Methods and system for improving response of a hybrid vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10232841-B2
Application number	US-201615356449-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 18, 2016
Priority date	Nov 18, 2016
Publication date	Mar 19, 2019
Grant date	Mar 19, 2019

Abstract

Systems and methods for operating a driveline of a hybrid vehicle are disclosed. In one example, an engine may enter or stay in one of two cylinder modes in response to a request to a negative torque capacity of an electric machine being insufficient to provide a desired driveline braking torque. One cylinder mode operates cylinders with cylinder valves held closed and without fuel being injected to the cylinders while the other cylinder mode operates cylinders with valves that open and close without fuel being injected to the cylinders.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A driveline operating method, comprising:
ceasing fuel delivery to all engine cylinders and adjusting an actual total number of engine cylinders with operating poppet valves and an actual total number of engine cylinders with deactivated poppet valves in response to a driveline braking torque during vehicle deceleration via a controller; and
ceasing to rotate an engine in response to a vehicle in which the engine operates not being in a sport mode and an electric machine having torque capacity to provide the driveline braking torque.

2. The method of claim 1 , where the poppet valves include intake and exhaust valves, and further comprising:
rotating the engine via energy supplied via vehicle wheels while fuel delivery is ceased.

3. The method of claim 1 , where the driveline braking torque is a negative driveline braking torque.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising rotating the engine in response to the driveline braking torque.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising starting the engine to rotate the engine in response to the driveline braking torque and a lack of negative torque capacity of the electric machine to provide the driveline braking torque.

6. A driveline operating method, comprising:
rotating an engine and holding poppet valves of a cylinder of the engine closed over a first engine cycle in response to a vehicle operating in a sport mode and an electric machine having torque capacity to provide a driveline braking torque; and
stopping engine rotation in response to the vehicle not operating in the sport mode and the electric machine having torque capacity to provide the driveline braking torque.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising operating a first actual total number of cylinders of the engine with poppet valves of the first actual total number of cylinders held closed over a second engine cycle and operating a second actual total number of cylinders with poppet valves of the second actual total number of cylinders opening and closing during the second engine cycle in response to the vehicle being in the sport mode and the electric machine not having torque capacity to provide the driveline braking torque.

8. The method of claim 6 , where the sport mode increases performance of the vehicle.

9. The method of claim 6 , further comprising ceasing to supply fuel to the engine in response to the vehicle operating in the sport mode and the electric machine having torque capacity to provide the driveline braking torque.

10. The method of claim 6 , further comprising ceasing combustion in the engine while the engine rotates.

11. The method of claim 10 , where the engine continues to rotate via energy supplied from a vehicle's wheels to the engine.

12. The method of claim 6 , where engine rotation is stopped via decoupling the engine from vehicle wheels and ceasing combustion within the engine.

13. The method of claim 6 , further comprising operating a portion of engine cylinders with intake and exhaust valves opening and closing over an engine cycle in response to the electric machine having insufficient torque capacity to provide the driveline braking torque.

14. A driveline operating method, comprising:
ceasing fuel delivery to all engine cylinders and adjusting an actual total number of engine cylinders with operating poppet valves and an actual total number of engine cylinders with deactivated poppet valves in response to a driveline braking torque during vehicle deceleration via a controller;
rotating an engine in response to the driveline braking torque; and
starting the engine to rotate the engine in response to the driveline braking torque and a lack of negative torque capacity of an electric machine to provide the driveline braking torque.

15. The method of claim 14 , where the poppet valves include intake and exhaust valves.

16. The method of claim 14 , where the driveline braking torque is a negative driveline braking torque.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Doering Jeffrey Allen
• Mcconville Gregory Patrick
• Glugla Chris Paul

Classifications

• B60W10/00

  Conjoint control of vehicle sub-units of different type or different function (for propulsion of purely electrically-propelled vehicles with power supplied within the vehicle B60L50/00 - B60L58/00) · CPC title

• B60K6/365 Primary

  with the gears having orbital motion · CPC title

• B60K2006/4825

  Electric machine connected or connectable to gearbox input shaft · CPC title

• B60W2030/18081

  With torque flow from driveshaft to engine, i.e. engine being driven by vehicle · CPC title

• F02D41/042

  for stopping the engine · CPC title