Cummins Inc.

Eaton Corporation

General Electric Company

George A Brunemann

Thomas Dollmeyer

Larry J Brackney

Thomas Connolly

Xiaosong Kang

Paul R Reismiller

Joseph Cheri Mathew

Paul R Miller

Yue Yun Wang

John Franklin Wright

Chuan He

Salim A Jaliwala

Danny R Baker

Stephen J Charlton

Steve Charlton

B Jerry Song

Matthew M Lipinski

Michael G Barbieri

Tom Dollmeyer

Matthew P Johnson

Dennis Robinson

Wayne Eberhard

A method of operating a vehicle powertrain system where the powertrain system includes a fuel controlled engine, an electric motor, and a battery, the fuel, controlled engine and the electric motor capable of powering the powertrain system. The powertrain system is capable of operating in a plurality of operational modes. The method includes detecting a current value representative of a current flowing through a portion of the battery, calculating a first value representative of the current over a predetermined amount of time, and de-rating at least one of the plurality of operational modes in response to the calculated first value.

Hybrid electric vehicle battery thermal management

A method of determining a torque transfer touch point of a clutch within a drive train includes applying a predetermined amount of current to an electric motor such that the electric motor will apply a torque to at least a portion of a clutch. The predetermined amount of current will not rotate a shaft of the motor when the clutch is at least partially engaged. The method also includes initiating disengagement of the clutch, detecting movement of at least a portion of the motor, and recording a clutch parameter that is generally coincident with the detecting movement of a least a portion of the motor.

Automatic calibration of the torque transfer touch point in an electrically actuated clutch in a hybrid vehicle

A method for determining a shift point strategy in a hybrid vehicle includes providing at least two power sources, selectively coupling the two or more power sources to a hybrid vehicle transmission, defining an input shaft speed for best acceleration, defining an input shaft speed for best fuel economy, determining driver intent compared to the best acceleration and the best fuel economy, and setting a shift point of the hybrid vehicle transmission based, at least in part, on the driver intent.

Shift point strategy for hybrid electric vehicle transmission

A system for controlling exhaust emissions produced by an internal combustion engine includes an engine controller having an emission manager configured to produce a base emission level cap command, corresponding to a maximum allowable emission level of the engine, as a function of at least altitude and ambient temperature. The emission manager may also include one or more auxiliary emission control devices (AECDs), and the emission manager is further operable in such cases to determine a maximum allowable emission level associated with each active AECD. A final emission level cap command is determined as a function of the base emission level cap command and the maximum allowable emission level associated with each active AECD. The emission manager is further operable to produce a protection state data structure that includes information relating to the operational status of each AECD.

System for controlling exhaust emissions produced by an internal combustion engine

A system is disclosed for estimating the mass flow of recirculated exhaust gas (EGR) from an exhaust manifold to an intake manifold of an internal combustion engine via an EGR conduit disposed therebetween and a fraction of EGR attributable to a mass of charge flow entering the intake manifold. An engine controller is responsive to current values of various combinations of the engine exhaust temperature (ETE), intake manifold pressure (IMP), differential pressure (&#x394;P) across an EGR valve, and EGR valve position (EGRP) to determine an estimate of EGR mass flow. The controller is further operable to estimate EGR fraction as a function of the estimated EGR mass flow value, mass flow of charge entering the intake manifold, and engine speed.

System and method for estimating EGR mass flow and EGR fraction

A sensor failure accommodation system includes a control computer receiving a sensor signal corresponding to an engine operating condition, and estimating a value of the engine operating condition as a function of one or more engine operating parameters different than the engine operating condition. The computer is operable to control one or more air handling mechanisms as a function of a final engine operating condition value, and if the sensor producing the engine operating condition signal is error free the final engine operating condition value is the engine operating condition signal. If the sensor producing the engine operating condition signal has failed, the final engine operating condition value is the engine operating condition estimate, and if at least one sensor producing the one or more engine operating parameters has also failed, the final engine operating condition value is a commanded or other definable engine operating condition value.

Sensor failure accommodation system

A system for protecting an internal combustion engine employing cooled recirculated exhaust gas (EGR) from excessive condensation includes an auxiliary emission control device (AECD) operable to determine when engine operating conditions correspond to a condensing condition resulting in condensation of water at the outlet of the EGR cooler and/or within the intake manifold or intake conduit of the engine. When such conditions occur, the AECD is operable to close the EGR valve and monitor engine operating conditions. When engine operating conditions no longer correspond to the condensing condition, control of the EGR valve is restored to an air handling system associated with the engine.

Condensation protection AECD for an internal combustion engine employing cooled EGR

A combustion manager portion of an engine controller is responsive to ambient air density and engine temperature signals to schedule charge flow and EGR fraction commands. The combustion manager includes a data structure determination block operable to select an appropriate engine speed/engine fueling data structure based on air density and engine temperature information as well as on desired emissions level and engine operating state (i.e., steady state or transient) information. Charge flow and EGR fraction determination blocks are, in turn, responsive to current engine speed and engine fueling information to produce compute the EGR fraction and charge flow commands as a function of the selected engine speed/engine fueling data structures.

System for producing charge flow and EGR fraction commands based on engine operating conditions

The present invention provides a distributed engine processing system, which includes a plurality of engines with an electronic engine control module located within each of the engines. The electronic engine control module is in substantially continuous communication with a server, located remotely from the electronic engine control module. There is included in the invention a means of communication between the electronic engine control module and the server. The invention further provides a method for distributing engine processing. The electronic engine control module downloads engine information to a common server, which performs processing and analysis of the downloaded information from each engine and processing and analysis of the information downloaded by all engines. After the processing, the server stores all the information within a memory of the server. The invention also provides a method for adaptation of the engine in response to the analyses by the server and a method for notification of the engine operator of the changes made to the engine or any necessary services that should be performed on the engine.

Distributed engine processing system

A system and method for controlling an engine or machine at a remote unit from a central office, which may be a fixed location, contemplates a transmit/receive interface connected to the computer or microprocessor of the engine or machine controller. This interface is integrated with a communications module that is configured to establish communications with a World Wide Web server on the Internet. A similar system is established at the location of the central office connected to a computer controlled by a fleet owner/operator, for example. The fleet owner can upload machine control data or machine control application software to an intermediate digital file storage maintained by the Web server via the Internet. This data or application software can be accessed and downloaded at any time by the remote operator without any direct interface or communication with the central office. The remote machine controller includes a data entry device that allows the remote operator to issue commands to the Web server to upload or download information, input password or security information for access to the data in intermediate file storage, or leave messages for the central office. The transmit/receive interface at the remote unit includes means for receiving the downloaded information, determining whether the information is application data or application software, and updating the machine controller accordingly. In this manner, either specific data can be downloaded to modify the performance of the controlled machine, or entirely new application software or modified application software can be downloaded directly to the machine controller.

System and method for transmission of application software to an embedded vehicle computer

A charge limit manager arbitrates between desired EGR system and/or turbocharger behavior and the actual capabilities of EGR system and/or turbocharger control mechanisms under current operating conditions. In one embodiment, the charge limit manager includes three limiter blocks producing offset signals as separate functions of turbocharger compressor outlet temperature, turbocharger speed and pressure differential (&Dgr;P) across an EGR valve. A charge limit selector block is responsive to the offset values produced thereby, and also to commanded values of charge flow and EGR fraction as well as operating values of EGR valve position and &Dgr;P, to limit the charge flow and EGR fraction commands to controllable values. These values are preferably subtracted from actual or estimated values of charge flow and EGR fraction to produce charge flow and EGR fraction error values for use in controlling one or more EGR system and/or turbocharger swallowing capacity/efficiency control mechanisms.

System for managing charge flow and EGR fraction in an internal combustion engine

A predictor algorithm for an actuator control is provided in a servo-actuator system. The predictor algorithm receives a signal representative of the torque motor current supplied to the servovalve controlling the actuator and uses that signal to predict the change in actuator position over a single time interval. If the measured actuator position for the previous time interval is within the maximum value and the minimum value for that time interval, then the next maximum and minimum values are calculated by adding the predicted change to the previous measured signal. If the measured actuator signal for the previous time interval is outside the maximum and minimum values for that time interval, then the next maximum and minimum values are calculated by adding the predicted change to the previous maximum and minimum values. A fault is indicated when the measured signal falls outside the maximum and minimum values for a predetermined number of time intervals. In a further embodiment of the present invention, the gain of the torque motor is tracked and used to adjust the maximum and minimum values for various operating conditions.

Predictor algorithm for actuator control

The present invention provides a method and an apparatus for selecting a valid signal from a plurality of redundant sensor signals wherein the sensor signals may include a plurality of measured and modelled signals. The invention comprises a circuit for generating a plurality of first pass/fail signals by performing a series of tests on the sensor signals. The invention further comprises circuitry for assigning a plurality of weighted values to each of the measured sensor signals according to the first and second pass/fail signals wherein the second pass/fail signals are initialized as pass signals. The invention further comprises of circuitry for summing the weighted values for each measured sensor signal and generating second pass/fail signals for each measured sensor signal. The invention also includes circuitry for assigning selection flags to each sensor signal according to the first and second pass/fail signals and circuitry for selecting the valid signal from the selection flags.

Growing community of inventors

Cincinnati, OH, United States of America

George A Brunemann