Method and system for sensing component position in an electric drive unit

A vehicle comprising:

• a body;
• a rechargeable energy storage system supported by a battery;
• and
• an electric drive unit supported in the body and electrically connected to the rechargeable energy storage system, the electric drive unit comprising:
• a housing having an inner surface;
• a stator fixedly supported in the housing;
• a rotor rotatably supported in the housing, the rotor including a rotor shaft defining a rotor axis, a plurality of rotor laminations fixedly mounted to the shaft, the plurality of rotor laminations supporting a plurality of magnetic poles, and a hydraulic unit connected to the plurality of rotor laminations, the hydraulic unit having a magnetic shunt that is selectively shiftable relative to the plurality of magnetic poles;
• and
• a position sensing system operable to detect a rotational speed of the rotor using a first inductive sensor and a position of the magnetic shunt relative to the plurality of magnetic poles using a second inductive sensor, the position sensing system comprising:
• a rotor shaft position trigger coupled for rotation with the rotor shaft;
• a magnetic shunt position trigger supported by the hydraulic unit, wherein the magnetic shunt position trigger projects axially outward of the hydraulic unit beyond an axial end surface of the hydraulic unit;
• the first inductive sensor mounted to the housing and aligned with the rotor shaft position trigger;
• the second inductive sensor mounted to the housing and aligned with the magnetic shunt position trigger;
• a controller operatively connected to the first inductive sensor and the second inductive sensor, wherein the controller is configured to determine a position of the magnetic shunt using an output of the second inductive sensor and wherein the controller is configured to determine a rotational position of the shaft using an output of the first inductive sensor;
• and
• wherein the first inductive sensor is spaced 180° from the second inductive sensor relative to the rotor axis.

An electric drive unit comprising:

• a housing having an inner surface;
• a stator fixedly supported in the housing;
• a rotor rotatably supported in the housing, the rotor including a rotor shaft defining a rotor axis, a plurality of rotor laminations fixedly mounted to the shaft, the plurality of rotor laminations supporting a plurality of magnetic poles, and a hydraulic unit connected to the plurality of rotor laminations, the hydraulic unit having a magnetic shunt that is selectively shiftable relative to the plurality of magnetic poles;
• and
• a position sensing system operable to detect a rotational speed of the rotor using a first inductive sensor and a position of the magnetic shunt relative to the plurality of magnetic poles using a second inductive sensor, the position sensing system comprising:
• a rotor shaft position trigger coupled for rotation with the rotor shaft;
• a magnetic shunt position trigger supported by the hydraulic unit, wherein the magnetic shunt position trigger projects axially outward of the hydraulic unit beyond an axial end surface of the hydraulic unit;
• the first inductive sensor mounted to the housing and aligned with the rotor shaft position trigger;
• the second inductive sensor mounted to the housing and aligned with the magnetic shunt position trigger;
• a controller operatively connected to the first inductive sensor and the second inductive sensor, wherein the controller is configured to determine a position of the magnetic shunt using an output of the second inductive sensor and wherein the controller is configured to determine a rotational position of the shaft using an output of the first inductive sensor;
• and
• wherein the first inductive sensor is spaced 180° from the second inductive sensor relative to the rotor axis.