Control system for an all-wheel drive electric vehicle

• US 9,162,586 B2
• Filed: 05/19/2014
• Issued: 10/20/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tesla Inc.
• Original Assignee: Tesla Motors Incorporated (Tesla Inc.)
• Inventors: Tang, Yifan
• Primary Examiner(s): Zanelli, Michael J
• Application Number:
  US14/281,679
• Publication Number:
  US 20140257613A1
• Time in Patent Office: 519 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 1/02 comprising more than one electric motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2001/001 one motor mounted on a propulsion axle for rotating right and left wheels of this axle
• 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 15/2036 Electric differentials, e.g. for supporting steering vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/24 Steering angle
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/423 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/486 Operating parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/08 including control of electric propulsion units, e.g. motors or generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/087 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/28 Wheel speed
• 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 2540/18 Steering angle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/083 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility

Abstract

Electric vehicles and, more particularly, a control system for an all-wheel drive electric vehicle. An electric vehicle drive system comprises: first and second electric motors; a torque split unit configured to receive first input that includes at least a total torque request for the first and second electric motors, and respective first and second maximum torques for the first and second electric motors, the torque split unit configured to process the first input without taking into account wheel slip, and to generate at least respective first and second torque requests for the first and second electric motors; and a traction and stability control unit configured to receive second input that includes at least the first and second torque requests, the total torque request, a computed vehicle speed, and respective first and second slip errors relating to the first and second electric motors, the traction and stability control unit configured to process the second input and to generate respective first and second torque commands for the first and second electric motors.

Claims

1. An electric vehicle drive system comprising:

first and second electric motors;

a torque split unit configured to receive first input that includes at least a total torque request for the first and second electric motors, and respective first and second maximum torques for the first and second electric motors, the torque split unit configured to process the first input without taking into account wheel slip, and to generate at least respective first and second torque requests for the first and second electric motors; and

a traction and stability control unit configured to receive second input that includes at least the first and second torque requests, the total torque request, and respective first and second slip errors relating to the first and second electric motors, the traction and stability control unit configured to process the second input and to generate respective first and second torque commands for the first and second electric motors.

2. The electric vehicle drive system of claim 1, further comprising a traction control command generation unit coupled to the torque split unit and to the traction and stability control unit, the traction control command generation unit configured to generate at least a computed vehicle speed.

3. The electric vehicle drive system of claim 2, wherein the traction control command generation unit is configured to also generate the first and second slip errors.

4. The electric vehicle drive system of claim 1, further comprising respective first and second torque limiting units for the first and second electric motors, the first and second torque limiting units configured to generate the respective first and second maximum torques.

5. The electric vehicle drive system of claim 1, further comprising a lookup table that contains at least optimal torque values based on vehicle speed and total requested torque, wherein the torque split unit is configured to use the lookup table in generating the first and second torque requests.

6. The electric vehicle drive system of claim 1, wherein the torque split unit is configured to generate the first and second torque requests to implement a maximum operating efficiency while complying with the first and second maximum torques.

7. The electric vehicle drive system of claim 1, wherein the traction and stability control unit comprises multiple stages, in which a first stage minimizes the first and second slip errors.

8. The electric vehicle drive system of claim 7, wherein the traction and stability control unit further comprises a second stage in which motor speed disturbances are minimized.

9. The electric vehicle drive system of claim 8, wherein the traction and stability control unit further comprises a control circuit between the first and second stages, the control circuit configured to add an amount of torque to each of the first and second torque requests, the amount of torque proportional to a difference between the first or second torque request and the total torque request.

10. The electric vehicle drive system of claim 8, wherein the traction and stability control unit further comprises a torque limit stage that limits torque commands generated by the second stage, the torque limit stage limiting the torque commands based on the first and second maximum torques.

11. The electric vehicle drive system of claim 1, wherein the torque split unit and the traction and stability control unit are configured to operate at different frequencies than each other.

12. The electric vehicle drive system of claim 11, wherein the traction and stability control unit is configured to have a first operating frequency that is a specific factor higher than a second operating frequency of the torque split unit.

13. A method comprising:

receiving first input that includes at least a total torque request for first and second electric motors of an electric vehicle, and respective first and second maximum torques for the first and second electric motors;

generating, based on the first input and without taking into account wheel slip, at least respective first and second torque requests for the first and second electric motors;

receiving second input that includes at least respective first and second slip errors relating to the first and second electric motors;

generating, based on the second input, respective first and second torque commands for the first and second electric motors; and

applying the respective first and second torque commands for the first and second electric motors.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising calculating wheel slip ratios for wheels associated with the first and second electric motors, wherein generating the first and second slip errors comprises determining differences between the wheel slip ratios and target wheel slip ratios.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein generating the first and second torque requests comprises using a lookup table containing at least optimal torque values based on vehicle speed and total requested torque.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising generating the lookup table, the lookup table generated by looping through vehicle speed values between minimum and maximum vehicle speeds, looping through total vehicle torque values between minimum and maximum vehicle torques, and looping through first motor torque values between minimum and maximum first motor torque torques.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising minimizing the first and second slip errors.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising minimizing motor speed disturbances after minimizing the first and second slip errors.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising, after minimizing the motor speed disturbances, adding an amount of torque to each of the first and second torque requests, the amount of torque proportional to a difference between the first or second torque request and the total torque request.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising limiting, based on the first and second maximum torques, torque commands generated in minimizing the motor speed disturbances.

21. The method of claim 13, further comprising setting a first operating frequency for generating the first and second torque commands to be a specific factor higher than a second operating frequency of generating the first and second torque requests.

22. The method of claim 13, further comprising limiting the first and second torque commands based on a power limitation of an energy storage system for the first and second electric motors.