Apparatus and method for starting engine of mild hybrid electric vehicle

• US 10,315,501 B2
• Filed: 11/08/2017
• Issued: 06/11/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group), Kia Motors Corporation (Kia Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group), Kia Motors Corporation (Kia Corp.)
• Inventors: Kim, YoungMin, Jang, Hwa Yong
• Primary Examiner(s): Evans, Bryan A
• Application Number:
  US15/807,376
• Publication Number:
  US 20180134138A1
• Time in Patent Office: 580 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2006/268 Electric drive motor starts the engine, i.e. used as starter motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/26 characterised by the motors or the generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/485 Motor-assist type
• 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 2510/0685 Engine crank angle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/192 Mitigating problems related to power-up or power-down of the driveline, e.g. start-up of a cold engine
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 35/028 by determining the combustion timing or phasing
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/00 Starting of engines by means of electric motors
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/04 the motors being associated with current generators
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 19/005 Aiding engine start by starting from a predetermined position, e.g. pre-positioning or reverse rotation
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2200/021 Engine crank angle
• CPC Class Codes: F02P 7/067 Electromagnetic pick-up devices , e.g. providing induced current in a coil
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles

Abstract

An apparatus for starting an engine of a mild hybrid electric vehicle may include: an ignition switch including a plurality of contact points; a mild hybrid starter & generator (MHSG) including a stator and a rotor internally disposed within the stator, and starting the engine or generating electricity according to an output of the engine; an MHSG wheel rotating integrally with the rotor, and having at least three teeth on a circumference thereof; an MHSG position detector configured for detecting positions of the teeth; and a controller configured for determining a top dead center (TDC) of a predetermined cylinder according to a signal of the MHSG position detector, and rotating the MHSG to start the engine.

Claims

1. An apparatus for starting an engine of a mild hybrid electric vehicle, the apparatus comprising:

an ignition switch including a plurality of contact points;

a mild hybrid starter &

generator (MHSG) including a stator and a rotor internally disposed within the stator, and configured to start the engine or generate electricity according to an output of the engine;

a MHSG wheel rotating integrally with the rotor, and having at least three teeth on a circumference of the MHSG wheel;

a MHSG position detector detecting positions of the teeth; and

a controller configured to determine a top dead center (TDC) of a predetermined cylinder according to a signal of the MHSG position detector, and to rotate the MHSG to start the engine.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a size and an interval of the at least three teeth are different from each other.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least three teeth include a first tooth, a second tooth, and a third tooth,

a distance between a positive flank and a negative flank of the first tooth, a distance between a positive flank and a negative flank of the second tooth, and a distance between a positive flank and a negative flank of the third tooth are different from each other, and

a distance between the negative flank of the first tooth and the positive flank of the second tooth, a distance between the negative flank of the second tooth and the positive flank of the third tooth, and a distance between the negative flank of the third tooth and the positive flank of the first tooth are difference from each other.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein, when a camshaft position detector is in a defective state, the controller is configured to control an operation of the engine using the MHSG position detector.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein, when a crankshaft position detector is in a defective state, the controller is configured to control an operation of the engine using the MHSG position detector.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the contact points include an OFF contact point and, wherein, when the OFF contact point is selected, the controller is configured to rotate the MHSG, such that a position of a camshaft of the engine becomes a predetermined position.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a hole is formed at a center of the MHSG wheel, and a rotation shaft of the rotor penetrates the hole.

8. A method for starting an engine using an apparatus having an ignition switch including a plurality of contact points;

a mild hybrid starter &

generator (MHSG) including a stator and a rotor internally disposed within the stator, and starting the engine or generating electricity according to an output of the engine;

an MHSG wheel rotating integrally with the rotor, and having at least three teeth on a circumference thereof;

an MHSG position detector configured to positions of the teeth; and

a controller configured to determine a top dead center (TDC) of a predetermined cylinder according to a signal of the MHSG position detector, and rotating the MHSG to start the engine, the method comprising;

determining whether a camshaft position detector is in a defective state; and

controlling an operation of the engine according to signals of a crankshaft position detector and the MHSG position detector when the camshaft position detector is in the defective state.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

determining whether the crankshaft position detector is in a defective state; and

controlling an operation of the engine according to signals of the camshaft position detector and the MHSG position detector when the crankshaft position detector is in the defective state.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

determining whether an OFF contact point of the ignition switch is selected, wherein the contact points include the OFF contact point; and

rotating the MHSG such that a position of a camshaft of the engine becomes a predetermined position when the OFF contact point of the ignition switch is selected.