Apparatus and method for controlling electric vehicle including twin clutches

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12515532-B2
Application number	US-202217947936-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 19, 2022
Priority date	Nov 9, 2021
Publication date	Jan 6, 2026
Grant date	Jan 6, 2026

Abstract

A method of controlling an electric vehicle including twin clutches includes twin clutches for the electric vehicle driven by power of a drive motor and includes determining, by a clutch controller, whether a releasing condition for releasing engagement of the twin clutches is satisfied, controlling, by the clutch controller, the twin clutches to 0 torque when the releasing condition is satisfied, controlling the drive motor to 0 rpm by a vehicle controller when a torque applied to the twin clutches is less than a predetermined torque, and controlling the drive motor to 0 torque when a speed of the drive motor is less than a predetermined speed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of controlling a vehicle including twin clutches for the vehicle driven by power of a drive motor, wherein a torque applied to the twin clutches are independently controlled, and size of driving torque distributed to each drive wheel through the twin clutches are adjusted, the method comprising:
determining, by a clutch controller, whether a releasing condition for releasing engagement of the twin clutches is satisfied; controlling, by the clutch controller, the twin clutches to 0 torque when the releasing condition is satisfied; controlling the drive motor to 0 revolutions per minute (rpm) by a vehicle controller when the torque applied to the twin clutches is less than a predetermined torque; and controlling the drive motor to 0 torque when a speed of the drive motor is less than a predetermined speed, wherein the releasing condition is satisfied when the vehicle is in a high-speed running state, excluding an accelerated running state of the vehicle, excluding a braking state of the vehicle, and excluding a turning running state of the vehicle.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further including:
controlling, by the vehicle controller, to synchronize the speed of the drive motor with a speed of a drive wheel of the vehicle when the torque applied to the twin clutches is greater than or equal to the predetermined torque after controlling the twin clutches to 0 torque.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the turning running state includes a state in which a lateral G of the vehicle is less than or equal to a predetermined acceleration, a steering angle of a steering wheel is less than or equal to a predetermined angle, or a yaw rate is less than or equal to a predetermined value.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further including:
determining whether an engagement condition for engaging the twin clutches is satisfied; synchronizing the speed of the drive motor and a speed of a drive wheel when the engagement condition is satisfied; and applying an engagement torque for engaging the twin clutches when the speed of the drive motor and the speed of the drive wheel are synchronized.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the applying of the engagement torque includes applying the engagement torque for engaging the twin clutches completely to the twin clutches, when a speed difference between the speed of the drive motor and the speed of the drive wheel is less than a predetermined speed.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the clutch controller is configured to apply a preliminary engagement torque smaller than the engagement torque to the twin clutches when the speed difference between the speed of the drive motor and the speed of the drive wheel is greater than or equal to the predetermined speed.

7 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the engagement condition is satisfied when the vehicle is in a state where a turning running is required, or the vehicle is running at a predetermined speed, is accelerating, or is braking.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein when the releasing condition is not satisfied, the clutch controller is configured to control the driving torque distributed to each drive wheel of the vehicle by adjusting the torque applied to a first clutch and a second clutch while the twin clutches are engaged.

9 . An apparatus of controlling a vehicle, the apparatus comprising:
twin clutches configured to selectively cut off power supplied from a drive motor to a pair of drive wheels of the vehicle, wherein torque applied to the twin clutches are independently controlled, and size of driving torque distributed to each drive wheel through the twin clutches are adjusted; a driving information detector configured to detect driving information of the vehicle; a vehicle controller configured to control the drive motor provided in the vehicle; and a clutch controller configured to control the twin clutches to 0 torque when a releasing condition for releasing engagement of the twin clutches is satisfied based on the driving information, control the drive motor to 0 revolutions per minute (rpm) through the vehicle controller when the torque applied to the twin clutches is less than a predetermined torque, and control the drive motor to 0 torque through the vehicle controller when a speed of the drive motor is less than a predetermined speed, wherein the releasing condition is satisfied when the vehicle is in a high-speed running state, excluding an accelerated running state of the vehicle, excluding a braking state of the vehicle, and excluding a turning running state of the vehicle.

10 . The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the clutch controller is further configured to control to synchronize the speed of the drive motor with a speed of the drive wheels through the vehicle controller when the torque applied to the twin clutches is greater than or equal to the predetermined torque after controlling the twin clutches to 0 torque.

11 . The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the turning running state includes a state in which a lateral G of the vehicle is less than or equal to a predetermined acceleration, a steering angle of a steering wheel is less than or equal to a predetermined angle, or a yaw rate is less than or equal to a predetermined value.

12 . The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein when an engagement condition for engaging the twin clutches is satisfied while the vehicle is coasting, the clutch controller is configured to synchronize the speed of the drive motor and a speed of drive wheel and apply an engagement torque for engaging the twin clutches when the speed of the drive motor and the speed of the drive wheel are synchronized.

13 . The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein when the engagement torque is applied to the twin clutches, the clutch controller is configured to apply the engagement torque for engaging the twin clutches completely to the twin clutches, when a speed difference between the speed of the drive motor and the speed of the drive wheel is less than a predetermined speed.

14 . The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the clutch controller is configured to apply a preliminary engagement torque smaller than the engagement torque to the twin clutches when the speed difference between the speed of the drive motor and the speed of the drive wheel is greater than or equal to the predetermined speed.

15 . The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the engagement condition is satisfied when the vehicle is in a state where a turning running is required, or the vehicle is running at a low speed, is accelerating, or is braking.

16 . The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein when the releasing condition is not satisfied, the clutch controller is configured to control the driving torque distributed to each drive wheel by adjusting the torque applied to a first clutch and a second clutch while the twin clutches are engaged.

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd
• Kia Corp
• Hyundai Wia Corp

Inventors

• Lee Taewoo
• Song Jeong Won
• Lim Sung Keun
• Park Junseok
• Lee Jong Chan
• Kang Heon

Classifications

• F16D48/06 Primary

  Control by electric or electronic means, e.g. of fluid pressure · CPC title

• F16D2500/3065

  Torque of the engine · CPC title

• F16D2500/3115

  Vehicle wheel speed · CPC title

• F16D2500/3067

  Speed of the engine · CPC title

• F16D2500/3027

  Torque · CPC title