Adjusting Motor Torque to Enable Slip of Torque Converter Clutch to be Maintained when Accelerator Pedal Released in Hybrid Vehicle
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorsZhengyu Dai, Peter John Grutter, Roger Lyle Huffmaster, Hong Jiang, Felix Nedorezov
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A controller and a control strategy for a hybrid electric vehicle having a traction motor between an engine and an automatic transmission include maintaining a bypass clutch of a torque converter in an engaged position and applying a motor torque from a traction motor to the torque converter such that slip of the torque converter does not otherwise reach zero while the bypass clutch is maintained in the engaged position.
Claims20
A method of controlling a hybrid vehicle having a traction motor between an engine and an automatic transmission having a torque converter with a bypass clutch, comprising:
- engaging the bypass clutch of the torque converter to a position that provides non-zero slip;
- and
- controlling traction motor torque to maintain the engagement and the non-zero slip constant, in lieu of disengaging the bypass clutch to increase the slip, in response to a decrease in driver demanded torque.
A system for controlling a hybrid vehicle having a traction motor between an engine and an automatic transmission having a torque converter with a bypass clutch, comprising:
- a controller configured to control motor torque of the traction motor to maintain a non-zero slip across the bypass clutch of the torque converter constant while the bypass clutch is in an engaged position in lieu of the bypass clutch being disengaged to maintain the non-zero slip.
A hybrid electric vehicle comprising:
- an engine;
- an electric motor;
- a torque converter having a bypass clutch;
- a transmission;
- and
- a controller configured to maintain the bypass clutch in an engaged position and apply a motor torque from the electric motor to maintain a non-zero slip of the bypass clutch constant in response to a reduced torque request in lieu of disengaging the bypass clutch to increase the slip in response to the reduced torque request.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.