# US 2022/0045545 A1 · Techniques to regulate charging with an alternator and a battery to minimize vehicle fuel consumption

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- Number: US 2022/0045545 A1
- Document ID: US20220045545A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 16/989,026
- Filed: 2020-08-10
- Published: 2022-02-10
- Earliest claimed: 2020-08-10
- Assignees: Fca US LLC
- Inventors: David R. Pedro; Arab Alsharif; Joydip Saha; Travis T. Hamilton; Nikhil Patil; Geoffrey Giese; Basil M. Khaja; Ganapathy Machamada Somaiah; Joseph B. Adams; Paul Milligan
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20220045545A1

## CPC

- H02J 7/1446: {in response to parameters of a vehicle}
- B60R 16/033: characterised by the use of electrical cells or batteries (for propulsion puposes B60K1/04; supplying batteries to, or removing batteries from, vehicles B60S5/06; testing of charge state G01R31/36)
- H02P 9/48: Arrangements for obtaining a constant output value at varying speed of the generator, e.g. on vehicle (H02P9/04 - H02P9/46 take precedence)
- H02J 2105/33: exchanging power with road vehicles
- Y02T 10/92: Energy efficient charging or discharging systems for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors specially adapted for vehicles
- H02J: ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY
- B60R: VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- H02P: CONTROL OR REGULATION OF ELECTRIC MOTORS, ELECTRIC GENERATORS OR DYNAMO-ELECTRIC CONVERTERS; CONTROLLING TRANSFORMERS, REACTORS OR CHOKE COILS
- Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION

## Abstract

Charging control techniques for a vehicle including an engine that drives an alternator configured to charge a battery of the vehicle comprise modeling a fuel consumption of the alternator for each load level across a range of alternator loads using an engine torque model and a set of operating parameters of the engine, determining an energy output from the alternator for each load level across the range of alternator loads, calculating a cost-to-charge metric based on the modeled alternator fuel consumption and the determined alternator energy output for each duty cycle across a range of duty cycles of the alternator, determining an optimal cost-to-charge from the calculated cost-to-charge metrics, determining a target cost-to-charge metric based on a state of charge of the battery, and operating the alternator accordingly at an optimal duty cycle based on the metrics and current engine operating conditions.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A charging control system for a vehicle, the system comprising:
an alternator driven by an engine of the vehicle and configured to charge a battery of the vehicle; and
a controller configured to:
model a fuel consumption of the alternator for each load level across a range of alternator loads using an engine torque model and a set of operating parameters of the engine;
determine an energy output from the alternator for each load level across the range of alternator loads;
calculate a cost-to-charge metric based on the modeled alternator fuel consumption and the determined alternator energy output for each duty cycle across a range of duty cycles of the alternator;
determine an optimal cost-to-charge from the calculated cost-to-charge metrics;
determine a target cost-to-charge based on a state of charge of the battery; and
operate the alternator at an optimal duty cycle corresponding to the optimal cost to charge, a target duty cycle corresponding to the target cost to charge, or zero duty cycle based on whether current engine operating conditions are indicative of a higher efficiency optimal cost zone for the engine or a lower efficiency target cost zone for the engine.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to calculate the cost-to-charge metric for each duty cycle of the alternator as a ratio of (i) the alternator fuel consumption to (ii) the alternator energy output.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the optimal duty cycle corresponds to a minimum cost-to-charge metric across the range of alternator duty cycles.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein:
when the engine operating conditions are indicative of the optimal operating zone, the controller is configured to (i) operate the alternator at the optimal duty cycle when the optimal cost-to-charge is less than the target cost-to-charge and operate the alternator at zero duty cycle when the optimal cost-to-charge is not less than the target cost-to-charge; and
when the engine operating conditions are indicative of the target operating zone, the controller is configured to (i) operate the alternator at the target duty cycle when the one of the optimal cost-to-charge metrics is less than or equal to the target cost-to-charge and (ii) operate the alternator at zero duty cycle when none of the optimal cost-to-charge metrics is less than or equal to the target cost-to-charge.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to calculate the target cost-to-charge metric using a calibrated function where the target cost-to-charge metric increases as the battery state of charge decreases.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to command a maximum duty cycle of the alternator during vehicle deceleration periods.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the set of operating parameters of the engine comprise air charge, engine speed, spark advance, fuel/air ratio, temperature, and accessory loads.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the alternator energy output is determined using experimentally determined maps of alternator input torque and alternator efficiency.

### Claim 9

A charging control method for a vehicle including an engine that drives an alternator configured to charge a battery of the vehicle, the method comprising:
modeling, by a controller of the vehicle, a fuel consumption of the alternator for each load level across a range of alternator loads using an engine torque model and a set of operating parameters of the engine;
determining, by the controller, an energy output from the alternator for each load level across the range of alternator loads;
calculating, by the controller, a cost-to-charge metric based on the modeled alternator fuel consumption and the determined alternator energy output for each duty cycle across a range of duty cycles of the alternator;
determining, by the controller, an optimal cost-to-charge from the calculated cost-to-charge metrics;
determining, by the controller, a target cost-to-charge metric based on a state of charge of the battery; and
operating, by the controller, the alternator at an optimal duty cycle corresponding to the optimal cost to charge, a target duty cycle corresponding to the target cost to charge, or zero duty cycle based on whether current engine operating conditions are indicative of a higher efficiency optimal cost zone for the engine or a lower efficiency target cost zone for the engine.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein the cost-to-charge metric is calculated for each duty cycle of the alternator as a ratio of (i) the alternator fuel consumption to (ii) the alternator energy output.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein the optimal duty cycle corresponds to a minimum cost-to-charge metric across the range of alternator duty cycles.

### Claim 12 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein:
when the engine operating conditions are indicative of the optimal operating zone, the controller (i) operates the alternator at the optimal duty cycle when the optimal cost-to-charge is less than the target cost-to-charge and operates the alternator at zero duty cycle when the optimal cost-to-charge is not less than the target cost-to-charge; and
when the engine operating conditions are indicative of the target operating zone, the controller (i) operates the alternator at the target duty cycle when the one of the optimal cost-to-charge metrics is less than or equal to the target cost-to-charge and (ii) operates the alternator at zero duty cycle when none of the optimal cost-to-charge metrics is less than or equal to the target cost-to-charge.

### Claim 13 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, further comprising calculating, by the controller, the target cost-to-charge metric using a calibrated function where the target cost-to-charge metric increases as the battery state of charge decreases.

### Claim 14 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, further comprising commanding, by the controller, a maximum duty cycle of the alternator during vehicle deceleration periods.

### Claim 15 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein the set of operating parameters of the engine comprise air charge, engine speed, spark advance, fuel/air ratio, temperature, and accessory loads.

### Claim 16 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein the alternator energy output is determined using experimentally determined maps of alternator input torque and alternator efficiency.