Hybrid electric vehicle and method of controlling a hybrid electric vehicle

• US 9,216,732 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2012
• Issued: 12/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jaguar Land Rover Limited (TATA Motors Limited)
• Original Assignee: Jaguar Land Rover Limited (TATA Motors Limited)
• Inventors: Hancock, Matthew, Jimmy, Jose
• Primary Examiner(s): Olszewski, John R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Whittington, Jess
• Application Number:
  US13/983,238
• Publication Number:
  US 20140025244A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,421 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 17/346 the transfer gear being a differential gear
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/52 Driving a plurality of drive axles, e.g. four-wheel drive
• 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 20/00 Control systems specially adapted for hybrid vehicles hybrid vehicle design, B60K6/00; electric vehicles B60L
• 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 2050/0039 of the propulsion unit
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0041 of the drive line
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/0638 Engine speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/10 Accelerator pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/00 Input parameters relating to data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/105 Output torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2720/30 Wheel torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/10 Interpretation of driver requests or demands
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/93 Conjoint control of different elements

Abstract

A hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) controller configured to determine a value of driver demanded torque to be supplied to a driveline of a HEV by first and second actuators of the vehicle based on a plurality of parameters, the parameters including: (a) a speed of a first actuator; and (b) a position of a driver-operated control, the controller being configured such that when the first actuator is not connected to the driveline a value of driver demanded torque is determined based on a virtual speed of the first actuator, the virtual speed being a speed at which the first actuator would be turning if the first actuator was connected to the driveline.

Claims

1. A controller for a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV), the controller configured to determine a value of driver demanded torque to be supplied to a driveline of a vehicle by a first and second actuator of the vehicle based on a plurality of parameters, the plurality of parameters including:

(a) a speed of the first actuator; and

(b) a position of a driver-operated accelerator control,

the controller configured such that, when the first actuator is not connected to the driveline, a value of driver demanded torque is determined based on a virtual speed of the first actuator and the position of the driver-operated accelerator control, the virtual speed of the first actuator being a speed at which the first actuator would be turning if the first actuator was connected to the driveline;

the controller configured to determine the virtual speed of the first actuator based on one selected from amongst a measured speed of the second actuator and a calculated speed of the second actuator, the calculated speed being calculated based on a currently demanded speed of the second actuator; and

the controller configured to control the second actuator to deliver an amount of torque to the driveline that corresponds to the determined driver demanded torque.

2. A controller as claimed in claim 1 arranged to determine the virtual speed of the first actuator taking into account a gear ratio between the first actuator and the second actuator that would be experienced by the first actuator if the first actuator were connected to the driveline.

3. A controller as claimed in claim 1 arranged to determine the virtual speed of the first actuator based on one selected from amongst a speed of the driveline at a speed measurement position of the driveline, a wheel speed, and a gear ratio between the first actuator and the speed measurement position of the driveline.

4. A controller as claimed in claim 1 configured such that, when the first actuator is not connected to the driveline, an amount of braking torque that would be provided to the driveline by the first actuator if the first actuator were connected to the driveline is estimated in dependence on at least the virtual speed of the first actuator, the controller being further operable to control the second actuator to deliver an amount of torque to the driveline corresponding to a net torque that would be delivered if the first actuator were connected to the driveline.

5. A controller as claimed in claim 4 operable to estimate the amount of braking torque that would be further provided in further dependence on at least one selected from amongst the position of the driver-operated accelerator control, the speed of the vehicle and a gear ratio between a wheel of the vehicle and the first actuator.

6. A controller as claimed in claim 1 configured such that, when the first actuator is not connected to the driveline, a maximum amount of torque that would be available from the first actuator if the first actuator was connected to the driveline is determined in dependence on the virtual speed of the first actuator.

7. A controller as claimed in claim 6 operable to determine whether or not it is required to start the first actuator in dependence on the position of the driver-operated accelerator control and the maximum amount of torque that would be available from the first actuator if the first actuator were connected to the driveline.

8. A hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) comprising a controller as claimed in claim 1.

9. A vehicle as claimed in claim 8 wherein the first actuator comprises an internal combustion engine and the second actuator comprises an electric machine.

10. A controller as claimed in claim 9 wherein the electric machine comprises an electric motor/generator arranged to be operated as a motor or as a generator.

11. A vehicle as claimed in claim 8 wherein the first actuator is arranged to be coupled to the driveline via the second actuator.

12. A vehicle as claimed in claim 8 wherein the second actuator is comprised in a rear axle drive (RAD) unit.

13. A vehicle as claimed in claim 12 wherein the RAD unit is provided between a gearbox or transmission of the driveline and at least one wheel of the vehicle driven by the RAD unit.

15. A controller as claimed in claim 10, wherein the second actuator comprises a crankshaft-integrated motor/generator (CIMG).

14. A method of controlling a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) comprising:

determining a value of driver demanded torque to be supplied to a driveline of the vehicle by a first and second actuator of the vehicle based on a plurality of parameters, the parameters including;

(a) a speed of the first actuator; and

(b) a position of a driver-operated control;

when the first actuator is not connected to the driveline, determining a value of driver demanded torque based on a virtual speed of the first actuator and the position of the driver-operated control, the virtual speed of the first actuator being a speed at which the first actuator would be turning if the first actuator was connected to the driveline;

determining the virtual speed of the first actuator based on one selected from amongst a measured speed of the second actuator and a calculated speed of the second actuator, the calculated speed being calculated based on a currently demanded speed of the second actuator; and

controlling the second actuator to deliver an amount of torque to the driveline that corresponds to the determined driver demanded torque.