Apparatus and Method for Regulating Active Driveline Damping in Hybrid Vehicle Powertrain

• US 20100087996A1
• Filed: 10/08/2008
• Published: 04/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations Incorporated (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: Haggerty, Michael D., Hansen, R. Anthony, Morris, Robert L.
• Granted Patent: US 8,140,230 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/58
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 1/02 comprising more than one electric motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/365 with the gears having orbital motion
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/445 Differential gearing distribution type
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/421 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/423 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/441 Speed
• 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 20/15 Control strategies specially adapted for achieving a particular effect
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0006 Digital architecture hierarchy
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/0638 Engine speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/0661 Torque change rate
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/081 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/083 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/28 Wheel speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/0666 Engine torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/083 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/04 Monitoring the functioning of the control system
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 15/10 Suppression of vibrations in rotating systems by making use of members moving with the system by balancing F16F15/22 ; yielding couplings F16D3/00 ; with flywheels acting variably or intermittently F16H ; construction providing resilience or vibration-damping for gear elements F16H55/14
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 : Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 : Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/2121 : Flywheel, motion smoothing-type

Abstract

The present invention provides an improved method and apparatus for regulating active damping in a hybrid vehicle powertrain. The method includes: monitoring the damping command sent to the active damping system; determining a mean reference point, which may be a filtered value of the damping torque command; determining if the unfiltered damping torque command value switches from one side to the other of the mean reference point; if a switch is detected, determining if the size of the switch exceeds a predetermined minimum; if it does, then increasing a total number of switches; determining if the total number of switches exceeds a switch threshold; if the total number of switches exceeds the switch threshold, determining if the current damping torque exceeds a damping torque threshold; and decreasing the damping torque if the total number of switches exceeds the switch threshold and the current damping torque exceeds the damping torque threshold.

Claims

1. A method for regulating active damping in a vehicle powertrain having at least one torque-generative device, the method comprising:

monitoring a damping torque command sent to the at least one torque-generative device;

determining a mean reference point;

determining if a value of said damping torque command switches about said mean reference point;

determining if a switch magnitude exceeds a predetermined switch magnitude minimum if said damping torque command value switched about said mean reference point;

increasing a total number of switches if said switch magnitude exceeds said predetermined switch magnitude minimum;

determining if said total number of switches exceeds a switch counter threshold;

determining if a current damping torque exceeds a predetermined damping torque threshold if said total number of switches exceeds said switch counter threshold; and

decreasing said damping torque command if said current damping torque exceeds said predetermined damping torque threshold.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said damping torque command value switching about said mean reference point includes said damping torque command value switching from one of greater than or less than said mean reference point to the other of greater than or less than said mean reference point.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said mean reference point is a filtered value of said damping torque command.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein decreasing said damping torque command includes decreasing a damping torque multiplier to zero.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein decreasing said damping torque multiplier includes ramping down said damping torque multiplier according to a calibrated ramp down rate.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

ramping up said damping torque multiplier according to a calibrated enable ramp rate after said damping torque multiplier is equal to zero for a predetermined time.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

increasing a total number of samples if said damping torque command value has not switched about said mean reference point, said switch magnitude exceeds said predetermined switch magnitude minimum, or said switch magnitude does not exceed said predetermined switch magnitude minimum;

determining if said total number of samples exceeds a sample counter threshold; and

setting said total number of samples and total number of switches equal to zero if said total number of samples exceeds said sample counter threshold.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

determining if one of the vehicle powertrain performs a transient operation and the vehicle powertrain torque output exceeds a torque threshold; and

setting said total number of samples and total number of switches equal to zero if the vehicle powertrain performs a transient operation or the vehicle powertrain torque output exceeds said torque threshold.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said damping torque command value is based at least in part upon a parameter state estimator and a control gain feedback matrix.

10. A method for regulating an active damping system having at least one torque-generative device operable to selectively attenuate vibrations in a hybrid powertrain having an engine and at least one motor/generator assembly selectively drivingly connectable to a power transmission, the method comprising:

monitoring a damping torque command sent to the at least one torque-generative device by the active damping system;

filtering said damping torque command;

detecting if a switch occurs, said switch including said damping torque command switching from one of greater than or less than said filtered damping torque command to the other of greater than or less than said filtered damping torque command and a magnitude of said switch exceeding a predetermined switch magnitude;

incrementing a total number of switches if said switch occurs;

determining if said total number of switches exceeds a switch counter threshold within a preset sample period;

determining if a current damping torque exceeds a predetermined damping torque threshold if said total number of switches exceeds said switch counter threshold; and

decreasing a damping torque multiplier to zero if said current damping torque exceeds said predetermined damping torque threshold.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein decreasing said damping torque multiplier includes ramping down said damping torque multiplier according to a calibrated ramp down rate.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

ramping up said damping torque multiplier according to a calibrated enable ramp rate after said damping torque multiplier is equal to zero for a predetermined time.

13. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

incrementing a total number of samples in response to detecting if a switch occurs;

determining if one of said total number of samples exceeds a sample counter threshold, the vehicle powertrain performs a transient operation, and a torque output of the power transmission exceeds a torque threshold; and

setting said total number of samples and total number of switches equal to zero if said total number of samples exceeds said sample counter threshold, the vehicle powertrain performs a transient operation, or the power transmission torque output exceeds said torque threshold.

14. A control apparatus for regulating an active damping system having at least one torque-generative device operable to generate a damping torque configured to attenuate vibrations in a hybrid powertrain having an engine and at least one motor selectively drivingly connectable to a power transmission, the apparatus comprising:

a controller in operative communication with the at least one torque-generative device and configured to control operation of the same, wherein said controller selectively distributes a damping torque command signal to the least one torque-generative device;

wherein said controller is programmed and configured to filter said damping torque command signal and determine if said damping torque command signal switches from one of greater than or less than said filtered damping torque command signal to the other of greater than or less than said filtered damping torque command signal and a magnitude of said switch exceeding a predetermined switch magnitude;

wherein said controller is programmed and configured to increment a total number of switches each time said damping torque command signal switches and determine if said total number of switches exceeds a switch counter threshold within a preset sample period; and

wherein said controller is programmed and configured to determine if a current damping torque exceeds a predetermined damping torque threshold if said total number of switches exceeds said switch counter threshold, and respond by decreasing a damping torque multiplier to zero if said current damping torque exceeds said predetermined damping torque threshold.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said controller decreases said damping torque multiplier by ramping down said damping torque multiplier according to a calibrated ramp down rate.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said controller is further programmed and configured to ramp up said damping torque multiplier according to a calibrated enable ramp rate after said damping torque multiplier is equal to zero for a predetermined time.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said controller is further programmed and configured to increment a total number of samples in response to detecting if a switch occurs;

determine if one of said total number of samples exceeds a sample counter threshold, the powertrain performs a transient operation, and a torque output of the power transmission exceeds a torque threshold; and

set said total number of samples and total number of switches equal to zero if said total number of samples exceeds said sample counter threshold, the powertrain performs a transient operation, or the power transmission torque output exceeds said torque threshold.