Motor vehicle having an air conditioner compressor as a starter of the internal combustion engine

• US 9,731,704 B2
• Filed: 08/01/2014
• Issued: 08/15/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Original Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Inventors: Apelsmeier, Andreas
• Primary Examiner(s): Mancho, Ronnie
• Application Number:
  US14/911,623
• Publication Number:
  US 20160193991A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,110 Days
• Field of Search: 701 22
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/004 for vehicles having a combustion engine and electric drive means, e.g. hybrid electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00428 electric
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2006/268 Electric drive motor starts the engine, i.e. used as starter motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2006/4825 Electric machine connected or connectable to gearbox input shaft
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/26 characterised by the motors or the generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/28 characterised by the electric energy storing means, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/442 Series-parallel switching type
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/003 to auxiliary motors, e.g. for pumps, compressors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/423 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/443 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/26 Transition between different drive modes
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/02 including control of driveline clutches
• 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 10/30 including control of auxiliary equipment, e.g. air-conditioning compressors or oil pumps
• 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 20/14 in conjunction with braking regeneration
• 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 2710/083 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18127 Regenerative braking
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/92 : Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2300/182 : Selecting between different operative modes, e.g. comfort and performance modes
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2300/42 : Control of clutches
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2300/43 : Control of engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2300/63 : Starter motor mode
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2400/88 : Air conditioners, e.g. compressor drives
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/003 : said electric motor being also used as a drive for auxiliaries, e.g. for driving transmission pumps or fuel pumps during engine stop
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/006 : using a plurality of electric motors
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/04 : the motors being associated with current generators
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/084 : State of vehicle accessories, e.g. air condition or power steering
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/0866 : comprising several power sources, e.g. battery and capacitor or two batteries
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2011/0888 : DC/DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2011/0896 : Inverters for electric machines, e.g. starter-generators
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2200/0806 : Air condition state
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2250/02 : Battery voltage drop at start, e.g. drops causing ECU reset
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/02 : for charging batteries from ac mains by converters
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 : Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 : Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/88 : Optimized components or subsystems, e.g. lighting, actively controlled glasses
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/93 : Conjoint control of different elements

Abstract

A motor vehicle includes a hybrid drive having an internal combustion engine and an electric drive motor, and an air conditioning system having a compressor configured to compress a refrigerant, and an electric motor configured to operate the compressor and to start the internal combustion engine as electric starter when being coupled with the internal combustion engine. The electric motor has an inverter to operate the electric motor directly with high voltage of a high-voltage onboard electrical system of the motor vehicle so as to enable the electric motor to apply a mechanical torque for re-staring the internal combustion engine in case of need in the absence of any assistance from the electric drive motor. A clutch device mechanically couples the electric motor of the air conditioning system with the internal combustion engine in response to a control signal.

Claims

1. A motor vehicle, comprising:

a hybrid drive for driving the motor vehicle, said hybrid drive including an internal combustion engine and an electric drive motor;

a low-voltage onboard electrical system configured to supply electric energy to at least one low-voltage consumer;

a high-voltage onboard electrical system configured to provide a high voltage of more than 60 volts;

an air conditioning system including a compressor configured to compress a refrigerant, and an electric motor configured to operate the compressor and to start the internal combustion engine as electric starter when being coupled with the internal combustion engine, said electric motor including an inverter configured to operate the electric motor directly with the high voltage of the high-voltage onboard electrical system to enable the electric motor to apply a mechanical torque for re-staring the internal combustion engine in case of need in the absence of any assistance from the electric drive motor;

a clutch device configured to mechanically couple the electric motor of the air conditioning system with the internal combustion engine in response to a control signal; and

a control device configured to operate the electric drive motor of the hybrid drive without starter reserve, which is necessary for generating the mechanical torque for starting the internal combustion engine, so that a difference between a maximum torque that can be generated by the electric drive motor and an actually generated drive torque of the electric drive motor for driving the motor vehicle is less than the mechanical torque required for starting the internal combustion engine.

2. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising a DC-DC converter configured to couple the low-voltage onboard electrical system to the high-voltage onboard electrical system.

3. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the air conditioning system includes a control device configured to operate the electric motor of the air conditioning system without starter reserve so that application of the mechanical torque to re-start the internal combustion engine is accompanied by a momentary reduction of an available power to provide air conditioning and cooling, when the electric motor operates the compressor and re-start of the internal combustion engine is demanded.

4. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising a controllable decoupling device configured to temporarily mechanically decouple the electric motor of the air conditioner from the compressor in response to a decoupling signal.

5. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the electric motor is configured to operate as an electric generator for generating electric energy through recuperation of kinetic energy of the motor vehicle during deceleration of the motor vehicle and/or from a mechanical drive energy generated from the internal combustion engine, while the electric motor is coupled to the internal combustion engine via the clutch device.

6. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the electric motor is connected to the high-voltage onboard electrical system to receive electrical high-volt voltage, even at an ambient temperature of minus 10°

C., for starting the internal combustion engine.

7. A method of operating a motor vehicle having a hybrid drive with an electric drive motor and an internal combustion engine, and an air conditioning system with an electric motor, said method comprising:

determining the presence of a demand for starting the internal combustion engine;

in the presence of the demand, mechanically coupling the electric motor of the air conditioning system with the internal combustion engine by activating a mechanical clutch device to thereby operate the electric motor to start the internal combustion engine by applying a mechanical torque for re-staring the internal combustion engine in the absence of any assistance from the electric drive motor; and

during operation of the electric motor and starting the internal combustion engine, using a DC-DC converter to decouple an electric low-volt voltage in a low-voltage onboard electrical system of the motor vehicle from a voltage fluctuation caused by the electric motor in a high-voltage onboard electrical system of the motor vehicle.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

operating a compressor of the air conditioning system via the internal combustion engine.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the electric motor of the air conditioning system is mechanically driven via the clutch device so that the electric motor generates electrical energy which is fed into the high-voltage onboard electrical system of the motor vehicle.