# US 10,871,138 B2 · Method and apparatus for controlling MHSG for torque assist and air conditioner of mild hybrid electric vehicle

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- Number: US 10,871,138 B2
- Document ID: US10871138B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/393,080
- Filed: 2019-04-24
- Published: 2019-08-15
- Granted: 2020-12-22
- Earliest claimed: 2017-12-15
- Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company; Kia Motors Corporation
- Applicants: Hyundai Motor Company; Kia Motors Corporation
- Inventors: Hwa Yong Jang
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10871138B2

## CPC

- B60K 6/448: Electrical distribution type
- F02N 11/084: {State of vehicle accessories, e.g. air condition or power steering}
- B60L 1/003: {to auxiliary motors, e.g. for pumps, compressors}
- B60L 1/02: to electric heating circuits
- B60L 50/16: with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion
- B60L 50/61: by batteries charged by engine-driven generators, e.g. series hybrid electric vehicles
- B60L 58/13: Maintaining the SoC within a determined range
- B60L 58/20: having different nominal voltages
- B60W 10/08: including control of electric propulsion units, e.g. motors or generators
- B60W 20/13: in order to stay within battery power input or output limits; in order to prevent overcharging or battery depletion
- B60W 20/15: Control strategies specially adapted for achieving a particular effect
- B60W 30/18054: {at stand still, e.g. engine in idling state (hill holding B60W30/18118)}
- B60L 2240/34: Cabin temperature
- B60L 2240/662: Temperature
- B60W 2510/244: Charge state
- B60W 2555/20: Ambient conditions, e.g. wind or rain
- B60W 2556/10: Historical data
- F02N 11/0825: {related to prevention of engine restart failure, e.g. disabling automatic stop at low battery state}
- Y02T 10/62: Hybrid vehicles
- Y02T 10/70: Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
- Y02T 10/72: Electric energy management in electromobility
- Y02T 90/16: Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles
- B60K: ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PROPULSION UNITS OR OF TRANSMISSIONS IN VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PLURAL DIVERSE PRIME-MOVERS IN VEHICLES; AUXILIARY DRIVES FOR VEHICLES; INSTRUMENTATION OR DASHBOARDS FOR VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH COOLING, AIR INTAKE, GAS EXHAUST OR FUEL SUPPLY OF PROPULSION UNITS IN VEHICLES
- F02N: STARTING OF COMBUSTION ENGINES; STARTING AIDS FOR SUCH ENGINES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B60L: PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (arrangements or mounting of electrical propulsion units or of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion in vehicles B60K1/00, B60K6/20; arrangements or mounting of electrical gearing in vehicles B60K17/12, B60K17/14; preventing wheel slip by reducing power in rail vehicles B61C15/08; dynamo-electric machines H02K; control or regulation of electric motors H02P); SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (electric coupling devices combined with mechanical couplings of vehicles B60D1/64; electric heating for vehicles B60H1/00); ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL (control or regulation of electric motors H02P); MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES
- B60W: CONJOINT CONTROL OF VEHICLE SUB-UNITS OF DIFFERENT TYPE OR DIFFERENT FUNCTION; CONTROL SYSTEMS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR HYBRID VEHICLES; ROAD VEHICLE DRIVE CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR PURPOSES NOT RELATED TO THE CONTROL OF A PARTICULAR SUB-UNIT
- Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION

## Abstract

A method for controlling a mild hybrid starter & generator (MHSG) for a torque assist and an air conditioner of a mild hybrid electric vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure includes setting a minimum charge amount of a first battery of the mild hybrid electric vehicle based on an outdoor temperature of the vehicle, repeating charging and discharging of the first battery by operating the MHSG so that the charge amount of the first battery is maintained at the set minimum charge amount or more, and operating the MHSG to convert power from the first battery to a second battery.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for controlling a mild hybrid starter and generator (MHSG) for a torque assist and an air conditioner of a mild hybrid electric vehicle, comprising:
setting, by a controller, a minimum charge amount of a first battery of the mild hybrid electric vehicle based on an outdoor temperature of the vehicle;
repeating, by the controller, charging and discharging of the first battery by operating the MHSG so that the charge amount of the first battery is maintained at the set minimum charge amount or more; and
operating, by the controller, the MHSG to convert power from the first battery to a second battery.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein:
in the setting of the minimum charge amount of the first battery,
the minimum charge amount of the first battery is set by including a database of a driver's operating pattern of the air conditioner.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein:
the database of the driver's operating pattern of the air conditioner includes a probability of whether the driver operates the air conditioner at a specific time point.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein:
the setting of the minimum charge amount of the first battery includes an indoor temperature information of the vehicle, and
the minimum charge amount of the first battery is set based on a difference between the outdoor temperature and the indoor temperature of the vehicle.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein:
the repeating of charging and discharging of the first battery includes:
detecting a charge amount of the first battery and the outdoor temperature of the vehicle; and
operating the MHSG so that the charge amount of the first battery becomes a maximum amount when the charge amount of the first battery is discharged to the set minimum charge amount according to the outdoor temperature of the vehicle.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method claim 1, wherein:
the setting of the minimum charge amount of the first battery includes:
setting the minimum charge amount of the first battery as a first reference charge amount when the outdoor temperature of the vehicle is less than a first reference temperature;
setting the minimum charge amount of the first battery as a second reference charge amount when the outdoor temperature of the vehicle is higher than the first reference temperature and lower than a second reference temperature that is higher than the first reference temperature; and
setting the minimum charge amount of the first battery as a third reference charge amount when the outdoor temperature of the vehicle is equal to or higher than the second reference temperature.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein:
the first reference charge amount is smaller than the second reference charge amount, and
the second reference charge amount is smaller than the third reference charge amount.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein:
the first battery is a 48V battery, and the second battery is a 12V battery.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein:
in the operating of the MHSG to convert the power from the first battery to the second battery,
the power generated by the MHSG is converted from the first battery to the second battery via a low voltage DC-DC converter (LDC) so that a charge amount of the second battery is above a certain value.

### Claim 10

An apparatus for controlling a mild hybrid starter & generator (MHSG) for a torque assist and an air conditioner of a mild hybrid electric vehicle, comprising:
a first battery charge amount detecting sensor for detecting a charge amount of a first battery;
an outdoor temperature sensor for detecting an outdoor temperature of the vehicle; and
a controller for controlling the charge amount of the first battery and assisting an engine torque of the vehicle,
wherein the controller is configured to:
set a minimum charge amount of the first battery based on the outdoor temperature of the vehicle;
operate the MHSG to repeatedly perform charging and discharging of the first battery so that the charge amount of the first battery is maintained at the set minimum charge amount or more; and
operate the MHSG to convert power from the first battery to the second battery.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The apparatus of claim 10, wherein:
the controller is further configured to set the minimum charge amount of the first battery by including a database of a driver's operating pattern of the air conditioner.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The apparatus of claim 11, wherein:
the database of the driver's operating pattern of the air conditioner includes a probability of whether the driver operates the air conditioner at a specific time point.

### Claim 13 (depends on 10)

The apparatus of claim 10, wherein:
the controller is further configured to:
acquire information on an indoor temperature of the vehicle from an indoor temperature sensor; and
set the minimum charge amount of the first battery based on a difference between the outdoor temperature and the indoor temperature of the vehicle.

### Claim 14 (depends on 10)

The apparatus of claim 10, wherein:
the controller is further configured to
operate the MHSG so that the charge amount of the first battery becomes a maximum amount when the charge amount of the first battery is discharged to the set minimum charge amount according to the outdoor temperature of the vehicle.

### Claim 15 (depends on 10)

The apparatus of claim 10, wherein:
the controller is further configured to:
set the minimum charge amount of the first battery as a first reference charge amount when the outdoor temperature of the vehicle is less than a first reference temperature;
set the minimum charge amount of the first battery as a second reference charge amount when the outdoor temperature of the vehicle is higher than the first reference temperature and lower than a second reference temperature that is higher than the first reference temperature; and
set as a third reference charge amount when the outdoor temperature of the vehicle is equal to or higher than the second reference temperature.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The apparatus of claim 15, wherein:
the first reference charge amount is smaller than the second reference charge amount, and
the second reference charge amount is smaller than the third reference charge amount.

### Claim 17 (depends on 10)

The apparatus of claim 10, wherein:
the first battery is a 48V battery, and the second battery is a 12V battery.

### Claim 18 (depends on 10)

The apparatus of claim 10, wherein:
the controller is further configured to
convert the power generated by the MHSG from the first battery to the second battery via a low voltage DC-DC converter (LDC) so that a charge amount of the second battery is above a certain value.