METHOD AND DEVICE FOR CONTROLLING AN ENGINE STOP/RESTART SYSTEM TO BE MOUNTED ON AN AUTOMOBILE

• US 20110232597A1
• Filed: 07/28/2008
• Published: 09/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Valeo Equipements Electriques Moteur (Valeo SE)
• Original Assignee: Valeo Equipements Electriques Moteur (Valeo SE)
• Inventors: Laurence, Magali, Devanne, Frédéric, Gareil, Benoit, Taspinar, Ertugrul, Chupin, Paul Eric, Soucaze-Guillous, Benoit, Lecole, Brice, Benchetrite, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US12/674,378
• Publication Number:
  US 20110232597A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 123/179.4
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/0818 Conditions for starting or stopping the engine or for deactivating the idle-start-stop mode
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2200/061 Battery state of charge [SOC]
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2200/062 Battery current
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2200/063 Battery voltage
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2200/064 Battery temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/48 Accumulators combined with arrangements for measuring, testing or indicating the condition of cells, e.g. the level or density of the electrolyte constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals, H01M50/569
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 Engine management systems

Abstract

A method and a device (5) for controlling an engine stop/restart system (1) to be mounted on an automobile. The device (5) includes a control module (6) that obtains at least one parameter (Tbat, Ubat, Ibat) representative of the state of an energy storage unit (8), determines information on the energetic state of the energy storage unit (8) from said at least one obtained parameter (Tbat, Ubat, Ibat), and controls the engine stop/restart system (1) based on the determined energetic state information. The energetic state information is set at a predetermined value when the method controls a stop authorization of the engine stop/restart system (1).

Claims

1. A method for controlling an engine stop/restart system (1) fitted to a motor vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:

obtaining at least one parameter (Tbat, Ubat, Ibat) representing the state of an energy storage unit (8),

determining information on the energetic state of the energy storage unit (8) from said at least one obtained parameter (Tbat, Ubat, Ibat), and

controlling the engine stop/restart system (1) depending on the determined energetic state information,

characterised in that the energetic state information is initialised at a predetermined value when the method controls a stop authorisation of the engine stop/restart system (1).

2. A method according to claim 1, characterised in that said parameter includes at least one of the following parameters:

a temperature (Tbat) of the energy storage unit (8),

a voltage (Ubat) of the energy storage unit (8),

a current (Ibat) of the energy storage unit (8).

3. A method according to claim 2, characterised in that the step of determining the energetic state information comprises the sub-steps of:

determining a state of charge (SOC) depending on the voltage (Ubat) and the temperature (Tbat) of the energy storage unit (8), and

comparing the determined state of charge (SOC) to a predetermined threshold value of a state of charge (SOCth).

4. A method according to claim 2, characterised in that the step of determining the energetic state information comprises the sub-steps of:

determining a threshold value of current (Ith) depending on the temperature (Tbat) of the energy storage unit (8), and

comparing the current (Ibat) of the energy storage unit (8) to the determined threshold value of current (Ith).

5. A method according to claim 2, characterised in that the step of determining the energetic state information comprises the sub-steps of:

determining an energy balance (CB) depending on the current (Ibat) of the energy storage unit (8), and

comparing the determined energy balance (CB) to a predetermined threshold value of energy balance (CBth1, CBth2, CBth3, CBth4, CBth5).

6. A method according to claim 2, characterised in that the step of determining the energetic state information comprises a sub-step of comparing the voltage (Ubat) of the energy storage unit (8) to a predetermined threshold value of voltage (Uth).

7. A method according to claim 1, characterised in that the step of controlling the engine stop/restart system (1) includes a sub-step of authorising an engine stop.

8. A method according to claim 3, characterised in that the sub-step of authorising an engine stop is carried out when the state of charge (SOC) is greater than or equal to the threshold value of a predetermined state of charge (SOCth).

9. A method according to claim 4, characterised in that the sub-step of authorising an engine stop is carried out when the current (Ibat) of the energy storage unit (8) is less than or equal to the determined threshold value of current (Ith).

10. A method according to claim 5, characterised in that the sub-step of authorising an engine stop is carried out when the energy balance (CB) is greater than or equal to the predetermined threshold value of energy balance (CBth4).

11. A method according to claim 4, characterised in that the sub-step of authorising an engine stop is carried out when:

the energy balance (CB) is greater than or equal to the predetermined threshold value of energy balance (CBth3), and

the current (Ibat) of the energy storage unit (8) is less than or equal to the determined threshold value of current (Ith).

12. A method according to claim 1, characterised in that the step of controlling the engine stop/restart system includes a sub-step of prohibiting an engine stop.

13. A method according to claim 5, characterised in that the sub-step of prohibiting an engine stop is carried out when the energy balance (CB) is less than or equal to the predetermined threshold value of the energy balance (CBth2).

14. A method according to claim 1, characterised in that the step of controlling the engine stop/restart system includes a sub-step of requesting an engine restart.

15. A method according to claim 6, characterised in that the sub-step of requesting an engine restart is carried out when the voltage (Ubat) of the energy storage unit (8) is less than or equal to a predetermined threshold value of voltage (Uth).

16. A method according to claim 5, characterised in that the sub-step of requesting an engine restart is carried out when the energy balance (CB) is less than or equal to the predetermined threshold value of the energy balance (CBth1).

17. A method according to claim 1, characterised in that the step of controlling the engine stop/restart system includes a sub-step of cancelling an engine restart request.

18. A method according to claim 5, characterised in that the sub-step of cancelling an engine restart request is carried out when the energy balance (CB) is greater than or equal to the predetermined threshold value of the energy balance (CBth5).

19. A method according to claim 4, characterised in that the sub-step of cancelling an engine restart request is carried out when the current (Ibat) of the energy storage unit (8) is less than or equal to the determined threshold value of current (Ith).

20. A method according to claim 1, characterised in that the step of determining the energetic state information of the energy storage unit is preceded by a step of comparing the temperature (Tbat) of the energy storage unit (8) to a predetermined threshold value of temperature (Tth).

21. A method according to claim 1, characterised in that the step of determining the energetic state information is preceded by the steps of:

determining a reference voltage (Uref) depending on the temperature (Tbat) of the energy storage unit (8), and

comparing the voltage (Ubat) of the energy storage unit (8) to the determined reference voltage (Uref).

23. A device (5) according to claim 1, said control module (6) being integrated at least partially in a control unit (4) and intended to control the engine stop/restart system (1).

22. A device (5) for controlling an engine stop/restart system (1) to be fitted to a motor vehicle, containing a control module (6), said control module (6) comprising:

means for obtaining at least one parameter (Tbat, Ubat, Ibat) representing the state of an energy storage unit (8),

means for determining information on the energetic state of the energy storage unit (8) from said at least one obtained parameter (Tbat, Ubat, Ibat), and

means for controlling the engine stop/restart system (1) depending on the determined energetic state information.

24. A device (5) according to claim 22, characterised in that the means for obtaining at least one parameter (Tbat, Ubat, Ibat) representing a state of an energy storage unit consists of sensors (7) provided to obtain at least one of the following parameters:

a temperature (Tbat) of the energy storage unit (8),

a voltage (Ubat) of the energy storage unit (8),

a current (Ibat) of the energy storage unit (8).

25. An engine stop/restart system (1) comprising a rotary electric machine (2), a reversible analogue-digital converter (3) and means for controlling the control device (5) according to claim 22.

26. An engine stop/restart system (1) according to claim 25, characterised in that the rotary electric machine (2) is an alternator-starter.

27. A motor vehicle containing an engine stop/restart system (1) according to claim 25.