Drivetrain and associated operating method

• US 7,806,801 B2
• Filed: 07/30/2007
• Issued: 10/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Dr Ing hc F Porsche AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Original Assignee: Dr Ing hc F Porsche AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Inventors: Sauvlet, Nils, Fleckner, Marco, Kraxner, Dieter, Gohring, Markus
• Primary Examiner(s): Estremsky; Sherry L
• Assistant Examiner(s): YOUNG, EDWIN
• Application Number:
  US11/829,996
• Publication Number:
  US 20080032856A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,163 Days
• Field of Search: 477/168
• US Class Current: 477/5
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/48 Parallel type
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/02 including control of driveline clutches
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/026 of lock-up clutches
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/08 including control of electric propulsion units, e.g. motors or generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/115 with planetary gears
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/30 including control of auxiliary equipment, e.g. air-conditioning compressors or oil pumps
• 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 20/40 Controlling the engagement or disengagement of prime movers, e.g. for transition between prime movers power-up or power-down of the driveline B60W30/192
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/19 Improvement of gear change, e.g. by synchronisation or smoothing gear shift
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/143 using electric control means
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles

Abstract

A drivetrain of a motor vehicle has an internal combustion engine, an electric motor, a transmission, and a torque converter with a converter bypass clutch. The drivetrain is controlled such that, during an electric operating mode in which the internal combustion engine is deactivated and the electric motor is activated, and/or during a recuperation operating mode in which the internal combustion engine is deactivated and the electric motor is operated as a generator, the converter bypass clutch is permanently closed, at least between shift processes of the transmission, in order to bypass the torque converter.

Claims

1. A method for operating a drivetrain, the drivetrain including an internal combustion engine, an electric motor, a transmission, and a torque converter with a converter bypass clutch, and the method which comprises the following steps:

in an electric operating mode in which the internal combustion engine is deactivated and the electric motor is activated, and/or during a recuperation operating mode in which the internal combustion engine is deactivated and the electric motor is operated as a generator, closing without slipping the converter bypass clutch, at least between shift processes of the transmission, for bypassing the torque converter; and

driving a hydraulic medium pump, which supplies hydraulic medium at operating pressure to a hydraulic actuating device for actuating the converter bypass clutch, and which is drive-coupled to the drivetrain, by way of an electric auxiliary motor below a predetermined limit rotational speed of the drivetrain and/or below a predetermined limit pressure in the hydraulic medium.

2. The method according to claim 1, which comprises maintaining the converter bypass clutch closed even during shift processes of the transmission during the electric operating mode and/or during the recuperation operating mode.

3. A method for operating a drivetrain, the drivetrain including an internal combustion engine , an electric motor, a transmission, and a torque converter with a converter bypass clutch, and the method which comprises the following steps:

in an electric operating mode in which the internal combustion engine is deactivated and the electric motor is activated, and/or during a recuperation operating mode in which the internal combustion engine is deactivated and the electric motor is operated as a generator, permanently closing the converter bypass clutch, at least between shift processes of the transmission, for bypassing the torque converter; and

supplying a hydraulic actuating device for actuating the converter bypass clutch with hydraulic medium at operating pressure by way of a hydraulic medium pump, which is drive-coupled to the drivetrain, above a predetermined limit rotational speed of the drivetrain and/or above a predetermined limit pressure in the hydraulic medium, and supplying the hydraulic actuating device for actuating the converter bypass clutch with hydraulic medium at operating pressure by way of an electric auxiliary pump below the predetermined limit rotational speed of the drivetrain and/or below the predetermined limit pressure in the hydraulic medium.

4. The method according to claim 3, which comprises maintaining the converter bypass clutch closed even during shift processes of the transmission during the electric operating mode and/or during the recuperation operating mode.

5. A drivetrain for a motor vehicle, comprising:

an internal combustion engine;

an electric motor;

a transmission connected to said internal combustion engine and said electric motor;

a torque converter connected to said internal combustion engine and said electric motor;

a converter bypass clutch for selectively bypassing said torque converter;

a control device for selectively actuating said converter bypass clutch, said control device, during an electric operating mode, in which said internal combustion engine is deactivated and said electric motor is activated, and/or during a recuperation operating mode, in which said internal combustion engine is deactivated and said electric motor is operated as a generator, holding said converter bypass clutch closed without slipping, at least between shift processes of said transmission, in order to bypass said torque converter;

a hydraulic actuating device connected to said control device for actuating said converter bypass clutch;

a hydraulic medium pump connected to said actuating device, said hydraulic medium pump being drive-coupled to the drivetrain and supplying said actuating device with hydraulic medium at operating pressure; and

an electric auxiliary motor for driving said hydraulic medium pump or an electric auxiliary pump for supplying said actuating device with hydraulic medium at operating pressure.

6. The drivetrain according to claim 5, wherein said control device is configured to hold said converter bypass clutch closed even during shift processes of said transmission during the electric operating mode and/or during the recuperation operating mode.

7. The drivetrain according to claim 5, wherein the control device is configured to activate said auxiliary motor or said auxiliary pump when a rotational speed of the drivetrain falls below a predetermined limit rotational speed and/or when a pressure in the hydraulic medium falls below a predetermined limit pressure.

8. The drivetrain according to claim 5, which further comprises an overrunning clutch drive-coupling said hydraulic medium pump to said auxiliary motor and/or to said drivetrain.

9. The drivetrain according to claim 5, wherein said control device is configured to maintain said converter bypass clutch closed even during shift processes of said transmission during the electric operating mode and/or during the recuperation operating mode.