, the electric storage device including a battery, wherein the power adjustment is based on a reference discharge voltage for the battery, a measured discharge voltage for the battery, and a battery current.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the reference discharge voltage is based on at least one of a state of charge of the battery and a temperature of the battery.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein determining the power adjustment comprises:

determining a voltage error defined as a difference between the reference discharge voltage and the measured discharge voltage;

determining a voltage adjustment based at least in part on the sign of the voltage error; and

determining a power demand modifier defined as a product of the voltage adjustment and the battery current.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein determining the power adjustment further comprises:

setting the power adjustment equal to the power demand modifier when the power demand modifier is not greater than the second power demand; and

setting the power adjustment equal to the second power demand when the power demand modifier is greater than the second power demand.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the voltage adjustment includes a term proportional to the voltage error and the proportional term is set equal to zero when the voltage error is negative.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the battery current is a measured current draw for the battery when the measured current draw is not negative;

and

wherein the battery current is zero when the measured current draw is negative.

15. A vehicle, comprising:

an electric machine configured to supply torque to propel the vehicle;

an electric storage device including a battery and capable of supplying power to the electric machine; and

a control system including at least one controller configured to;

determine a first power demand for the vehicle based at least in part on a driver input,

determine a second power demand based at least in part on the magnitude of the first power demand,

determine a reference discharge voltage for the battery,

receive inputs related to a measured discharge voltage for the battery and a measured current draw for the battery,

determine a power adjustment based at least in part on the reference discharge voltage, the measured discharge voltage, and the measured current draw, and

apply the power adjustment to the second power demand, thereby generating a wheel power request.

16. The vehicle of claim 15, wherein the at least one controller is further configured to set the second power demand equal to the first power demand when the magnitude of the first power demand is not greater than the predetermined value, and to set the second power demand equal to the predetermined value when the first power demand is greater than the predetermined value.

17. The vehicle of claim 15, wherein the at least one controller is further configured to receive inputs related to at least one of a state of charge of the battery and a temperature of the battery, and the reference discharge voltage is determined based on at least one of the state of charge of the battery and the temperature of the battery.

18. A method for controlling power to wheels in a vehicle, the vehicle having an electric storage device for providing power to an electric machine, the method comprising:

determining a power demand for the vehicle based at least in part on a driver input;

determining a power adjustment based on at least one condition of the electric storage device; and

applying the power adjustment to the power demand, thereby generating a wheel power request, wherein determining the power adjustment comprises determining a voltage error defined as a difference between a reference discharge voltage and a measured discharge voltage, determining a voltage adjustment based at least in part on the sign of the voltage error, and determining a power demand modifier defined as a product of the voltage adjustment and a battery current.