Energy based component wear model for clutch control offsets in an automatic transmission

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11434965-B2
Application number	US-201916511543-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 15, 2019
Priority date	Jul 15, 2019
Publication date	Sep 6, 2022
Grant date	Sep 6, 2022

Abstract

An automatic transmission system of a vehicle and a corresponding adaptation method utilize an automatic transmission comprising a hydraulic friction clutch and a controller configured to continuously perform a feedforward adaptation procedure that models wear of the clutch, the feedforward adaptation procedure comprising obtaining a set of operating parameters each indicative of wear of the clutch, model the wear of the clutch based on the set of operating parameters using a clutch wear model, and determine a clutch offset for controlling application of the clutch based on the modeled clutch wear, and control application of the clutch based on the determined clutch offset.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An automatic transmission system for a vehicle, the system comprising:
an automatic transmission comprising a hydraulic friction clutch including a housing having therein a set of seals, a clutch disc defining first and second opposing sides each having frictional materials mounted thereon, a reaction plate parallel to a first side of the clutch disc, an apply plate parallel to the second side of the clutch disc, a clutch spring disposed between the reaction and apply plates, and a piston moveable in/out of a cavity defined by the housing in response to hydraulic fluid pressure sealed therein; and
a controller configured to:
continuously perform a feedforward adaptation procedure that models wear of the clutch, the feedforward adaptation procedure including:
obtaining a set of operating parameters each indicative of wear of the clutch,
modeling the wear of the clutch based on the set of operating parameters using a clutch wear model, wherein the modeled clutch wear comprises at least one of a modeled clutch seal wear, a modeled clutch frictional material wear, and a modeled clutch spring wear, and
determining a clutch offset for controlling application of the clutch based on the modeled clutch wear; and
control application of the clutch based on the determined clutch offset.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the determined clutch offset is a time offset for a time to apply the clutch.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the determined clutch offset is a pressure offset for a pressure to be applied to the clutch.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the modeled clutch wear comprises the modeled clutch seal wear, the modeled clutch frictional material wear, and the modeled clutch spring wear.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein at least some of the set of operating parameters are indicative of an energy being input into the clutch.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the set of operating parameters comprises at least one of clutch temperature, clutch slip speed, clutch friction material friction, clutch apply pressure, clutch spring compression time, and clutch torque transfer.

7. The system of claim 5 , wherein the set of operating parameters comprises clutch temperature, clutch slip speed, clutch friction material friction, clutch apply pressure, clutch spring compression time, and clutch torque transfer.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the feedforward adaptation procedure is performed more often during an initial break-in period of the vehicle than a subsequent long-term period of the vehicle.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the feedforward adaptation procedure does not require a specific set of vehicle driving conditions in order to be performed.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the automatic transmission comprises a plurality of clutches and the controller is configured to continuously perform the feedforward adaptation procedure to model wear of each of the plurality of clutches, to determine a plurality of clutch offsets for the plurality of clutches, respectively, and to control application of the plurality of clutches based on the plurality of clutch offsets, respectively.

11. A continuous feedforward adaptation method for modeling wear of and for subsequently controlling application of a hydraulic friction clutch of an automatic transmission of a vehicle, the method comprising:
obtaining, by a controller of the vehicle, a set of operating parameters each indicative of the wear of the clutch, the clutch including a housing having therein a set of seals, a clutch disc defining first and second opposing sides each having frictional materials mounted thereon, a reaction plate parallel to a first side of the clutch disc, an apply plate parallel to the second side of the clutch disc, a clutch spring disposed between the reaction and apply plates, and a piston moveable in/out of a cavity defined by the housing in response to hydraulic fluid pressure sealed therein;
modeling, by the controller, the wear of the clutch using a clutch wear model and the set of operating parameters, wherein the modeled clutch wear comprises at least one of a modeled clutch seal wear, a modeled clutch frictional material wear, and a modeled clutch spring wear;
determining, by the controller, a clutch offset for controlling application of the clutch based on the modeled clutch wear; and
controlling, by the controller, application of the clutch based on the determined clutch offset.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the determined clutch offset is a time offset for a time to apply the clutch.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the determined clutch offset is a pressure offset for a pressure to be applied to the clutch.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the modeled clutch wear comprises the modeled clutch seal wear, the modeled clutch frictional material wear, and the modeled clutch spring wear.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein at least some of the set of operating parameters are indicative of an energy being input into the clutch.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the set of operating parameters comprises at least one of clutch temperature, clutch slip speed, clutch friction material friction, clutch apply pressure, clutch spring compression time, and clutch torque transfer.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the set of operating parameters comprises clutch temperature, clutch slip speed, clutch friction material friction, clutch apply pressure, clutch spring compression time, and clutch torque transfer.

18. The method of claim 11 , wherein the feedforward adaptation procedure is performed more often during an initial break-in period of the vehicle than a subsequent long-term period of the vehicle.

19. The method of claim 11 , wherein the feedforward adaptation procedure does not require a specific set of vehicle driving conditions in order to be performed.

20. The method of claim 11 , wherein the automatic transmission comprises a plurality of clutches and the method comprises continuously performing the feedforward adaptation procedure to model wear of each of the plurality of clutches, determining a plurality of clutch offsets for the plurality of clutches, respectively, and controlling application of the plurality of clutches based on the plurality of clutch offsets, respectively.

Assignees

• Baker Dean
• Young Brian P
• Saliga Nathan J
• Fca Us Llc

Inventors

• Baker Dean
• Young Brian P
• Saliga Nathan J

Classifications

• F16D2500/5023

  Determination of the clutch wear · CPC title

• F16D66/02

  Apparatus for indicating wear · CPC title

• F16D2500/3166

  Detection of an elapsed period of time · CPC title

• F16D2500/1045

  Friction clutch · CPC title

• F16D2500/7082

  of the clutch · CPC title