Powertrain of a vehicle and a method of operating a powertrain of a vehicle for clutch protection
AssigneeGM Global Technology Operations LLC
InventorEckhard KIRCHNER
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A powertrain of a vehicle includes, but is not limited to a prime drive coupleable to a multi-speed transmission by actuation of one or more clutches and a system for operating the powertrain for clutch protection. The system includes, but is not limited to an estimator for estimating the thermal load on the clutch from drive resistance of the vehicle and the torque deliverable by the prime drive at a sensed position of the throttle and an apparatus for increasing the torque delivered by the prime drive to above the estimated torque at the sensed position of the throttle to reduce the thermal load on the clutch if the estimated thermal load on the clutch is higher than the predetermined threshold.
Claims18
A method of operating a powertrain of a vehicle, the powertrain comprising a prime drive that is coupleable to a multi-speed transmission by actuation of a clutch, the method comprising:
- estimating a drive resistance of the vehicle;
- sensing a position of a throttle of the prime drive;
- estimating a torque that is deliverable by the prime drive at the position of the throttle);
- estimating a thermal load on the clutch using the drive resistance of the vehicle and the torque that is deliverable by the prime drive;
- comparing the thermal load on the clutch with a predetermined threshold;
- allowing the vehicle to launch if the thermal load on the clutch is lower than the predetermined threshold;
- and
- increasing the torque delivered by the prime drive above the torque at the position of the throttle to reduce the thermal load on the clutch upon launch of the vehicle and afterwards allowing the vehicle to launch if the thermal load on the clutch is higher than the predetermined threshold.
A powertrain of a vehicle, comprising:
- a prime drive that is coupleable to a multi-speed transmission by actuation of a clutch (13;
- 27, 28;
- and
- a system for operating the powertrain for protection of the clutch, the system comprising:
- a first estimator configured to estimate a drive resistance of the vehicle;
- a first sensor configured to sense a position of a throttle of the prime drive;
- a second estimator configured to estimate a torque that is deliverable by the prime drive at the position of the throttle;
- a third estimator configured to estimate a thermal load on the clutch from the drive resistance of the vehicle and the torque that is deliverable by the prime drive at the position of the throttle;
- a comparator configured to compare the thermal load on the clutch with a predetermined threshold;
- and
- an apparatus configured to increase the torque delivered by the prime drive above the torque at the position of the throttle to reduce the thermal load on the clutch upon launch of the vehicle if the thermal load on the clutch is higher than the predetermined threshold.
A computer readable medium embodying a computer program product, said computer program product comprising:
- a powertrain operating program, the program configured to operate a powertrain of a vehicle, the powertrain comprising a prime drive that is coupleable to a multi-speed transmission by actuation of a clutch, the program configured to:
- estimate a drive resistance of the vehicle;
- sense a position of a throttle of the prime drive;
- estimate a torque that is deliverable by the prime drive at the position of the throttle;
- estimate a thermal load on the clutch using the drive resistance of the vehicle and the torque that is deliverable by the prime drive;
- compare the thermal load on the clutch with a predetermined threshold;
- allow the vehicle to launch if the thermal load on the clutch is lower than the predetermined threshold;
- and
- increase the torque delivered by the prime drive above the torque at the position of the throttle to reduce the thermal load on the clutch upon launch of the vehicle and afterwards allowing the vehicle to launch if the thermal load on the clutch is higher than the predetermined threshold.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.