Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Ford Motor Company Limited

Ross Maxwell Stuntz

Thomas Edward Pilutti

John Robert Grabowski

Bernard Dale Baughn

John Michael Miller

Alexander Timofeevich Zaremba

Michael Benjamin Levin

Richard Joseph Hampo

Paul Theodore Momcilovich

Prabhakar B Patil

Theodore Joseph Filippi

David Sol

Vladimir Aleksandrovich Bondarko

An installation and support apparatus or assembly is provided for use in combination with an electric machine , such as a starter-alternator, which is adapted to be operatively installed between the engine block and the transmission assembly of a vehicle. The apparatus includes a stationary support member or member , an inner or crankshaft engaging bearing , and an outer or rotor engaging bearing . Member cooperates with bearings and to automatically create or form a relatively precise and uniform gap between the stator assembly and the rotor assembly of electric machine , and further provides independent and additional support to the electric machine and the vehicle's crankshaft

Apparatus for pilotless self-centering installation of a starter-alternator

A method is provided for controlling an electro-hydraulic power assist steering system including a variable-speed electric motor for pumping hydraulic fluid in the system. The method includes monitoring vehicle speed and vehicle steering wheel angle. A vehicle yaw rate is estimated using the monitored vehicle speed and monitored vehicle steering wheel angle. A control signal for setting the speed of the variable speed electric motor is compensated based based on the estimated vehicle yaw rate. Accordingly, a wide range of vehicle driving conditions are accommodated and vehicle fuel efficiency is improved.

Method for compensating a power assist steering system control signal

A method and apparatus for determining a center position of the vehicular steering system includes a vehicle speed sensor, a steering sensor and a control unit. The control unit uses a strategy to determine an estimate of the steering assist force. When the steering assist force is below a force threshold and a vehicle speed is above a speed threshold, the controller filters data from the steering sensor so as to rapidly determine a precise center position for the steering system.

Method and apparatus for determining the center position of a steering

A method is provided for controlling an electro-hydraulic power assist steering system including a variable-speed electric motor for pumping hydraulic fluid in the system. The method includes monitoring vehicle speed, vehicle steering wheel angle, and vehicle steering wheel turning rate. A parking mode or a driving mode is selected based upon the monitored vehicle speed. The speed of the variable speed electric motor is controlled based upon the monitored vehicle steering wheel turning rate if the parking mode is selected. If the driving mode is selected, the speed of the variable speed electric motor is controlled based upon the monitored vehicle speed, vehicle steering wheel angle and vehicle steering wheel angle turning rate. Accordingly, a wide range of vehicle driving conditions are accommodated and vehicle fuel efficiency is improved.

Method for controlling an electro-hydraulic power assist steering system

A method and system for reducing pulsations in the rotational speed of an engine in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention are disclosed. Torque applied by a supplemental torque source includes a component derived by pure feedback engine speed control and a learning feedforward component. The feedforward component predicts the oscillatory components in the torque generated by the engine.

Active engine speed pulsation damping

Method of controlling torque of a multi-phase induction motor (10) includes estimating rotor speed as a rational function of filtered stator current i.sub.s0 and voltage u.sub.0 and first and second order derivatives of the filtered stator current and first order derivative of the filtered stator voltage, estimating rotor flux from said estimated rotor speed, estimating rotor flux angle from said estimated rotor flux, and using the estimated rotor flux angle to control motor torque.

Induction motor control system with speed and flux estimation

In one embodiment of the present invention, a method for measuring fluid level use a sensor comprising a first plate having continuous electrically conductive material and a second plate having electrically conductive material disposed in segments, the electrically conductive material of the first plate in opposition to the electrically conductive material of the second plate. The method comprises immersing the sensor in the fluid with at least one segment completely immersed in the fluid and at least one said segment completely out of the fluid. The method also includes sequentially energizing the segments. Further, the method includes detecting times of voltage transitions of a first signal at the first plate, relative to the sequential energizing of the segments, as an indication of fluid level.

Fluid level sensing system

An engine valve assembly (10) within an electrohydraulic camless valvetrain cooperates with a hydraulic system (9) having a low pressure branch (70) and a high pressure branch (68) to selectively open and close engine valve (12). Engine valve (12) is affixed to a valve piston (16) within a piston chamber (18). A volume (42) below piston (16) is connected to high pressure branch (68) and a volume (20) above piston (16) is selectively connected to the high pressure branch (68) or the low pressure branch (70) via a rotary valve (34), to effect engine valve opening and closing. A four pole, single phase motor (60) effects the movement of the rotary valve (34) and is actuated by a drive circuit (92). Some of the electrical energy spent by drive circuit (92) to accelerate motor (60) is recovered by energy recovery components (102).

Electric actuator for rotary valve control of electrohydraulic valvetrain

An engine valve assembly (10) within an electrohydraulic camless valvetrain cooperates with a hydraulic system (9) having a low pressure branch (70) and a high pressure branch (68) to selectively open and close engine valve (12) . Engine valve (12) is affixed to a valve piston (16) within a piston chamber (18). A volume (42) below piston (16) is connected to high pressure branch (68) and a volume (20) above piston (16) is selectively connected to the high pressure branch (68) or the low pressure branch (70) via a spool valve (34) , to effect engine valve opening and closing. A four pole, single phase motor (60) effects the movement of the spool valve (34) and is actuated by a drive circuit (92). some of the electrical energy spent by drive circuit (92) to accelerate motor (60) is recovered by energy recovery components (102).

Electric actuator for spool valve control of electrohydraulic valvetrain

A system and method for estimating hill slope and coefficient of friction for a road surface from vehicle and engine measurements. A first variable related to hill slope and a second variable related to road surface coefficient of friction are generated from the vehicle and engine measurements and may be used in a variety of control applications. The method includes the steps of generating a first variable related to the slope of the hill and a second variable related to the coefficient of friction of the road surface. The hill slope can be determined from the first variable and the coefficient of friction of the road surface can be determined from the second variable. These estimated values can then be used in control applications. The braking and traction control systems of a vehicle respond to a first variable related to hill slope and a second variable related to road surface of coefficient of friction.

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Birmingham, MI, United States of America

Ross Maxwell Stuntz