Modified trigger wheel, controller and method for vehicle prime mover - Patents.com

Abstract

A controller (120) for a vehicle is disclosed. The vehicle includes a position sensor (116) and a rotating electric machine (118) coupled to a primary shaft of a prime mover of the vehicle. Both the position sensor (116) and the rotating electric machine (118) are connected / interfaced to a controller (120), the controller (120) being configured to receive a position signal from the position sensor (116) arranged to monitor a modified trigger wheel (114) upon rotation of the primary shaft. The controller (120) processes the position signal to identify a tooth pattern of the modified trigger wheel (114). The controller (120) identifies a parameter depending on the identified tooth pattern, the parameter including at least one of a direction of rotation of the primary shaft, engine knock, and an electrical position of the rotating electric machine (118). Comparable systems (130) and methods are also disclosed.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a modified trigger wheel, controller and method for a vehicle prime mover. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Background of the Invention The commonly used crankshaft trigger wheels in vehicle systems are 36-2, 24-2, 12-3 etc. Rotating machines such as generators or Integrated Starter Generators (ISG) are often coupled to the crankshaft of the engine of the vehicle. In case of Belt Driven Starter Generator (BSG) systems, the rotating machines are coupled to the engine by a belt. Furthermore, inductive crankshaft sensors are widely used and are not used for quick start as they do not provide rotation direction information and the stop position calculated by the controller using inductive sensors is not reliable. In addition to this, the minimum and maximum engine speed support required are 40RPM and 12000RPM respectively. Alternatively, engine speed gradient, manifold pressure based techniques are widely used for engine position detection.

[0003] Prior art U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 20030037607 discloses an encoded crank position sensor for providing timing information of an internal combustion engine crankshaft, the target wheel comprising a generally circular member having a plurality of teeth having variable widths, non-uniformly distributed leading edges and uniformly distributed trailing edges, the target wheel providing speed and timing information for a plurality of internal combustion engine configurations.

[0004] An embodiment of the present disclosure will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: [Brief description of the drawings]

[0005] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram illustrating a system and controller for a vehicle in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 illustrates a method for operating a prime mover of a vehicle according to the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0006] Detailed Description of the Embodiments FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a system and controller for a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. The vehicle includes a prime mover for providing power, a primary shaft coupling the prime mover to the vehicle drive train, and a position sensor 116 for monitoring the mechanical position of the primary shaft. The prime mover is either a rotating electric machine 118 with a rotor shaft as the primary shaft, or a combustion engine with a crankshaft as the primary shaft coupled to and assisting the rotating electric machine 118. Both the rotating electric machine 118 and the position sensor 116 are connected / interfaced to a controller 120, which is configured to receive a position signal from the position sensor 116 positioned to monitor / sense a modified trigger wheel 114 upon rotation of the primary shaft. The modified trigger wheel 114 is coupled to the primary shaft directly or, without limitation, via a belt. The controller 120 processes the position signal to identify a tooth pattern of the modified trigger wheel 114. The controller 120 identifies a parameter depending on the identified tooth pattern. The parameters relate to at least one of the combustion engine and a rotating electric machine 118. The rotating electric machine 118 is connected to a controller 120 via an inverter circuit 128.

[0007] According to the invention, the controller 120 is provided with the necessary signal detection, acquisition and processing circuits together with sensors (if necessary). The controller 120 is a control unit comprising memory elements 122, e.g. random access memory (RAM) and / or read only memory (ROM), analogue / digital converters (ADC) and digital / analog converters (DAC), clocks, timers, counters and at least one processor (capable of implementing machine learning), which are connected to each other and to other components via communication bus channels. The memory elements 122 are pre-stored with logic or instructions or programs or applications or modules / models and / or thresholds, pre-defined tooth patterns, which are accessed by the at least one processor according to defined routines. The internal components of the controller 120 are not described as they are prior art and should not be understood in a limiting sense. The controller 120 may also comprise a communication unit for communicating with external computing devices, such as the cloud, a remote server, etc., via wireless or wired means, such as Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), 3G, 4G, 5G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Ethernet, serial networks, etc. The controller 120 may be implemented as a System in Package (SiP) or System on Chip (SOC) or any other known type of form. Furthermore, the controller 120 may be a Vehicle Control Unit (VCU), a Body Control Unit / Body Control Module (BCU / BCM), an Engine Control Unit (ECU), or a combination thereof.

[0008] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the controller 120 is applicable for use in two-wheeled vehicles such as motorcycles, scooters, e-bikes, three-wheeled vehicles such as auto-rickshaws, four-wheeled vehicles such as automobiles, multi-wheeled vehicles, and other vehicles such as water sports vehicles and snowmobiles.

[0009] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the parameter is at least one parameter selected from the group consisting of primary shaft rotation direction, engine knock, and electrical position of the rotating electric machine 118. The electrical position is the position of an electrical period in a phase voltage signal of the rotating electric machine 118. The position is determined based on a fixed relationship between the phase voltage signal and the position signal.

[0010] To determine the electrical position, the controller 120 first detects a tooth pattern in the position signal. Once the tooth pattern is detected, the controller 120 correlates the tooth pattern with a corresponding known electrical position within the electrical period of the phase voltage signal. Furthermore, once the electrical position is determined, the controller 120 then calculates the torque required to start the prime mover, so that closed-loop operation for the rotating electric machine 118 is achieved more quickly. The prime mover is either the rotating electric machine 118 or a combustion engine. The controller 120 then drives the rotating electric machine 118 according to the calculated torque. The time it takes for the torque to be calculated using the known electrical position and operation is very short, i.e., within the time it takes for the first tooth pattern detection itself, and thus the electrical position is determined very quickly.

[0011] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the controller 120 is configured to determine an electrical position of the rotating electric machine 118 using the phase voltage signals generated by the rotating electric machine 118. However, before the electrical position is determined, the controller 120 is configured to control the inverter circuit 128 to rotate the prime mover in an open loop mode to detect the modified tooth pattern of the trigger wheel 114. The controller 120 operates the rotating electric machine 118 to start the rotation of the primary shaft of the prime mover. Once the primary shaft starts to rotate, i.e., upon rotation of the primary shaft, the modified tooth pattern of the trigger wheel 114 is detected to derive an electrical position of the phase voltage signals, which are then used to calculate the actual torque required to control the rotating electric machine 118. The controller 120 then applies the calculated torque to start / drive the prime mover.

[0012] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the controller 120 is configured to detect at least one of the crankshaft rotation direction (reverse or forward), knocking in the engine, and the electrical position of the rotating electric machine 118 based on the position signal (i.e., the tooth pattern determined from the position signal) received from the position sensor 116. Consider a system 130 in which the prime mover is an engine and the primary shaft is a crankshaft. To detect the engine rotation direction, the controller 120 is configured to detect a first tooth pattern and a second tooth pattern. When the first tooth pattern is detected, the direction is considered to be reverse. Similarly, when the second tooth pattern is detected, the direction is considered to be forward. To analyze the engine speed profile for knock detection, the tooth period after the identification of top dead center (TDC) is used. To detect knock, the controller 120 is configured to observe disturbances in the engine speed calculated after TDC compression. A conventional trigger wheel, usually of the 36-2 or 24-2 type, is used. Since the tooth angle is either 10 or 15 degrees, it is difficult to capture vibrations reliably. With the modified trigger wheel 114, both the low and high pulse periods are used by the controller 120. There is already a fixed relationship between the low and high pulses. In the case of knocking, this relationship is disturbed and the knocking effect is easier to capture.

[0013] According to one embodiment of the present invention, a modified trigger wheel 114 is provided for determining the position of a prime mover primary shaft in a vehicle. The modified trigger wheel 114 is characterized by a plurality of teeth with equal tooth periods and reference gaps (such as one tooth gap or two tooth gaps) at its periphery, the plurality of teeth having at least three different widths within each tooth period of equal length. The plurality of teeth are arranged in a pattern for detecting at least one of the direction of rotation of the primary shaft, engine knocking, and the electrical position of a rotating electric machine 118 coupled to the primary shaft. The trigger wheel 114 also relates to an encoder wheel with markings and gaps instead of teeth. The trigger wheel 114 can be replaced by an encoder wheel as well.

[0014] According to one embodiment of the present invention, at least three widths of the plurality of teeth used in the modified trigger wheel 114 are comprised of a first width, a second width, and a third width, etc., each of which has an equal tooth period of "L" (also known as a tooth segment). For example, and without limitation, the first width is represented by "A" and corresponds to a tooth width designed in a 50:50 (LOW / HIGH) ratio within the tooth period "L", i.e., half of the tooth period is a tooth and the remainder is a gap. The second width is represented by "B" and corresponds to a tooth width designed in a 25:75 (LOW / HIGH) ratio within the tooth period "L", i.e., 25% of the tooth period "L" is a tooth and 75% is a gap. Similarly, the third width is indicated by "C" and corresponds to a tooth width designed to a 75:25 (LOW / HIGH) ratio within the tooth period "L", i.e., 75% of "L" is teeth and the remaining 25% is gap. The first pattern of teeth comprises ABAC.... The second pattern of teeth comprises ACAB. Similarly, other combinations of different patterns are possible, such as, but not limited to, ACBA, ABCA, ABBC, ACCB, etc. When the modified trigger wheel 114 is designed and coupled to a crankshaft, the tooth pattern will change based on the direction of rotation of the crankshaft. The types of tooth width need not be limited to only three different types, A, B, and C. Also, the LOW / HIGH ratio need not be limited to 50:50, 75:25, or 25:75.

[0015] According to the present invention, the operation of the present invention is assumed, which should not be understood as limiting. A vehicle with an engine as a prime mover and a crankshaft as a primary shaft is considered. Before proceeding, a signal from a conventional trigger wheel is described through a first graph 100. The first signal 102 represents a cut-away view of a conventional trigger wheel with equal tooth period and equal tooth width. The second signal 104 is a position signal (also referred to as a crank signal for the engine) detected by a position sensor 116. Next, a modified trigger wheel 114 is considered, which has a 24-2 configuration with an ABAC tooth pattern. Referring to the second graph 110, the third signal 106 represents a cut-away view of the modified trigger wheel 114 as proposed in the present invention. The fourth signal 108 is a position signal for the modified trigger wheel 114 detected by the position sensor 116. The fifth signal 112 is one of the multiple phase voltage signals of the rotating electric machine 118 after processing the actual phase voltage signal (not shown). The dotted vertical lines indicate the tooth period and the corresponding tooth width. It can be seen that the falling and rising edges of the fifth signal 112 (voltage signal) are synchronous with the falling / rising edges of the fourth signal 108. However, the fourth signal 108 and the fifth signal 112 may be offset by some angle, in which case the controller 120 is configured to adjust this offset after receiving each signal.

[0016] Now consider a modified trigger wheel 114 installed on a vehicle such as a motorcycle. A rider switches on the vehicle, and then the controller 120 triggers the operation of the rotating electric machine 118 through the inverter circuit 128, resulting in the crankshaft rotating open loop, i.e., without any mechanical or electrical position information. The rotating electric machine 118 is used, for example, as an integrated starter generator (ISG) coupled to the crankshaft of an engine. When the controller 120 receives a crank signal, the controller 120 detects the tooth pattern. If the tooth pattern is detected to be ACAB, then reverse rotation is identified. Similarly, if the tooth pattern is detected to be ABAC, then forward rotation is identified. Furthermore, if an incorrect rotation is detected, the controller 120 is also configured to correct the direction of rotation. Assuming the correct direction of rotation is detected, the controller 120 correlates the tooth pattern with the electrical period of the phase voltage signal to identify the electrical position of the rotating electric machine 118. Once the electrical position is identified, the controller 120 calculates the exact amount of torque required to start the engine from rest and then starts and runs the engine.

[0017] According to one embodiment of the present invention, a system 130 for managing a prime mover for a vehicle is disclosed. The vehicle includes a primary shaft coupling the prime mover to a drive train of the vehicle and a position sensor 116 monitoring a mechanical position of the primary shaft. The prime mover is either a rotating electric machine 118 with a rotor shaft as a primary shaft or a combustion engine with a crankshaft as a primary shaft coupled to the rotating electric machine 118. The controller 120 features a modified trigger wheel 114 coupled to the primary shaft of the prime mover, connected to the rotating electric machine 118 via an inverter circuit 128 and also connected to a crankshaft position sensor 116, the modified trigger wheel 114 being connected to the primary shaft of the prime mover, and the controller 120 configured to receive position signals from the position sensor 116 positioned / disposed to monitor / sense the modified trigger wheel 114 upon rotation of the primary shaft, process the position signals, identify a tooth pattern of the modified trigger wheel 114, and identify a parameter dependent on the identified tooth pattern. The parameter is related to at least one of the combustion engine and the rotating electric machine 118. The parameter is at least one parameter selected from the group consisting of: direction of rotation of the primary shaft, engine knock, and electrical position of the rotating electric machine 118 .

[0018] Further, if the prime mover is a combustion engine, the controller 120 is configured to calculate the torque required to start the combustion engine from a specified position in the electrical cycle and drive the rotating electric machine 118 according to the calculated torque to start / drive the combustion engine.

[0019] In another example, a modified trigger wheel 114 is disclosed. For a 6 pole pair based rotating electric machine 118, there will be 6 electrical periods in the phase / voltage signal in one revolution of the rotor. A three-phase / multi-phase rotating electric machine 118 can also be used, but is not limited to this. The modified trigger wheel 114 can be used as a replacement for an existing / conventional trigger wheel. For example, a 24-2 conventional trigger wheel can be replaced by the modified trigger wheel 114. Every edge / pulse in the modified trigger wheel 114 provides position information for the electrical system. The modified trigger wheel 114 and the 6 pulse rotating electric machine 118 are equivalent to a pole pair and are the simplest way to detect electrical position. The modified trigger wheel 114 is equivalent to and can replace a corresponding equivalent conventional trigger wheel such as 24-2. The controller 120 receives 22 periods in the voltage signal. At least three unique pulses (including reference gap) are designed on the modified trigger wheel 114. More unique patterns are possible. Fixed pattern of voltage signal in the electric pulse. The offset between the mechanical system and the electric system is adjustable. During start-up, the controller 120 can detect the electric position in two or less periods of the phase voltage signal. After detecting the electric position, this information is used by the controller 120 for strategic operation of the rotating electric machine 118. No additional sensor is needed to identify the electric position in case of mild hybrid or EV system to control the motor operation. The cost of the system is also reduced.

[0020] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the controller 120 is configured to determine an electrical position for a rotating electric machine 118 (as a prime mover) in an electric vehicle (EV). Consider an electric auto-rickshaw as a vehicle. A modified trigger wheel 114 is equipped / mounted on the rotor shaft of the rotating electric machine 118. Furthermore, a position sensor 116 is placed adjacent to the modified trigger wheel 114. The controller 120 first operates the rotating electric machine 118 in an open loop and, along with the rotation, the position signal from the position sensor 116 is measured. The controller 120 determines the mechanical position and then determines the electrical position by correlating the mechanical position with the phase voltage signal of the rotating electric machine 118. Once the electrical position is determined, the controller 120 can start the EV with the required torque and drive it accordingly.

[0021] According to one embodiment of the present invention, rotating electric machine 118 is an integrated starter generator (ISG) or other type of rotating electric machine 118 known in the art.

[0022] 2 shows a method for operating a prime mover of a vehicle according to the present invention. The vehicle comprises a primary shaft coupling the prime mover to a drive train of the vehicle and a position sensor 116 monitoring a mechanical position of the primary shaft. The prime mover is either a rotating electric machine 118 with a rotor shaft as a primary shaft or a combustion engine with a crankshaft as a primary shaft coupled to the rotating electric machine 118. The rotating electric machine 118 and the position sensor 116 are connected to a controller 120. The method features a number of steps, among which step 202 comprises receiving a position signal from a position sensor 116 positioned / disposed to monitor a modified trigger wheel 114 upon rotation of the primary shaft. The modified trigger wheel 114 is coupled to the primary shaft directly or indirectly, including but not limited to via a belt. Step 204 comprises processing the position signal and identifying a tooth pattern of the modified trigger wheel 114. Step 206 comprises identifying a parameter depending on the identified tooth pattern. The parameter relates to at least one of the combustion engine and the rotating electric machine 118. The parameter is at least one parameter selected from the group consisting of a direction of rotation of the primary shaft, engine knock, and an electrical position of the rotating electric machine 118.

[0023] If the prime mover comprises a combustion engine, step 208 comprises calculating the torque required to start the combustion engine from the determined electrical position of the rotating electric machine 118. Step 210 comprises driving the rotating electric machine 118 according to the calculated torque and starting / driving the combustion engine.

[0024] According to the present invention, a modified / improved trigger wheel 114 for a vehicle engine is disclosed. In the case of a system 130 with an ISG, the detection of the electrical position is performed more quickly. The complexity of the position estimation in the existing software is significantly reduced. Furthermore, the switch from open loop control (when the position is not determined) to closed loop control (when the position is known) for the ISG system 130 is performed more quickly. In the case of a mild hybrid system, an electric machine is used to assist the internal combustion engine. The detection of the electrical position is possible with the modified trigger wheel 114, which is coupled to the crankshaft / primary shaft. An additional sensor for detecting the position of the rotating electric machine 118 is omitted, reducing the cost of the system 130. Also in the case of EV applications, the electrical position of the rotating electric machine 118 can be derived if the phase voltage signal is analyzed by the position signal. In such a system 130, multiple sensors are also used to determine the electrical position, which is eliminated, thus further reducing the cost of the system 130. Reverse rotation detection is possible with a one-way sensor, therefore no expensive bi-directional sensor is required. Furthermore, the controller 120 can accurately calculate the stop position, which is then used for restarting the engine. The present invention also enables sensorless knock detection. The tooth pattern (profile or sequence) after TDC is efficiently used to detect knock, and therefore the modified trigger wheel 114 is used in automotive systems as a cost-effective sensorless knock detection solution. The implementation of the present invention does not impact existing engine management system software or logic, because the same modified trigger wheel 114 can be used for engine position and engine speed calculations without any changes in logic.

[0025] It should be understood that the embodiments described above are merely illustrative and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Many such embodiments and other modifications and variations of the embodiments described herein are contemplated. The scope of the invention is limited only by the claims.

Claims

1. A controller (120) for a vehicle, comprising: the vehicle includes a prime mover for providing power, a primary shaft coupling the prime mover to a drive train of the vehicle, and a position sensor (116) for monitoring a mechanical position of the primary shaft; the prime mover being either a rotating electric machine (118) having a rotor shaft as the primary shaft, or a combustion engine having a crankshaft as the primary shaft coupled to the rotating electric machine (118); The rotating electric machine (118) and the position sensor (116) are connected to the controller (120), the controller (120) comprising: The controller (120) receiving a position signal from the position sensor (116) positioned to monitor a modified trigger wheel (114) coupled to the primary shaft upon rotation of the primary shaft; Processing the position signal to identify a tooth pattern of the modified trigger wheel (114); determining a parameter for at least one of the combustion engine and the rotating electric machine depending on the identified tooth pattern; It is configured as follows: A controller (120).

2. the parameter being at least one parameter selected from the group consisting of a direction of rotation of the primary shaft, a knock of the combustion engine, and an electrical position of the rotating electric machine (118). The controller (120) of claim 1.

3. Calculating the torque required to start the combustion engine from the identified electrical position; The rotating electric machine (118) is driven according to the calculated torque, and the combustion engine is started. It is configured as follows: The controller (120) of claim 2.

4. A modified trigger wheel (114) for locating a prime mover primary shaft in a vehicle, comprising: A modified trigger wheel (114) having a plurality of teeth on its periphery and a reference gap, The teeth have at least three different widths within each tooth period of equal length. A modified trigger wheel (114).

5. the plurality of teeth are arranged in a pattern for detecting at least one of a direction of rotation of a primary shaft of the prime mover, a knock of a combustion engine, and an electrical position of a rotating electric machine (118).

5. The modified trigger wheel (114) of claim 4.

6. A system (130) for managing a prime mover for a vehicle, comprising: In a system (130), the vehicle includes a primary shaft that couples the prime mover to a drive train of the vehicle, and a position sensor (116) that monitors a mechanical position of the primary shaft, the prime mover being either a rotating electric machine (118) having a rotor shaft as the primary shaft, or a combustion engine having a crankshaft as the primary shaft coupled to the rotating electric machine (118), the rotating electric machine (118) and the position sensor (116) being connected to the controller (120), a modified trigger wheel (114) coupled to the primary shaft of the prime mover; receiving a position signal from the position sensor (116) positioned to monitor a modified trigger wheel (114) upon rotation of the primary shaft; Processing the position signal to identify a tooth pattern of the modified trigger wheel (114); determining a parameter for at least one of the combustion engine and the rotating electric machine depending on the identified tooth pattern; The controller (120) is configured to: A system (130) comprising:

7. the prime mover is the combustion engine, The controller (120) Calculating the torque required to start the combustion engine from the identified electrical position; The rotating electric machine (118) is driven according to the calculated torque, and the combustion engine is started. It is configured as follows: The system (130) of claim 6.

8. 1. A method for operating a prime mover of a vehicle, comprising: The vehicle includes a primary shaft coupling the prime mover to a drive train of the vehicle, and a position sensor (116) monitoring a mechanical position of the primary shaft, the prime mover being one of a rotating electric machine (118) having a rotor shaft as the primary shaft and a combustion engine having a crankshaft as the primary shaft coupled to the rotating electric machine (118), the rotating electric machine (118) and the position sensor (116) being connected to the controller (120), The method comprises: receiving a position signal from the position sensor (116) positioned to monitor a modified trigger wheel (114) coupled to the primary shaft upon rotation of the primary shaft; processing the position signal to identify a tooth pattern of the modified trigger wheel (114); determining a parameter related to at least one of the combustion engine and the rotating electric machine (118) depending on the determined tooth pattern; Equipped with A method comprising:

9. the parameter being at least one parameter selected from the group consisting of a direction of rotation of the primary shaft, a knock of the combustion engine, and an electrical position of the rotating electric machine (118). The method according to claim 8.

10. the prime mover is the combustion engine, The method comprises: calculating the torque required to start the combustion engine from the identified electrical position; driving the rotating electric machine (118) according to the calculated torque to start and drive the combustion engine; Further comprising:

10. The method of claim 9.

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