Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Neeraj S Shidore

Norman K Bucknor

Chunhao J Lee

Chandra S Namuduri

Dongxu Li

Suresh Gopalakrishnan

Farzad Samie

Derek F Lahr

Lei Hao

Madhusudan Raghavan

Venkata Prasad Atluri

Satish P Ketkar

Venkatesh Gopalakrishnan

Paul S Lombardo

Thomas W Nehl

Min Sun

Alexandru Rajala

Ryan D Hopper

Ming Yang

Paul Edward Krajewski

James B Borgerson

Jian Yao

Chengwu Duan

Chih-Hung Yen

Wen-Chiao Lin

Qiangfeng Xiao

David W Walters

Shuonan Xu

Cameron P Smith

David E Edwards

Daniel Robert Tylutki

Jingyan Wan

Brenton J Bergkoetter

Tito R Huffman

Vicente Domenech-Llopis

Luke David Shepley

Jeffrey R Aldrich

Peter Beller

K V Hebbale

Mark Tadrous

Justin Skorski

A cooling system for a rechargeable energy storage system (RESS) of a vehicle includes a coolant circuit configured to direct a coolant flow through the RESS to remove thermal energy from the RESS, and a refrigerant circuit through which a flow of refrigerant is circulated. A chiller is fluidly connected to the coolant circuit and the refrigerant circuit and is configured to transfer thermal energy between the coolant circuit and the refrigerant circuit. An auxiliary circuit is fluidly connected to the coolant circuit. The auxiliary circuit is configured to selectably direct at least a portion of the coolant flow across a first side of a cold plate for thermal energy exchange with a phase change material located at a second side of the cold plate. One or more valves are configured to selectably direct the at least a portion of the coolant flow through the auxiliary circuit.

Augmented cooling of electric vehicle

A device for parameter estimation and thermal control of a battery assembly includes a thermal management module electrically connected to the battery assembly, the thermal management module including a circuit configured to generate an alternating current (AC) signal through the battery assembly. The device also includes a controller configured to estimate an internal temperature of the battery assembly based on a response of the circuit and the battery assembly to the AC signal, the AC signal including at least one pulse having a selected amplitude and a selected pulse width. The controller is configured to apply the AC signal to the battery assembly via the thermal management module, detect the response, calculate one or more response parameters based on the response, the one or more response parameters including a calculated resistance of the battery assembly, and estimate the internal temperature based on the calculated resistance.

Closed loop thermal control and estimation of a parameter of a battery assembly

AC current heating of a battery is performed using a half-bridge based quasi-resonant circuit.

Battery heating system

An electric power system has a power inverter system with a quasi-resonant circuit (QRC), and a controller, and couples a DC power supply to an electric machine. The power inverter system includes a positive inverter bus and a negative inverter bus; first paired switches; a positive DC bus terminal; and a negative DC bus terminal. The QRC includes an inverter inductance device, a capacitor, a first bus switch, and a second bus switch. The inverter inductance device and the second bus switch are arranged in series between the positive inverter bus and the first switch node, and the first bus switch is arranged between the positive DC bus terminal and the positive inverter bus. The controller is configured to control the QRC to generate an alternating current in the DC power supply.

System for generating thermal heat in an electric power system and an electrified powertrain

A power control system for a vehicle includes a charge port and a contactor connected to the charge port and including a first plurality of switches. An energy storage system includes a second plurality of switches and one or more battery packs. A bi-directional DC-DC converter is connected between the energy storage system and a plurality of vehicle loads. A controller is configured to control states of the first and second plurality of switches to configure in a plurality of modes including a range improvement mode, a first charging mode to perform charging at a first voltage level, a second charging mode to perform charging at a second voltage level, a battery preconditioning mode; and an accessory load support mode.

Multi-function DC-DC converter for battery electric vehicles

A system includes a compressor outlet temperature module, a refrigerant quality module, and a correction factor module. The compressor outlet temperature module is configured to estimate a temperature at an outlet of a compressor in a thermal system of an electric vehicle. The refrigerant quality module is configured to estimate a quality of refrigerant at an inlet of the compressor based on an enthalpy at the compressor inlet and an inlet enthalpy correction factor. The refrigerant quality is a ratio of vapor refrigerant mass to total refrigerant mass. The correction factor module is configured to determine the inlet enthalpy correction factor based on the estimated compressor outlet temperature and a temperature measured at the compressor outlet.

System and method for estimating quality of refrigerant at inlet of compressor in thermal system of electric vehicle

Methods and systems provided for determining a phase state and/or for determining a degree of subcooling in a fluid. An exemplary method for operating a refrigeration cycle includes flowing a refrigerant through a metering device and calculating a pressure differential of the refrigerant across the metering device. Further, the method includes determining whether the refrigerant is a saturated liquid based on the pressure differential. The method includes, when the refrigerant is not a saturated liquid, cooling the refrigerant upstream of the metering device.

Methods and systems for determining phase state or subcooling state

A device for thermal control of a battery system includes a heating control module electrically connected to the battery system and a conversion device configured to control power output from the battery system. The heating control module is configured to measure a current through the conversion device, the measured current provided by the battery system of a vehicle during vehicle operation or provided by an energy source during vehicle charging. The heating control module is also configured to control the conversion device to generate an alternating current (AC) heating current using the measured current, and apply the AC heating current to the battery system to heat the battery system to a desired temperature.

Battery heating during vehicle operation and/or during vehicle charging

An electrified drivetrain for a vehicle includes a first electric machine, a second electric machine, a clutch, an HVAC compressor, and a controller. The second electric machine is rotatably coupled to a geartrain, the first electric machine is rotatably coupled to the HVAC compressor, and is rotatably couplable to the geartrain via the clutch, and the clutch is operative in a first state and a second state. The first electric machine is rotatably coupled to the geartrain when the clutch is controlled to the first state, and is decoupled from the geartrain when the clutch is controlled to the second state. The controller is operatively connected to the first and second electric machines, the clutch, and the HVAC compressor to control operation of the electrified drivetrain. The first electric machine can be used as a heater element and to provide mechanical power to the drivetrain.

Electrified drivetrain for a vehicle

An apparatus for heating a DC battery in a vehicle including an electric motor. The apparatus comprises an AC generating module coupled to the battery and the electric motor that generates three AC phases. The first, second, and third AC phases are applied to first, second, and third windings of the electric motor, respectively. The first, second, and third AC phases create zero torque in the electric motor because the first AC phase amplitude is equal to the sum of the second and third AC phase amplitudes and the second and third AC phases are 180 degrees out of phase with the first AC phase. The AC generating module creates a heating alternating current in the DC battery.

System and method for generating heating AC current

A controller executes a method to manage an engine connect/disconnect decision in a powertrain having an engine, transmission, electric machine, and a battery pack and power inverter module ('TPIM'). In response to vehicle ground speed being less than a calibrated maximum electric vehicle accelerator pedal signal ('EV') level, the controller calculates a delta APS (&#x201c;&#x394;APS&#x201d;) value by subtracting a scaled APS value from the actual APS level. The scaled APS value is a scaled variant of a maximum EVvalue selected from a maximum EVStable, the latter populated based on inverter temperature, state of charge of the battery pack, and ground speed. When the &#x394;APS value exceeds a threshold, the controller connects the engine to the transmission via an engine disconnect clutch. The engine is disconnected based on acceleration of the vehicle and the above-noted factors.

Engine start/stop control for a hybrid electric powertrain

A powertrain system configured to transfer torque to a driveline is described, and includes an internal combustion engine, a torque converter, a transmission, an electric machine, and a controller. The engine is configured to operate in one of an all-cylinder mode and a dynamic deactivation mode to generate an engine torque. The electric machine is configured to generate a motor torque. The motor torque and the engine torque combine to generate an output torque that is transferable to the driveline and is responsive to an output torque request. The controller is in communication with the engine, the torque converter, the transmission, and the electric machine. The controller includes an instruction set that is executable to operate the engine in the dynamic deactivation mode to generate engine torque, and operate the electric machine to generate motor torque to supplement the engine torque to generate the output torque.

Method and apparatus for controlling a powertrain system

An energy storage system (ESS) for a vehicle propulsion system includes a first battery electrically coupled to a first voltage bus, a second battery electrically coupled to a second voltage bus, and a bidirectional DC/DC power converter electrically coupled to the voltage buses. A starter for cranking an engine is electrically coupled to the first voltage bus. A controller executes computer code stored in memory. The computer code is configured to operate the converter in a boost mode to transfer power from the second voltage bus to the first voltage bus, in response to the controller determining that: a power capability of the first battery is below a power demand on the first voltage bus; a state of charge of the first battery is below a state of charge threshold; or a temperature of the first battery is below a temperature threshold.

Energy storage system with multiple battery modules for a vehicle propulsion system

A hybrid powertrain system includes an electric machine, a torque converter, a transmission, a hydraulic pump, and a controller, and it is arranged to transfer mechanical power to a driveline. The torque converter includes a clutch, a pump, and a turbine, and the electric machine is rotatably coupled to the hydraulic pump and to the torque converter pump. The hydraulic pump is fluidly connected to the transmission, and the controller is operably connected to the electric machine and the torque converter clutch. The controller is executable to determine an operator command, and control the electric machine to spin the hydraulic pump in a speed control mode and control the torque converter clutch in an open state. Upon achieving a desired minimum pump speed, the torque converter clutch is applied in a slip state and the electric machine is controlled in response to the operator command.

Hybrid propulsion system

A gearbox having a power take-off for an electrically propelled vehicle. The gearbox includes a housing; at least one planetary gear set; an input shaft in continuous connection with at least one sun gear; a first output shaft in continuous connection with a carrier; a second output shaft in continuous connection with a ring gear; and a plurality of brake clutches grounded to the housing and are selectively engageable in combinations to transfer a torque from the input shaft to at least one of the first output shaft and the second output shaft.

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Novi, MI, United States of America

Neeraj S Shidore