US 12,122,248 B2 · Intelligent vehicles and control logic for managing faults for dual-independent drive unit axle powertrains

Abstract

Presented are control systems for operating dual-independent drive unit (DIDU) powertrains, methods for making/operating such systems, and electric-drive vehicles with fault management and mitigation for DIDU axles. A method of operating a motor vehicle with a DIDU axle includes monitoring first and second drive units (DU) that are independently operable to drive respective road wheels via respective axle shafts of the DIDU axle. A vehicle controller receives an indication of a fault condition in the first DU from a fault sensing module and responsively determines a fault type for the fault condition. The controller ascertains the vehicle's current speed and determines a respective torque limit for each of the DIDU drive units based on the fault type and current vehicle speed. Torque output of the first DU is concomitantly constrained to a first torque limit while torque output of the second DU is constrained to a second torque limit.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method of operating a motor vehicle with a dual-independent drive unit (DIDU) axle, the DIDU axle including a first drive unit (DU) and a second DU individually operable to independently drive first and second road wheels, respectively, the method comprising:

receiving, via a vehicle controller from a fault sensing module, a fault signal indicating a fault condition in the first DU of the DIDU axle;
determining, via the vehicle controller, a fault type for the fault condition;
determining, via the vehicle controller, a current vehicle speed of the motor vehicle;
determining, via the vehicle controller based on the fault type and the current vehicle speed, a first torque limit for the first DU and a second torque limit for the second DU;
and
commanding, via the vehicle controller, a first torque output of the first DU be constrained to the first torque limit and a second torque output of the second DU be constrained to the second torque limit.

3 more elements

An electric-drive vehicle comprising:

a vehicle body with first and second pairs of road wheels;
a dual-independent drive unit (DIDU) axle mounted to the vehicle body and including first and second drive units (DU) individually operable to independently drive first and second road wheels, respectively, of the first pair of road wheels, and first and second axle half shafts drivingly connecting the first and second DUs to the first and second road wheels, respectively;
a drive axle mounted to the vehicle body fore or aft of the DIDU axle and including a prime mover independently operable to drive the second pair of road wheels;
and
a vehicle controller programmed to:
receive, from a fault sensing module, a fault signal indicating a fault condition in the first DU of the DIDU axle;
determine a fault type for the fault condition;
determine a current vehicle speed of the electric-drive vehicle;
determine a first torque limit for the first DU and a second torque limit for the second DU based on the fault type and the current vehicle speed;
and
constrain a first torque output of the first DU to the first torque limit and a second torque output of the second DU to the second torque limit.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Intelligent vehicles and control logic for managing faults for dual-independent drive unit axle powertrains

Life of this patent

Intelligent vehicles and control logic for managing faults for dual-independent drive unit axle powertrains

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20