Methods and systems for a driveline disconnect clutch

• US 9,156,469 B2
• Filed: 02/25/2013
• Issued: 10/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Gibson, Alex O'Connor, Nedorezov, Felix, Doering, Jeffrey Allen, Jiang, Hong
• Primary Examiner(s): CAMBY, RICHARD M
• Application Number:
  US13/776,347
• Publication Number:
  US 20130297122A1
• Time in Patent Office: 960 Days
• Field of Search: 701/22, 701/36, 701 51- 55, 701/67, 701/102, 180 651- 6529
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2006/268 Electric drive motor starts the engine, i.e. used as starter motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/26 characterised by the motors or the generators
• 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 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 2030/206 related or induced by the engine
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/1015 Input shaft speed, e.g. turbine speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/027 Clutch torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/081 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/20 Reducing vibrations in the driveline
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2400/426 Hydrodynamic couplings, e.g. torque converters
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2312/14 Going to, or coming from standby operation, e.g. for engine start-stop operation at traffic lights
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/143 using electric control means
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/902 Prime movers comprising electrical and internal combustion motors

Abstract

Systems and methods for improving operation of a hybrid vehicle are presented. In one example, compensation for a driveline disconnect clutch is provided. The approaches may reduce driveline torque disturbances.

Claims

1. A method of operating a hybrid vehicle driveline, comprising:

opening a torque converter clutch of a torque converter that is closed in response to an engine start request; and

adjusting a driveline integrated starter/generator (DISG) speed in response to a desired torque converter impeller speed while the torque converter clutch is open, and where the DISG is mechanically coupled to an impeller of the torque converter and a transmission input shaft is coupled to a turbine of the torque converter.

2. The method of claim 1, where adjusting the DISG speed includes adjusting the DISG speed as a function of torque converter turbine speed and desired torque converter impeller torque.

3. The method of claim 2, where the desired torque converter impeller torque is based on a driver demand torque.

4. The method of claim 1, where the DISG speed is adjusted via adjusting a DISG torque, where the DISG speed is adjusted during an engine start, and further comprising decoupling an engine from the DISG after a predetermined number of combustion events.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising adjusting the DISG torque in response to an estimated driveline disconnect clutch torque.

6. The method of claim 5, where the estimated driveline disconnect clutch torque is based on a driveline disconnect clutch application force.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising operating the DISG in a speed control mode when adjusting the DISG speed.

8. A method of operating a hybrid vehicle driveline, comprising:

opening a torque converter clutch in response to an engine start request;

operating a driveline integrated starter/generator (DISG) in a speed control mode in response to the engine start request;

adjusting DISG speed in response to a desired torque converter impeller speed in response to the engine start request while the torque converter clutch is open; and

starting an engine via closing a driveline disconnect clutch.

9. The method of claim 8, where the driveline disconnect clutch is partially closed in response to a driveline disconnect clutch application force, and where driveline disconnect clutch torque is estimated based on the driveline disconnect clutch application force.

10. The method of claim 9, where DISG torque is adjusted in response to the estimated driveline disconnect clutch torque.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising adjusting DISG speed in response to a desired torque converter impeller torque and torque converter turbine speed.

12. The method of claim 8, where the DISG speed is adjusted contemporaneously with closing the driveline disconnect clutch, and further comprising decoupling the DISG from the engine after a predetermined number of combustion events.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising adjusting a driveline disconnect clutch transfer function in response to a DISG adjustment torque output during closing the driveline disconnect clutch.

14. The method of claim 8, where starting the engine via closing the driveline disconnect clutch includes partially closing the driveline disconnect clutch and then fully closing the driveline disconnect clutch so that driveline disconnect clutch input speed matches driveline disconnect output speed when engine speed substantially equals DISG speed.

15. A hybrid vehicle driveline system, comprising:

a driveline integrated starter/generator (DISG);

an engine;

a driveline disconnect clutch positioned in a driveline between the engine and the DISG;

a transmission including a torque converter clutch positioned downstream of the DISG; and

a controller including executable non-transitory instructions for operating the DISG in a speed control mode and providing a desired torque converter impeller torque via adjusting DISG speed in response to a torque converter turbine speed and the desired torque converter impeller torque.

16. The hybrid vehicle driveline system of claim 15, further comprising additional executable non-transitory instructions for closing the driveline disconnect clutch at a first time engine speed substantially equals DISG speed after an engine stop.

17. The hybrid vehicle driveline system of claim 15, further comprising additional executable non-transitory instructions for closing the driveline disconnect clutch in response to a request to start the engine and decoupling the DISG from the engine after a predetermined number of combustion events.

18. The hybrid vehicle driveline system of claim 15, further comprising additional executable non-transitory instructions for estimating driveline disconnect clutch torque based on a driveline disconnect clutch application force.

19. The hybrid vehicle driveline system of claim 15, further comprising a DISG speed sensor and a torque converter turbine speed sensor for determining the torque converter turbine speed.

20. The hybrid vehicle driveline system of claim 15, where the speed control mode includes adjusting DISG torque to adjust DISG speed.