Range prediction in electric vehicles

• US 9,834,111 B2
• Filed: 06/16/2014
• Issued: 12/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jaguar Land Rover Limited (TATA Motors Limited)
• Original Assignee: Jaguar Land Rover Limited (TATA Motors Limited)
• Inventors: Grewal, Karmjit, Burrows, Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Khatib, Rami
• Application Number:
  US14/897,460
• Publication Number:
  US 20160129803A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,268 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/28 Trailers
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/12 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/26 Vehicle weight
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/545 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/547 Voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/549 Current
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/16 by display
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/44 by parameter estimation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/52 drive range estimation, e.g. of estimation of available travel distance
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/54 Energy consumption estimation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/16 with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/12 responding to state of charge [SoC]
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/244 Charge state
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2530/10 Weight
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2530/16 Driving resistance
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2530/18 Distance travelled
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/20 Road profile, i.e. the change in elevation or curvature of a plurality of continuous road segments
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/12 related to parameters of the vehicle itself , e.g. tyre models
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/13 Load or weight
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0097 : Predicting future conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 : Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• 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 10/84 : Data processing systems or methods, management, administration

Abstract

A first method of predicting the range of an electric vehicle comprises, determining a range value during a current vehicle operating cycle using a first range model, wherein the first range model is dependent on an energy consumption rate value recorded during a previous vehicle operating cycle. A second method of predicting the range of an electric vehicle comprises, monitoring a trailer detecting means of the vehicle; and determining a first range value if the trailer detecting means detects that a trailer is attached to the vehicle.

Claims

1. A method of predicting a range of an electric vehicle, the method comprising the following performed by a controller of the vehicle:

determining a range value during a current vehicle operating cycle using a first range model, wherein the first range model is dependent on an energy consumption rate value recorded during a previous vehicle operating cycle;

determining one or more further range values using a respective one or more further range models;

determining an average range value based on the range value during the current vehicle operating cycle and the one or more further range values; and

displaying a range metric to a vehicle user via a display screen within the vehicle, the range metric based on the range value during the current vehicle operating cycle and the one or more further range values.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the range metric includes a distance range value being indicative of a maximum distance that the vehicle can travel until an energy store of the vehicle is depleted.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the range metric includes a time range value being indicative of a time for which the vehicle may remain operational until an energy store of the vehicle is depleted.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the time range value is displayed to the vehicle user via the display screen, during a predetermined vehicle state.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first range model includes calculating a composite energy consumption rate value based on i) a current energy consumption rate value associated with the current vehicle operating cycle and ii) the energy consumption rate value recorded, during the previous vehicle operating cycle, and determining the range value based on the composite energy consumption rate value.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the average range value is determined using a weighted average technique.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more, further range models includes a dynamic vehicle model configured to determine a range value based on one or more of the following parameters:

vehicle speed, vehicle mass, drive-train efficiency, motor efficiency, vehicle drag coefficient, rolling resistance, air density, battery state of charge, battery temperature and battery energy.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more further range models includes a state of charge model configured to determine a range value based on a measured state of charge of a vehicle battery and a current energy consumption rate value.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the range value during the current vehicle operating cycle includes calculating a current energy gradient value as a ratio of a distance travelled during the current vehicle operating cycle and energy consumed during the current vehicle operating cycle.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein determining the range value during the current vehicle operating cycle includes calculating a product of the current energy gradient value and an instantaneous measured energy available in an energy store of the vehicle.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the first range model is configured to calculate the range value during the current vehicle operating cycle based on whether a trailer is attached to the vehicle.

12. A processing system for an electric vehicle having a controller configured to implement the method of claim 1.

13. An electric vehicle including an energy store, an electric drive system, and an on-board processing system having the controller of claim 12.