Method for controlling and/or regulating a hybrid drive arrangement

• US 8,308,605 B2
• Filed: 08/08/2008
• Issued: 11/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG (Zeppelin - Stiftung der Stadt Friedrichshafen)
• Original Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG (Zeppelin - Stiftung der Stadt Friedrichshafen)
• Inventors: Kaltenbach, Johannes, Wallner, Stefan
• Primary Examiner(s): PANG, ROGER L
• Application Number:
  US12/671,133
• Publication Number:
  US 20100204004A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,558 Days
• Field of Search: 477/3, 477/5, 903/912
• US Class Current: 477/5
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/421 Speed
• 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 20/15 Control strategies specially adapted for achieving a particular effect
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/02 Clutches
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/24 Energy storage means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/244 Charge state
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/025 Clutch slip, i.e. difference between input and output speeds
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/081 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 Electric machine technologies in electromobility

Abstract

A method of controlling and/or regulating a hybrid drive system of a vehicle, with at least one internal combustion engine and at least one electric machine which can be coupled to the input shaft of an automated transmission, at least some of the time, by at least one clutch to facilitate driving of the vehicle such that at least one energy accumulator is charged by the electric machine which is operated as a generator and driven by the internal combustion engine. The electric machine is a synchronizer machine that is continually energized by maintaining a nominal speed of the synchronizer machine below an inflexion speed (n_Eck) during the charging process.

Claims

1. A method of at least one of controlling and regulating a hybrid system for a vehicle, the hybrid system comprising at least one internal combustion engine and at least one electric machine which are coupled, at least temporarily during operation of the vehicle, to an input shaft of an automated transmission by at least one clutch for driving a vehicle such that at least one energy accumulator is charged by the electric machine operating as a generator and driven by the internal combustion engine, the method comprising the steps of:

maintaining a nominal speed lower than an inflexion speed (n_Eck) with a continually energized synchronizer machine as the electric machine during the charging process; and

controlling, via a clutch control system, the nominal speed during the charging process.

2. A method of at least one of controlling and regulating a hybrid system for a vehicle, the hybrid system comprising at least one internal combustion engine and at least one electric machine which are coupled, at least temporarily during operation of the vehicle, to an input shaft of an automated transmission by at least one clutch for driving a vehicle such that at least one energy accumulator is charged by the electric machine operating as a generator and driven by the internal combustion engine, the method comprising the steps of:

maintaining a nominal speed lower than an inflexion speed (n_Eck) with a continually energized synchronizer machine as the electric machine during the charging process;

controlling, via a clutch control system, the nominal speed during the charging process; and

operating the clutch with the clutch control system in a slipping mode to maintain the nominal speed of the synchronizer machine within a basic speed range (I).

3. A method of controlling a hybrid system of a vehicle which comprises an internal combustion engine and at least one electric machine, the method comprising the steps of:

engaging a clutch at least periodically to couple the internal combustion engine and the electric machine to an input shaft of an automated transmission for driving a vehicle;

driving the electric machine with the internal combustion engine;

operating the electric machine as a generator to charge an energy accumulator, and the electric machine being a synchronizer machine; and

maintaining the synchronizer machine at a nominal rotational speed, which is lower than an inflexion speed (n_Eck), during a charging process of the accumulator such that the synchronizer machine is continually energized;

controlling the nominal rotational speed of the synchronizer machine with a clutch control system during the charging process of the accumulator; and

operating the clutch in a slipping mode with the clutch control system to maintain the nominal rotational speed of the synchronizer machine within a basic rotational speed range (I).