Method for operating a motor vehicle

• US 9,162,582 B2
• Filed: 02/28/2012
• Issued: 10/20/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Original Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Inventors: Meitinger, Karl-Heinz, Ullmann, Stefan
• Primary Examiner(s): POPE, DARYL C
• Application Number:
  US14/119,682
• Publication Number:
  US 20140091919A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,330 Days
• Field of Search: 340/455, 307 44- 48, 307/52, 307/59, 320/127, 320/14, 320/158, 320/159, 320/162, 320/163
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/40 using propulsion power supplied by capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/305 Communication interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/13 Maintaining the SoC within a determined range
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/00 Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor for lighting vehicle interior B60Q3/00
• 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 20/00 Control systems specially adapted for hybrid vehicles hybrid vehicle design, B60K6/00; electric vehicles B60L
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/13 in order to stay within battery power input or output limits; in order to prevent overcharging or battery depletion
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/244 Charge state
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2720/106 Longitudinal acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18027 Drive off, accelerating from standstill
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• 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 90/16 Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/903 having energy storing means, e.g. battery, capacitor

Abstract

A method for operating a motor vehicle, including at least one electric motor connected to at least one rechargeable energy storage unit that stores electrical power, wherein the charging operation of the energy storage unit is carried out in such a way that a charging state limit that lies below the maximum charging state of the energy storage unit is not exceeded, wherein upon activation of at least one vehicle starting system, which is designed to automatically carry out a maximum acceleration of the motor vehicle from the standing position, the charging operation of the energy storage unit is carried out before the acceleration of the motor vehicle in such a way that the energy storage unit is charged up to a further charging state limit that lies above the first charging state limit and/or at least one further rechargeable energy storage unit is connected in series

Claims

1. A method for operating a motor vehicle, said motor vehicle comprising a vehicle start system configured for maximal acceleration of the vehicle from standstill, at least one rechargeable energy storage unit storing electric energy, and at least one electric motor connected to the at least one energy storage unit, said method comprising:

in a deactivated state of the vehicle start system, charging the at least one rechargeable energy storage unit up to a first charging state limit, which is below a maximal charging state of the rechargeable energy storage unit; and

in an activated state of the vehicle start system and prior to acceleration of the motor vehicle, charging the at least one rechargeable energy storage unit to a further charging state limit above the first charging state limit and/or connecting at least one further rechargeable energy storage unit in series,

wherein an energy amount required for charging the at least one energy storage unit to the second charging state limit is generated by at least one of the least one electric motor operated as generator, and a further energy storage unit.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the further energy storage unit is constructed as a dual-layer capacitor.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one electric motor is operated as generator by driving the at least one electric motor with a further electric motor of the motor vehicle.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein in the activated state of the vehicle start system, the at least one rechargeable energy storage unit is charged with a higher charging rate than when the vehicle start system is deactivated.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one electric motor is operated as generator by driving the at least one electric motor with an internal combustion engine of the motor vehicle.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one further energy storage unit is charged in a recuperation operation.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising rendering an actual charging state of the energy storage unit during the charging to the further charging state limit visually and/or acoustically and/or haptically perceivable by at least one vehicle occupant.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first charging state limit and/or further charging state limit is a fixedly predetermined or individually predeterminable charging state limit.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first charging state limit corresponds to 80% of the maximal charging state of the energy storage unit and the further charging state limit corresponds to 90% of the maximal charging state of the at least one energy storage unit.

10. A motor vehicle, comprising:

at least one electric motor;

at least one rechargeable energy storage unit storing electric energy and connected to the at least one electric motor; and

at least one vehicle start system which is configured for effecting a maximal acceleration of the motor vehicle from standstill characterized in that the motor vehicle is configured for carrying out the method of claim 1.

11. The motor vehicle of claim 10, constructed as hybrid motor vehicle and further comprising an internal combustion engine, wherein the energy amount required for charging the at least one rechargeable energy storage unit to the further charging state limit is generated by the electric motor which is operated as generator and is driven by the internal combustion engine.

12. The motor vehicle of claim 10, constructed as hybrid vehicle and further comprising an internal combustion engine, and at least one further electric motor for driving the at least one electric motor and operating the at least one electric motor as generator, thereby providing the energy amount required for charging the at least one rechargeable energy storage unit to the further charging state limit.

13. The motor vehicle of claim 10 constructed as electric vehicle and further comprising a further electric motor for driving the at least one electric motor and operating the at least one electric motor as generator, thereby providing the energy amount required for charging the at least one rechargeable energy storage unit to the further charging state limit.

14. The motor vehicle of claim 10, constructed as electric vehicle and further comprising at least one further energy storage unit, for providing the energy amount required for charging the at least one energy storage unit to the further charging state limit.

15. The motor vehicle of claim 14, wherein the at least one further energy storage unit is constructed as dual layer capacitor.

16. The motor vehicle of claim 10, further comprising at least one output means constructed rendering an actual charging state of the at least one rechargeable energy storage unit during the charging to the further charging state limit visually and/or acoustically and/or haptically perceivable.

17. The motor vehicle of claim 10, wherein the first and/or the further charging state limit is fixedly predetermined or individually predeterminable.

18. The motor vehicle of claim 10, wherein the first charging state limit is 80% of the maximal charging state and the further charging state limit is 90% of the maximal charging state of the at least one researchable energy storage unit.