Systems and methods for generating auxiliary torque

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10161303-B2
Application number	US-201615204731-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 7, 2016
Priority date	Jul 7, 2016
Publication date	Dec 25, 2018
Grant date	Dec 25, 2018

Abstract

Systems and methods for generating auxiliary torque are provided. In one example, a method for controlling a supercharger comprises, responsive to requested torque exceeding spark authority of an engine, varying a current applied to a motor of the supercharger to provide an amount of torque to a crankshaft of the engine. In this way, a supercharger can be controlled to compensate for an engine torque shortfall.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for controlling a supercharger, comprising:
responsive to requested torque exceeding spark authority of an engine, varying a current applied to a motor of the supercharger to provide an amount of torque to a crankshaft of the engine.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising calculating an engine torque based on the spark authority, and calculating the amount of torque based on the engine torque and the requested torque.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the amount of torque comprises a difference between the requested torque and the engine torque.

4. The method of claim 2 , further comprising adjusting spark timing of the engine to generate the calculated engine torque.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the motor of the supercharger is coupled to the crankshaft via a mechanical belt.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the amount of torque provided to the crankshaft combines with torque generated by the engine to provide the requested torque.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the motor of the supercharger is coupled to an epicyclic gear train of the supercharger, the epicyclic gear train further coupled to a compressor of the supercharger, and further comprising selectively adjusting a gear ratio of the epicyclic gear train while varying the current.

8. A method for controlling a supercharger, comprising:
applying a cyclical current to a motor of the supercharger, the motor coupled to an ancillary device via a mechanical belt, wherein the motor provides a cyclical torque to the ancillary device via the mechanical belt according to the cyclical current.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising applying the cyclical current responsive to a firing event in an engine coupled to the supercharger.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the cyclical current is based on torque generated by an engine.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the cyclical current is synchronized in phase with peak accelerations of an engine coupled to the supercharger, and wherein the current is further adjusted responsive to a temperature of an epicyclic gear train of the supercharger coupling the supercharger to a crankshaft of the engine.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the engine is coupled to a first motor of the supercharger, and wherein the motor is coupled to the first motor via the epicyclic gear train of the supercharger.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising selectively disengaging the epicyclic gear train from a compressor of the supercharger while applying the cyclical current to the motor.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein selectively disengaging the epicyclic gear train from the compressor comprises selectively disengaging a one-way clutch between the epicyclic gear train and the compressor.

15. A system, comprising:
an engine;
a supercharger including a compressor, an epicyclic gear train coupled to the compressor, a first motor coupled to the engine and further coupled to the epicyclic gear train, and a second motor coupled to the epicyclic gear train; and
a controller configured with instructions in non-transitory memory that when executed cause the controller to:
vary a current applied to a motor of the supercharger to generate an auxiliary torque applied to a crankshaft of the engine via a mechanical belt when an engine torque output by the engine reaches a maximum available torque, wherein the auxiliary torque comprises a difference between a requested torque and the maximum available torque.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the motor of the supercharger comprises the first motor, and the mechanical belt couples the first motor to the crankshaft.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the controller is further configured with instructions in the non-transitory memory that when executed cause the controller to:
responsive to the requested torque, calculate the auxiliary torque based on the requested torque and a spark authority of the engine; and
vary the current applied to the first motor based on the calculated auxiliary torque.

18. The system of claim 15 , further comprising an ancillary device, wherein the controller is further configured with instructions in non-transitory memory that when executed cause the controller to vary a current applied to the second motor to generate a cyclical torque applied to the ancillary device via a second mechanical belt.

19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the current applied to the second motor comprises a cyclical current in phase with power output of the engine.

20. The system of claim 18 , wherein the supercharger further includes a one-way clutch, wherein the epicyclic gear train is coupled to the compressor via the one-way clutch, and wherein the controller further includes instructions in the non-transitory memory that when executed cause the controller to selectively disengage the one-way clutch while varying the current.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Xiao Baitao
• Banker Adam Nathan
• Ossareh Hamid-Reza
• Caine Jonathan Edward

Classifications

• F02P5/045

  combined with electronic control of other engine functions, e.g. fuel injection (in general F02D37/02) · CPC title

• F02D41/0007

  for control of turbo-charged or super-charged engines (control of the pumps per se F02B37/12) · CPC title

• F02D23/00

  Controlling engines characterised by their being supercharged · CPC title

• F02D41/1497

  With detection of the mechanical response of the engine · CPC title

• F02P5/153

  dependent on combustion pressure · CPC title