Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Richard David Bruns

Peter James Barrette

Rajit Johri

Ashok E Rodrigues

Jose Velazquez Alcantar

Corwin Stout

Joseph Jay Torres

Peter John Grutter

Andreas Evangelos Perakes

Filip Tomik

Nicholas Edward McCubbin

Syun Kyung Lee

Michael Frey

Joe Jay Torres

Nicholas Harris

Cameron Dillon

Derek Kempton Ward

Jim Koppenol

A vehicle having an electric machine, a first half shaft, a second half shaft, a steering wheel, and a controller. The first and second half shafts are configured to deliver torque from the electric machine to first and second wheels, respectively. The controller is programmed to, in response to (i) locking the first half shaft to the second half shaft, (ii) displacement of at least one of the first and second half shafts or the steering wheel, and (iii) a torque command to the electric machine to a desired value resulting in a torque distribution to the first and second half shafts exceeding a torque capacity of at least one of the first and second half shafts, truncate the torque of the electric machine to less than the desired value.

Powertrain torque control system

A vehicle includes a primary axle, a secondary axle, and a powertrain. The powertrain has an engine coupled to the primary axle and selectively coupled to the secondary axle. The vehicle also includes a clutch associated with the secondary axle. A controller is programmed to, responsive to (i) a request to shift from two-wheel drive to four-wheel drive and (ii) a current engine-torque command exceeding a torque limit associated with the clutch, override the current engine-torque command to reduce a torque of the engine below the torque limit, and, responsive to the torque of the engine being less the torque limit, command engagement of the clutch.

Powertrain torque control during shift to four-wheel drive in automated-driving mode

A vehicle includes an all-wheel-drive powertrain having an electric machine configured to power wheels. A controller is programmed to output a first calculated vehicle speed derived from integrating a measured longitudinal acceleration of the vehicle and output a second calculated vehicle speed based on the measured longitudinal acceleration and a speed of one of the wheels. The controller is further programmed to, responsive to a flag being present, command a speed to the electric machine that is based on the first vehicle speed to reduce wheel slip, and responsive to a flag not being present, command a speed to the electric machine that is based on the second vehicle speed to reduce wheel slip.

Estimation of vehicle speed in all-wheel-drive vehicle

A vehicle includes an electric machine and a controller. The controller is programmed to responsive to a threshold difference, indicative of wheel slip, between average wheel speed and a vehicle speed that is based on a difference between wheel acceleration and measured vehicle acceleration, command a speed to the electric machine to reduce the wheel slip.

An all-wheel-drive vehicle includes a primary drive axle, a secondary drive axle, and an all-wheel-drive powertrain configured to selectively power the primary and secondary axles. The powertrain includes a powerplant and a clutch that couples the powerplant to the secondary axle when engaged and that decouples the powerplant from the secondary axle when disengaged. A controller is programmed to disengage the clutch to disable all-wheel drive and propel the vehicle solely with the primary drive axle based on repeated occurrence of power output of the powertrain being less than a value.

Fault detection in an all-wheel-drive system

One axle of a hybrid vehicle is powered by an electric motor while a second axle of the vehicle is powered by a powertrain that includes an internal combustion engine. The electrically driven axle can be controlled in a speed control mode or in a torque control mode based on a driver demanded torque. The speed control mode is used when slip is detected at the electrically driven axle. The torque control mode is used when the electrically driven axle has traction. During a transition between these modes, the rate of change of torque is controlled to a predetermined level to mitigate noise, vibration, and harshness.

Hybrid vehicle

A method for controlling a vehicle driveline uses sensors to estimate a need for powering secondary wheels for each of a plurality of conditions. The estimates are scaled and the scaled estimates summed. Only primary wheels are powered when the summed estimates are less than a reference value. Both the primary and secondary wheels are powered when the summed estimates exceed the reference value.

Automatic control of driveline states

A method for reducing oscillations in a vehicle driveline includes transmitting torque to secondary wheels of the vehicle, determining a first rate of change in speed between the secondary wheels and primary wheels, if a second rate of change in speed between secondary wheels and primary wheels is greater than the first rate of change, reducing torque transmitted to the secondary wheels proportional to a ratio of the first rate of change and the second rate of change, and if the second rate of change is less than the first rate of change, using differential and proportional control to change said torque.

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Milford, MI, United States of America

Richard David Bruns