Method and apparatus for controlling a lubricant flow rate
AssigneeDana Belgium N.V.
InventorsTommy Van Acker, Joachim Van Dingenen
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present disclosure relates to a method and an apparatus for controlling a lubricant flow rate in a wet clutch. The method comprising: determining a clutch state as an open state, a closed state or a slipping state; determining a clutch temperature and a sump lubricant temperature; based at least on the clutch state, the clutch temperature and the sump lubricant temperature, selecting one out of a plurality of maps, wherein each map maps one or more operating parameters of the clutch on a target lubricant flow rate; determining a target lubricant flow rate based on the one or more operating parameters according to the selected map; and controlling a lubricant flow control device based on the determined target lubricant flow rate.
Claims16
A method of controlling a lubricant flow rate for a wet clutch, comprising:
- determining a clutch state as an open state, a closed state or a slipping state,
- determining a clutch temperature and a sump lubricant temperature,
- based at least on the clutch state, the clutch temperature and the sump lubricant temperature, selecting one out of a plurality of maps, wherein each map maps one or more operating parameters of the clutch on a target lubricant flow rate and the plurality of maps at least includes one or more clutch pumping capacity maps, one or more clutch efficiency/flutter maps, and one or more splash lube maps;
- determining the target lubricant flow rate based on the one or more operating parameters according to the selected map;
- and
- controlling a lubricant flow control device based on the determined target lubricant flow rate.
A system, comprising:
- a lubricant pump;
- a flow control device;
- a wet clutch;
- and
- a controller with instructions stored on memory thereof that cause the controller to:
- determine a target lubricant flow rate based on one or more of a clutch state, a clutch temperature, and a sump lubricant temperature and the target lubricant flow rate is equal to one of a lower threshold rate, an upper limit value based on a flow rate clutch plates pump without creating a lubricant-air mixture, or a flow rate therebetween.
A method, comprising:
- controlling a position of one or more of a plurality of valves, each valve of the plurality of valves configured to adjust a lubricant flow rate to a corresponding wet clutch of a plurality of clutches based on a target lubricant flow rate, wherein the target lubricant flow rate is determined based on one or more of a clutch state, a clutch temperature, and a sump lubricant temperature according to a selected map of a plurality of maps, and the plurality of maps includes at least includes one or more clutch pumping capacity maps, one or more clutch efficiency/flutter maps, and one or more splash lube maps.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.