SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR IMPROVING VEHICLE DRIVELINE OPERATION

• US 20150274155A1
• Filed: 03/25/2014
• Published: 10/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Nefcy, Bernard D., Kraska, Marvin P., Colvin, Daniel S., Shelton, Matthew J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,771,064 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2006/4825 Electric machine connected or connectable to gearbox input shaft
• 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 6/547 the transmission being a stepped gearing
• 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 10/11 Stepped gearings
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/115 with planetary gears
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/30 including control of auxiliary equipment, e.g. air-conditioning compressors or oil pumps
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/30 Control strategies involving selection of transmission gear ratio control of change speed gearings, together with other vehicle sub-units B60W10/10; HEV transmission gearing B60K6/36; gearings and control thereof F16H
• 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 2710/022 Clutch actuator position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/1005 Transmission ratio engaged
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/1083 pressure of control fluid
• 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: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/93 Conjoint control of different elements

Abstract

Systems and methods for improving operation of a hybrid vehicle driveline are presented. In one example, pressures applied to two different clutches are coordinated such that a pressure boost phase of a driveline disconnect clutch does not occur at a same time as a pressure boost phase of a transmission shifting clutch.

Claims

1. A driveline operating method, comprising:

delaying a clutch filling boosting phase of a driveline disconnect clutch positioned between an engine and an electric machine until a transmission clutch filling boosting phase reaches a predetermined condition during a power on downshift or a power on upshift.

2. The method of claim 1, where the predetermined condition is gear clutch capacity reaching a threshold value.

3. The method of claim 1, where the predetermined condition is a predetermined clutch volume is filled by a fluid.

4. The method of claim 1, where the gear clutch filling boosting phase is followed by a gear clutch constant pressure phase.

5. The method of claim 1, where the clutch filling boosting phase of the driveline disconnect clutch is initiated in response to an engine start request.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising delaying the clutch filling boosting phase of the driveline disconnect clutch in response to a power off downshift or a power off upshift.

7. The method of claim 1, where the clutch filling boosting phase of the driveline disconnect clutch is at an onset of driveline disconnect clutch closing.

8. A driveline operating method, comprising:

supplying a first pressure sequence to apply a driveline disconnect clutch, the first pressure sequence including a first boost phase, a first constant pressure phase, and a first ramp phase;

supplying a second pressure sequence to apply a transmission shifting clutch, the second pressure sequence including a second boost phase, a second constant pressure phase, and a second ramp phase; and

delaying one of the first boost phase or the second boost phase in response to the other of the first boost phase or the second boost phase.

9. The method of claim 8, where the driveline disconnect clutch is positioned between an engine and an electric machine.

10. The method of claim 8, where the transmission shifting clutch is a transmission gear clutch.

11. The method of claim 8, where the first boost phase is delayed until an end of the second boost phase.

12. The method of claim 8, where the first boost phase is delayed until a predetermined transmission shifting clutch volume is displaced.

13. The method of claim 8, where the second boost phase is delayed until a predetermined driveline disconnect clutch volume is displaced.

14. The method of claim 8, where the second pressure sequence is provided in response to a power on upshift or downshift.

15. A vehicle driveline, comprising:

an engine;

a driveline integrated starter/generator (DISG);

a disconnect clutch mechanically coupled to the engine and the DISG;

a transmission including at least one shifting clutch and a pump supplying a fluid to the at least one shifting clutch and the disconnect clutch; and

a controller including non-transitory instructions for not allowing a pressure boost phase of the disconnect clutch to overlap with a pressure boost phase of the at least one shifting clutch.

16. The vehicle driveline of claim 15, where the at least one shifting clutch is a gear clutch.

17. The vehicle driveline of claim 15, where the pressure boost phase of the disconnect clutch precedes the pressure boost phase of the at least one shifting clutch.

18. The vehicle driveline of claim 15, where the pressure boost phase of the at least one shifting clutch precedes the pressure boost phase of the disconnect clutch.

19. The vehicle driveline of claim 15, where the pressure boost phase of the disconnect clutch is initiated in response to an engine start request.

20. The vehicle driveline of claim 15, where the pump has insufficient capacity to simultaneously supply the disconnect clutch during its pressure boost phase and the at least one shifting clutch during its pressure boost phase without increasing transmission shift time.