Method for actuating the stop and start function in a moving vehicle, especially an industrial or commercial or special vehicle

• US 8,666,594 B2
• Filed: 03/25/2011
• Issued: 03/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Iveco SPA (Iveco Group NV)
• Original Assignee: Iveco SPA (Iveco Group NV)
• Inventors: Aimo Boot, Marco
• Primary Examiner(s): Algahaim, Helal A
• Assistant Examiner(s): CASTRO, PAUL A
• Application Number:
  US13/261,444
• Publication Number:
  US 20130024056A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,075 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 701/36
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/48 Parallel type
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/20 for control of the vehicle or its driving motor to achieve a desired performance, e.g. speed, torque, programmed variation of speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/525 Temperature of converter or components thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/642 Slope of road
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/145 Structure borne vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/16 with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/08 including control of electric propulsion units, e.g. motors or generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/0225 Clutch actuator position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/244 Charge state
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/10 Accelerator pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/15 Road slope, i.e. the inclination of a road segment in the longitudinal direction
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18018 Start-stop drive, e.g. in a traffic jam
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/192 Mitigating problems related to power-up or power-down of the driveline, e.g. start-up of a cold engine
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 : Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/19014 : Plural prime movers selectively coupled to common output
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/20018 : Transmission control

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for actuating the stop & start function in a moving vehicle, especially an industrial or commercial or special vehicle, said vehicle being equipped with hybrid drive of the parallel type, comprising a thermal engine (1), an electric motor-generator (2), a single clutch unit (3) placed between the two engines, a transmission system (6) comprising an automated manual transmission, a hybrid power steering both hydraulic and electric, the method comprising the steps of enabling of the stop phase, activation of the stop phase, maintaining of the stop phase, activation of the start phase.

Claims

1. A method for actuating the stop &

start function in a moving vehicle, especially an industrial or commercial or special vehicle, the method comprising;

preparing a vehicle equipped with hybrid drive of the parallel type, comprising a thermal engine, an electric motor-generator, a single clutch unit placed between the two engines, an automated manual transmission, and a hybrid power steering both hydraulic and electric;

enabling of a stop phase, in which the motor-generator assumes the management of the speed of rotation of a primary of the gearbox;

activation of the stop phase;

maintaining of the stop phase; and

activation of the start phase;

wherein said enabling step of the stop phase comprises the following verifications;

released accelerator pedal or gear shifting request by the automated manual transmission;

vehicle speed higher than a first threshold value (Vs);

road slope comprised between two limit values (P1, P2);

activation of a control system (EPS) of the electric power steering;

verification that the charging status of a drive battery of the electric motor is higher than a threshold value (SOC_D);

verification of the opening status of the clutch;

verification of engagement of the forward gear;

said enabling of the stop phase being performed only if all the conditions mentioned above are verified.

2. The method for actuating the stop &

start function in a moving vehicle according to the claim 1, wherein said activation of the stop phase comprises the steps of;

gear in neutral;

control system (EPS) of the electric power steering in “

Stop &

Start Driving”

mode, wherein only the electric power steering is activated;

activation of a control of the rotational speed of the primary of the gearbox by means of the electric motor-generator;

stopping of the thermal engine.

3. The method for actuating the stop &

start function in a moving vehicle according to the claim 2, wherein said maintaining of the stop phase is actuated when all the following conditions are verified, otherwise the start phase is activated;

road slope comprised between said two limit values (P1, P2);

activation of said control system (EPS) of the electric power steering;

verification that the charging status of the drive battery of the electric motor is higher than a threshold value (SOC_D);

instant power required to the electric motor-generator lower than the threshold value (P_LIMIT-Mot);

vehicle speed higher than a first threshold value (V_INF) or if lower than the first value but higher than a second threshold value (V_INF−

Δ

V_MOD);

brake pedal completely released.

4. The method for actuating the stop &

start function in a moving vehicle according to claim 3, wherein said enabling of the start phase is actuated according to a first or a second mode, on the basis of the evaluation of the speed value the vehicle had before slowing down, or also of the rapidity of the decreasing speed variation, referred to said first threshold value (V_INF) or said second threshold value (V_INF−

Δ

V_MOD).

5. The method for actuating the stop &

start function in a moving vehicle according to the claim 4, wherein said first mode is actuated in case of a speed higher than said first threshold value (V_INF) and includes actions of;

gear shifting in neutral;

clutch closing;

thermal engine restarting by using the electric motor;

clutch reopened, with gear shifting request to the automated manual transmission;

clutch closing;

shifting of the control system (EPS) of the electric power steering to the “

normal”

mode, wherein the hydraulic power steering is activated again.

6. The method for actuating the stop &

start function in a moving vehicle according to the claim 4, wherein said second mode is actuated in case of a speed lower than said first threshold value but higher than the second threshold value, and includes actions of;

automatic operating of the clutch by modulating a slight clutch slip, with the gearbox in mesh;

thermal engine restarting by using the vehicle'"'"'s inertia;

activation of the control of the rotational speed of the primary of the gearbox by means of the electric motor-generator;

clutch reopened, with gear shifting request to the automated manual transmission;

shifting of the control system (EPS) of the electric power steering to the “

normal”

mode, wherein the hydraulic power steering is activated again.