Condition-based powertrain control system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10036338-B2
Application number	US-201615139035-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 26, 2016
Priority date	Apr 26, 2016
Publication date	Jul 31, 2018
Grant date	Jul 31, 2018

Abstract

A system and approach for development of setpoints for a controller of a powertrain system. The controller may be parametrized as a function of setpoints to provide performance variables that are considered acceptable by a user or operator for current operating conditions of the engine or powertrain. The controller may determine set point trajectories in real time during operation of the powertrain system and determine positions of manipulated variables do drive controlled variables to associated and determined set point trajectories. The present system and approach may determine set point trajectories for powertrain conditions on-line and in real time, whereas set point trajectories have previously been determined off-line for powertrain control.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A powertrain system comprising:
an engine;
a cooling system connected to the engine and having one or more actuators;
a controller connected to the engine and the cooling system, the controller comprises a multivariable controller that includes an off-line portion configured to operate without input from an operating engine and an on-line portion configured to operate with input from an operating engine;
one or more sensors in communication with the controller and configured to sense values of one or more variables of the engine and/or the cooling system; and
wherein the controller is configured to:
control positions of the one or more actuators of the cooling system;
receive values for one or more variables sensed by the one or more sensors during operation of the engine, where at least one received value for a sensed variable is indicative of one or more conditions of the engine and/or the cooling system; and
adjust one or more positions of the actuators of the cooling system to drive a value of the one or more conditions to associated condition set point trajectories for the engine and/or cooling system.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to determine condition set point trajectories associated with the one or more conditions based, at least in part, on a cost function that optimizes a set of performance variables of the engine and/or cooling system.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the controller is configured to maintain each of the condition set point trajectories within predetermined constraints.

4. The system of claim 2 , wherein the controller is configured to maintain actuator positions within predetermined constraints when determining the condition set point trajectories associated with the one or more conditions.

5. The system of claim 2 , wherein the controller is configured to use the cost function and sensor inputs to minimize one or more of fuel consumption of the engine and parasitic losses of the engine while maintaining one or more of the conditions and the positions of the actuators of the engine within respective constraints.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to update the condition set point trajectories during operation of the engine and/or cooling system in view of received values for one or more variables sensed by the one or more sensors during operation of the engine.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
a condition of the one or more conditions includes a temperature condition having a temperature condition set point trajectory, wherein the temperature condition set point trajectory comprises one or more engine component temperature set point trajectories; and
the engine component temperature set point trajectories comprise one or more of:
an engine housing material temperature set point trajectory;
an engine intake manifold air temperature set point trajectory;
an engine exhaust manifold air temperature set point trajectory;
an engine oil temperature set point trajectory; and
a transmission oil temperature set point trajectory.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the controller comprises a multivariable supervisory controller and two or more powertrain component controllers;
the multivariable supervisory controller is configured to determine the temperature condition set point trajectory; and
each of the two or more powertrain component controllers are configured to adjust positions of actuators associated with the powertrain component controller to drive a value of the temperature condition to the temperature condition set point trajectory.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the multivariable supervisory controller and the powertrain component controllers receive values for one or more variables sensed by the one or more sensors during operation of the engine.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the off-line portion of the multivariable controller is configured to convert a non-linear cost function into a quadratic programming problem.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the on-line portion of the multivariable controller is configured to determine the engine and/or cooling system actuator positions by solving, at least in part, a quadratic programming problem in view of current operating conditions of the engine and/or cooling system.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the on-line portion of the multivariable controller is configured to set positions of engine and/or cooling system actuators in view of condition set point trajectories and current operating conditions of the engine and/or cooling system.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more conditions of the engine and/or cooling system include one or more of a pressure condition, a flow condition, and a temperature condition of one or more of the engine and/or cooling system.

14. A powertrain thermal management system comprising:
a multivariable controller that includes an off-line portion configured to operate without input from an operating engine and on-line portion configured to operate with input from an operating engine, the multivariable controller comprising:
a memory;
a processor in communication with the memory; and
an input/output port in communication with one or more of the memory and the processor; and

wherein the controller is configured to:
receive, via the input/output port, values for one or more variables sensed by sensors monitoring an engine and/or cooling system connected to the engine;
determine a set point trajectory for one or more engine components and/or cooling system temperatures based, at least in part, on the received values for one or more variables; and
send, via the input/output port, control signals to adjust positions of engine actuators and/or cooling system actuators to drive values of the engine component temperatures to the determined set point trajectories based, at least in part, on the received values for one or more variables.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the engine component and/or cooling system temperatures include one or more of:
engine housing material temperature;
engine intake manifold air temperature;
engine exhaust manifold air temperature;
engine oil temperature; and
transmission oil temperature.

16. The system of claim 14 , wherein the controller is configured to determine the set point trajectory for one or more engine component temperatures and/or cooling system component temperatures based, at least in part, on a powertrain cost function.

17. A method of thermal management of a powertrain system, the method comprising:
receiving a value for one or more variables sensed in an operating engine;
determining a set point trajectory for a temperature condition of the engine based, at least in part, on the received value for one or more variables sensed in the operating engine;
updating the set point trajectory for the temperature condition of the engine during operating of the engine in view of one or more received values for the one or more variable sensed in the operating engine; and
outputting one or more control signals controlling positions of actuators of the engine and/or positions of actuators of a cooling system connected to the engine during operation of the engine; and
wherein the control signals are configured to adjust one or more positions of the actuators of the engine and/or of the cooling system to drive a value of the temperature condition to the determined set point trajectory for the temperature condition.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein determ

Assignees

• Honeywell Int Inc

Inventors

• Fuxman Adrian Matias
• Pachner Daniel

Classifications

• F01P2025/42

  Intake manifold temperature · CPC title

• F02D2041/281

  between sensors and control unit · CPC title

• F01P7/026

  Thermostatic control · CPC title

• F01P2025/46

  Engine parts temperature · CPC title

• F01P2025/40

  Oil temperature · CPC title