Vehicle and method for controlling synchronizer of the same

• US 9,919,699 B2
• Filed: 10/29/2014
• Issued: 03/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BYD Company Limited
• Original Assignee: BYD Company Limited
• Inventors: Yang, Dongsheng, Lian, Yubo, Zhang, Jintao, Luo, Hongbin
• Primary Examiner(s): Kleinman, Lail A
• Application Number:
  US14/527,410
• Publication Number:
  US 20150210268A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,238 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 17/356 having fluid or electric motor, for driving one or more wheels disposition of motor in, or adjacent to, traction wheel B60K7/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/387 Actuated clutches, i.e. clutches engaged or disengaged by electric, hydraulic or mechanical actuating means
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/442 Series-parallel switching type
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/52 Driving a plurality of drive axles, e.g. four-wheel drive
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 7/0007 the motor being electric
• 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 10/113 with two input flow paths, e.g. double clutch transmission selection of one of the torque flow paths by the corresponding input clutch
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/14 in conjunction with braking regeneration
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/20 Control strategies involving selection of hybrid configuration, e.g. selection between series or parallel configuration
• 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 2510/081 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/244 Charge state
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/10 Accelerator pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/081 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18127 Regenerative braking
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18172 Preventing, or responsive to skidding of wheels
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 37/065 with a plurality of driving or driven shafts F16H37/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 : Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/93 : Conjoint control of different elements
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/19014 : Plural prime movers selectively coupled to common output

Abstract

A method for controlling a synchronizer of a vehicle is provided. The vehicle comprises an engine unit, a transmission unit configured to selectively couple with the engine unit and to couple with at least one of a plurality of wheels of the vehicle, a synchronizer configured to adjust a power transmission between the transmission unit and the wheels. The method comprises acquiring an operation mode and operation parameters of the vehicle and controlling the synchronizer to adjust the power transmission between the transmission unit and the wheels based on the operation parameters. A vehicle including a controller configured to control the synchronizer according to the method is also provided. The vehicle further includes a first motor generator configured to adjust a rotating speed of the synchronizer according to a speed of the vehicle, and a second motor generator configured to drive at least one of wheels of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a synchronizer of a vehicle, the method comprising:

acquiring an operation mode and operation parameters of the vehicle, the vehicle comprising;

an engine unit,

a transmission unit configured to be selectively coupled with the engine unit via a clutch, the transmission unit comprising at least a first input shaft and a second input shaft fitted over the first input shaft, a first and a second driving gears mounted on the first and second input shafts and rotating synchronously with the first and second input shafts, respectively, an output shaft, a first and a second driven gears mounted on the output shaft and rotating synchronously with the output shaft, the first and second driving gears on the first and second input shafts meshing with the first and second driven gears on the output shaft,

an output unit configured to transmit power transmitted by the transmission unit to at least one of front and rear wheels of the vehicle,

a synchronizer disposed on the output shaft of the transmission unit and configured to enable or interrupt power transmission between the transmission unit and the output unit and to selectively synchronize the output unit and the transmission unit,

a first motor generator coupled with one of the first and second driving gears on the first and second input shafts of the transmission unit and configured to adjust a rotating speed of the output shaft coupled with the synchronizer according to a speed of the vehicle,

a second motor generator configured to drive at least one of the front and rear wheels, and

a power battery coupled with the first and second motor generators respectively; and

controlling the synchronizer to engage or to disengage based on the operation parameters.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the operation mode of the vehicle comprises an EV mode and a HEV mode, and the HEV mode comprises a series mode, a parallel mode and a series-parallel mode.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the operation mode of the vehicle comprises an EV mode and a HEV mode, and each of the EV mode and a HEV mode comprises a front-wheel drive mode, a rear-wheel drive mode, and a four-wheel drive mode.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the operation parameters of the vehicle comprise at least one of an electric quantity of the power battery, the speed of the vehicle, a required power of the vehicle, a required torque of the vehicle, a slipping condition of the front wheel of the vehicle, a slipping condition of the rear wheel of the vehicle, or an electric braking torque of the vehicle.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein controlling the synchronizer to engage or disengage based on the operation parameters comprises controlling the synchronizer to engage when at least one of the following conditions is satisfied:

the speed of the vehicle is larger than a speed threshold of the vehicle;

the vehicle is in the parallel mode or the series-parallel mode;

the electric quantity of the power battery is smaller than or equal to an electric quantity threshold;

at least one of the front and rear wheels of the vehicle is in the slipping condition;

the electric braking torque of the vehicle is larger than a motor-feedback torque threshold of the second motor generator;

or

the required torque of the vehicle is larger than a torque threshold of the second motor generator.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein controlling the synchronizer to engage or disengage based on the operation parameters further comprises controlling the synchronizer to disengage when at least one of the following conditions is satisfied:

the vehicle is in the EV mode, and the speed of the vehicle is smaller than or equal to a speed threshold of the vehicle, and the required torque of the vehicle is smaller than or equal to a torque threshold of the second motor generator;

or

the vehicle is in the HEV mode, the speed of the vehicle is smaller than or equal to the speed threshold of the vehicle, the required torque of the vehicle is smaller than or equal to the torque threshold of the second motor generator, and the electric quantity of the power battery is larger than an electric quantity threshold.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein controlling the synchronizer to engage comprises:

controlling the first motor generator to switch from a torque control manner to a rotating speed control manner with a rotating speed of a wheel side of the synchronizer as a target rotating speed of the rotating speed control manner;

adjust a rotating speed of the output shaft that is coupled to the synchronizer; and

controlling the synchronizer to engage when a rotating speed of the output shaft is close to the target rotating speed.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising controlling the first motor generator to switch from the rotating speed control manner to the torque control manner, after controlling the synchronizer to engage.

20. The method according to claim 1, further comprising a third input shaft fitted over the second input shaft, a third driving gear mounted on the third input shaft and rotating synchronously with the third input shaft, and a third driven gear mounted on the output shaft, wherein the first motor generator is coupled with one of the first, second, and third driving gears and configured to adjust the rotating speed of the output shaft coupled with the synchronizer according to the speed of the vehicle.

9. A method for controlling a synchronizer of a vehicle, the method comprising:

acquiring information on operation parameters of the vehicle, the vehicle comprising an engine unit, a transmission unit configured to selectively couple, via a clutch, with the engine unit and to couple with at least one of a plurality of wheels of the vehicle, a synchronizer configured to adjust a power transmission between the transmission unit and the plurality of wheels, a first motor generator coupled with the transmission unit and a second motor generator configured to drive at least one of the plurality of wheels, the first motor generator being configured to adjust an output rotating speed of the synchronizer, and a power battery coupled with the first and second motor generators respectively wherein the transmission unit comprises at least a first input shaft and a second input shaft fitted over the first input shaft, a first and a second driving gears mounted on the first and second input shafts and rotating synchronously with the first and second input shafts, respectively, an output shaft, a first and a second driven gears mounted on the output shaft and rotating synchronously with the output shaft, the first and second driving gears on the first and second input shafts meshing with the first and second driven gears on the output shaft; and

controlling the synchronizer and the clutch based on the operation parameters,

wherein controlling the synchronizer and the clutch based on the operation parameters comprises

disengaging the synchronizer and keeping the clutch in a disengaged state when the following conditions are satisfied;

the vehicle is in an electric vehicle (EV) mode, and a speed of the vehicle is smaller than or equal to a speed threshold of the vehicle, and a required torque of the vehicle is smaller than or equal to a torque threshold of the second motor generator;

or

disengaging the synchronizer and keeping the clutch in an engaged state when the following conditions are satisfied;

the vehicle is in a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) mode, the speed of the vehicle is smaller than or equal to the speed threshold of the vehicle, the required torque of the vehicle is smaller than or equal to the torque threshold of the second motor generator, and an electric quantity of the power battery is larger than an electric quantity threshold of the vehicle.

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising:

acquiring information on an operation mode of the vehicle; and

controlling the synchronizer and the clutch further based on the operation mode of the vehicle.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the operation mode of the vehicle comprises an EV mode and a HEV mode, wherein the HEV mode comprises a series mode, a parallel mode and a series-parallel mode.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein each of the EV mode and the HEV mode comprises a front-wheel drive mode, a rear-wheel drive mode, and a four-wheel drive mode.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the operation parameters of the vehicle comprise at least one of:

an electric quantity of a power battery configured to supply electric power to the vehicle, the speed of the vehicle, a required power of the vehicle, a required torque of the vehicle, a slipping condition of the front wheels of the vehicle, a slipping condition of the rear wheels of the vehicle, and an electric braking torque of the vehicle.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the synchronizer and the clutch are both engaged if:

the speed of the vehicle exceeds a speed threshold of the vehicle;

the vehicle is in the parallel mode or the series-parallel mode;

the electric quantity of the power battery is smaller than or equal to an electric quantity threshold;

at least one of wheels of the vehicle is in the slipping condition;

the electric braking torque of the vehicle is larger than a motor-feedback torque threshold of the second motor generator;

or

the required torque of the vehicle is larger than a torque threshold of the second motor generator.

15. A vehicle, comprising:

an engine unit;

a plurality of wheels;

a transmission unit configured to selectively couple with the engine unit via a clutch, the transmission unit comprising at least a first input shaft and a second input shaft fitted over the first input shaft, a first driving gear mounted on the first input shaft, a second driving gear mounted on the second input shaft, an output shaft, a first and a second driven gears mounted on the output shaft, the first and second driving gears on the first and second input shafts meshing with the first and second driven gears on the output shaft;

an output unit configured to transmit a power transmitted by the transmission unit to at least one of the wheels of the vehicle;

a synchronizer disposed on the output shaft of the transmission unit and configured to adjust a power transmission between the transmission unit and the output unit;

a first motor generator coupled with one of the first and second driving gears on the first and second input shafts of the transmission unit and configured to adjust a rotating speed of the output shaft coupled to the synchronizer according to a speed of the vehicle;

a second motor generator configured to drive at least one of wheels of the vehicle;

a power battery coupled with the first and second motor generators respectively; and

a controller configured to acquire an operation mode and operation parameters of the vehicle, and to control the synchronizer to adjust the power transmission based on the operation parameters.

16. The vehicle according to claim 15,

wherein the clutch is a dual clutch comprising:

an input terminal coupled with the engine unit;

a first output terminal coupled with the first input shaft of the transmission unit; and

a second output terminal coupled with the second input shaft of the transmission unit.

17. The vehicle according to claim 15, wherein the operation mode of the vehicle comprises an EV mode and a HEV mode, and the HEV mode includes at least one of:

a series mode, a parallel mode, a series-parallel mode, a front-wheel drive mode, a rear-wheel drive mode, and a four-wheel drive mode; and

wherein the EV mode includes a front-wheel drive mode, a rear-wheel drive mode, and a four-wheel drive mode.

18. The vehicle according to claim 17, wherein the operation parameters of the vehicle comprise at least one of an electric quantity of the power battery, the speed of the vehicle, a required power of the vehicle, a required torque of the vehicle, a slipping condition of the front wheel of the vehicle, a slipping condition of the rear wheel of the vehicle, and an electric braking torque of the vehicle.

19. The vehicle according to claim 18, wherein the controller is configured to control the synchronizer to enable the power transmission if:

the speed of the vehicle exceeds a speed threshold of the vehicle;

the vehicle is in the parallel mode or the series-parallel mode and the electric quantity of the power battery is smaller than or equal to an electric quantity threshold;

at least one of the wheels of the vehicle is in the slipping condition;

the electric braking torque of the vehicle is larger than a motor-feedback torque threshold of the second motor generator;

or

the required torque of the vehicle is larger than a torque threshold of the second motor generator.