Gm Global Technology Operations LLC

Norman K Bucknor

Madhusudan Raghavan

Patrick B Usoro

Chunhao J Lee

Dongxu Li

Farzad Samie

James D Hendrickson

Alan G Holmes

Derek F Lahr

Lei Hao

Neeraj S Shidore

Chandra S Namuduri

Suresh Gopalakrishnan

Chengwu Duan

Chi-Kuan Kao

Thomas W Nehl

Anthony L Smith

Alan L Browne

Alireza Fatemi

Nancy L Johnson

Venkata Prasad Atluri

Hong Yang

Alexandru Rajala

Nilesh D Mankame

Joel M Maguire

Hamid Vahabzadeh

Yongsheng He

Paul W Alexander

Paul M Najt

Goro Tamai

Xiujie Gao

Rashmi Prasad

Kumaraswamy V Hebbale

Guillermo A Herrera

Jian Yao

Brendan M Conlon

Andrew C Keefe

John A Diemer

Tejinder Singh

Lan Wang

Zongxuan Sun

Venkatesh Gopalakrishnan

Ukpai I Ukpai

Joshua E Lehrmann

Eugene Victor Gonze

Geoffrey P McKnight

Yue-Yun Wang

Donald Klemen

Christopher Paul Henry

James B Borgerson

Michael Roland Schmidt

Lyall Kenneth Winger

Vijay A Neelakantan

Andrew Leslie Bartos

William B Barvosa-Carter

Avoki M Omekanda

Yo Chan Son

Yiran Hu

Shifang Li

Brian W Whitmarsh

Erkki A Koivunen

Min-Joong Kim

Rodney Brewer Rask

Stuart R Smith

John R Bucknell

David W Walters

Burak Abdulkadir Gecim

James Morrison

Michael A Potter

Paul S Lombardo

Junfeng Zhao

Stephen W Powell

Mark A Theobald

R Travis Schwenke

Chinmaya Patil

Tito R Huffman

Brenton J Bergkoetter

Jie Tong

Luke David Shepley

Jinming Liu

Vicente Domenech-Llopis

Peter Beller

Michael R Leslie

K V Hebbale

Stephen B Glover

Dongsuk Kum

Constantine Nick Raptis

Madhusdan Raghavan

Aaron M Sullivan

Mark Tadrous

Presented are torque converters (TC) with hydraulic systems for converter feed and clutch control, methods for making/operating such TC assemblies, and vehicles equipped with such TC assemblies. A TC assembly includes a housing that drivingly connects to an electric motor, and an output member that drivingly connects to a multi-gear transmission. Rotatable within the TC housing are a turbine attached to the TC output member and an impeller juxtaposed with the turbine. A lockup clutch disposed inside the TC housing, between the turbine and housing, is operable to lock the housing to the output member. A disconnect clutch disposed inside the housing, between the impeller and housing, is operable to lock the housing to the impeller. A pump is attached to the TC housing and drivingly connected to the motor for feeding fluid into the housing to increase pressure within the TC chamber and activate the lockup and disconnect clutches.

Hydraulic system and control logic for torque converter assemblies

A vehicle, an electrical system of the vehicle and a method of operating the vehicle. The electrical system includes a battery, an electrical load that draws power from the battery, a switch between the battery and the electrical load, and a processor. The processor is configured to measure a power drawn from the battery by the electrical load and open the switch to disconnect the battery from the electrical load when the power drawn by the electrical load matches a selected criterion.

Apparatus and method for vehicle low voltage power net operation with disconnected battery

A system in a vehicle includes two or more smart battery packs to power drive units of the vehicle to move the vehicle. Each of the two or more smart battery packs includes a battery pack, and a battery management system (BMS) to monitor a state of charge of the battery pack. An energy distribution unit facilitates charge transfer among the two or more smart battery packs.

Vehicle propulsion with multiple battery packs

A method of controlling an electric motor of a vehicle includes monitoring torque command signals from a vehicle system to the electric motor, each torque command signal configured to cause the electric motor to output a commanded torque, and monitoring a speed of the vehicle and an output torque of the electric motor, the output torque responsive to a drive signal generated based on the torque command signals. The method also includes, based on the output torque and the vehicle speed indicating a low motor efficiency condition, modulating the drive signal between a first torque value and a second torque value that is less than the first torque value, the first torque value greater than the commanded torque and selected to increase an efficiency of the electric motor.

Electric motor control

A system for bypassing a torque converter in a powertrain is provided. The system includes a torque generating device including an output shaft and a transmission assembly. The transmission assembly includes a transmission output shaft and a torque converter, a torque converter bypass shaft. The transmission assembly further includes a disconnect clutch selectively coupling the torque converter with the torque generating device and a torque converter clutch selectively coupling the torque converter bypass shaft with the torque generating device. Engaging the disconnect clutch and disengaging the torque converter clutch enables the torque generating device to transmit torque to the transmission output shaft through the torque converter. Engaging the torque converter clutch and disengaging the disconnect clutch enables the torque generating device to transmit torque to the transmission output shaft through the torque converter bypass shaft.

System and method for bypassing a torque converter in a powertrain

An electric propulsion system includes a rotary electric machine having an output member, a rechargeable energy storage system ('RESS') connected to the electric machine, a user interface device, and a controller. The RESS includes multiple battery modules and a switching circuit, the latter being configured, in response to electronic switching control signals, to connect the battery modules in a parallel-connected configuration or a series-connected configuration, as a selected battery configuration. The user interface device receives an operator-requested drive mode request as an electrical signal indicative of a desired drive mode of the electric propulsion system. The controller, which is programmed with mode-specific electrical loss information associated with the desired drive mode, establishes the selected battery configuration in response to the drive mode request, and presents a drive mode recommendation via the user interface device when the loss information associated with the desired drive mode exceeds a calibrated loss threshold.

Operator-selected operation of electric propulsion system having reconfigurable series/parallel voltage source

A system for a power take-off mechanism for a powertrain system is provided. The system includes an electrically powered torque generating device including a torque generating device output shaft and a transmission output shaft receiving mechanical power from the torque generating device output shaft. The system further includes a clutch selectively disengaging the transmission output shaft from the torque generating device output shaft and a power take-off module receiving mechanical power from the torque generating device.

System for a power take off mechanism for a powertrain system

The present disclosure discloses a vehicle propulsion system. The vehicle propulsion system includes a first electric machine including a first set of machine windings that are configured to cause a rotor to rotate about an axis to selectively drive a transmission during a first vehicle operating state and a second electric machine including a second set of machine windings that are configured to cause a rotor to rotate about an axis selectively drive the transmission during at least one of the first vehicle operating state or a second vehicle operating state. The second vehicle operating state different from the first operating state, and a number of series turns per phase for the first set of machine windings is different from a number of series turns per phase for the second set of machine windings.

Propulsion system having multiple motors with complementary torque bands

A method for controlling an electric drive unit (EDU) having a motor-driven torque converter includes receiving a request signal indicative of a requested output torque of the EDU, and operating the motor at a target motor speed using the requested output torque. The target motor speed minimizes system losses while achieving the requested output torque. When the requested output torque remains below a calibrated threshold and a turbine speed is less than a corner speed of the motor, a torque converter clutch (TCC) transitions to or remains in a locked state. The controller commands the TCC to transition to an unlocked state to reach the target motor speed, thereby selectively enabling torque multiplication. A powertrain system includes a driven load and the EDU. A computer readable storage medium may include executable instructions for performing the method.

Motor and torque converter clutch control strategy for electric drive unit having motor-driven torque converter

A system to extend a towing range and maneuverability of an automobile vehicle during a towing operation includes a battery-electric-vehicle (BEV) having a vehicle energy pack providing operational energy to the BEV. A powered trailer is releasably connected to the BEV. A trailer module is provided with the powered trailer, the trailer module communicating between the powered trailer and the BEV. A propulsion unit is provided with the powered trailer and is in communication with trailer module and with the BEV using the trailer module. The propulsion unit enhances launch of the BEV and provides an acceleration assist to the BEV.

Battery-electric-vehicle assisted towing concept

An electrified drivetrain system that maximizes power density, is readily packaged, and improves drivability is described. It includes a propulsion system having an axial-flux rotating electric machine, a torque converter having a selectable one-way clutch, and an output member that is couplable to a drivetrain. The axial-flux rotating electric machine include a first rotor coaxially arranged with a first electric stator. The torque converter includes a fluidic stator, a pump, a turbine and a torque converter clutch. The axial-flux rotating electric machine is arranged coaxially with the torque converter. The first rotor of the axial-flux rotating electric machine is coupled to the pump of the torque converter, and the turbine of the torque converter is rotatably coupled to the output member.

Electrified propulsion system and apparatus

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 electrified drivetrain system that improves drivability is described. It includes a propulsion system having a rotary electric machine including a rotatable shaft, a torque converter including a fluidic stator, a pump, a turbine and a normally-closed torque converter clutch; a selectable one-way clutch coupled to the fluidic stator; and an output member. The rotatable shaft is coupled to the pump of the torque converter, and the turbine of the torque converter is coupled to the output member.

Presented are clutch control systems for torque converter (TC) assemblies, methods for making/operating such TC assemblies, and vehicles equipped with such TC assemblies. A TC assembly includes a housing that drivingly connects to an electric motor, and an output member that drivingly connects to a multi-gear transmission. Rotatable within the TC housing are a turbine attached to the TC output member and an impeller juxtaposed with the turbine. A lockup clutch is operable to lock the housing to the output member. A system controller is programmed to receive a shift signal to shift the powertrain from a neutral or park operating mode to a forward driving operating mode; responsive to receipt of this shift signal, the lockup clutch is opened. The system controller then receives a TCC lock signal to lock the lockup clutch; responsive to receipt of the TCC lock signal, the lockup clutch is closed.

Hydraulically actuated clutch system and control logic for torque converter assemblies

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

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Troy, MI, United States of America

Norman K Bucknor