Powertrain operation and regulation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10183673-B2
Application number	US-201815953901-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 16, 2018
Priority date	Aug 11, 2016
Publication date	Jan 22, 2019
Grant date	Jan 22, 2019

Abstract

One or more powertrains can include a motor-generator disposed therein that is electrically coupled to an energy storage device through an inverter gate. A regulation strategy can monitor operation of the powertrain to regulate the inverter gate to selectively discharge energy from the energy storage device to the motor-generator to assist the powertrain or to charge energy from the motor-generator to the energy storage device for future use. In an aspect, the regulation strategy may maintain a consistent speed of an internal combustion engine associated with the powertrain. In another aspect, the regulation strategy may regulate simultaneous operation of first and second powertrains disposed a parallel relation.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method of regulating operation of a machine comprising:
calculating a total power requirement of the machine based upon inputs;
dividing the total power requirement between a first powertrain and a second powertrain to determine a first request signal and a second request signal;
converting the first request signal to a first torque signal and converting the second request signal to a second torque signal;
using the first torque signal to determine a direction of energy flow between a first energy storage device electrically coupled to a first motor-generator of the first powertrain; and
using the second torque signal to determine a direction of energy flow between a second energy storage device electrically coupled to a second motor-generator of the second powertrain.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of determining a direction of energy flow results in one of charging or discharging the first energy storage device and charging or discharging the second energy storage device respectively.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the step of determining a direction of energy flow operates a first inverter gate disposed between the first energy storage device and the first motor-generator and operates a second inverter gate disposed between the second energy storage device and the second motor-generator.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising the step of determining a first deficiency signal representing a difference between a first existing engine speed and the first request signal; and determining a second deficiency signal representing a difference between a second existing engine speed and the second request signal.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising determining whether output of a first internal combustion engine in the first powertrain, a second internal combustion engine in the second powertrain, or both are required to meet the total power requirement of the machine.

Assignees

• Caterpillar Inc

Inventors

• Miller Peter J
• Abdel-Baqi Omar

Classifications

• B60K6/46

  Series type · CPC title

• B60Y2300/1884

  Avoiding stall or over-speed of the engine · CPC title

• B60W10/06

  including control of combustion engines · CPC title

• B60Y2200/92

  Hybrid vehicles · CPC title

• B60W30/1884 Primary

  Avoiding stall or overspeed of the engine · CPC title