Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

W Cary Cole

Michael Benjamin Levin

Sunil Katragadda

Furqan Zafar Shaikh

Danrich Henry Demitroff

Phillip Bonkoski

Mathew John Fast

David Karl Bidner

Judhajit Roy

Lawrence Marshall

Chenliu Stephen Lu

Jared King

Kyle Yeakle

John Eric Rollinger

Adam Nathan Banker

John Edward Brevick

Baitao Xiao

Tyler Kelly

Robert Scott Lippert

Andreas Evangelos Perakes

Matthew John Gerhart

Jonathan Barker

Jeremy L Russell

Erik Mikael Hellstrom

Colby Jason Buckman

Justin Lesniak

Matthew Blake Tranter

Corey Ducklow

A vehicle includes an engine; an electric machine; a transceiver, programmed to communicate with a server; and a controller, programmed to responsive to identifying a route, obtain road data associated with the route via the transceiver, wherein the road data include locations of stop signs and traffic lights, and identify a sign classification using a sign and traffic light density calculated using a total number of stop signs and traffic lights within a lookahead distance on the route, identify a road type classification using the sign classification, responsive to determining the sign and traffic light density within the lookahead distance is above a threshold indicative of a city road type classification, adjust a drivetrain of the vehicle to reduce engine operation and increasingly propel the vehicle via the electric machine.

System for identifying road type

Handshaking is performed, by an ego device via a wireless transceiver, with surrounding mobile devices to receive identifiers of the surrounding mobile devices and incoming notification messages from the surrounding mobile devices. Each of the incoming notification messages are sent from a different respective sender device of the surrounding mobile devices and include identifiers of devices seen by the sender device and an indication of whether issues with the devices seen by the sender device were identified by the sender device. An alert is raised responsive to an issue being indicated with the ego device based on the incoming notification messages.

Identifying nearby vehicles for connected vehicles

Methods and system for operating a thermal storage device of a vehicle system are provided. In one example, a method comprises estimating a temperature of a thermal battery after the battery and coolant included therein have reached thermal equilibrium, and determining a state of charge of the battery based on the estimated temperature and one or more chemical properties of two phase change materials included within the battery. Specifically, the thermal battery may include two phase change materials with different melting points for providing thermal energy to warm coolant in a vehicle coolant system.

Systems and methods for thermal battery control

Methods and system for operating a thermal storage device of a vehicle system are provided. In one example, a method comprises determining a state of charge of the thermal battery based on an accurate estimation of a melting temperature of one or more phase change materials (PCMs) at a specific aggregate pressure inside the thermal storage device. Variation in melting temperature of the PCM may be minimized by reducing pressure variation inside the thermal storage device by regulating a position of one or more pressure relief valves of the thermal storage device.

Methods and systems are provided for adjusting a flow of coolant through a coolant system including a rear axle heat exchanger. In one example, a method may include flowing coolant through the coolant system while an engine is not operating. In another example, a method may include increasing a flow of coolant to the rear axle heat exchanger while the engine is not operating when a rear axle oil temperature exceeds a threshold temperature.

Method of flowing coolant through exhaust heat recovery system after engine shutoff

Fuel-cell thermal management systems and control schemes therefore are disclosed. In one embodiment, the system may include a fuel-cell stack, a heat-exchanger, a thermal battery including a material having a melting temperature of 50-120&#xb0; C., a first coolant loop including the fuel-cell stack and the thermal battery and excluding the heat-exchanger, and a second coolant loop including the fuel-cell stack, the thermal battery, and the heat-exchanger. The first and second coolant loops may be configured to heat and cool the fuel-cell stack, respectively. The system may include a controller or processor configured to direct coolant to transfer heat from the thermal battery to the fuel-cell stack based on a negative heat rejection status of the fuel-cell stack and to transfer heat from the fuel-cell stack to the thermal battery based on a positive heat rejection status of the fuel-cell stack when the thermal battery is below a target temperature.

Fuel cell stack thermal management

Methods and systems are provided for operating an electric supercharger as an on-board air pump and/or vacuum pump. During conditions when a vehicle is not being propelled and the vehicle engine is idling, a portion of an air intake passage is sealed and the supercharger is operated to deliver compressed air into the sealed portion. Compressed air can then be picked up directly from the sealed portion for use in tire inflation, or picked up via an ejector to provide vacuum for vacuum actuators.

Method and system for boosted engine system

A system for regulating lubricant temperature within a vehicle axle is provided. A differential housing has a primary chamber that contains the differential, and a secondary chamber separated from the primary chamber. A sump is in the primary chamber for collecting lubricant. An inlet to the secondary chamber allows the lubricant to flow from the primary chamber into the secondary chamber. An outlet to the secondary chamber allows the lubricant stored therein to be purged into the sump. When the lubricant is below a certain threshold temperature, a temperature-responsive valve is configured to close to inhibit the fluid to travel through the outlet. When the temperature of the lubricant rises to exceed the threshold, the valve is configured to open and permit the fluid to travel through the outlet.

Differential with lubricant control

A differential is provided. The differential includes a housing that has a sump, an input shaft, a ring gear, a carrier that is affixed to the ring gear, and a diverter. The sump is configured to collect lubricating fluid. The ring gear is configured to transfer lubricating fluid out of the sump. The diverter is configured to direct the lubricating fluid to the input shaft and carrier.

Differential and differential lubricating fluid management system

A vehicle is provided. The vehicle includes a power source, at least one wheel, a gearbox. The gearbox includes a housing, gearing disposed in the housing, and an insulator disposed between the gearing and the housing. The gearing is configured to couple the power source to the at least one wheel. The insulator is configured to reduce thermal energy losses of a fluid that lubricates the gearing.

Vehicle and insulating device for gearbox

An axle includes a differential, a cover, and a heat absorber. The differential has a ring gear disposed within a housing. The ring gear is configured to pump a lubricating fluid. The cover is attached to the housing. The heat absorber is attached to the cover within a pump path of the ring gear. The heat absorber has a phase-change material disposed within the heat absorber configured to absorb heat from the lubricating fluid. A method to control fluid temperature in a vehicle axle is also included.

Axle heat absorber

A vehicle includes axle housing, a differential and a ring gear, a scraper port, and a reservoir. The housing has a cover forming a heat exchanger having a coolant side and a lubricant side. The differential and ring gear are configured to pump a lubricating fluid. The scraper port is disposed at a bottom of the heat exchanger adjacent to the ring gear and is configured to direct the lubricating fluid through the lubricant side of the heat exchanger. The reservoir is disposed at a top of the heat exchanger and is configured to receive and store the lubricating fluid from the lubricant side of the heat exchanger.

Growing community of inventors

Livonia, MI, United States of America

W Cary Cole