Methods and systems for improving electric energy storage device durability for a stop/start vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10072626-B1
Application number	US-201715452398-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Mar 7, 2017
Priority date	Mar 7, 2017
Publication date	Sep 11, 2018
Grant date	Sep 11, 2018

Abstract

Systems and methods for restarting an engine are presented. In one example, an engine may be automatically stopped and started in response to thresholds that may be adjusted as a distance traveled by the vehicle increases. The thresholds may be adjusted responsive to useful life consumed of devices that may participate in automatic engine starting and stopping.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vehicle operating method, comprising:
estimating an amount of electric energy storage device useful life consumed via a controller;
adjusting automatic engine stop/start thresholds in response to the amount of electric energy storage device useful life consumed; and
starting or stopping the engine in response to the automatic engine start/stop thresholds via the controller.

2. The method of claim 1 , where the automatic engine stop/start thresholds include a minimum electric energy storage device state of charge threshold for permitting automatic engine stopping responsive to a percentage of useful electric energy storage device life consumed.

3. The method of claim 1 , where the automatic engine stop/start thresholds include a maximum accessory load threshold for permitting automatic engine stopping responsive to a percentage of useful electric energy storage device life consumed.

4. The method of claim 1 , where the automatic engine stop/start thresholds include a maximum vehicle speed for permitting automatic engine stopping responsive to a percentage of useful electric energy storage device life consumed.

5. The method of claim 1 , where the automatic engine stop/start thresholds include a minimum electric energy storage device state of charge threshold for automatic engine starting responsive to a percentage of useful electric energy storage device life consumed.

6. The method of claim 5 , where the automatic engine stop/start thresholds include a maximum accessory load threshold for automatic engine starting responsive to a percentage of useful electric energy storage device life consumed.

7. The method of claim 1 , where the automatic engine stop/start thresholds include a maximum vehicle speed for automatic engine stopping responsive to a percentage of useful electric energy storage device life consumed.

8. A vehicle operating method, comprising:
estimating an amount of useful life consumed of a device via a controller, the amount of useful life consumed a summation of individual estimates;
adjusting automatic engine stop/start thresholds in response to the amount of useful life consumed; and
automatically starting or stopping the engine in response to the automatic engine start/stop thresholds via the controller.

9. The method of claim 8 , where the summation of individual estimates includes estimates of DC/DC converter life consumed.

10. The method of claim 8 , where the summation of individual estimates includes estimates of electrical energy storage device life consumed.

11. The method of claim 8 , where the summation of individual estimates includes estimates of power relay life consumed or inverter system life consumed.

12. The method of claim 8 , where the automatic engine stop/start thresholds include a minimum electric energy storage device state of charge threshold for permitting automatic engine stopping responsive to a percentage of useful electric energy storage device life consumed.

13. The method of claim 8 , where the automatic engine stop/start thresholds include a maximum accessory load threshold for permitting automatic engine stopping responsive to a percentage of useful electric energy storage device life consumed.

14. The method of claim 8 , where the automatic engine stop/start thresholds include a maximum vehicle speed for permitting automatic engine stopping responsive to a percentage of useful electric energy storage device life consumed.

15. A vehicle system, comprising:
an engine including a device, the device participating in automatically starting and stopping the engine; and
a controller including non-transitory instructions executable to adjust automatic engine stop/start thresholds in response to an amount of useful life consumed of the device, and to automatically start or stop the engine in response to the automatic engine start/stop thresholds.

16. The vehicle system of claim 15 , where the device is a DC/DC converter.

17. The vehicle system of claim 15 , where the device is an electric energy storage device.

18. The vehicle system of claim 15 , where the device is a power relay.

19. The vehicle system of claim 15 , where the automatic engine stop/start thresholds include a minimum electric energy storage device state of charge threshold.

20. The vehicle system of claim 15 , where automatic engine stop/start thresholds include a maximum accessory load threshold.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Leone Thomas G
• Miller Kenneth James
• Rademacher Eric Michael
• Gibson Alexander O'Connor

Classifications

• F02N2011/0888

  DC/DC converters · CPC title

• F02N11/0862

  characterised by the electrical power supply means, e.g. battery · CPC title

• F02N2200/061

  Battery state of charge [SOC] · CPC title

• F02N11/0833 Primary

  Vehicle conditions (F02N11/0822, F02N11/0825 take precedence) · CPC title

• F02N2011/0885

  Capacitors, e.g. for additional power supply · CPC title