Power management system

• US 7,340,339 B1
• Filed: 02/13/2004
• Issued: 03/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Inventors: Murray, Robert U., Fabry, Mark D., Freesmeyer, Samuel R., Brown, Peter A., Litkenhus, Thad T.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, CUONG H
• Application Number:
  US10/777,140
• Time in Patent Office: 1,481 Days
• Field of Search: 701/51, 701/54, 701 67- 68, 701/1, 701/36, 701/50, 701 99-101, 701/104, 123/378, 123/542, 123/179.18, 123/14, 477/3, 903/917
• US Class Current: 701/104
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/16 responsive to, or preventing, skidding of wheels brake control systems for vehicle drive stability B60T8/1755; arrangements responsive to a speed condition for adjusting wheel braking force B60T8/32; control of vehicle driving stability otherwise than by controlling the propulsion unit only B60W30/02; preventing wheel slippage by reducing power in rail vehicles B61C15/00
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 31/007 controlling fuel supply
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/917 with transmission for changing gear ratio

Abstract

An exemplary power management system may include a power source configured to receive a fuel supply and a transmission driveably engaged with the power source. A control system communicates with the power source and the transmission and is configured to determine a fuel supply limit associated with a desired speed of the power source. The fuel supply limit may be determined from a fuel curve associated with the machine. The control system is operative to modify at least a portion of the fuel curve based on a load condition of the power source.

Claims

1. A power management system for a machine, comprising:

a power source configured to receive a fuel supply based on a fuel curve associated with the machine;

a transmission being driveably engaged with the power source; and

a control system in communication with the power source and the transmission, the control system being configured to determine a fuel supply limit associated with a desired speed of the power source, the fuel supply limit being determined from the fuel curve associated with the machine,

wherein the control system is operative to modify at least a portion of the fuel curve to reduce the fuel supply when a load condition of the power source exceeds a desired amount.

4. The system of claim 1, further including a drive train operably coupled to the transmission.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the drive train is configured to drive tracks of an earth-working machine.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the control system is configured to sense power source load and transmission operating gear, and wherein the control system is configured to determine whether the transmission operating gear is within a predetermined slip-limited range of the transmission.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the control system is configured to compare the sensed power source load with a predetermined power source overload parameter and modify the fuel supply limit if the sensed power source load exceeds the predetermined power source overload parameter.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the control system is configured to modify the fuel curve based on the load condition of the power source and at least one of power source speed and transmission operating gear.

2. A power management system for a machine, comprising:

a power source configured to receive a fuel supply based on a fuel supply limit associated with the machine;

a transmission being driveably engaged with the power source; and

a control system in communication with the power source and the transmission, the control system being configured to modify the fuel supply limit to reduce the fuel supply, the fuel supply limit being regulated based on rack position and a load condition of the power source exceeding a desired amount.

9. The system of claim 2, further including a drive train operably coupled to the transmission.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the drive train is configured to drive tracks of an earth-working machine.

11. The system of claim 2, wherein the control system is configured to sense power source load and transmission operating gear, and wherein the controller is configured to determine whether the transmission operating gear is within a predetermined slip-limited range of the transmission.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the control system is configured to compare the sensed power source load with a predetermined power source overload parameter and modify the fuel supply limit if the sensed power source load exceeds the predetermined power source overload parameter.

13. The system of claim 2, further including an emissions sensor configured to sense an amount of emissions leaving the power source, and wherein the control system is configured to modify the fuel curve based on the sensed amount of emissions.

3. A method for operating a power management system, comprising:

driving a transmission with a power source receiving a fuel supply based on a fuel supply limit; and

modifying the fuel supply limit to reduce the fuel supply being supplied to the power source based on rack position and a load condition of the power source exceeding a desired amount.

14. The method of claim 3, further including determining whether a transmission operating gear of the transmission is within a predetermined slip-limited range of the transmission, and comparing the load condition of the power source with a predetermined power source overload parameter.

15. The method of claim 3, wherein modifying the fuel supply limit includes determining a modification factor for modifying the fuel supply limit.

16. The method of claim 3, further including determining the fuel supply limit based on a machine fuel limit curve if a transmission operating gear is outside a predetermined slip-limited range of the transmission.

17. The method of claim 3, further including sensing an amount of emissions leaving the power source and modifying the fuel supply limit based on the sensed amount of emissions.