Dual clutch driveline twist control

• US 8,332,111 B2
• Filed: 11/01/2010
• Issued: 12/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: McDonnell, Alexander P., Feldpausch, Terry G., Riedle, Bradley D., Doering, Jeffrey A., Kuechler, Peter D., Rollinger, John E., Schmitt, David H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Beaulieu, Yonel
• Application Number:
  US12/916,831
• Publication Number:
  US 20120109477A1
• Time in Patent Office: 771 Days
• Field of Search: 701/68, 701/71, 477/34, 477 39- 40, 477/70, 477/77
• US Class Current: 701/68
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/02 including control of driveline clutches
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/113 with two input flow paths, e.g. double clutch transmission selection of one of the torque flow paths by the corresponding input clutch
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/023 Clutch engagement rate
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/025 Clutch slip, i.e. difference between input and output speeds
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/0666 Engine torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/1005 Transmission ratio engaged
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/19 Improvement of gear change, e.g. by synchronisation or smoothing gear shift

Abstract

A method for controlling a driveline having a transmission clutch includes locking the clutch before a driveline lash crossing occurs; maintaining a locked clutch during the lash crossing; after the lash crossing occurs, increasing a clutch capacity at a slower rate than a driveline twist torque rate; and after the lash crossing occurs, producing clutch slip by controlling engine torque and clutch capacity such that engine torque exceeds clutch capacity.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a driveline having a transmission clutch, comprising:

(a) producing a signal representing desired engine torque to limit driveline twist rate while the clutch is locked and before a lash crossing;

(b) producing a second signal representing desired clutch capacity to maintain the clutch locked during the lash crossing;

(c) after the lash crossing, using the signal to increase clutch capacity at a slower rate than the driveline twist rate;

(d) using the signals to produce clutch slip by controlling engine torque and the clutch capacity such that engine torque exceeds the clutch capacity.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein step (a) further comprises:

using the second signal to produce clutch slip after the lash crossing by setting clutch capacity less than a reaction torque to the lash crossing.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein step (c) further comprises:

after the lash crossing occurs, adjusting the second signal to increase clutch capacity at a slower rate than the driveline twist torque rate.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein steps (c) and (d) further comprises:

preventing the clutch from relocking but using the signal to control engine torque and clutch capacity such that clutch slip is produced.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

using the signal to increase engine torque such that a driver demanded wheel torque is produced.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein step (d) further comprises:

adjusting the signal to decrease engine torque relative to clutch capacity, if clutch slip is greater than a reference clutch slip; and

adjusting the signal to increase engine torque relative to clutch capacity, if clutch slip is less than a reference clutch slip.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein step (a) further comprises using an estimated driveline twist and the driveline twist rate to determine a predicted drive line twist for the lash crossing.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein step (a) further comprises:

estimating driveline twist;

using a first speed signal representing speed of a transmission output and a second speed signal representing speed of a road wheel to determine the driveline twist rate;

using the estimated driveline twist, the driveline twist rate, and a torsional spring constant of a driveline shaft to determine a predicted drive line twist for the lash crossing.

9. A method for controlling a driveline having a transmission clutch, comprising:

(a) locking the clutch before a lash crossing;

(b) maintaining the clutch locked during the lash crossing;

(c) increasing a clutch capacity at a rate coordinated with an estimated driveline twist rate;

(d) after the lash crossing occurs, producing clutch slip by controlling engine torque and clutch capacity such that engine torque exceeds clutch capacity;

(e) reducing the rate of increase in clutch capacity.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein step (c) is executed before the lash crossing is completed.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein step (a) and (b) further comprise using an estimated driveline twist and the driveline twist rate to determine a predicted drive line twist for the lash crossing.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein steps (a) and (b) further comprise:

estimating the driveline twist;

estimating an initial value of driveline twist based on a combination of measured engine speed, input shaft speed, engine torque, clutch torque and a driveline torsional spring constant;

determining the driveline twist rate using a difference between a transmission shaft speed and wheel speed, and a scaling of the transmission shaft speed based on gear ratio;

updating the estimated current driveline twist; and

predicting the driveline twist a period of time into the future.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein updating the estimated current driveline twist and predicting the driveline twist a period of time into the future are executed by integrating the driveline twist rate.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein steps (a) and (b) further comprise:

reducing engine torque while crossing driveline lash to limit the driveline twist rate at the end of the lash crossing.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein:

reducing engine torque while crossing lash is accomplished by at least one of retarding engine spark, cutting out an engine fuel injector, and reducing a pulsewidth of an engine fuel injector.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein:

reducing engine torque while crossing lash is accomplished by at least one changing lift of an engine intake valve, and changing duration of lift of an engine intake valve.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein:

the reduction of engine torque occurs after the driveline has entered lash; and

the increase in engine torque occurs before completion of the lash crossing based on a prediction of driveline twist.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

modulating engine torque during the lash crossing; and

increasing engine torque in anticipation of the end of lash crossing and increasing clutch torque in anticipation of end of lash crossing are controlled based on an estimated driveline twist.

19. The method of claim 9, wherein step (c) further comprises:

producing the clutch slip after the lash crossing by setting the clutch capacity during the lash crossing to a magnitude lower than the driveline torque reaction after lash crossing, with clutch torque scaled relative to driveline torque based on a current transmission gear ratio.

20. The method of claim 9, wherein step (c) further comprises:

after the lash crossing occurs, increasing clutch capacity at a rate lower than an increase in driveline torque corresponding to the estimated driveline twist rate.

21. The method of claim 9, wherein step (d) further comprising:

preventing the clutch from relocking using at least one of engine torque increases and clutch torque decreases, based on a measured clutch slip and a rate of change of clutch slip.

22. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

increasing engine torque such that a driver demanded engine torque is produced.

23. The method of claim 9, wherein step (d) further comprises:

decreasing engine torque relative to clutch capacity if clutch slip is greater than a reference clutch slip; and

increasing engine torque relative to clutch capacity if clutch slip is less than a reference clutch slip.

24. A method for controlling a driveline having a transmission clutch, comprising:

(a) using engine torque to limit driveline twist rate while the clutch is locked and before a lash crossing;

(b) maintaining the clutch locked during the lash crossing;

(c) after the lash crossing, increasing a clutch capacity at a slower rate than the driveline twist rate;

(d) producing clutch slip by controlling engine torque and the clutch capacity such that engine torque exceeds the clutch capacity.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein step (a) further comprises:

producing clutch slip after the lash crossing by setting a clutch capacity less than a reaction torque to the lash crossing.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein step (c) further comprises:

after the lash crossing occurs, increasing the clutch capacity at a slower rate than the driveline twist torque rate.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein steps (c) and (d) further comprises:

preventing the clutch from relocking while engine torque and clutch capacity are controlled such that clutch slip is produced.

28. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

increasing engine torque such that a driver demanded wheel torque is produced.

29. The method of claim 24, wherein step (d) further comprises:

decreasing engine torque relative to clutch capacity if clutch slip is greater than a reference clutch slip; and

increasing engine torque relative to clutch capacity if clutch slip is less than a reference clutch slip.

30. The method of claim 24, wherein step (a) further comprises using an estimated driveline twist and the driveline twist rate to determine a predicted drive line twist for the lash crossing.

31. The method of claim 24, wherein step (a) further comprises:

estimating driveline twist;

using speed of a transmission output and speed of a wheel speed to determine the driveline twist rate;

using the estimated driveline twist, the driveline twist rate, and a torsional spring constant of a driveline shaft to determine a predicted drive line twist for the lash crossing.

32. A method for controlling a vehicle driveline having a power source and a transmission clutch, comprising:

(a) producing, in response to a demanded wheel torque, a first signal that controls torque transmitted from the power source to the clutch during a lash crossing; and

(b) producing a second signal that controls clutch torque capacity such that clutch slip is produced during the lash crossing.

33. The method of claim 32 further comprising:

producing signals representing rotational speed at longitudinally spaced position on a halfshaft to determine a driveline reaction torque rate; and

increasing clutch torque capacity at a lower rate than the driveline reaction torque rate.

34. The method of claim 32 further comprising:

producing signals representing differential rotational speed across the clutch to determine a magnitude of the clutch slip.