Method for controlling a variable-speed engine

• US 7,165,530 B2
• Filed: 06/01/2005
• Issued: 01/23/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Inventors: Jensen, Jeffrey Edward, Frerichs, Joel Robert, Palmer, Marvin Kent, Christopherson, Lisa Marie
• Primary Examiner(s): WOLFE JR, WILLIS RAY
• Application Number:
  US11/141,063
• Publication Number:
  US 20060276304A1
• Time in Patent Office: 601 Days
• Field of Search: 477/107, 477/113, 477183-186, 477203-206, 477/904, 123/339.11, 123/339.14, 123/396, 123/398, 303/20, 621/32, 621/33, 621/34, 622/43, 320/137
• US Class Current: 123/339.14
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/26 for electrical energy, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/065 Idle condition
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/188 Controlling power parameters of the driveline, e.g. determining the required power
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/0414 Air temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/503 Battery correction, i.e. corrections as a function of the state of the battery, its output or its type
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 29/02 peculiar to engines driving vehicles; peculiar to engines driving variable pitch propellers
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 31/003 for idle speed control
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/083 taking into account engine load variation, e.g. air-conditionning
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/086 taking into account the temperature of the engine

Abstract

A method for controlling a variable-speed engine of a machine is provided. The machine may include a park-brake. The method may include receiving a signal indicating an engagement status of the park-brake. The method may also include operating the variable-speed engine at a first idle speed. Additionally, the method may include operating the variable-speed engine at a second idle speed, lower than the first idle speed, only if the signal indicates that the park-brake is engaged.

Claims

1. Engine controls for a variable-speed engine, the engine controls comprising:

a controller;

a service interface; and

wherein the engine controls are configured to;

operate the variable-speed engine at a first preset idle speed under a first predetermined set of conditions;

operate the variable-speed engine at a second preset idle speed under a second predetermined set of conditions;

reset the first preset idle speed to a first new idle speed in response to the service interface transmitting to the controller a predetermined communication for resetting the first preset idle speed to the first new idle speed; and

subsequently, operate the variable-speed engine at the first new idle speed under the first predetermined set of conditions.

2. The engine controls of claim 1, wherein the service interface is an off-board service tool configured to:

transmit the predetermined communication for resetting the first preset idle speed to the first new idle speed to the controller in response to manipulation of the off-board service tool in a predetermined manner.

3. The engine controls of claim 1, wherein the engine controls are further configured to:

reset the second preset idle speed to a second new idle speed in response to the service interface transmitting to the controller a predetermined communication for resetting the second preset idle speed to the second new idle speed; and

subsequently, operate the variable-speed engine at the second new idle speed under the second predetermined set of conditions.

4. The engine controls of claim 3, further including:

throttle controls; and

wherein the first predetermined set of conditions includes the throttle controls transmitting an idle-speed request and the second predetermined set of conditions includes the throttle controls transmitting an idle-speed request.

5. A method for controlling a variable-speed engine of a machine, the method comprising:

receiving inputs related to conditions of operation of the machine;

operating the variable-speed engine at a first idle speed in response to a first predetermined set of conditions;

operating the variable-speed engine at a second idle speed, lower than the first idle speed, in response to a second predetermined set of conditions;

operating the variable-speed engine at a third idle speed, higher than the first idle speed, in response to a third predetermined set of conditions, wherein the third predetermined set of conditions includes the inputs indicating the existence of predetermined conditions related to a charge level of a battery of the work machine.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the third predetermined set of conditions includes the inputs indicating that a voltage level of the battery is below a predetermined level.

7. The method of claim 5, further including:

receiving a predetermined communication for disabling operation of the variable-speed engine at the third idle speed under the third predetermined set of conditions; and

subsequently, operating the variable-speed engine at either the first idle speed or the second idle speed in response to the third predetermined set of conditions.

8. The method of claim 5, further including:

operating the variable-speed engine at the third idle speed in response to a fourth predetermined set of conditions that includes the inputs indicating that at least one of an operating temperature of the machine and the temperature of the atmosphere surrounding the machine is below a predetermined temperature.

9. The method of claim 8, further including:

receiving a predetermined communication for disabling operation of the variable-speed engine at the third idle speed under the fourth predetermined set of conditions; and

subsequently, operating the variable-speed engine at either the first idle speed or the second idle speed in response to the fourth predetermined set of conditions.

10. A method for controlling a variable-speed engine of a machine that includes a park-brake, the method comprising:

receiving a signal indicating an engagement status of the park-brake;

operating the variable-speed engine at a first idle speed; and

operating the variable-speed engine at a second idle speed, lower than the first idle speed, only if the signal indicates that the park-brake is engaged.

11. The method of claim 10, further including:

receiving one or more signals related to a charge level of a battery of the machine; and

wherein operating the variable-speed engine at the second idle speed includes operating the variable-speed engine at the second idle speed only if the one or more signals related to the charge level of the battery indicate the existence of predetermined conditions related to the charge level of the battery.

12. The method of claim 10, further including:

receiving a signal indicating a voltage level of a battery of the machine; and

wherein operating the variable-speed engine at the second idle speed includes operating the variable-speed engine at the second idle speed only if the signal indicating the voltage level of the battery indicates that the voltage level of the battery is above a predetermined level.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein operating the variable-speed engine at the second idle speed includes operating the variable-speed engine at the second idle speed only after receiving the signal indicating that the park-brake is engaged and waiting for a predetermined delay period.

14. The method of claim 10, further including:

receiving at least one of a signal indicating an operating temperature of the machine and a signal indicating a temperature of the atmosphere surrounding the work machine; and

operating the variable-speed engine at a third idle speed, higher than the first idle speed, only after receiving at least one of a signal indicating that an operating temperature of the machine is below a predetermined temperature and a signal indicating that the temperature of the atmosphere surrounding the machine is below a predetermined temperature.

15. The method of claim 10, further including:

receiving one or more signals related to a charge level of a battery of the machine; and

operating the variable-speed engine at a third idle speed, higher than the first idle speed, only if the signals related to the charge level of the battery indicate the existence of predetermined conditions related to the charge level of the battery.

16. The method of claim 10, further including:

receiving a signal indicating a voltage level of a battery of the machine;

operating the variable-speed engine at a third idle speed, higher than the first idle speed, only if the signal indicating the voltage level of the battery indicates that the voltage level is below a predetermined level.

17. The method of claim 10, further including:

receiving a predetermined communication for resetting the second idle speed to a new idle speed; and

in response, resetting the second idle speed to the new idle speed.

18. The method of claim 10, further including:

receiving a signal indicating an operating state of a drive system of the machine;

wherein operating the variable-speed engine at the second idle speed includes operating the variable-speed engine at the second idle speed only if the signal indicating the operating state of the drive system indicates that the drive system is in an inactive operating state.

19. The method of claim 10, further including:

receiving a signals relating to an amount of power that a fan-drive system of the machine is drawing from the variable-speed engine; and

wherein operating the variable-speed engine at the second idle speed includes operating the variable-speed engine at the second idle speed only if the signals relating to the amount of power the fan-drive system is drawing indicate that the fan-drive system is drawing less than a predetermined amount of power from the variable-speed engine.

20. The method of claim 10, wherein operating the variable-speed engine at the second idle speed includes operating the variable-speed engine at the second idle speed only if throttle controls of the machine are transmitting an idle-speed request.

21. The method of claim 10, further including:

receiving inputs indicating whether an operator is manipulating implement controls of the machine to request operation of an implement of the machine; and

wherein operating the variable-speed engine at the second idle speed includes operating the variable-speed engine at the second idle speed only if the signals indicating whether an operator is manipulating the implement controls to request operation of an implement of the machine indicate that an operator is not manipulating the implement controls to request operation of an implement of the machine.

22. Engine controls configured to control the operating speed of a variable speed engine of a machine according to the method of claim 10.

23. The method of claim 10, further including:

receiving at least one of a signal indicating an operating temperature of the machine and a signal indicating a temperature of the atmosphere surrounding the machine; and

wherein operating the variable-speed engine at the second idle speed includes operating the variable-speed engine at the second idle speed only after receiving at least one of a signal indicating that an operating temperature of the machine is above a predetermined temperature and a signal indicating that the temperature of the atmosphere surrounding the machine is above a predetermined temperature.

24. The method of claim 23, further including:

receiving a signal indicating the voltage level of a battery of the machine; and

wherein operating the variable-speed engine at the second idle speed includes operating the variable-speed engine at the second idle speed only if the signal indicating the voltage level of the battery indicates that the voltage level of the battery is above a predetermined level.

25. The method of claim 23, further including:

receiving one or more signals related to a charge level of a battery of the machine; and

wherein operating the variable-speed engine at the second idle speed includes operating the variable-speed engine at the second idle speed only if the one or more signals related to the charge level of the battery indicate the existence of predetermined conditions related to the charge level of the battery.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein operating the variable-speed engine at the second idle speed includes operating the variable-speed engine at the second idle speed only after receiving the signal indicating that the park-brake is engaged and waiting for a predetermined delay period.