Electric launch of a hybrid vehicle having a belt alternator starter and a dual clutch transmission

A vehicle comprising:

• an accelerator pedal;
• an engine having a crankshaft;
• a motor generator unit (MGU) connectable to the crankshaft, and adapted for selectively generating a motor torque;
• a dual-clutch transmission (DCT) with an odd-gear input clutch and an even-gear input clutch;
• and
• a controller adapted for launching the vehicle in an electric-only (EV) launch mode;
• wherein the controller is adapted to:
• use the motor torque from the MGU, while the engine is off, to increase a rotational speed of the crankshaft to above a calibrated minimum EV launch speed when a threshold minimum force is applied to the accelerator pedal;
• minimize engine compression while increasing the rotational speed of the crankshaft;
• apply a designated one of the odd-gear clutch and the even-gear clutch according to a predetermined torque function until input torque to the DCT equals or exceeds a calibrated level;
• slip the other of the odd-gear clutch and the even-gear clutch, while increasing the rotational speed of the crankshaft, to dampen drivetrain oscillations;
• and
• launch the vehicle in the EV launch mode via the odd-gear clutch when the rotational speed of the crankshaft exceeds an input speed of the DCT.

A controller adapted for use with a vehicle having an accelerator pedal, an engine having a crankshaft, a motor generator unit (MGU) connectable to the crankshaft and adapted for generating a motor torque, and a dual-clutch transmission (DCT) with an odd-gear clutch and an even-gear clutch, the controller comprising:

• a hardware module;
• and
• an algorithm recorded in memory and executable by the hardware module, and for launching the vehicle in an electric-only (EV) launch mode;
• wherein the controller is adapted for configured to:
• use the motor torque from the MGU, while the engine is off, to increase a rotational speed of the crankshaft to above a calibrated minimum EV launch speed when a threshold minimum force is applied to the accelerator pedal;
• minimize engine compression while increasing the rotational speed of the crankshaft;
• control an operation of a designated one of the odd-gear clutch and the even-gear clutch until input torque to the DCT equals a calibrated level;
• slip the other of the odd-gear clutch and the even-gear clutch, while increasing the rotational speed of the crankshaft, to dampen drivetrain oscillations;
• and
• launch the vehicle in the EV launch mode via the designated clutch when an input speed to the DCT exceeds a function of engine speed.