Systems, apparatuses, and methods to control output power of groups of engines

• US 9,889,915 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2016
• Issued: 02/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Inventors: Zhang, Yanchai, Snopko, Michael A., Chang, Insu, Janardhan, Vijay, Converse, Perry D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kiswanto, Nicholas
• Assistant Examiner(s): TAVERAS, KENNY ABEL
• Application Number:
  US15/198,604
• Publication Number:
  US 20180001985A1
• Time in Patent Office: 593 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B63H 2021/216 using electric control means
• CPC Class Codes: B63H 21/21 Control means for engine or transmission, specially adapted for use on marine vessels
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 11/105 characterised by the function converting demand to actuation, e.g. a map indicating relations between an accelerator pedal position and throttle valve opening or target engine torque
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 25/00 Controlling two or more co-operating engines
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 29/02 peculiar to engines driving vehicles; peculiar to engines driving variable pitch propellers
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/1406 with use of a optimisation method, e.g. iteration
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/26 using computer, e.g. microprocessor

Abstract

A control system to optimize response time of a plurality of engines of a machine is provided. The control system includes a controller configured to determine a first engine group and a second engine group based on data regarding response time characteristics of the plurality of engines, control the first engine group to increase output power of the machine when the output power of the machine is below a predetermined power output threshold, and control the second engine group to increase output power of the machine responsive to the output power of the machine reaching the predetermined power output threshold. A response time of the first engine group is faster than a response time of the second engine group when the output power of the machine is below the predetermined power output threshold.

Claims

1. A control system to optimize response time of a plurality of engines of a machine, the control system comprising:

memory configured to store data regarding response time characteristics of the plurality of engines; and

a controller in communication with the memory, the controller configured to;

determine a first group of engines of the plurality of engines based on the data regarding response time characteristics of the plurality of engines,

determine a second group of engines of the plurality of engines, different from the first group of engines, based on the data regarding response time characteristics of the plurality of engines,

control the first group of engines to increase output power of the machine when the output power of the machine is below a predetermined power output threshold, and

control the second group of engines to increase output power of the machine responsive to the output power of the machine reaching the predetermined power output threshold,

wherein a response time of the first group of engines is faster than a response time of the second group of engines when the output power of the machine is below the predetermined power output threshold.

2. The control system of claim 1, wherein the data regarding response time characteristics of the plurality of engines stored in the memory includes a plurality of optimized distribution maps for different groups of engines, including the first group of engines and the second group of engines, corresponding to different predetermined output power requests.

3. The control system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to:

perform an optimization algorithm to generate the data regarding response time characteristics of the plurality of engines, and

store the data regarding response time characteristics of the plurality of engines in the memory.

4. The control system of claim 1, wherein the controller implements a particle swarm optimization algorithm to determine the first group of engines and the second group of engines, to control the first group of engines to increase output power of the machine when the output power of the machine is below the predetermined power output threshold, and to control the second group of engines to increase output power of the machine responsive to the output power of the machine reaching the predetermined power output threshold.

5. The control system of claim 1, wherein the predetermined power output threshold represents a predefined step threshold in output power of the machine.

6. The control system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to:

detect a transient step change in requested output power for the machine, and

switch from a constant-ratio load sharing mode to a performance mode to optimize the response time of the machine responsive to detection of the transient step change in the requested output power for the machine by determining the first group of engines and the second group of engines and controlling the first group of engines and the second group of engines to increase output power of the machine.

7. The control system of claim 1, wherein the controller increases output power of the machine from an idle state of the machine when controlling the first group of engines to increase output power of the machine.

8. The control system of claim 1, wherein the controller increases output power of the machine from a non-zero power output value when controlling the first group of engines to increase output power of the machine.

9. The control system of claim 1, wherein the second group of engines includes at least one engine with a first power rating different from a second power rating of all engines of the first group of engines.

10. The control system of claim 1, wherein all engines of the first and second groups of engines have a same power rating.