Internal combustion engine torque optimization subject to constraints in hybrid-electric powertrains

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12084041-B2
Application number	US-202117526049-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 15, 2021
Priority date	Nov 15, 2021
Publication date	Sep 10, 2024
Grant date	Sep 10, 2024

Abstract

Hybrid-electric powertrain control systems and methods include a set of sensors configured to measure a set of operating parameters of a set of components of the hybrid-electric powertrain that are each a constraint on minimum/maximum motor torque limits for the electric motors thereby collectively forming a set of constraints and a controller configured to perform a linear optimization to find the best engine torque values that are attainable subject to a set of constraint inequalities as defined by current vehicle state and as monitored by the set of sensors, and control the hybrid-electric powertrain based on the best engine torque values to avoid excessive torque commands that could damage physical components of the hybrid-electric powertrain and/or could cause undesirable noise/vibration/harshness (NVH) characteristics.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A control system for a hybrid-electric powertrain of a vehicle, the hybrid-electric powertrain including an internal combustion engine, two electric motors, a battery system, and a transmission comprising a plurality of clutches, the control system comprising:
a set of sensors configured to measure a set of operating parameters of a set of components of the hybrid-electric powertrain, wherein each component of the set of components is a constraint on minimum/maximum motor torque limits, collectively defining a minimum/maximum motor torque limit slab, for the electric motors thereby collectively forming a set of constraints; and
a controller configured to:
perform a linear optimization to find best engine torque values that are attainable subject to a set of constraint inequalities as defined by current vehicle state and as monitored by the set of sensors; and
control the hybrid-electric powertrain based on the best engine torque values to avoid excessive torque commands that could damage physical components of the hybrid-electric powertrain and/or could cause undesirable noise/vibration/harshness (NVH) characteristics,

wherein the controller is configured to select two constraint plane pairs at a time and determine intersections between (i) the selected two constraint plane pairs and (ii) the minimum/maximum motor torque limits for all currently active constraint plane pair combinations and determine intersection points of two of the constraint plane pairs with the minimum/maximum motor torque limit slab, and then the best engine torque levels are chosen.

2. The control system of claim 1 , wherein there are a plurality of constraints depending on a configuration of the hybrid-electric powertrain and operation mode.

3. The control system of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of constraints includes at least two of engine torque, drive belt slip torque, torque of the electric motors, clutch and/or transmission gear states, and a state of the battery system.

4. The control system of claim 2 , wherein the operation mode includes at least one of whether the engine participates in a series hybrid operating mode or a parallel hybrid operating mode, electric motor generator or motor mode, battery system depletion, charge sustaining, or recharging modes, clutch pack slippage, disengaged/open, or lock operation, dog clutch engaged or disengaged operation, and transmission gear selection.

5. The control system of claim 1 , wherein the controller determines four intersection lines between the selected two pairs of constraint planes and then finds the intersection points of these lines with planes of the minimum/maximum motor torque limits with a three-dimensional geometric approach, and finds four vertical edges of the minimum/maximum motor torque limit slab and then finds the intersection points of two constraint plane pairs at a time with the four vertical edges leading to at most sixteen intersection points.

6. A method for controlling for a hybrid-electric powertrain of a vehicle, the hybrid-electric powertrain including an internal combustion engine, two electric motors, a battery system, and a transmission comprising a plurality of clutches, the method comprising:
receiving, by a controller of the vehicle and from a set of sensors of the hybrid-electric powertrain, a set of operating parameters of a set of components of the hybrid-electric powertrain, wherein each component of the set of components is a constraint on minimum/maximum motor torque limits for the electric motors thereby collectively forming a set of constraints;
performing, by the controller, a linear optimization to find best engine torque values that are attainable subject to a set of constraint inequalities as defined by current vehicle state and as monitored by the set of sensors; and
controlling, by the controller, the hybrid-electric powertrain based on the best engine torque values to avoid excessive torque commands that could damage physical components of the hybrid-electric powertrain and/or could cause undesirable noise/vibration/harshness (NVH) characteristics,
wherein the controller selects two constraint plane pairs at a time and determines intersections between (i) the selected two constraint plane pairs and (ii) the minimum/maximum motor torque limits for all currently active constraint plane pair combinations, and then the best engine torque levels are chosen.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein there are a plurality of constraints depending on a configuration of the hybrid-electric powertrain and operation mode.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of constraints includes at least two of engine torque, drive belt slip torque, torque of the electric motors, clutch and/or transmission gear states, and a state of the battery system.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the operation mode includes at least one of whether the engine participates in a series hybrid operating mode or a parallel hybrid operating mode, electric motor generator or motor mode, battery system depletion, charge sustaining, or recharging mode, clutch pack slippage, disengaged/open, or lock operation, dog clutch engaged or disengaged operation, and transmission gear selection.

10. The method of claim 6 , wherein the controller first determines four intersection lines between the selected two constraint plane pairs of and then finds the intersection points of these lines with planes of the minimum/maximum motor torque limits with a three-dimensional geometric approach.

11. A method for controlling for a hybrid-electric powertrain of a vehicle, the hybrid-electric powertrain including an internal combustion engine, two electric motors, a battery system, and a transmission comprising a plurality of clutches, the method comprising:
receiving, by a controller of the vehicle and from a set of sensors of the hybrid-electric powertrain, a set of operating parameters of a set of components of the hybrid-electric powertrain, wherein each component of the set of components is a constraint on minimum/maximum motor torque limits, collectively defining a minimum/maximum motor torque limit slab, for the electric motors thereby collectively forming a set of constraints;
performing, by the controller, a linear optimization to find best engine torque values that are attainable subject to a set of constraint inequalities as defined by current vehicle state and as monitored by the set of sensors; and
controlling, by the controller, the hybrid-electric powertrain based on the best engine torque values to avoid excessive torque commands that could damage physical components of the hybrid-electric powertrain and/or could cause undesirable noise/vibration/harshness (NVH) characteristics,
wherein the controller determines intersection points of two constraint plane pairs with the minimum/maximum motor torque limit slab, and then the best engine torque levels are chosen.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein there are a plurality of constraints depending on a configuration of the hybrid-electric powertrain and operation mode.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of constraints includes at least two of engine torque, drive belt slip torque, torque of the electric motors, clutch and/or transmission gear states, and a state of the battery system.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the operation mode includes at least one of whether the engine participates in a series hybrid operating mode or a parallel hybrid operating mode, electric motor generator or motor mode, battery system depletion, charge sustaining, or recharging mode, clutch pack slippage, disengaged/open, or lock operati

Assignees

• Walsh Mckenzie T
• Sovenyi Szabolcs
• Patel Nadirsh
• Fca Us Llc

Inventors

• Walsh Mckenzie T
• Sovenyi Szabolcs
• Patel Nadirsh

Classifications

• B60W30/182

  Selecting between different operative modes, e.g. comfort and performance modes · CPC title

• B60W2510/083

  Torque · CPC title

• B60W2510/0657

  Engine torque · CPC title

• B60W2720/40

  Torque distribution · CPC title

• B60W10/08

  including control of electric propulsion units, e.g. motors or generators · CPC title