Method and system for determining a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle expected drive range

• US 10,093,303 B2
• Filed: 08/17/2010
• Issued: 10/09/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Grider, Duane M., Blakemore, Bruce Carvell
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramesh, Krishnan
• Application Number:
  US12/858,112
• Publication Number:
  US 20110046834A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,975 Days
• Field of Search: 701 22, 180 651, 903930
• 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 20/11 using model predictive control [MPC] strategies, i.e. control methods based on models predicting performance utilising navigation and traffic information in the control strategy B60W20/12
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/146 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/244 Charge state
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2530/209 Fuel quantity remaining in tank
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

A vehicle may include an engine and electric machine each configured to generate motive power for the vehicle, a battery configured to store energy for the electric machine, and a tank configured to store fuel for the engine. The vehicle may further include one or more controllers configured to determine a vehicle drive range based on an amount of fuel in the tank and an available charge depletion energy in the battery.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising:

an engine and electric machine each configured to generate motive power for the vehicle;

a battery configured to store energy for the electric machine;

a tank configured to store fuel for the engine; and

one or more controllers configured to output a vehicle drive range based on output from a first sensor related to an available charge depletion energy in the battery for operating in charge depleting mode and output from a second sensor related to an amount of fuel in the tank.

2. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the available charge depletion energy in the battery is based on a difference between an energy content of the battery at a current state of charge and an energy content of the battery at a state of charge approximately equal to the battery'"'"'s charge depleting lower threshold.

3. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the output is further based on an efficiency associated with converting electrical power to mechanical power and an efficiency associated with converting fuel power to mechanical power.

4. A method for advising a driver of a vehicle including a battery and fuel tank comprising:

outputting, by at least one controller, a drive range based on output from sensors related to a gasoline consumption rate for a drive cycle of the vehicle, an equivalent gasoline consumption rate for the drive cycle, an amount of fuel in the fuel tank, and an available charge depletion energy in the battery for operating in charge depleting mode.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the available charge depletion energy in the battery is based on a difference between an energy content of the battery at a current state of charge and an energy content of the battery at state of charge approximately equal to the battery'"'"'s charge depleting lower threshold.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the equivalent gasoline consumption rate for the drive cycle is further based on an efficiency associated with converting electrical power to mechanical power.

7. A plug-in hybrid electric vehicle comprising:

a battery;

a fuel tank; and

one or more controllers configured to output an expected drive range of the vehicle based on output from a first sensor related to an available charge depletion energy in the battery for operating in charge depleting mode and output from a second sensor related to an amount of fuel in the fuel tank.

8. The vehicle of claim 7 wherein the available charge depletion energy in the battery is based on a difference between an energy content of the battery at a current state of charge and an energy content of the battery at a state of charge approximately equal to the battery'"'"'s charge depleting lower threshold.

9. The vehicle of claim 7 wherein the output is further based on an efficiency associated with converting electrical power to mechanical power and an efficiency associated with converting fuel power to mechanical power.