Engine power elevation energy management strategies for hybrid vehicles

• US 9,102,318 B2
• Filed: 01/15/2013
• Issued: 08/11/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Yu, Hai, Kuang, Ming Lang, McGee, Ryan Abraham
• Primary Examiner(s): Kiswanto, Nicholas
• Application Number:
  US13/741,511
• Publication Number:
  US 20130131900A1
• Time in Patent Office: 938 Days
• Field of Search: 701/29.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/445 Differential gearing distribution type
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/2045 for optimising the use of energy
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/486 Operating parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/48 by fuzzy logic
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/56 Temperature prediction, e.g. for pre-cooling
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/16 with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/61 by batteries charged by engine-driven generators, e.g. series hybrid electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/11 DC charging controlled by the charging station, e.g. mode 4
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/12 responding to state of charge [SoC]
• 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 10/26 for electrical energy, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/10 Controlling the power contribution of each of the prime movers to meet required power demand
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/11 using model predictive control [MPC] strategies, i.e. control methods based on models predicting performance utilising navigation and traffic information in the control strategy B60W20/12
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/244 Charge state
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/10 Accelerator pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/12 Brake pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/16 Ratio selector position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/00 Input parameters relating to data
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 Engine management systems
• 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 90/12 : Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 : Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/93 : Conjoint control of different elements

Abstract

A method for a hybrid vehicle includes outputting from an engine at least an elevated engine power while a driver demand power is greater than the elevated engine power. The method further includes outputting just the elevated engine power from the engine while the driver demand power is less than the elevated engine power and transferring from the engine to a traction battery an extra engine power between the elevated engine power and the driver demand power.

Claims

1. A method for a hybrid vehicle comprising:

obtaining a level of a driver demand power (DDP);

outputting from an engine at least an elevated engine power (EEP) while the DDP is greater than the EEP;

outputting just the EEP from the engine, with no traction battery power being outputted, while the DDP is less than the EEP;

transferring from the engine to a traction battery an extra engine power between the EEP and the DDP.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

selecting a level of the elevated engine power to be outputted from the engine as a function of the state-of-charge of the traction battery.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein:

the level of the elevated engine power is selected to be relatively higher when the state-of-charge of the traction battery is less than a reference threshold and the level of the elevated engine power is selected to be relatively lower when the state-of-charge of the traction battery is greater than the reference threshold.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

selecting a level of the elevated engine power to be outputted from the engine based on one of a plurality of battery charge depletion profiles.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein:

the level of the elevated engine power is selected further based on distance until charge information.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

selecting a level of the elevated engine power to be outputted from the engine based on distance until charge information.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the driver demand power is indicative of driver demand power for vehicle propulsion.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the vehicle is a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle.

9. A system for a hybrid vehicle having an engine and a traction battery, the system comprising:

a controller configured to control the engine to output at least an elevated engine power while a driver demand power is greater than the elevated engine power, control the engine and the traction battery such that just the elevated engine power is outputted from the engine while the driver demand power is less than the elevated engine power, and to enable a transfer from the engine to the traction battery of an extra engine power between the elevated engine power and the driver demand power.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein:

the controller is further configured to select a level of the elevated engine power to be outputted from the engine as a function of the state-of-charge of the traction battery.

11. The system of claim 9 wherein:

the controller is further configured to select the level of the elevated engine power to be relatively higher when the state-of-charge of the traction battery is less than a reference threshold and to select the level of the elevated engine power to be relatively lower when the state-of-charge of the traction battery is greater than the reference threshold.

12. The system of claim 9 wherein:

the controller is further configured to select a level of the elevated engine power to be outputted from the engine based on one of a plurality of battery charge depletion profiles.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein:

the controller is further configured to select a level of the elevated engine power to be outputted from the engine based on distance until charge information.

14. The system of claim 9 wherein:

the vehicle is a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle.

15. A vehicle comprising:

an engine configured to output engine power;

a traction battery configured to output battery power and to buffer engine power; and

a controller configured to control the engine to output at least an elevated engine power while a driver demand power is greater than the elevated engine power, control the engine and the traction battery such that just the elevated engine power is outputted from the engine while the driver demand power is less than the elevated engine power, and to enable an extra engine power between the elevated engine power and the driver demand power to be transferred from the engine to the traction battery for the traction battery to buffer for future battery power output.

16. The vehicle of claim 15 wherein:

the controller is further configured to select a level of the elevated engine power to be outputted from the engine as a function of the state-of-charge of the traction battery.

17. The vehicle of claim 15 wherein:

the controller is further configured to select the level of the elevated engine power to be relatively higher when the state-of-charge of the traction battery is less than a reference threshold and to select the level of the elevated engine power to be relatively lower when the state-of-charge of the traction battery is greater than the reference threshold.

18. The vehicle of claim 15 wherein:

the controller is further configured to select a level of the elevated engine power to be outputted from the engine based on one of a plurality of battery charge depletion profiles.

19. The vehicle of claim 15 wherein:

the controller is further configured to select a level of the elevated engine power to be outputted from the engine based on distance until charge information.

20. The vehicle of claim 15 wherein:

the vehicle is a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle.