Starter and belt generator starter control system and method

Abstract

An engine starting system for a vehicle includes: a cold start module configured to selectively generate a cold start command when the ambient air temperature is below a predetermined temperature; a starter control module configured to engage a starter motor with the crankshaft of an engine in response to the generation of the cold start command and supply power from a first battery to the starter motor; and a belt-driven generator starter (BAS) control module configured to supply power from a second battery to the BAS only after the cold start command is generated, until the engine speed is greater than a first predetermined speed; and to supply power from the second battery to the BAS and further increase the engine speed in response to a determination that the engine speed is greater than the first predetermined speed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The information provided in this section is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of this disclosure. To the extent described in this section, the work of the currently attributed inventors and aspects of the description that may not constitute prior art at the time of filing are neither explicitly nor implicitly considered to be prior art of this disclosure.

[0002] This disclosure relates to engines, and more particularly to systems and methods for starting engines. Background Technology

[0003] Some types of vehicles consist solely of an internal combustion engine that generates propulsive torque. Hybrid vehicles include both an internal combustion engine and one or more electric motors. Some types of hybrid vehicles utilize both electric motors and an internal combustion engine in an effort to achieve higher fuel efficiency than using only an internal combustion engine. Some types of hybrid vehicles utilize both electric motors and an internal combustion engine to achieve a torque output greater than that achievable by the internal combustion engine alone.

[0004] Some example types of hybrid vehicles include parallel hybrid vehicles, series hybrid vehicles, and other types of hybrid vehicles. In a parallel hybrid vehicle, an electric motor operates in parallel with an engine to combine the power and range advantages of the engine with the efficiency and regenerative braking advantages of the electric motor. In a series hybrid vehicle, the engine drives a generator to generate electricity for the electric motor, which in turn drives a transmission. This allows the electric motor to take on some of the power responsibility of the engine, which may allow for the use of a smaller and potentially more efficient engine. This application applies to electric vehicles, hybrid vehicles, and other types of vehicles. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In one feature, the engine starting system for a vehicle includes: a cold start module configured to selectively generate a cold start command when the ambient air temperature is below a predetermined temperature; a starter control module configured to engage a starter motor with the crankshaft of the engine in response to the generation of the cold start command and supply power from a first battery to the starter motor; and a belt-driven generator starter (BAS) control module configured to: after generating the cold start command, supply power from a second battery to the BAS only when the engine speed is greater than a first predetermined speed; and in response to determining that the engine speed is greater than the first predetermined speed, supply power from the second battery to the BAS and further increase the engine speed.

[0006] In a further feature, the engine control module is configured to only begin adding fuel to the engine and providing sparks to the engine when the engine speed is greater than a second predetermined speed.

[0007] In a further feature, the second predetermined speed is greater than the first predetermined speed.

[0008] In a further feature, the second predetermined speed is at least 400 revolutions per minute.

[0009] In a further feature, the second battery is different from the first battery.

[0010] In a further feature, the first voltage rating of the second battery is greater than the second voltage rating of the first battery.

[0011] In a further feature, the second voltage rating is approximately 12 volts direct current (DC).

[0012] In a further feature, the BAS is configured to convert mechanical energy from the engine into electrical energy and use the electrical energy to charge the second battery.

[0013] In a further feature, the electric propulsion motor is configured to use power from a second battery to generate propulsion torque.

[0014] Among the further characteristics, the ambient air temperature is below 0 degrees Celsius.

[0015] In a further feature, the BAS is connected to the engine pulley via a belt.

[0016] In a further feature, the BAS control module is configured to match the rotational speed of the BAS with the speed of the engine before supplying power from the second battery to the BAS and further increasing the speed of the engine.

[0017] In a further feature, the BAS control module is configured to use closed-loop control to match the rotational speed of the BAS with the speed of the engine.

[0018] In a further feature, the cold start module is configured to generate a cold start command when (a) the ambient air temperature is below a predetermined temperature and (b) the state of charge of the second battery is below a predetermined state of charge.

[0019] In a further feature, the predetermined temperature is set based on the torque at which the crankshaft of the engine begins to rotate at a predetermined temperature.

[0020] In one feature, the engine starting system for a vehicle includes: a starter control module configured to engage a starter motor with the crankshaft of the engine in response to the generation of a cold start command and supply power from a first battery to the starter motor; a cold start module configured to generate a cold start command when (a) the ambient air temperature is below a predetermined temperature and (b) the state of charge of a second battery is below a predetermined state of charge; and a belt-driven generator starter (BAS) control module configured to supply power from the second battery to the BAS only after the cold start command is generated, until the engine speed is greater than a first predetermined speed; and In response to a determination that the engine speed is greater than a first predetermined speed, power from a second battery is supplied to the BAS, further increasing the engine speed; an engine control module is configured to begin adding fuel to the engine and providing a spark to the engine only when the engine speed is greater than a second predetermined speed, wherein the second predetermined speed is greater than the first predetermined speed, wherein the second battery is a different battery from the first battery, and wherein a first voltage rating of the second battery is greater than a second voltage rating of the first battery; and an electric propulsion motor is configured to use power from the second battery to generate propulsion torque.

[0021] In one feature, an engine starting method for a vehicle includes: selectively generating a cold start command when the ambient air temperature is below a predetermined temperature; engaging a starter motor with the crankshaft of the engine in response to the generation of the cold start command and supplying power from a first battery to the starter motor; supplying power from a second battery to a belt-driven alternator starter (BAS) only after the cold start command is generated, until the engine speed is greater than a first predetermined speed; and supplying power from the second battery to the BAS in response to the determination that the engine speed is greater than the first predetermined speed, and further increasing the engine speed.

[0022] In a further feature, the method also includes: only when the engine speed is greater than a second predetermined speed, starting to add fuel to the engine and providing sparks to the engine.

[0023] In a further feature, the second predetermined speed is greater than the first predetermined speed.

[0024] In a further feature, the second battery is a battery different from the first battery.

[0025] This application may also include the following schemes.

[0026] 1. An engine starting system for a vehicle, comprising:

[0027] A cold start module, configured to selectively generate a cold start command when the ambient air temperature is lower than a predetermined temperature;

[0028] A starter control module, configured to engage the starter motor with the engine crankshaft in response to the generation of the cold start command, and supply power from the first battery to the starter motor; and

[0029] A belt-driven generator starter (BAS) control module, wherein the BAS control module is configured to:

[0030] After a cold start command is generated, power from the second battery is not supplied to the BAS until the engine speed exceeds a first predetermined speed; and

[0031] In response to the determination that the engine speed of the engine is greater than the first predetermined speed, power from the second battery is supplied to the BAS, and the engine speed of the engine is further increased.

[0032] 2. The engine starting system according to Scheme 1 further includes an engine control module, which is configured to start adding fuel to the engine and providing a spark to the engine only when the engine speed is greater than a second predetermined speed.

[0033] 3. The engine starting system according to Scheme 2, wherein the second predetermined speed is greater than the first predetermined speed.

[0034] 4. The engine starting system according to Scheme 2, wherein the second predetermined speed is at least 400 revolutions per minute.

[0035] 5. The engine starting system according to Scheme 1, wherein the second battery is a battery different from the first battery.

[0036] 6. The engine starting system according to Scheme 1, wherein the first voltage rating of the second battery is greater than the second voltage rating of the first battery.

[0037] 7. The engine starting system according to Scheme 6, wherein the second voltage rating is approximately 12 volts direct current (DC).

[0038] 8. The engine starting system according to claim 1, wherein the BAS is configured to convert mechanical energy from the engine into electrical energy and use the electrical energy to charge the second battery.

[0039] 9. The engine starting system according to claim 1 further includes an electric propulsion motor configured to use power from the second battery to generate propulsion torque.

[0040] 10. The engine starting system according to Scheme 1, wherein the ambient air temperature is below 0 degrees Celsius.

[0041] 11. The engine starting system according to Scheme 1, wherein the BAS is connected to the engine pulley via a belt.

[0042] 12. The engine starting system according to claim 1, wherein the BAS control module is configured to match the rotational speed of the BAS with the engine speed before supplying power from the second battery to the BAS and further increasing the speed of the engine.

[0043] 13. The engine starting system according to claim 12, wherein the BAS control module is configured to use closed-loop control to match the rotational speed of the BAS with the engine speed.

[0044] 14. The engine starting system according to Scheme 1, wherein the cold start module is configured to generate a cold start command when (a) the ambient air temperature is lower than a predetermined temperature and (b) the state of charge of the second battery is lower than a predetermined state of charge.

[0045] 15. The engine starting system according to Scheme 1, wherein the predetermined temperature is set based on the torque of the crankshaft that starts rotating the engine at the predetermined temperature.

[0046] 16. An engine starting system for a vehicle, comprising:

[0047] A starter control module, configured to engage the starter motor with the crankshaft of the engine and supply power from the first battery to the starter motor in response to the generation of a cold start command;

[0048] A cold start module, configured to generate a cold start command when (a) the ambient air temperature is lower than a predetermined temperature and (b) the state of charge of the second battery is lower than a predetermined state of charge;

[0049] A belt-driven generator starter (BAS) control module, wherein the BAS control module is configured to:

[0050] After a cold start command is generated, power from the second battery is not supplied to the BAS until the engine speed exceeds a first predetermined speed; and

[0051] In response to the determination that the engine speed is greater than a first predetermined speed, power from the second battery is supplied to the BAS and the engine speed is further increased.

[0052] An engine control module configured to only begin adding fuel to the engine and providing sparks to the engine when the engine speed is greater than a second predetermined speed.

[0053] Wherein, the second predetermined speed is greater than the first predetermined speed.

[0054] The second battery is different from the first battery, and

[0055] Wherein, the first voltage rating of the second battery is greater than the second voltage rating of the first battery; and

[0056] An electric propulsion motor configured to use power from a second battery to generate propulsion torque.

[0057] 17. A method for starting a vehicle engine, comprising:

[0058] When the ambient air temperature is lower than the preset temperature, a cold start command is selectively generated;

[0059] In response to a cold start command, the starter motor engages with the engine crankshaft and supplies power from the first battery to the starter motor.

[0060] After a cold start command is generated, power from the second battery is not supplied to the belt-driven generator starter (BAS) until the engine speed exceeds a first predetermined speed; and

[0061] In response to the determination that the engine speed is greater than a first predetermined speed, power from the second battery is supplied to the BAS and the engine speed is further increased.

[0062] 18. The engine starting method according to Scheme 17 further includes: only when the engine speed is greater than a second predetermined speed, starting to add fuel to the engine and provide spark to the engine.

[0063] 19. The engine starting method according to Scheme 18, wherein the second predetermined speed is greater than the first predetermined speed.

[0064] 20. The engine starting method according to Scheme 17, wherein the second battery is a battery different from the first battery.

[0065] Further areas of application of this disclosure will become apparent from the detailed description, claims, and drawings. The detailed description and specific examples are intended for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. Attached Figure Description

[0066] This disclosure will be understood more fully from the detailed description and accompanying drawings, in which:

[0067] Figure 1 This is a functional block diagram of an example engine control system;

[0068] Figure 2 This is a functional block diagram of an example engine starting system;

[0069] Figure 3 This is a functional block diagram of the example startup control module; and

[0070] Figure 4 This is a flowchart describing an example method for starting an engine.

[0071] In the accompanying drawings, reference numerals may be reused to identify similar and / or identical elements. Detailed Implementation

[0072] The vehicle includes one or more electric propulsion motors. The vehicle also includes an internal combustion engine. The engine can be started and operated to generate energy to recharge the battery, which in turn propels the vehicle.

[0073] A belt-driven generator starter is connected to the engine's pulley via a belt that wraps around both the engine's pulley and the generator starter's pulley. When the engine is off and not running, the belt-driven generator starter can output positive torque to start the engine. When the engine is running, the belt-driven generator starter can output negative torque to generate electrical energy to charge the battery.

[0074] However, in low ambient air temperatures, if a belt-driven generator starter is used to start the engine, the belt may slip, produce noise, and / or become damaged.

[0075] This application relates to the use of a starter to initiate engine startup when the ambient air temperature is below a predetermined temperature. Once the engine reaches a predetermined engine speed, the belt-driven generator starter is controlled to match the engine speed and then used to complete the engine startup. This prevents potential belt slippage, noise, and damage, allows the use of a less expensive belt-driven generator starter motor, and ensures consistent timing for engine startup.

[0076] Now for reference Figure 1 A functional block diagram of an example powertrain 100 for a hybrid vehicle is provided. While an example of a hybrid vehicle is provided, this application is applicable to non-vehicle applications, including battery and other types of vehicles (e.g., electric, internal combustion engine, etc.).

[0077] The vehicle's powertrain 100 includes an engine 102 that burns an air / fuel mixture to produce torque. The vehicle may be non-autonomous or autonomous. Air is drawn into the engine 102 via an intake system 108. The intake system 108 may include an intake manifold 110 and a throttle valve 112. By way of example only, the throttle valve 112 may include a butterfly valve with rotatable blades. An engine control module (ECM) 114 controls a throttle actuator module 116, and the throttle actuator module 116 adjusts the opening of the throttle valve 112 to control the airflow into the intake manifold 110.

[0078] Air from the intake manifold 110 is drawn into the cylinders of the engine 102. Although the engine 102 includes multiple cylinders, a single representative cylinder 118 is shown for illustrative purposes. By way of example only, the engine 102 may include 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, and / or 12 cylinders. The ECM 114 may instruct the cylinder actuator module 120 to selectively deactivate some cylinders in certain situations, which can improve fuel efficiency.

[0079] Engine 102 may operate using a four-stroke cycle or other suitable engine cycle. The four strokes of the four-stroke cycle described below will be referred to as the intake stroke, compression stroke, combustion stroke, and exhaust stroke. During each rotation of the crankshaft (not shown), two of the four strokes occur within cylinder 118. Therefore, cylinder 118 requires two crankshaft rotations to experience all four strokes. For a four-stroke engine, one engine cycle may correspond to two crankshaft rotations.

[0080] When cylinder 118 is engaged, during the intake stroke, air from intake manifold 110 is drawn into cylinder 118 through intake valve 122. ECM 114 controls fuel actuator module 124, which adjusts fuel injection to achieve the desired air / fuel ratio. Fuel can be injected into intake manifold 110 at a central location or multiple locations, such as near intake valve 122 of each cylinder. In various embodiments (not shown), fuel can be injected directly into the cylinder or into a mixing chamber / port associated with the cylinder. Fuel actuator module 124 can stop injecting fuel into inactive cylinders.

[0081] The injected fuel mixes with air, forming an air / fuel mixture in cylinder 118. During the compression stroke, a piston (not shown) within cylinder 118 compresses the air / fuel mixture. Engine 102 can be a compression ignition engine, in which case compression causes ignition of the air / fuel mixture. Alternatively, engine 102 can be a spark ignition engine, in which case a spark actuator module 126 energizes the spark plug 128 in cylinder 118 based on a signal from ECM 114, thereby igniting the air / fuel mixture. Some types of engines, such as homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI) engines, can perform both compression ignition and spark ignition. The timing of the spark can be specified relative to the moment when the piston is at its highest position, which will be referred to as top dead center (TDC).

[0082] The spark actuator module 126 can be controlled by a timing signal that specifies how much distance before or after the TDC (Time-to-Discharge) to generate a spark. Because the piston position is directly related to crankshaft rotation, the operation of the spark actuator module 126 can be synchronized with the crankshaft position. The spark actuator module 126 can disable or enable spark supply to a deactivated cylinder.

[0083] During the combustion stroke, the combustion of the air / fuel mixture drives the piston downward, which in turn drives the crankshaft. The combustion stroke can be defined as the time between when the piston reaches the bottom dead center (TDC) and when it returns to its lowest position, which will be referred to as the bottom dead center (BDC).

[0084] During the exhaust stroke, the piston begins to move upward from the BDC and discharges combustion byproducts through exhaust valve 130. These combustion byproducts are then discharged from the vehicle via exhaust system 134.

[0085] Intake valve 122 can be controlled by intake camshaft 140, while exhaust valve 130 can be controlled by exhaust camshaft 142. In various embodiments, multiple intake camshafts (including intake camshaft 140) can control multiple intake valves (including intake valve 122) for cylinder 118 and / or can control intake valves (including intake valve 122) for multiple exhaust cylinders (including cylinder 118). Similarly, multiple exhaust camshafts (including exhaust camshaft 142) can control multiple exhaust valves for cylinder 118 and / or can control exhaust valves (including exhaust valve 130) for multiple exhaust cylinders (including cylinder 118). Although camshaft-based valve actuation is shown and discussed, camless valve actuators can also be implemented. Although separate intake and exhaust camshafts are shown, a single camshaft with a convex angle for both the intake and exhaust valves can be used.

[0086] Cylinder actuator module 120 can deactivate cylinder 118 by preventing the opening of intake valve 122 and / or exhaust valve 130. The opening time of intake valve 122 can be varied relative to piston TDC by intake cam phaser 148. The opening time of exhaust valve 130 can be varied relative to piston TDC by exhaust cam phaser 150. Phaser actuator module 158 can control intake cam phaser 148 and exhaust cam phaser 150 based on signals from ECM 114. In various embodiments, cam phasing can be omitted. Variable valve lift (not shown) can also be controlled by phaser actuator module 158. In various other embodiments, intake valve 122 and / or exhaust valve 130 can be controlled by actuators other than the camshaft, such as electromechanical actuators, electrohydraulic actuators, electromagnetic actuators, etc.

[0087] Engine 102 may include zero, one, or more superchargers that supply pressurized air to intake manifold 110. For example, Figure 1 A turbocharger including a turbocharger turbine 160-1 is shown, the turbocharger turbine being driven by exhaust gas flowing through an exhaust system 134. The turbocharger is another type of boosting device.

[0088] The turbocharger also includes a turbocharger compressor 160-2, which is driven by the turbocharger turbine 160-1 and compresses the air introduced into the throttle valve 112. A wastegate (WG) 162 controls the flow of exhaust gas through and around the turbocharger turbine 160-1. The wastegate may also be referred to as a turbocharger turbine bypass valve. The wastegate 162 allows exhaust gas to bypass the turbocharger turbine 160-1, reducing the compression of the intake air supplied by the turbocharger. An ECM 114 can control the turbocharger via a wastegate actuator module 164. The wastegate actuator module 164 can adjust the turbocharger boost by controlling the opening of the wastegate 162.

[0089] A cooler (e.g., a booster air cooler or intercooler) dissipates a portion of the heat contained in the compressed air charge, which can be generated when the air is compressed. Although shown separately for illustrative purposes, the turbocharger turbine 160-1 and turbocharger compressor 160-2 may be mechanically linked to each other, thereby placing the intake air near the hot exhaust gases. The compressed air charge may absorb heat from components of the exhaust system 134.

[0090] Engine 102 may include an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) valve 170 that selectively redirects exhaust gas back to intake manifold 110. The EGR valve 170 may receive exhaust gas from upstream of turbocharger turbine 160-1 in exhaust system 134. The EGR valve 170 may be controlled by EGR actuator module 172.

[0091] Crankshaft position sensor 180 can be used to measure crankshaft position. Engine speed can be determined based on the crankshaft position measured using crankshaft position sensor 180, such as based on the change of crankshaft cycle over time. Engine coolant temperature (ECT) sensor 182 can be used to measure the temperature of engine coolant. ECT sensor 182 may be located within engine 102 or at other locations where coolant circulates, such as the radiator (not shown).

[0092] A manifold absolute pressure (MAP) sensor 184 can be used to measure the pressure within the intake manifold 110. In various embodiments, engine vacuum, which is the difference between ambient air pressure and the pressure within the intake manifold 110, can be measured. A mass air flow (MAF) sensor 186 can be used to measure the mass flow rate of air flowing into the intake manifold 110. In various embodiments, the MAF sensor 186 can be located in a housing that also includes a throttle valve 112.

[0093] One or more throttle position sensors (TPS) 190 can be used to measure the position of the throttle valve 112. Intake air temperature (IAT) sensor 192 can be used to measure the temperature of the air drawn into the engine 102. One or more other sensors 193 may also be implemented. These other sensors 193 include an accelerator pedal position (APP) sensor, a brake pedal position (BPP) sensor, and may include a clutch pedal position (CPP) sensor (e.g., in the case of a manual transmission), and may include one or more other types of sensors. The APP sensor measures the position of the accelerator pedal within the vehicle's passenger compartment. The BPP sensor measures the position of the brake pedal within the vehicle's passenger compartment. The CPP sensor measures the position of the clutch pedal within the vehicle's passenger compartment. The other sensors 193 may also include one or more acceleration sensors that measure the longitudinal (e.g., front / rear) acceleration and lateral acceleration of the vehicle. An accelerometer is an example type of acceleration sensor, although other types of acceleration sensors may also be used. The ECM 114 can use the signals from the sensors to make control decisions for the engine 102.

[0094] ECM 114 can communicate with transmission control module 194, which controls the operation of transmission 195. ECM 114 can also communicate with hybrid power control module 196, for example, to coordinate the operation of engine 102 and electric motor 198. While an example of an electric motor is provided, multiple electric motors can be implemented. In various embodiments, the various functions of ECM 114, transmission control module 194, and hybrid power control module 196 can be integrated into one or more modules.

[0095] Each system that alters engine parameters can be referred to as an engine actuator. Each engine actuator has associated actuator values. For example, the throttle actuator module 116 can be referred to as an engine actuator, and the throttle opening area can be referred to as an actuator value. Figure 1 In the example, the throttle actuator module 116 adjusts the blade angle of the throttle valve 112 to achieve the opening area of ​​the throttle valve.

[0096] Spark actuator module 126 may also be referred to as an engine actuator, and the corresponding actuator value may be the spark advance relative to the cylinder TDC. Other engine actuators may include cylinder actuator module 120, fuel actuator module 124, phase shifter actuator module 158, wastegate valve actuator module 164, and EGR actuator module 172. For these engine actuators, the actuator values ​​may correspond to the cylinder activation / deactivation sequence, fuel supply rate, intake and exhaust cam phase shifter angles, target wastegate opening, and EGR valve opening, respectively.

[0097] ECM 114 can control the actuator values ​​so that engine 102 outputs torque based on a torque request. ECM 114 can determine the torque request, for example, based on one or more driver inputs (such as APP, BPP, CPP, and / or one or more other suitable driver inputs). ECM 114 can determine the torque request, for example, using one or more functions or lookup tables that associate the driver inputs with the torque request.

[0098] In certain situations, the hybrid power control module 196 controls the electric motor 198 to output torque, for example, to supplement the engine torque output. When the engine 102 is off, the hybrid power control module 196 can also control the electric motor 198 to output torque for vehicle propulsion.

[0099] Hybrid power control module 196 will receive power from battery 208 ( Figure 2Electrical energy is supplied to the electric motor 198 to cause the electric motor 198 to output positive torque. The battery will be discussed further below. The electric motor 198 can output torque, for example, to the input shaft of the transmission 195, to the output shaft of the transmission 195, or to another component. A clutch 200 may be implemented to engage the electric motor 198 with the transmission 195 and to disengage the electric motor 198 from the transmission 195. One or more gear arrangements may be implemented between the output of the electric motor 198 and the input of the transmission 195 to provide one or more predetermined gear ratios between the rotation of the electric motor 198 and the rotation of the input of the transmission 195. In various embodiments, the electric motor 198 may be omitted.

[0100] For reference Figure 1 and Figure 2 ECM 114 initiates some starting of engine 102 via starter motor 202, as discussed further below. Figure 2 This is a block diagram of an example engine starting system. The ECM 114 also starts the engine 102 via a belt-driven alternator starter (BAS), as discussed further below. The ECM 114, or another suitable module of the vehicle, engages the starter motor 202 with the engine 102 to start the engine. By way of example only, the ECM 114 can start the engine 102 when a key ON command is received. The driver can enter the key ON command, for example, via one or more ignition keys, buttons, and / or switches that start the vehicle or the vehicle's remote key. The starter motor 202 can engage and drive the crankshaft to rotate via a flywheel coupled to the crankshaft or one or more other suitable components that drive the crankshaft.

[0101] When the SOC of battery 206 is less than a predetermined value, ECM 114 can also start engine 102, as discussed further below. The driver can enter a key OFF command, for example, via activating one or more ignition keys, buttons, and / or switches, as described above.

[0102] A starter motor actuator (such as a solenoid) actuates starter motor 202 to engage with engine 102. By way of example only, the starter motor actuator may engage a starter pinion with a flywheel coupled to the crankshaft. In various embodiments, the starter pinion may be coupled to starter motor 202 via a drive shaft and a one-way clutch. Starter actuator module 204 controls the starter motor actuator and starter motor 202 based on signals from ECM 114.

[0103] In certain circumstances, in response to a command to start engine 102, the starter actuator module 204 supplies current to starter motor 202 to start engine 102. The starter actuator module 204 can also actuate the starter motor actuator to engage starter motor 202 with engine 102. After starter motor 202 is engaged with engine 102, the starter actuator module 204 can supply current to starter motor 202, for example, to allow gear engagement.

[0104] Applying current to starter motor 202 drives starter motor 202 to rotate, and starter motor 202 drives crankshaft to rotate (e.g., via flywheel). Applying current to belt-driven generator starter 214 also drives crankshaft to rotate. The period during which starter motor 202 and / or belt-driven generator starter 214 drive crankshaft to start engine 102 can be referred to as engine starting.

[0105] The starter motor 202 draws power from battery 208 (e.g., a 12-volt battery) to start engine 102. The belt-driven generator starter 214 draws power from battery 206 to start engine 102.

[0106] Once engine 102 is running after an engine start event, starter motor 202 disengages from or is disconnected from engine 102, and the current flowing to starter motor 202 may be interrupted. For example, engine 102 can be considered to be running when the engine speed exceeds a predetermined idle speed. When engine 102 is running, it can be said that the engine start-up is complete.

[0107] The belt-driven generator starter 214 includes an output shaft 218 and a pulley 222. The output shaft 218 is coupled to and rotates with the pulley 222. The engine 102 also includes a pulley 226. The rotation of the pulley 226 drives the crankshaft of the engine 102 to rotate. A belt 230 surrounds the pulleys 222 and 226, causing the pulleys 222 and 226 to rotate together.

[0108] The belt-driven generator starter 214 outputs positive torque to the engine 102 via the belt 230 to start the engine 102. When the engine 102 is running, the belt-driven generator starter 214 can apply negative torque to the engine 102 via the belt 230 to convert the mechanical energy of the engine 102 into electrical energy to charge the battery 206. The electric motor 198 uses the power from the battery 206 to generate propulsive torque to propel the vehicle.

[0109] The belt-driven generator starter 214 can use power from battery 206 to start engine 102. The starter motor 202 can use power from battery 208 to start engine 102. The battery 206 may have a different (e.g., higher) voltage than battery 208 (e.g., nominal 12V DC).

[0110] Figure 3 This is a functional block diagram of an example implementation of the start control module 302. The start control module 302 may be implemented independently in the ECM 114, for example, or in another module of the vehicle.

[0111] The starter control module 304 controls the power supply to the starter motor 202, for example, for starting the engine 102. The BAS control module 308 controls the operation of the BAS 214. For example, the BAS control module 308 controls the positive torque output of the BAS 214 for starting the engine 102. When the engine 102 is running, the BAS control module 308 controls the negative torque applied by the BAS 214 to generate electricity, for example, to charge the battery 206.

[0112] The cold start module 312 uses the starter motor 202 and subsequently the BAS 214 to selectively initiate a cold start on the engine 102, as further described below. For example, the cold start module 312 can initiate a cold start on the engine 102 when the current state of charge (SOC) 316 of the battery 206 is less than a predetermined SOC and the ambient air temperature 320 is less than a predetermined cold start temperature. A non-cold start on the engine 102 can be performed using the BAS 214 without the starter motor 202. The ambient temperature 320 can be measured using a temperature sensor or obtained in another suitable manner. The current SOC 316 can be determined (e.g., by means of a state of charge module) based on the current flowing into and out of the battery 206, for example, by coulomb counting.

[0113] Figure 4 This is a flowchart describing an example method for starting engine 102. Control begins at 404, where the vehicle is on and engine 102 is not running (off). At 404, cold start module 312 determines whether the state of charge (SOC) 316 of battery 206 is less than a predetermined SOC. The predetermined SOC may be calibrable and may be, for example, approximately 20% or other suitable value below which engine 102 should run to recharge battery 206. If 404 is true (“Yes”), control may continue at 408. If 404 is false (“No”), starting engine 102 may not be performed, and control may return to 404. Alternatively, control may continue at 412, where, if necessary, BAS 214 may be used to perform starting engine 102.

[0114] At 408, the cold start module 312 determines whether the ambient temperature 320 is below a predetermined temperature. This predetermined temperature can be calibrated and may be, for example, approximately 0 degrees Celsius or another suitable value. The predetermined temperature can be calibrated based on the torque applied to the engine 102 by the BAS 214 to start the engine 102 at the predetermined temperature, the noise, vibration, and roughness of starting the engine 102 at the predetermined temperature, and / or one or more other parameters. If 408 is true, control can use the starter motor 202, followed by the BAS 214, to start the engine 102, and control can continue at 416. If 408 is false, at 412, the BAS control module 308 can supply power from the battery 206 to the BAS 214 so that the BAS 214 drives the crankshaft of the engine 102, and control can continue at 432.

[0115] At 416, the starter control module 304 engages the starter motor 202 with the engine 102 and supplies power from the battery 208 to the starter motor 202 to begin starting the engine 102 for starting. At 420, the BAS control module 308 determines whether the engine speed (RPM) is greater than or equal to a first predetermined speed. The first predetermined speed may be calibrable and may be, for example, approximately 150-200 revolutions per minute (RPM) or other suitable speed. If 420 is true, control can continue at 424. If 420 is false, control can return to 416 and continue using the starter motor 202 to increase the engine speed for starting.

[0116] At 424, the BAS control module 308 controls the BAS 214 to match the engine speed. The BAS control module 308 can control the BAS 214, for example, using closed-loop control to increase the speed of the BAS 214 to the engine speed. At 428, once the speed of the BAS 214 reaches the engine speed, the BAS control module 308 controls the BAS 214 to continue increasing the engine speed. At 432, the ECM 114 can determine whether the engine speed is greater than or equal to a second predetermined speed. The second predetermined speed is greater than a first predetermined speed. The second predetermined speed can be calibrated and can be, for example, approximately 400-1000 RPM or other suitable speeds. If 432 is false, control returns to 428 to use the BAS 214 instead of the starter motor 202 to continue increasing the engine speed. If 432 is true, then ECM 114 (e.g., fuel control module) begins adding fuel to engine 102, and (e.g., spark control module) provides a spark to engine 102 to initiate combustion in the cylinder, and the start-up is completed at 436.

[0117] The foregoing description is illustrative in nature and is in no way intended to limit this disclosure, its application, or use. The broad teachings of this disclosure can be implemented in various forms. Therefore, while this disclosure includes specific examples, its true scope should not be so limited, as other modifications will become apparent upon examination of the drawings, description, and appended claims. It should be understood that one or more steps within the method may be performed in different orders (or simultaneously) without altering the principles of this disclosure. Furthermore, although each of the embodiments described above is described as having certain features, any one or more of those features described with respect to any embodiment of this disclosure may be implemented in and / or combined with features of any of any of other embodiments, even if such combinations are not explicitly described. In other words, the described embodiments are not mutually exclusive, and substitutions of one or more embodiments for each other remain within the scope of this disclosure.

[0118] Various terms are used to describe spatial and functional relationships between elements (e.g., between modules, circuit elements, semiconductor layers, etc.), including “connection,” “joint,” “coupled / linked,” “adjacent,” “next to,” “on top,” “above,” “below,” and “set.” Unless explicitly described as “direct,” when a relationship between first and second elements is described in the foregoing disclosure, the relationship can be a direct relationship in which no other intermediate elements exist between the first and second elements, or an indirect relationship in which one or more intermediate elements exist between the first and second elements (spatially or functionally). As used herein, at least one of the phrases A, B, and C should be interpreted as indicating logic using non-exclusive OR (A OR B OR C) and should not be interpreted as indicating “at least one of A, at least one of B, and at least one of C.”

[0119] In the accompanying drawings, the direction of the arrows, as indicated by the arrows, typically represents the flow of information of interest (e.g., data or instructions). For example, when elements A and B exchange various types of information, but the information sent from element A to element B is relevant to the illustration, the arrow may point from element A to element B. This unidirectional arrow does not imply that no other information is being sent from element B to element A. Furthermore, for information sent from element A to element B, element B may send a request for that information or an acknowledgment of receipt of that information to element A.

[0120] In this application, the terms "module" or "controller" may be replaced with the term "circuit" as defined below. The term "module" may refer to, be contained in, or include: application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs); digital, analog, or mixed-signal analog / digital discrete circuits; digital, analog, or mixed-signal analog / digital integrated circuits; combinational logic circuits; field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs); processor circuitry (shared, dedicated, or grouped) that executes code; memory circuitry (shared, dedicated, or grouped) that stores the code executed by the processor circuitry; other appropriate hardware components that provide the aforementioned functionality; or combinations of some or all of the above, such as in a system-on-a-chip.

[0121] This module may include one or more interface circuits. In some examples, the interface circuits may include wired or wireless interfaces connected to a local area network (LAN), the Internet, a wide area network (WAN), or a combination thereof. The functionality of any given module of this disclosure may be distributed across multiple modules connected via the interface circuits. For example, multiple modules may allow for load balancing. In a further example, a server (also referred to as a remote or cloud) module may perform some functions on behalf of a client module.

[0122] The term "code" as used above can include software, firmware, and / or microcode, and can refer to programs, routines, functions, classes, data structures, and / or objects. The term "shared processor circuitry" includes a single processor circuitry that executes some or all of the code from multiple modules. The term "group processor circuitry" includes processor circuitry that, in conjunction with additional processor circuitry, executes some or all of the code from one or more modules. References to multiprocessor circuitry include multiprocessor circuitry on a discrete die, multiprocessor circuitry on a single die, multiple cores of a single processor circuit, multiple threads of a single processor circuit, or a combination thereof. The term "shared memory circuitry" includes a single memory circuitry that stores some or all of the code from multiple modules. The term "group memory circuitry" includes memory circuitry that, in conjunction with additional memory, stores some or all of the code from one or more modules.

[0123] The term "memory circuit" is a subset of the term "computer-readable medium." As used herein, the term "computer-readable medium" does not include transient electrical or electromagnetic signals propagated through a medium (such as on a carrier wave); therefore, the term "computer-readable medium" can be considered tangible and non-transitory. Non-limiting examples of non-transitory tangible computer-readable media are non-volatile memory circuits (such as flash memory circuits, erasable programmable read-only memory circuits, or mask read-only memory circuits), volatile memory circuits (such as static random access memory circuits or dynamic random access memory circuits), magnetic storage media (such as analog or digital magnetic tape or hard disk drives), and optical storage media (such as CDs, DVDs, or Blu-ray discs).

[0124] The apparatus and methods described in this application can be implemented, in part or in whole, by a special-purpose computer created by configuring a general-purpose computer to perform one or more specific functions implemented in a computer program. The aforementioned function blocks, flowchart components, and other elements serve as software specifications that can be routinely converted into computer programs by skilled technicians or programmers.

[0125] A computer program includes processor-executable instructions stored on at least one non-transitory tangible computer-readable medium. A computer program may also include or depend on stored data. A computer program may include a basic input / output system (BIOS) that interacts with the hardware of a special-purpose computer, device drivers that interact with specific devices of the special-purpose computer, one or more operating systems, user applications, background services, background applications, etc.

[0126] Computer programs can include: (i) descriptive text to be parsed, such as HTML (Hypertext Markup Language), XML (Extensible Markup Language), or JSON (JavaScript Object Notation); (ii) assembly code; (iii) object code generated from source code by a compiler; (iv) source code executed by an interpreter; (v) source code compiled and executed by a just-in-time (JIT) compiler, and so on. As examples only, programs from languages ​​including C, C++, C#, Objective-C, Swift, Haskell, Go, SQL, R, and Lisp can be used. Fortran, Perl, Pascal, Curl, OCaml, HTML5 (Hypertext Markup Language, 5th Revision), Ada, ASP (Active Server Pages), PHP (PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor), Scala, Eiffel, Smalltalk, Erlang, Ruby, Visual Lua, MATLAB, SIMULINK and Use the syntax of the language to write source code.

Claims

1. An engine starting system for a vehicle, comprising: A cold start module, configured to selectively generate a cold start command when the ambient air temperature is lower than a predetermined temperature; A starter control module is configured to engage the starter motor with the crankshaft of the engine in response to the generation of the cold start command and supply power from the first battery to the starter motor. as well as A belt-driven generator starter (BAS) control module, wherein the BAS control module is configured to: After a cold start command is generated, power from the second battery is not supplied to the BAS until the engine speed is greater than the first predetermined speed. as well as In response to the determination that the engine speed of the engine is greater than the first predetermined speed, power from the second battery is supplied to the BAS, and the engine speed of the engine is further increased.

2. The engine starting system according to claim 1 further includes an engine control module, the engine control module being configured to only begin adding fuel to the engine and providing a spark to the engine when the engine speed is greater than a second predetermined speed.

3. The engine starting system according to claim 2, wherein, The second predetermined speed is greater than the first predetermined speed.

4. The engine starting system according to claim 2, wherein, The second predetermined speed is at least 400 revolutions per minute.

5. The engine starting system according to claim 1, wherein, The second battery is different from the first battery.

6. The engine starting system according to claim 1, wherein, The first voltage rating of the second battery is greater than the second voltage rating of the first battery.

7. The engine starting system according to claim 6, wherein, The second voltage rating is approximately 12 volts direct current (DC).

8. The engine starting system according to claim 1, wherein, The BAS is configured to convert mechanical energy from the engine into electrical energy and use the electrical energy to charge the second battery.

9. The engine starting system of claim 1 further includes an electric propulsion motor configured to use power from the second battery to generate propulsion torque.

10. The engine starting system according to claim 1, wherein, The ambient air temperature is below 0 degrees Celsius.

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