Method for operating a belt-driven starter generator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10539113-B2
Application number	US-201615574281-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 7, 2016
Priority date	Jun 18, 2015
Publication date	Jan 21, 2020
Grant date	Jan 21, 2020

Abstract

A method for operating a belt-driven starter generator of an internal combustion engine, in which a time interval between an onset of a rotary motion of the belt-driven starter generator and an onset of a rotary motion of the internal combustion engine is determined, the determined time interval is compared to a reference value, and the structural change of a belt of the belt-driven starter generator is inferred therefrom, and a torque of the belt-driven starter generator and/or a torque of a component connected to the belt is restricted as a function of the structural change of the belt.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for operating a belt-driven starter generator of an internal combustion engine, comprising:
determining a time interval between an onset of a rotary motion of the belt-driven starter generator and an onset of a rotary motion of the internal combustion engine;
comparing the determined time interval to a reference value and inferring a structural change of a belt of the belt-driven starter generator from the comparison; and
restricting, as a function of the structural change of the belt, at least one of: (i) a torque of the belt-driven starter generator, and (ii) a torque of a component connected to the belt.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the component connected to the belt is deactivated as a function of the structural change of the belt.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein at least one of: (i) the torque of the belt-driven starter generator, and (ii) the torque of the component connected to the belt, is restricted if the structural change of the belt reaches a threshold value.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein at least one of: (i) the torque of the belt-driven starter generator, and (ii) the torque of the component connected to the belt, is restricted when a difference between the determined time interval and the reference value reaches a threshold value.

5. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein at least one of: (i) the torque of the belt-driven starter generator, and (ii) the torque of the component connected to the belt, is restricted as a function of an extent of the structural change of the belt.

6. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the time interval is determined when the internal combustion engine is started with the aid of the belt-driven starter generator.

7. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein a multitude of time intervals is determined, and the multitude of time intervals is statistically evaluated and compared to the reference value.

8. The method as recited in claim 7 , wherein at least one of: (i) a statistical mean value is determined from the multitude of time intervals in the course of the statistical evaluation, and (ii) a time sequence analysis is carried out.

9. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein at the onset of the rotary motion of the belt-driven starter generator, a first time stamp is determined or received, and at the onset of the rotary motion of the internal combustion engine, a second time stamp is determined or received, and the time interval is determined from the first time stamp and the second time stamp.

10. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein when the structural change of the belt is detected, at least one of: (i) an error entry is made in an error memory, and (ii) a visual and/or an acoustic notification is output.

11. An arithmetic unit, designed to operate a belt-driven starter generator of an internal combustion engine, the arithmetic unit designed to:
determine a time interval between an onset of a rotary motion of the belt-driven starter generator and an onset of a rotary motion of the internal combustion engine;
compare the determined time interval to a reference value and inferring a structural change of a belt of the belt-driven starter generator from the comparison; and
restrict, as a function of the structural change of the belt, at least one of: (i) a torque of the belt-driven starter generator, and (ii) a torque of a component connected to the belt.

12. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium on which is stored a computer program having program code for operating a belt-driven starter generator of an internal combustion engine, the computer program, when executed by a processor, causing the processor to perform:
determining a time interval between an onset of a rotary motion of the belt-driven starter generator and an onset of a rotary motion of the internal combustion engine;
comparing the determined time interval to a reference value and inferring a structural change of a belt of the belt-driven starter generator from the comparison; and
restricting, as a function of the structural change of the belt, at least one of: (i) a torque of the belt-driven starter generator, and (ii) a torque of a component connected to the belt.

Assignees

• Seg Automotive Germany Gmbh

Inventors

• Klein Benjamin
• Trzebiatowski Tobias

Classifications

• B60W10/30

  including control of auxiliary equipment, e.g. air-conditioning compressors or oil pumps · CPC title

• F16H7/08

  Means for varying tension of belts, ropes or chains  (pulleys of adjustable construction F16H55/52) · CPC title

• F02N15/08 Primary

  the gearing being of friction type · CPC title

• F16H2007/0874

  Two or more finally actuated members · CPC title

• F02N15/02 Primary

  Gearing between starting-engines and started engines; Engagement or disengagement thereof · CPC title