Strategy to use an on-board navigation system for electric and hybrid electric vehicle energy management

• US 6,487,477 B1
• Filed: 05/09/2001
• Issued: 11/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Stunz, Ross M., Pilutti, Thomas E., Patil, Prabhakar B., Woestman, Joanne T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): To, Tuan C
• Application Number:
  US09/852,075
• Publication Number:
  US 20020188387A1
• Time in Patent Office: 566 Days
• Field of Search: 701/22, 701/209, 701/207, 701/213, 701/123, 340/439, 340/455, 180/65.2, 180/65.4, 180/65.8, 318/139, 318/376
• US Class Current: 701/22
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 1/02 comprising more than one electric motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/0058 responsive to externally generated signalling
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/00 Arrangement or mounting of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion, e.g. hybrid propulsion systems comprising electric motors and internal combustion engines ; Control systems therefor, i.e. systems controlling two or more prime movers, or controlling one of these prime movers and any of the transmission, drive or drive units arrangement or mounting in vehicles of electrical gearing, in which an electrical machine serves only as reduction gearing and not as the prime mover and in which no electrical storing means are used B60K17/12; control and regulation of purely electrical prime movers B60L; prime-movers comprising electrical and internal combustion motors in a common engine block or housing per se F02B65/00; electric motors or motor-generators used for starting the combustion engine F02N11/04; electric motors for synchronising gearing F16H3/12 Informative references: mechanical gearings with secondary electric drive F16H3/72; arrangements for handling mechanical energy structurally associated with the dynamo-electric machine H02K7/00; machines comprising structurally interrelated motor and generator parts H02K51/00; dynamo-electric machines not otherwise provided for in H02K see H02K99/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/365 with the gears having orbital motion
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/40 characterised by the assembly or relative disposition of components
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/445 Differential gearing distribution type
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/2045 for optimising the use of energy
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/62 Vehicle position
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/56 Temperature prediction, e.g. for pre-cooling
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/16 with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/61 by batteries charged by engine-driven generators, e.g. series hybrid electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/63 in response to network capacity
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 55/00 Arrangements for supplying energy stored within a vehicle to a power network, i.e. vehicle-to-grid [V2G] arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/12 responding to state of charge [SoC]
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/22 Balancing the charge of battery modules
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/08 including control of electric propulsion units, e.g. motors or generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/26 for electrical energy, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• 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 20/12 using control strategies taking into account route information estimation or calculation of non-directly measurable driving parameters B60W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/244 : Charge state
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2555/40 : Altitude
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 : of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0097 : Predicting future conditions
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 : Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 : Engine management systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 : Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 : Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 : Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 : Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 : Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/84 : Data processing systems or methods, management, administration
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 : Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 : Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 : Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/126 : the energy generation units being or involving electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV], i.e. power aggregation of EV or HEV, vehicle to grid arrangements [V2G]

Abstract

The present invention integrates an on-board navigation system to provide energy management for an electric vehicle (EV) and a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV). The HEV control strategy of the present invention accommodates the goals of fuel economy while always meeting driver demand for power and maintaining the functionality of the traction motor battery system using battery parameter controllers. In the preferred embodiment of the present strategy, a vehicle system controller tightly integrates the navigation system information with energy management while en route to a known destination. Present vehicle location is continuously monitored, expectations of driver demand are determined, and vehicle accommodations are made. The system can be configured to includes as part of its present vehicle location data on road patterns, geography with date and time, altitude changes, speed limits, driving patterns of a vehicle driver, and weather. The vehicle accommodations can be configured to use discrete control laws, fuzzy logic, or neural networks.

Claims

1. A system to manage energy in a vehicle having a powertrain that includes an electric motor, a battery connected to said electric motor and an engine, comprising;

a vehicle system controller (VSC) connected to said vehicle powertrain;

a device connected to and providing data to said VSC to continuously locate a present vehicle location and infer expectations of driver demand for power causing said vehicle to operate pursuant to a strategy embodied in said VSC to continuously accommodate fuel economy, said driver demand for power and functionality of said battery rather than in a manner that would be dictated by said VSC in the absence of said strategy; and

wherein said present vehicle location comprises data on weather.

2. A system to manage energy in a vehicle having a powertrain that includes an electric motor, a battery connected to said electric motor and an engine, comprising:

a vehicle system controller (VSC) connected to said vehicle powertrain;

a device connected to and providing data to said VSC to continuously locate a present vehicle location and infer expectations of driver demand for power causing said vehicle to operate pursuant to a strategy embodied in said VSC to continuously accommodate fuel economy, said driver demand for power and functionality of said battery rather than in a manner that would be dictated by said VSC in the absence of said strategy; and

wherein said strategy uses discrete control laws.

3. A system to manage energy in a vehicle having a powertrain that includes an electric motor, a battery connected to said electric motor and an engine, comprising:

a vehicle system controller (VSC) connected to said vehicle powertrain;

a device connected to and providing data to said VSC to continuously locate a present vehicle location and infer expectations of driver demand for power causing said vehicle to operate pursuant to a strategy embodied in said VSC to continuously accommodate fuel economy, said driver demand for power and functionality of said battery rather than in a manner that would be dictated by said VSC in the absence of said strategy; and

wherein said strategy uses fuzzy logic.

4. A system to manage energy in a vehicle having a powertrain that includes an electric motor, a battery connected to said electric motor and an engine, comprising:

a vehicle system controller (Vsc) connected to said vehicle powertrain;

a device connected to and providing data to said VSC to continuously locate a present vehicle location and infer expectations of driver demand for power causing said vehicle to operate pursuant to a strategy embodied in said VSC to continuously accommodate fuel economy, said driver demand for power and functionality of said battery rather than in a manner that would be dictated by said VSC in the absence of said strategy; and

wherein said strategy uses neural networks.

5. A system to manage energy in a vehicle having a powertrain that includes an electric motor, a battery connected to said electric motor and an engine, comprising:

a vehicle system controller (VSC) connected to said vehicle powertrain;

a device connected to and providing data to said VSC to continuously locate a present vehicle location and infer expectations of driver demand for power causing said vehicle to operate pursuant to a strategy embodied in said VSC to continuously accommodate fuel economy, said driver demand for power and functionality of said battery rather than in a manner that would be dictated by said VSC in the absence of said strategy;

wherein said strategy accommodates functionality of said battery with battery parameter controllers; and

wherein said battery parameter controllers control battery temperature.

6. A system to manage energy in a vehicle having a powertrain that includes an electric motor, a battery connected to said electric motor and an engine, comprising:

a vehicle system controller (VSC) connected to said vehicle powertrain;

a device connected to and providing data to said VSC to continuously locate a present vehicle location and infer expectations of driver demand for power causing said vehicle to operate pursuant to a strategy embodied in said VSC to continuously accommodate fuel economy, said driver demand for power and functionality of said battery rather than in a manner that would be dictated by said VSC in the absence of said strategy;

wherein said strategy accommodates functionality of said battery with battery parameter controllers; and

wherein said battery parameter controllers remove all loads from said battery.

7. A method of managing energy in a vehicle having a powertrain that includes an electric motor, a battery connected to said electric motor, an engine, and a vehicle system controller (VCS) connected to said powertrain for controlling operation of said powertrain, comprising the steps of:

locating continuously a present vehicle location;

inferring expectations of driver demand for power based on said present vehicle location;

accommodating continuously fuel economy, said driver demand for power and functionality of said battery;

operating said vehicle pursuant to a strategy embodied in said VSC, rather than in a different manner that would be dictated by said VSC in the absence of said strategy; and

wherein said present vehicle location comprises data on weather.

8. A method of managing energy in a vehicle having a powertrain that includes an electric motor, a battery connected to said electric motor, an engine, and a vehicle system controller (VCS) connected to said powertrain for controlling operation of said powertrain, comprising the steps of:

locating continuously a present vehicle location;

inferring expectations of driver demand for power based on said present vehicle location;

accommodating continuously fuel economy, said driver demand for power and functionality of said battery;

operating said vehicle pursuant to a strategy embodied in said VSC, rather than in a different manner that would be dictated by said VSC in the absence of said strategy; and

wherein said strategy uses discrete control laws.

9. A method of managing energy in a vehicle having a powertrain that includes an electric motor, a battery connected to said electric motor, an engine, and a vehicle system controller (VCS) connected to said powertrain for controlling operation of said powertrain, comprising the steps of:

locating continuously a present vehicle location;

inferring expectations of driver demand for power based on said present vehicle location;

accommodating continuously fuel economy, said driver demand for power and functionality of said battery;

operating said vehicle pursuant to a strategy embodied in said VSC, rather than in a different manner that would be dictated by said VSC in the absence of said strategy; and

wherein said strategy uses fuzzy logic.

10. A method of managing energy in a vehicle having a powertrain that includes an electric motor, a battery connected to said electric motor, an engine, and a vehicle system controller (VCS) connected to said powertrain for controlling operation of said powertrain, comprising the steps of:

locating continuously a present vehicle location;

inferring expectations of driver demand for power based on said present vehicle location;

accommodating continuously fuel economy, said driver demand for power and functionality of said battery;

operating said vehicle pursuant to a strategy embodied in said VSC, rather than in a different manner that would be dictated by said VSC in the absence of said strategy; and

wherein said strategy uses neural networks.

11. A method of managing energy in a vehicle having a powertrain that includes an electric motor, a battery connected to said electric motor, an engine, and a vehicle system controller (VCS) connected to said powertrain for controlling operation of said powertrain, comprising the steps of:

locating continuously a present vehicle location;

inferring expectations of driver demand for power based on said present vehicle location;

accommodating continuously fuel economy, said driver demand for power and functionality of said battery;

operating said vehicle pursuant to a strategy embodied in said VSC, rather than in a different manner that would be dictated by said VSC in the absence of said strategy;

wherein accommodating continuously said functionality of said battery comprises controlling battery parameters; and

wherein controlling said battery parameters comprises controlling battery temperature.

12. A method of managing energy in a vehicle having a powertrain that includes an electric motor, a battery connected to said electric motor, an engine, and a vehicle system controller (VCS) connected to said powertrain for controlling operation of said powertrain, comprising the steps of:

locating continuously a present vehicle location;

inferring expectations of driver demand for power based on said present vehicle location;

accommodating continuously fuel economy, said driver demand for power and functionality of said battery;

operating said vehicle pursuant to a strategy embodied in said VSC, rather than in a different manner that would be dictated by said VSC in the absence of said strategy;

wherein accommodating continuously said functionality of said battery comprises controlling battery parameters; and

wherein controlling said battery parameters comprises removing all loads from said battery.