Supplemental electric drive with primary engine recognition for electric drive controller adaptation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11932232-B2
Application number	US-202217742180-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 11, 2022
Priority date	Dec 31, 2017
Publication date	Mar 19, 2024
Grant date	Mar 19, 2024

Abstract

Through-the-road (TTR) hybrid designs using control strategies such as an equivalent consumption minimization strategy (ECMS) or an adaptive ECMS are implemented at the supplemental torque delivering electrically-powered drive axle (or axles) in a manner that follows operational parameters or computationally estimates states of the primary drivetrain and/or fuel-fed engine, but does not itself participate in control of the fuel-fed engine or primary drivetrain. BSFC type data particular to the paired-with fuel-fed engine allows an ECMS implementation (or other similar control strategy) to adapt to efficiency curves for the particular fuel-fed engine and to improve overall efficiencies of the TTR hybrid configuration.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A system, comprising:
a fuel-fed engine;
a primary drivetrain of a tractor unit coupled to the fuel-fed engine;
an engine control module (ECM) for the fuel-fed engine coupled to a controller area network (CAN) interface;
an electric drive axle configured to operate independently of the primary drivetrain; and
an equivalent consumption minimization strategy (ECMS) controller for the electric drive axle coupled to the network interface, wherein the ECMS controller is configured to:
retrieve from the ECM a signature indicative of the fuel-fed engine wherein the signature is indicative of both the fuel-fed engine and the primary drivetrain of the tractor unit;
communicate over a wireless communication interface to retrieve brake-specific fuel consumption (BSFC) type data from an information store at least partially hosted by a network-connected service platform at least upon recognition of a new signature after coupling to the controller area network interface in response to the retrieval of the signature indicative of the fuel-fed engine, wherein a locally hosted portion of the information store is updated with the retrieved BSFC type data via the network-connected service platform periodically, on-demand, or in response to a command received over a radio frequency data communication interface;
determine a through-the-road (TTR) equivalent consumption minimization strategy (ECMS) independent of any driver inputs; and
control motive torque supplied by the electric drive axle in accordance with the TTR ECMS.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the system forms part of a vehicle having the fuel-fed engine, the primary drivetrain, the electric drive axle and the controller.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the fuel-fed engine comprises a fuel combustion engine, a hydrogen internal combustion engine (ICE), a homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI) engine, a hydrogen fuel cell, a hybrid electric, a diesel electric, or a turbine electric engine.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the fuel-fed engine is configured to run on diesel, gasoline, propane, biodiesel, ethanol (E85), compressed natural gas (CNG), renewable natural gas (RNG), hydrogen, or a combination thereof.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the ECMS controller is configured to adapt operation of the electric drive axle for regenerative power.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the ECMS controller is responsive to sensed pressure in a brake line for regenerative braking.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the ECMS controller is configured to adapt the TTR ECMS based on operation of the fuel-fed engine.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the ECMS controller is responsive to computationally estimated operational states of the fuel-fed engine.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the ECMS controller does not control the fuel-fed engine.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the ECMS controller is configured to update an information store with the BSFC type data.

11. A method for controlling an operation of a system comprising a fuel-fed engine, a primary drivetrain of a tractor unit coupled to the fuel-fed engine, an engine control module (ECM) for the fuel-fed engine coupled to a network interface, and an electric drive axle, the method comprising:
retrieving from the ECM a signature indicative of the fuel-fed engine, wherein the signature is indicative of both the fuel-fed engine and the primary drivetrain of the tractor unit;
communicating over a wireless communication interface to retrieve brake-specific fuel consumption (BSFC) type data from an information store at least partially hosted by a network-connected service platform at least upon recognition of a new signature after coupling to a controller area network interface in response to the retrieval of the signature indicative of the fuel-fed engine, wherein a locally hosted portion of the information store is updated with the retrieved BSFC type data via the network-connected service platform periodically, on-demand, or in response to a command received over a radio frequency data communication interface;
determining a through-the-road (TTR) equivalent consumption minimization strategy (ECMS) independent of any driver inputs; and
controlling motive torque supplied by the electric drive axle independently of the primary drivetrain in accordance with the TTR ECMS.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the system forms part of a vehicle having the fuel-fed engine, the primary drivetrain, the electric drive axle and the controller.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the fuel-fed engine comprises a fuel combustion engine, a hydrogen internal combustion engine (ICE), a homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI) engine, a hydrogen fuel cell, a hybrid electric, a diesel electric, or a turbine electric engine.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the fuel-fed engine is configured to run on diesel, gasoline, propane, biodiesel, ethanol (E85), compressed natural gas (CNG), renewable natural gas (RNG), hydrogen, or a combination thereof.

15. The method of claim 11 , further comprising the ECMS controller adapting operation of the electric drive axle for regenerative power.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the ECMS controller is responsive to sensed pressure in a brake line for regenerative braking.

17. The method of claim 11 , further comprising the ECMS controller adapting the TTR ECMS based on operation of the fuel-fed engine.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the ECMS controller is responsive to computationally estimated operational states of the fuel-fed engine.

19. The method of claim 11 , wherein the ECMS controller does not control the fuel-fed engine.

20. The method of claim 11 , further comprising updating an information store with the BSFC type data.

Assignees

• Hyliion Inc

Inventors

• Richter Roger
• Noland Jamie
• Culbertson Morgan

Classifications

• B60W20/10 Primary

  Controlling the power contribution of each of the prime movers to meet required power demand · CPC title

• B60K1/00

  Arrangement or mounting of electrical propulsion units (B60K7/00 takes precedence; arrangement or mounting of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion B60K6/00) · CPC title

• B60K1/04

  of the electric storage means for propulsion · CPC title

• B60K6/48

  Parallel type · CPC title

• B60K6/52

  Driving a plurality of drive axles, e.g. four-wheel drive · CPC title