Method for controlling a hybrid drivetrain and battery device in the hybrid drivetrain

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016339796-A1
Application number	US-201615208260-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 12, 2016
Priority date	Apr 4, 2011
Publication date	Nov 24, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A circuit for controlling a hybrid drivetrain, including an alternating current electric machine, a first battery, a second battery, a first pair of complementary transistor switches arranged to complete a first direct current circuit to charge the first battery or to complete a second direct current circuit to discharge the first battery, a second pair of complementary transistor switches arranged in parallel and arranged to complete a third direct current circuit to charge the second battery or to complete a fourth direct current circuit to discharge the second battery, an inverter arranged to convert direct current electrical energy from the first and second batteries into alternating current electrical energy, arranged to supply the alternating current electrical energy to the electric machine, and also arranged to transmit voltage modulations caused by damping vibrations within the drivetrain, and a control unit operatively arranged to control the first and second pair of switches.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A circuit for controlling a hybrid drivetrain and a pair of batteries in the hybrid drivetrain of a motor vehicle, comprising:
an alternating current electric machine arranged to drive said hybrid drivetrain at least some of the time; a first battery arranged to provide direct current electrical power; a second battery arranged to provide direct current electrical power; a first pair of complementary transistor switches arranged in parallel and arranged to complete a first direct current circuit to charge said first battery or to complete a second direct current circuit to discharge said first battery; a second pair of complementary transistor switches arranged in parallel and arranged to complete a third direct current circuit to charge said second battery or to complete a fourth direct current circuit to discharge said second battery; an inverter arranged to convert direct current electrical energy from said first and second batteries into alternating current electrical energy, arranged to supply said alternating current electrical energy to said electric machine, and also arranged to transmit voltage modulations caused by damping vibrations within said drivetrain to one of said first, second, third or fourth direct current circuits via one of said switches; and, a control unit operatively arranged to control said first and second pair of switches.

2 . The circuit recited in claim 1 wherein said voltage modulations lie in a range of approximately 60 to 100 Hz.

3 . The circuit recited in claim 1 wherein said control unit is operatively arranged to control said first and second pair of switches such that said first battery is charging when said second battery is discharging.

4 . The circuit recited in claim 1 wherein said control unit is operatively arranged to control said first and second pair of switches such that said second battery is charging when said first battery is discharging.

5 . The circuit recited in claim 1 wherein said control unit is operatively arranged to control said first and second pair of switches such that said first battery is charging and said second battery is charging during recovery of the drivetrain while the motor vehicle is decelerating.

6 . The circuit recited in claim 1 wherein said control unit is operatively arranged to control said first and second pair of switches such that said first battery is discharging when said second battery is discharging while starting a combustion engine of the motor vehicle, or when the drivetrain is in a boost mode.

7 . The circuit recited in claim 1 wherein each of said transistor switches comprises an insulated-gate bipolar transistor.

8 . A method for controlling a hybrid drivetrain of a motor vehicle, said motor vehicle driven at least some of the time by an electric machine, comprising:
powering said electric machine to drive said hybrid drivetrain at least some of the time with a first battery; powering said electric machine to drive said hybrid drivetrain at least some of the time with a second battery; charging and discharging said first and second batteries via a direct current circuit; inverting direct current electrical energy provided by at least one of said batteries into alternating current electrical energy to power said electric machine; transmitting voltage modulations caused by damping vibrations within said drivetrain into said direct current charging circuit; controlling, with a control unit, a first pair of complementary transistor switches arranged in parallel and arranged to complete a circuit to charge said first battery or to complete a circuit to discharge said first battery; and, controlling, with a control unit, a second pair of complementary transistor switches arranged in parallel and arranged to complete a circuit to charge said second battery or to complete a circuit to discharge said second battery.

9 . The method recited in claim 8 wherein said voltage modulations associated with said damping vibrations lie in a range of approximately 60 to 100 Hz.

10 . The method recited in claim 8 wherein, in a first stage, said controlling steps function to charge said first battery when said second battery is discharging.

11 . The method recited in claim 8 wherein, in a second stage, said controlling steps function to charge said second battery when said first battery is discharging.

12 . The method recited in claim 8 wherein, in a third stage, said controlling steps function to charge said first and second batteries at the same time.

13 . The method recited in claim 8 wherein, in a fourth stage, said controlling steps function to discharge said first and second batteries at the same time.

Assignees

• Schaeffler Technologies Ag

Inventors

• Angrick Carsten
• Gramann Matthias

Classifications

• Y10S903/907

  Electricity storage, e.g. battery, capacitor · CPC title

• B60W10/26

  for electrical energy, e.g. batteries or capacitors · CPC title

• B60Y2300/65

  Reduce shocks on mode change, e.g. during engine shutdown · CPC title

• B60L2210/30

  AC to DC converters · CPC title

• B60W20/13

  in order to stay within battery power input or output limits; in order to prevent overcharging or battery depletion · CPC title