Powertrain of a motor vehicle and method for controlling said powertrain

• US 7,908,066 B2
• Filed: 04/10/2006
• Issued: 03/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Probst, Gregor, Gutknecht-Stöhr, Florian, Graf, Friedrich, Rampeltshammer, Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Khoi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Figueroa; Jaime
• Application Number:
  US11/279,196
• Publication Number:
  US 20060173602A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,800 Days
• Field of Search: 701/51, 701/53, 701/54, 701/57, 701/66, 701/67, 701/60, 477/62, 477/78, 477/97, 477/109, 477/110, 477/118, 477/154, 477/155, 477/166, 477/169
• US Class Current: 701/54
• 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: B60K 6/547 the transmission being a stepped gearing
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/423 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/486 Operating parameters
• 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 10/08 including control of electric propulsion units, e.g. motors or generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/11 Stepped gearings
• 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 2050/0011 Proportional Integral Differential [PID] controller
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0012 Feedforward or open loop systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0031 Mathematical model of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/0241 Clutch slip, i.e. difference between input and output speeds
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2530/10 Weight
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2530/16 Driving resistance
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2530/20 Tyre data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/16 Ratio selector position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/15 : Road slope, i.e. the inclination of a road segment in the longitudinal direction
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/0666 : Engine torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/083 : Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/105 : Output torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2720/10 : Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18027 : Drive off, accelerating from standstill
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 13/042 : in which a parameter or coefficient is automatically adjusted to optimise the performance
• 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

Abstract

The power train (1) includes a controlled drive source (3), a clutch (6), an automatically shifting transmission (7) and a data transmission device (2). The power train contains an additional drive source (12) and is fitted with a control system by means of which a correction value (K pid) for the drive source torque is generated on the basis of the comparison of the actual behavior of the drive train with a modeled behavior of a drive train fitted with a hydrodynamic torque converter. The behavior of a torque converter is simulated by a regulating circuit (21-27).

Claims

1. A motor vehicle powertrain comprising:

a controlled power source;

a clutch;

an automatically shifted transmission without a hydrodynamic torque converter;

a data transfer system enabling data to be exchanged between the component parts of the powertrain;

an additional power source distinct from the controlled power source; and

a control system for producing a correction value for the power source torque on the basis of a comparison of the real behavior of the powertrain with a modeled behavior of a powertrain provided with a hydrodynamic torque converter;

wherein the control system controls the additional power source to provide additional torque depending on said correction value, such that the additional torque provided by the additional power source is combined with the torque provided by the controlled power source to provide a greater torque than can be provided by the controlled power source alone, and such that for a particular gas pedal setting, the additional torque provided by the additional power source approximately corresponds to the increased torque provided by the hydrodynamic torque converter of the modeled powertrain at the same particular gas pedal setting.

2. The powertrain according to claim 1, wherein

the controlled power source is an internal combustion engine;

the additional power source is a crankshaft starter/generator,

the clutch is implemented as an automatically actuated friction clutch, and

there is provided a feedback loop for simulating the behavior of a torque converter.

3. The powertrain according to claim 2, wherein the control system contains

a conversion block for converting a required wheel torque to a crankshaft torque on the basis of the correction value, and

a correction device in which the correction value for the torque is generated.

4. The powertrain according to claim 1, wherein the control system contains

a conversion block for converting a required wheel torque to a crankshaft torque on the basis of the correction value, and

a correction device in which the correction value for the torque is generated.

5. The powertrain according to claim 1, wherein the control system has a torque divider for splitting the power source torque between the power source and the additional power source.

6. The powertrain according to claim 1, wherein the control system has an observer block which represents a model of a powertrain having a hydrodynamic torque converter and is used to calculate a vehicle speed corresponding to the speed assumed by a comparable motor vehicle provided with a hydrodynamic torque converter and an automatic transmission in response to the same driver input.

7. A method for controlling powertrain comprising a controlled power source, a clutch, an automatically shifted transmission without a hydrodynamic torque converter and a data transfer system enabling data to be exchanged between the component parts of the powertrain, an additional power source distinct from the controlled power source, and a control system comprising the steps of:

producing a correction value for the powertrain torque on the basis of a comparison of a real behavior of the powertrain without a hydrodynamic torque converter with a modeled behavior of a powertrain provided with a hydrodynamic torque converter,

controlling said additional power source to provide for an additional torque depending on said correction value, such that the additional torque provided by the additional power source is combined with the torque provided by the controlled power source to provide a greater torque than can be provided by the controlled power source alone, and such that for a particular gas pedal setting, the additional torque provided by the additional power source approximately corresponds to the increased torque provided by the hydrodynamic torque converter of the modeled powertrain at the same particular gas pedal setting.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein a conversion block performs a conversion of a required wheel torque to a powertrain torque on the basis of the correction value and that the powertrain torque is divided between the power source and the additional power source.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein a demanded torque is converted to a necessary torque at the crankshaft of the power source using the gear ratios of the powertrain components.

10. The method according to claim 7, wherein a demanded torque is converted to a necessary torque at the crankshaft of the power source using the gear ratios of the powertrain components.

11. The method according to claim 7, comprising the step of splitting the power source torque between the power source and the additional power source by a torque divider.

12. The method according to claim 7, comprising the steps of:

representing a model of a powertrain having a hydrodynamic torque converter by an observer block and

using the model to calculate a vehicle speed corresponding to the speed assumed by a comparable motor vehicle provided with a hydrodynamic torque converter and an automatic transmission in response to the same driver input.