Regeneration and brake management system

• US 7,311,163 B2
• Filed: 11/16/2004
• Issued: 12/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eaton Intelligent Power Limited (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Original Assignee: Eaton Corp. (Wisconsin) (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Inventors: Oliver, James L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bottorff; Christopher
• Application Number:
  US10/989,772
• Publication Number:
  US 20060102394A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,134 Days
• Field of Search: 303/152, 180/65.2, 180/165, 903/947, 701/22
• US Class Current: 180/165
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/12 by means of a chargeable fluidic accumulator
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/48 Parallel type
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/547 the transmission being a stepped gearing
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 7/26 Controlling the braking effect
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 1/10 by utilising wheel movement for accumulating energy, e.g. driving air compressors
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2270/604 Merging friction therewith; Adjusting their repartition
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/08 including control of electric propulsion units, e.g. motors or generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/184 with wheel brakes
• 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 20/13 in order to stay within battery power input or output limits; in order to prevent overcharging or battery depletion
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18127 Regenerative braking
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 61/00 Brakes with means for making the energy absorbed available for use F16D57/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/947 Characterized by control of braking, e.g. blending of regeneration, friction braking

Abstract

A regeneration and brake management system includes a prime mover, an energy storage device associated with the prime mover, and a regenerative braking system including a controller and at least one friction brake, wherein the regenerative braking system is configured to at least partially disable the at least one friction brake during regenerative braking.

Claims

1. A method of operating a regenerative powertrain system comprising:

providing a prime mover;

providing an energy storage device associated with said prime mover;

providing a regenerative braking system including a controller and at least one friction brake; and

at least partially disabling said at least one friction brake during regenerative braking;

wherein said at least partially disabling said at least one friction brake during regenerative braking includes;

detecting a vehicle deceleration request;

applying said at least one friction brake to an initial non-zero pressure level prior to said regenerative braking;

initiating regenerative braking while maintaining said at least one friction brake at said initial non-zero pressure level; and

disabling further friction brake application during said regenerative braking.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said initiating regenerative braking comprises:

providing negative torque to said prime mover; and

operating said prime mover as a generator.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising enabling friction braking when a regeneration limit of said regenerative braking system is met.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said enabling friction braking includes selectively applying a friction brake to balance said braking system.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring said regenerative powertrain system for a wheel slippage; and

operating an anti-lock braking system in response to a detected wheel slippage.

6. A method for operating a regenerative powertrain system comprising:

providing a prime mover;

providing an energy storage device associated with said prime mover;

providing a regenerative braking system including a controller and at least one fiction brake;

monitoring said regenerative powertrain system for a deceleration request;

determining a brake torque associated with said deceleration request;

at least partially disabling said at least one friction brake; and

initiating a regenerative braking operation;

wherein said at least partially disabling said at least one friction brake includes applying said at least one friction brake to an initial non-zero pressure level prior to said regenerative braking operation, and disabling further friction brake application during said regenerative braking operation.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

disposing a pressure transducer on said regenerative braking system, said pressure transducer being configured to detect a fluid pressure in said regenerative braking system;

wherein said deceleration request includes one of a pressure increase in said regenerative braking system or a brake light signal.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

monitoring said regenerative braking system for a regeneration limit; and

enabling friction braking by said at least one friction brake when said regeneration limit is met.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

disposing a wheel speed pick-up adjacent to a vehicle wheel, said wheel speed pick-up being configured to sense a rotational velocity of said vehicle wheel;

wherein said limit of said regenerative braking system is determined from one of a regenerative current, a detected fluid pressure, or a sensed wheel velocity.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein said regeneration limit comprises one of an energy storage device operating at capacity, a thermal limit of said regenerative braking system, or a wheel slippage.